The Banana Ball Python is a true showstopper with its striking yellow and lavender colours, making it one of the most sought-after morphs in the reptile world.
But did you know it can create even more breathtaking combinations, like the Banana Pied or Spider?
Are you curious about how these morphs are created and what makes the Banana Ball Python unique?
Discover everything from care tips to the fascinating genetics behind these incredible morph combinations!
Banana Ball Python History & Genetics
The Banana Ball Python has an interesting history that started in the early 2000s when it was first discovered in the wilds of West Africa.
This morph quickly became a sensation in the reptile community due to its vibrant yellow and purple colouration, unlike any other Ball Python at the time.
The Banana gene is co-dominant, meaning it only takes one Banana parent to pass down the stunning colour patterns to the offspring.
As breeders experimented with the Banana morph, they unlocked countless exciting combinations, making it a favourite for creating unique and eye-catching Ball Python varieties.
Today, the Banana Ball Python remains one of the most sought-after morphs for collectors and breeders.
Banana Ball Python Characteristics
Banana Ball Python Appearance
Banana Ball Python Size & Weight
Behaviour and Temperament
They are known for their calm and friendly nature, making them ideal pets for beginners and experienced reptile keepers.
They are usually docile and easy to handle. When stressed, they might curl up into a ball (hence the name), but they rarely show aggression and are comfortable around humans.
Banana Ball Python Lifespan
With proper care, they can live 20 to 30 years, making them a long-term companion for snake enthusiasts.
Banana Ball Python Cost
Where to Buy
The best places to purchase a Banana Ball Python include reputable breeders and specialized reptile stores.
Websites like MorphMarket and Backwater Reptiles offer a wide selection of healthy Banana morphs with guaranteed quality.
Always buy from trusted breeders with good customer reviews to ensure you’re getting a well-cared-for snake.
Banana Ball Python Breeding & Reproduction
Breeding Banana Ball Pythons is an exciting process, especially when creating new morph combinations.
Below is a simple and unique guide to understanding the key points in the breeding and reproduction of this beautiful snake:
1. Age for Breeding
2. Breeding Season
- Timing: The breeding season for Banana Ball Pythons typically begins in the winter months, from November to March.
- It mimics their natural breeding cycle, where cooler temperatures signal mating time.
3. Cooling and Temperature
- Cooling: Lower the temperatures slightly in the enclosure to about 80°F (26°C) during the day and 75°F (24°C) at night to encourage breeding.
- This cooling phase is important as it signals the breeding season to the snakes.
4. Pairing the Snakes
5. Ovulation
- Signs of Ovulation: The female will show a visible swelling in her lower body, which means she is ovulating. This is a crucial sign that the breeding was successful, and she is ready to produce eggs.
6. Gravid Stage (Pregnancy)
- Duration: After ovulation, the female Banana Ball Python will be gravid (pregnant) for around 30 to 45 days.
- Behaviour: During this time, she may stop eating and seek warm spots in her enclosure to maintain a consistent temperature for egg development.
7. Egg Laying
8. Incubation
9. Hatchlings
- First Meal: After hatching, baby Banana Ball Pythons typically shed within a week and will have their first meal soon after.
- Care: Hatchlings should be placed in individual enclosures with proper heating and humidity.
Some Popular Banana Ball Python Morph Combinations
1. Super Banana Ball Python
Bright yellow with purple or lavender spots. The “super” form creates more vibrant colours and consistent patterning, making them eye-catching.
2. Champagne Banana Ball Python
A creamy orange-yellow mix with minimal patterning. The Champagne gene reduces markings, giving it a washed-out, ghostly effect with random freckling.
3. Banana Ghost Ball Python
Pale yellow with purple hues and a soft, muted appearance. The Ghost gene fades the colour, making the snake appear almost pastel-like over time.
4. Banana Mahogany Ball Python
Rich yellow and purple with dark, almost reddish, undertones. The Mahogany gene adds depth and darkness to the colours, making them more intense.
5. Banana Axanthic Ball Python
Grey, black, and lavender shades replace the usual vibrant colours. Axanthic removes yellows, creating a “black and white” banana that looks surreal.
6. Banana Chocolate Ball Python
Yellow with a deep, dark brown pattern. The Chocolate gene enriches the overall color, giving a more striking contrast between the yellows and browns.
7. Leopard Banana Ball Python
Bright yellow with bold, jagged patterns. The Leopard gene sharpens and enhances the contrast, making for a very dramatic appearance.
8. Banana Albino Ball Python
Bright yellow and white, with red eyes. The Albino gene removes all dark pigments, leaving behind a striking high-contrast snake.
