Desert Ghost Next to a wild type for reference By Papaya Pythons

Desert Ghost

Type: Recessive

First Produced By: Reptile Industries

Aliases: DG, Bell Line DG

First Produced In: 2003 ^[1]

Availability: Common

Last Updated: 2024-06-22

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About

The Desert Ghost Ball Python is a recessive, color and pattern-altering mutation that has several distinct lines. Most lines are known to be compatible with one another, such as the Bell DG, NERD DG, and the Enhancer DG lines, whereas others, such as Sahara DG, are incompatible with current understanding.

History

The first captive bred Desert Ghost ball pythons were produced by Mark and Kimberly Bell of Reptile Industries in 2003. They had acquired the parents that produced these from Mike Ellard at Burgundy Reptiles years earlier.

Fast forward to the year 2023, and a new chapter in the story of Desert Ghost began to unfold. Through the efforts of Rare Genetics Inc., a deeper investigation into the genetic makeup of Desert Ghost revealed that what the community had considered DG was not a simple, single mutation but rather a combination of mutations occurring in multiple genes.

In the case of Desert Ghost, three main genes have been identified and designated as DGa, DGb and DGc.

The ongoing research on Desert Ghost continues to delve deeper into unraveling the intricacies of this. Scientists, breeders, and enthusiasts are collaborating to understand the specific interactions between the identified genes.

Appearance

Head

The Desert Ghost Ball Python usually has a dark-brown/black head with a faded crown. The stripes through the eyes are more faintly colored compared to a Normal Ball Python.

Body

The body of a Desert Ghost Ball Python tends to start out with mild gravel-like yellow “alien heads” that fade with age into an almost completely gray with a slight yellow-gold hue.

Tail

The tail of the Desert Ghost Ball Python is similar to that of a Normal Ball Pythons but follows the coloration of the Desert Ghost.

Proven Lines

NERD Line, Enhancer

Through genetic testing done by RGI, it has become apparent that a large percentage of the animals tested for Desert Ghost have multiple chromosomes that resemble those of the Desert Ghost trait, but they are not identical. However, due to extensive selective breeding over time, these chromosomes tend to be inherited together.