Atlas of current color and pattern forms of ball pythons The ball python atlas is celebrated by fans of this snake as the ultimate. The leading German expert, Stefan Broghammer, describes everything you need to know to successfully keep and breed Python regius in a practical, easy-to-understand manner and with new findings. On the other hand, Broghammer describes and illustrates the incredible wealth of color and fantastic 1,300 photos - including, of course, many spectacular morphs and combinations. The updated edition also includes information on what is probably the most spectacular case of fraud in terraristics.

Readers can once more expect to find an almost infinite number of color combinations of the Ball Python in this new edition. Willi Obermayer, Austrian Reptiles, Austria Stefan again shares with us his wealth of knowlege that he has acquuired and continuously been updating through his own breeding efforts, his numerous travels to the natural distribution range of Python regius, and his personal contacts to breeders all over the world. Hans-Jörg Winner, Waldkirch, Germany

Autorentext

Stefan Broghammer is the leading German expert on the husbandry and breeding of ball pythons. He has been importing potential new colour morphs directly from Africa for many years, knows from his own observations how the snakes live there, and is regarded as a pioneer in the field of designer morph breeding.

Inhalt
Forwords Preface 1. General Section Systematics - Appearance and Size Distribution and Natural Habitat Ecology - Arboreal or ground living? A re-appraisal! Conservation Status Ranching Programmes - The Demise of Ranching People and Pythons in Africa - Ghana - Togo - Benin Economic Importance Population Status Revered, Protected and Abhorred Ball Pythons as a Fetish 2. Keeping and Breeding Acquisition Transport Handling Pythons The Terrarium - Solitary or joint keeping? - Climate - Lighting - Outfitting Feeding - Feeding Intervals Moulting Propagation - Sexing - Inducing Mating - Mating - Ovulation - Gravidity - Incubation Sexual Maturity and Life Expectancy Diseases - Ectoparasites - Endoparasites - Bacterial Infection - Viruses - Constipation of intestinal obstruction - Hard Belly - Hemipenis and Intestinal Prolapses - Injuries and burns My Snake is Gone! 3. Colour Morphs Where do these names come from? A brief introduction to genetics - Dominant and intermediate expressions - Punnett 's Square - Genetics for breeders - Can heteros be identified after all? - Combos twin mutations - Problematic genetic defects / wobbling - Tricks and deceits in the market place Ball Python morphs Recessive morphs - Albino - Amelanistisch - Axanthic - BB Ball and Red Ball: a scams story - Black Lace - Bourgogne - Caramel - Clown - Desert Ghost - Genetic Stripe - Ghost - Lavender - Monsoon - Patternless - Piebald - Rainbow - Sahara - Scaleless - Sunset Ball - Toffee - Tristripe - Ultramel - Dominant and co-dominant Morphs - Acid/Confusion - Bamboo - Banana - Black Head - Black Magic - Bongo - Black Pastel - Butter - Calico - Champagne - Chocolate - Cinnamon - Creme - Cypress Ball - Desert - Disco - Enchi - Fire - Genetic Jungle - GHI - Granit - Gravel - Green Pastel - Het Red Axanthic - Hurricane - Jungle Woma - Leopard - Lesser - Lori - Mahogany - Mocha - Mojave - Mystic - Orange Dream - Orbit - Paintball - Panther - Pastel - Phantom - Pinstripe - Red Stripe - Russo - Sable - Spark - Special - Specter - Spider - Spotnose - Stranger - Genetic Tiger - Trick - Vanilla - Woma/Hidden Gen Woma - Yellowbelly - New, genetically verified morphs - Bambino - Black Adder - Blondie - Copper - Genetik - Huffman - Masai - Mathew - Milky - Monarch - Nanny - Neon - NR Mandarin - Red Gene - Rio - Silver Ghost - Super Sentinel - Speckled - Unverified morphs and morphs identified as not genetically fixed - Black Axanthic - Burgundy Albino - Chimera/Paradox - Classic Jungle - Dalmatiner Pied - Fefe - Odd Balls/Question Balls - Orange Gen - Ringer The prettiest Morph of all Acknowlegments Literature used and recommended reading Internet support