Snakes come in many different sizes and varieties and we do our best to love them more than be afraid of them. It’s much easier said than done, until you find a snake that is cool enough to learn about versus run from.
Like the Piebald Ball Python, it’s a mix between the Ball Python and Piebald Python, and has a recessive gene that makes parts of it pigmented with various colors and patterns, and the other parts of it unpigmented and purely white.
Piebald Ball Python are extremely intriguing to look at and there are some interesting facts that come along with their interesting genes. Let’s dive in and learn more.
Are Piebald Ball Pythons Dangerous?
Generally, Piebald Ball Pythons are not dangerous and are not prone to causing unnecessary trouble for themselves or for you. Of course, if need be the python could strike to protect itself from harm’s way or a predator, but this isn’t the case if they are in your possession.
Piebald Ball Pythons are docile creatures that like to spend time with themselves and stay warm, as it is their form of comfort. Also, Piebald Ball Pythons do not have fangs; therefore, no venom to poison you with.
However, they do have small teeth that they use to push their prey to the back of their mouth.
Baby Piebald may bite here and there because they have not been trained, but as they get older, they will grow out of it and become the nice and simple creatures that Mother Nature designed them to be.
How Much Do Piebald Ball Pythons Cost?
Piebald Ball Pythons are fairly inexpensive to purchase and the price for one can range between 200 and 500 dollars!
The price for this particular snake is based on their gender, size, and age. Females tend to be more expensive than the male because of the type of work and care that goes into making sure the female is healthy and can one day produce healthy hatchlings.
When it comes to age, the younger the Python is, the less it will cost to have one. Hatchlings males are the most cost efficient to buy if you are looking for a good bargain.
Also, their size plays a role in the price because it matches their age. Once they hit sexual maturity, they exponentially start to grow, making them a more valuable sell and more of a quality pet.
Fun fact: the most expensive Piebald Ball Python cost 7,500 dollars!
In the end, their cost is based on their demographics, and the smaller they are, the less they will cost.
How Big Does a Piebald Ball Python Get?
Piebald Ball Pythons can reach roughly 4 feet in length.
As hatchling, males pop out of their shell at about half a foot, while females are double the length of a male, reaching 1 foot.
Within a year, both genders have grown a little more than half a foot, placing male Piebald at 1 foot long and female Piebald at a little more than 1 ½ feet long. Once they hit sexual maturity, they go through a growth spurt and begin to grow faster, longer, and wider.
By the time they are fully mature, the length of a male Piebald Ball Python is approximately 3 to 3 ½ feet long, while the female Piebald Ball Python exceeds their male counterpart by one foot, reaching a length of 4 to 4 ½ feet long.
Female Piebald are always bigger than the male because their body is designed to have room to create eggs and produce hatchlings.
Are Piebald Ball Pythons Good Pets?
Yes, Piebald Ball Pythons make for an incredibly good pet, especially if you are a first-time pet owner or a first-time snake owner.
Their nice and even-temper allows for you to interact with them in a safe and comforting manner without them feeling threatened and balling up into themselves for safety.
They are not the type of animal to strike unannounced because they have a few significant signs that will inform you that they are up for playing and interacting, or simply wanting to spend some time for themselves, by themselves.
They are prone to spending time with you because of the heat that you produce; and they definitely want to get in on some of that warmth. This symbiotic relationship is a great way to bond with your Piebald Ball Python and ensure their safety, comfort, secure livelihood.
Piebald Ball Python Cool Facts
Let’s start with the fact that they can be a long-term friend considering the fact that they live between 20 and 30 years, which is longer than most other morphs of Ball Pythons!
Another cool fact about the Piebald Ball Python is that they love attention. This is rare for most snakes, but not the Piebald; they enjoy being held and wrapping themselves around your body for warmth, comfort, and convenience.
Continuing, did you know that Piebald Ball Pythons grow one foot per year? That’s one inch per month; this entails that their body is very stable and can grow at a steady rate; maybe this is why they live for so long.
In addition, whenever they do feel threatened, they will curl their body into itself, headfirst, creating a slippery “ball”; which is why this breed of python is accurately named the Piebald “Ball” Python.
Piebald Ball Python Genetics
One of the first records of the Piebald Ball Pythons was recorded in the 1960s, and accurately and consistently documented since the late 1980s.
Piebald Ball Pythons coloration and patterns are coded by a recessive gene, which means both parent pythons are carriers of this recessive gene. The recessive gene is not always expressed in each hatchling all the time.
When it comes to this gene, there is a 1 out of 4 chance that a partly patterned and partly cloudy-white python will be created, so it takes multiple tries to get this breed.
Also because of the gene’s characteristics, there is no way to tell how the coloration or patterns of the Piebald will express itself once the hatchling cracks out of that egg.
How Rare Are Piebald Ball Python?
Piebald Ball Pythons are an exceedingly rare morph of a Ball Python for one reason: their phenotype, or physical genetic expression.
Their coloration and pattern make them a unique specimen that many snake breeders and owners strive to get their hands on.
Their rarity is ongoing simply because it is extremely challenging to purposely produce a Piebald Ball Python without knowing their biological nature; and unless you’re an animal geneticist, this is nearly impossible.
It is not a common snake to find in the wild, even in its original habitat within the western region of Africa. Which is why when a breeder or snake hobbyist obtains one, they engage in many mating and breeding trials to recreate one of the rarest morphs of Ball Pythons.
Ironically, the fact that they are challenging to obtain is the same reason for its popularity, and the reason as to why breeders and pet owners want to have one for themselves.
Breeding Piebald Ball Pythons
The reproduction process for breeding Piebald Ball Pythons can become incredibly detailed in nature; it comes down to the mating process, temperature, and proper incubation of the hatchlings.
First off, the male must be at least 1 ½ feet long for him to be big enough for the female. Piebald Ball Pythons reach their sexual maturity at two years old, which is their chance to find a mate and start reproducing.
It can take several days or weeks for the mating process to commence and finish; once it does and the female is properly bred, she can produce 1 to 8 eggs in one litter, with 11 being the max amount of eggs for most Piebald.
Once the eggs are pushed out, they must be incubated for approximately 60 days at a heated temperature between 88 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the hatchlings to properly develop and become healthy offspring.
Piebald Ball Python Shedding
Piebald Ball Python shedding sessions happen approximately every 4 to 6 weeks of their life.
This is a natural phenomenon, as it represents the fact that their muscles are growing and their skin is simply not strong enough to contain them, which is why they shed.
It’s easy to tell when a Piebald Python is about to begin their shedding process because their eyes will turn a foggy or cloudy color, possibly with blue tints. This cloudiness goes away after 3 days, which is when the literally shedding of the snake’s skin will commence.
Their shedding process can take 1 to 2 weeks. They won’t want to be touched much as their body will be exposed and extremely sensitive. It helps for them to have a rugged surface – like a thick branch or log – for them to rub up against to help them scrape off any lagging skin.
Once their skin is properly shed, their body won’t be as sensitive, and they will return to normal.
Most Popular Piebald Ball Python Morphs
Of course, there are Piebald Ball Pythons that have been mixed with other types of Ball Python. Some of the most popular Piebald Ball Python Morphs are the:
- Enchi Orange Dream Pastel Piebald
- Ivory Orange Dream Piebald
- Mahogany Pastel Piebald
- Mystic Potion Piebald
- Caramel Albino Piebald
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