Leucistic Spotted Pythons?

[Ccrystal]

Hi everyone,

I saw this picture while I was researching about spotted python morphs, and it stated that it was a BEL spotted python.

I tried to do more research into them, but nothing came up.

Does anyone know more about them? Do they actually exist? Who is breeding them?

Thank you!

 

[Sdaji]

Someone will probably correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that's the one which was wild caught in north QLD (I won't say exactly where) and was held by the QLD wildlife department with no intention of breeding it for quite some years until it died. Yes, many of us thought it was a crying shame not to breed it.

Incidentally, it's always funny when either blue-eyed leucistic or black-eyed leucistic is turned into an acronym Acronyms are so heavily misused, and overused in general. IFHA.

 

[Python]

Sdaji, the python apparently is so rare and interesting. Do you know why they did not breed it?

 

[Sdaji]

The QLD wildlife department is against the breeding of morphs. They generally haven't been able to enforce it (they did make some effort when the first albinos were available which ultimately got thrown in the too hard basket) but once they got hold of that leucistic it was never going to be bred.

 

[Python]

Thanks. I thought the QLD wildlife department is only against breeding of leucistic and not of albinos.

 

[Sdaji]

Thanks. I thought the QLD wildlife department is only against breeding of leucistic and not of albinos.

Around 2006 (give or take, I can't recall the exact date) the QLD department introduced a policy of banning "mutations" (their terminology, not mine). At the time, albino Carpets were the new big thing, the first significant morph to hit the hobby in a way which made them widely accessible, and presumably the mutation which inspired the policy. I don't think they've ever specifically had any issue with leucistics relative to other morphs, and it would be pretty weird to single leucistics out unless they *really* hate pure white.

 

[Herpetology]

what DOES the QLD department want people breeding? seems like nothing unless it benefits them

 

[Sdaji]

All Australian government departments would be most happy if everyone just stopped keeping reptiles.

They don't *want* us keeping any reptiles, they just have a licensing system because otherwise the hobby would go underground and be unregulated. Nothing about the systems exists to encourage people to keep or breed any native animals.

The Australian government would prefer people to eliminate all interesting and adventurous aspects of their lives, and many Australian people are complying and encouraging others to as well.