In 2008 we welcomed a group of Ebony Ball Pythons. At the beginning, we were supposed to receive 5 among which 3 males and 2 females (3.2). After a thorough inspection of the specimens, it would rather be a group of 3.1 Ebony Ball Pythons and a Melanic female (0.1).

This group of animal is from Africa, and snakes are born in 2008, probably in April. We don't know if they were produced by African breeders or if they are wild caught.

Just after their arrival into our breeding center, they all spontaneously ate mice or rats of adapted sizes.

It is surprising to notice that the group includes animals of two different forms although they are more or less the same size and also more or less same colour. For this reason, we had to observe those animals carrefully to find out that even if the Melanic female looks like the other Ebonies, she is not one. Nevertheless, everything let us think she was: the pattern, with a dorsal line which, even if it is not continuous, is present. Even the "tint" of colours, excepted the fact she is blacker than the others. This difference of tint is also found untill her belly scales, very dark too.

Following our first observations, it was an Ebony blacker than black coffee as others could be, with a discontinuous dorsal line.

After having "checked" again this female in detail, we concluded that, finally, she is Melanic and not a melanic Ebony, even if it does not suit us, whatever... She is much more black than Ebony specimens and has no this tint "coffee with milk" we find on Ebonies. Furthermore, the Graziani specimen has a dorsal spitted line (that made us thinking she was Ebony) and we find the same characteristics as our animal...

So waiting to see how this female will be growing, this female is "a potential" Melanic specimen. Given that she is has wild origins, we hope very strongly that her genetics will be more favourable to us than it was it for other breeders also keeping those animals. Indeed, the information we got from other breeders, they have not been able to prove the genetics of this phase.

Indeed, they did not get anything with all the possible combinations of the F1 and F2 generations bred back to the original female. However, whatever the genetic character or not of this animal, the melanic appearance of this animal make her a very spectacular specimen we are very happy to house.

Few days later her arrival, she spontaneously ate three freshly killed mice and should at this rhythm quickly exceed the 44g she weighed when she arrived!