9. Banana Yellow Belly Ball Python
Bright yellow with high contrast along the sides and a clear belly. Yellow Belly adds brighter flames along the edges, amplifying the yellows.
10. Banana GHI Ball Python
Yellow with dark, high-contrast patterning. The GHI gene makes the pattern darker and more chaotic, giving a more wild look.
11. Banana Mojave Ball Python
Yellow with purple and grey undertones and an almost “alien-head” pattern. Mojave morph adds unique side patterns and gives it a cooler tone.
12. Banana Coral Glow Ball Python
Nearly identical to Banana but with more intense yellows and purples. Coral Glow is a sister morph to Banana, known for its bright freckling.
13. Banana Black Pastel Ball Python
Yellow with deep, bold black markings. The Black Pastel morph darkens the purple spots, creating an intense contrast with the yellows.
14. Banana Butter Ball Python
Soft yellow and lavender tones, sometimes with a creamy appearance. Butter lightens the colours, making it more pastel-like and smooth.
15. Banana Pinstripe Ball Python
Bright yellow with thin, clean, linear patterns. The Pinstripe gene reduces patterning to clean lines, giving the snake a striped look.
16. Banana Cinnamon Ball Python
Yellow with reddish-brown markings. Cinnamon tones down the brightness and gives the snake a warmer, almost bronze appearance.
17. Banana Lesser Ball Python
Pale yellow with subtle patterning and a bright sheen. The Lesser gene cleans up the pattern and adds a slight “glow” to the snake.
18. Banana Fire Ball Python
Bright yellow with enhanced contrast. The Fire gene brightens the yellow and reduces darker colours, giving it a “flaming” appearance.
19. Banana Enchi Ball Python
Bright yellow with clean, defined patterns. The Enchi gene reduces and simplifies the pattern, making the colours more vibrant and less cluttered.
20. Banana Spider Ball Python
Bright yellow with thin, web-like patterns. The Spider gene reduces patterning into thin, high-contrast stripes, giving a spider-web effect.
21. Banana Pied Ball Python
Yellow and white patches with an uneven pattern. The Pied gene creates large patches of pure white, making a striking piebald effect.
22. Banana Clown Ball Python
Bright yellow with minimal patterning and a distinct headstamp. The Clown gene reduces side patterns and gives the snake a clean, “clown-like” appearance.
23. Banana Pastel Ball Python
Bright yellow with enhanced lightness and a soft appearance. The Pastel gene makes the yellows more vivid and softens the overall contrast.
24. Banana Lavender Ball Python
Bright yellow and lavender with subtle transitions. The Lavender gene creates a high-contrast colour with purplish hues and bright yellows.
25. Banana Vanilla Ball Python
Soft yellow tones with reduced dark markings. The Vanilla gene brightens the Banana morph even more and can clean up the pattern, giving it a fresh, glowing appearance.
26. Banana Calico Ball Python
Yellow with white patches creeping up the sides. The Calico gene adds irregular white spots or patches, giving a “washed out” or high-white effect.
27. Banana Lesser Pied Ball Python
A piebald with banana’s vibrant yellow combined with Lesser’s pattern reduction. This morph shows large patches of white with striking yellow sections, often more intense than the regular Banana Pied.
28. Banana Gravel Ball Python
Bright yellow with more defined dark markings. The Gravel gene enhances the contrast and can introduce cool, earthy tones to the Banana colour palette.
29. Banana Orange Dream Ball Python
Intense yellow-orange with bold patterns. The Orange Dream gene amplifies the brightness and sharpens the colours, making it one of the most vibrant combinations.
30. Banana Spotnose Ball Python
Yellow with intricate, almost “speckled” patterning. Spotnose enhances head markings and adds a fine, intricate pattern, giving the snake a unique and detailed look.
31. Banana Phantom Ball Python
Yellow with a darker, almost ghostly hue. The Phantom gene deepens the purple shades and gives the Banana a more muted, mysterious appearance.
32. Banana Woma Ball Python
Bright yellow with thin, wavy patterns. Woma introduces a unique, erratic pattern that adds to the visual complexity, making it appear almost as if the pattern is swirling.
33. Banana Clown Pied Ball Python
Combines the vivid colours of the Banana, the pattern reduction of the Clown, and the high-white patches of the Pied. This results in a striking mix of yellow, white, and minimal patterning.
34. Banana YB Ivory Ball Python
A nearly white Banana morph with soft pastel yellows. The Yellow Belly Ivory gene makes the snake look mostly white with a faint yellow pattern running along its body.
35. Banana Pastel Clown Ball Python
This morph blends the bright yellow of Banana, the softened colours of Pastel, and the reduced pattern of Clown.
The result is a vibrant yellow snake with minimal markings and a distinctive headstamp. It’s known for its clean, sharp appearance.
36. Banana Mojave Pied Ball Python
Combining Banana, Mojave, and Pied results in a bright yellow snake with Mojave’s subtle pattern and Pied’s iconic white patches. This combo is prized for its stunning contrast between the white patches and vivid yellow areas.
37. Banana Fire Spider Ball Python
The Banana gene’s yellow, Fire’s brightening effect, and Spider’s web-like patterns blend beautifully. The Fire gene enhances the brightness, while the Spider gene creates a distinct, clean stripe down the body.
38. Banana Enchi Pinstripe Ball Python
This combination creates a sleek yellow snake with Pinstripe’s thin lines and Enchi’s vibrant, clean patterns.
The Enchi gene enhances the colours, making them more vivid and reducing dark markings. Pinstripe adds a striped look, creating a visually interesting mix.
39. Banana Super Pastel Lesser Ball Python
A bright, almost glowing snake thanks to Banana, Super Pastel, and Lesser genes. The Super Pastel doubles up on the colour intensity, while Lesser further cleans up the pattern, creating a soft, smooth look with very faint markings.
40. Banana Leopard Clown Ball Python
This is a high-contrast, striking morph combining Banana’s yellow with Leopard’s dark and bold patterning, and Clown’s reduced side markings and headstamp.
The Leopard gene intensifies the contrast, giving it a wild, chaotic look with minimal pattern on the sides.
41. Banana Black Pastel Pied Ball Python
A highly sought-after combination that mixes Banana’s yellow, Black Pastel’s deep black markings, and Pied’s large patches of white. This morph offers a unique, intense contrast of dark black, bright yellow, and white patches.
42. Banana Lesser Ghost Ball Python
A soft, pale-yellow snake due to Banana and Ghost’s fading effect, while Lesser cleans up the pattern. This combo is known for its creamy, almost pastel-like appearance, with an overall soft, muted palette.
43. Banana GHI Mojave Ball Python
This combo produces a high-contrast, dark yellow snake with chaotic patterns thanks to the GHI gene, while Mojave adds its signature alien head-like patterns.
It’s darker than typical Banana morphs and has a dramatic, almost wild appearance.
44. Banana Pastel Yellow Belly Ball Python
Bright yellow with intense side flames thanks to Yellow Belly, combined with the colour-enhancing Pastel gene. This morph has vibrant colours with high contrast and distinct markings, making it stand out visually.
Banana Ball Python Care Sheet
1. Enclosure Requirements
2. Temperature and Humidity
3. Lighting
- Natural vs. Artificial Light:
- These Pythons don’t require specialized lighting, but it’s important to mimic a natural day-night cycle with 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness.
- This can be achieved using standard light bulbs or relying on natural room light.
- UVB Requirements:
- While UVB lighting isn’t necessary for them, some keepers choose to provide low-level UVB to promote better health and overall well-being. Ensure shaded areas are available to avoid overexposure.
4. Banana Ball Python Feeding & Nutrition
5. Handling and Socialization
- Initial Handling Tips:
- Give your snake time to adjust to its new environment before handling it. Once acclimated, handle the snake gently by scooping it up with both hands, supporting its body at all times.
- Behavioural Cues:
- Signs of stress include rapid tongue flicking, hiding, or defensive posturing. If your Banana Ball Python appears stressed, reduce handling and give it some quiet time.
- Socialization:
- Regular, calm handling will help your snake become more comfortable around humans. Gradually increase handling time as it gets used to you, but always avoid handling when it’s in a shed or just after feeding.
6. Health and Common Issues
7. Shedding
- Shedding Process:
- As your Banana Ball Python grows, it will shed its skin regularly. Juveniles shed more often than adults due to their rapid growth rate. During shedding, your snake’s skin will appear dull, and its eyes will cloud over.
- Signs of Shedding:
- Reduced appetite and increased hiding behaviour are common signs that your snake is about to shed. Ensure humidity is slightly elevated to facilitate easy shedding.
- Post-Shedding Care:
- After shedding, inspect your snake to ensure that all the skin, including eye caps, has come off cleanly. Stuck shed can cause health issues, so provide a humid hide or misting to help in tough cases.
8. Cleaning and Maintenance
Conclusion
The Banana Ball Python is a true showstopper with its vibrant colors and gentle temperament, making it a standout favorite among reptile enthusiasts.
Whether you’re a first-time owner or an experienced keeper, this morph brings a unique beauty to any collection.
With its eye-catching appearance and easy care, the Banana Royal Python morph is a perfect blend of elegance and charm for any snake lover!
