The Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python, known for its milky white scales and piercing blue eyes, is a fascinating snake that has piqued the interests of both newbie and experienced snake keepers!
This snake, which was once extremely rare, was discovered in 1992 and had a $10,000 asking price! Naturally, breeders have been able to more easily reproduce the Blue-Eyed Leucistic over time, lowering the price significantly.
Because of their relative ease of care, they make an excellent beginner-friendly pet snake for those looking for a snake with a designer look.
Whether you’re considering getting one for yourself, or just want to know what The Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python is like, you’ve landed on the right post. We’ll be going over everything you need to know about them!
What is Leucism?
Albinism and Leucism (also spelled Leukism) are very similar, they both affect pigmentation. But not in the same way. Albinism is a complete loss of melanin. It affects the entire being, even the eyes. While Leucism affects some pigments. There’s a partial loss of melanin in patches.
In contrast to albinism, the eyes will be completely normal and unaffected. A ball python’s natural eye color will be retained because the snake does not lack melanin entirely.
Characteristics of the Blue Eyed Leucistic Ball Python
The Leucistic ball pythons are extremely rare in the wild, but snake breeders have discovered how to create them on their own. Their efforts make this normally special and unique creature less rare, but just as cool!
The Leucistic is still a stunning reptile with the same potential to become a pet as any other python. The Leucistic is a cross between five different types of ball pythons.
Each of these one-of-a-kind pythons has its own distinct color and texture. While they are all unique, they are all ball pythons. We come in all shapes, colors, and sizes, just like people, but we are still people. Our exteriors may differ, but our interiors are all the same.
What Types of Snakes Create Leucistic Pythons?
You can’t just breed any two snakes and hope they turn out to be leucistic. Five distinct snakes are generally used to create the desired Leucistic python.
All five have the genetic make-up that results in white skin and blue eyes. However, some combinations are more reliable than others. Here’s a complete list of which ones they are and what color they are. This will help you understand how they contribute to the Leucistic mutation.
- Mojave – Mojave is a Ball Python co-dominant mutation. Mojaves have a unique design on their scales and a white Blue-eyed Leucistic. Regular pythons have a pattern that wraps around their entire body.
- Butter– A Butterball python gets its name from its buttery and caramel-colored scales. There is a distinct python flavor to the pattern, but the yellowish butter color distinguishes it from its close relatives. It has a soft and smooth appearance.
- Lesser– This python is frequently misidentified as a Butter. The Lesser, on the other hand, is a little browner and darker in color.
- Russo– Russo’s patterns are similar to the other three, but there is a lot less yellow and a lot more brown that comes out. The color is deeper and more chocolate-like.
- Phantom– The Phantom ball python gets its name from its dark appearance. This snake has a dark brown color that almost looks black. Apparently, this particular breed possesses the necessary characteristics to produce a Leucistic python.
This is the only set of five that will result in a Leucistic Don’t waste your money on other snakes in the hopes of creating a Leucistic; you’ll fail. You will, I’m afraid. You may be interested in these only if you intend to do some breeding.
If you are not planning on breeding, you should just buy a Leucistic. It is far less expensive to buy a Leucistic ball python than to try to breed one yourself, especially if you are an inexperienced breeder.
Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python Diet & Feeding
Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Pythons, like other popular pet snakes, thrive on rodents. When it comes to feeding their ball pythons, most hobbyists stick to rats. If you have a healthy eater, you might be interested in varying your snake’s diet for nutritional and enrichment benefits.
However, when introducing new foods, you should always be prepared for your ball python to declare a new “favorite food.” In this case, they may stop eating and engage in what is known as a “hunger strike.”
You can vary your Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python’s diet by including the following:
- African soft-furred rats
- Gerbils
- Hamsters
- Mice
- Baby rabbits
- Chicks
The debate over live versus frozen and thawed prey is raging in the reptile community. Some keepers swear by live prey because it provides a more natural hunting experience. Other keepers Blue-eyed Leucistic believe that frozen and thawed food is more cost-effective and safer.
So, which is the best option for you and/or your snake?
Live prey has some advantages, including:
- The animal’s freshness
- Enticing picky eaters while not taking up freezer space.
- Tempting picky eaters.
- Being more expensive
- It can be dangerous; a live rat can severely injure or even kill your Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python.
- Being less expensive
And, using frozen and thawed prey also has a bunch of benefits like:
- Capable of being stored in your freezer at home
- Cold temperatures have the potential to kill parasites.
- Inability to cause harm to your snake
- Furthermore, if you want a more natural experience but don’t want to risk endangering your snake or spend a lot of money…
Additionally, if you want a more natural experience but don’t want to risk endangering your snake or spend a lot of money, then frozen and thawed prey is the best option.
Whatever type of prey you choose to feed, every ball python owner’s main challenge is persuading their picky snake to eat.
Prey Size & Feeding Schedule
The size of the prey and how many times it is fed are entirely dependent on the age and size of your Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python.
The smallest hatchlings will eat pinkie rats at first, while the largest breeding females can probably eat medium rats.
It is recommended that baby ball pythons be raised on appropriately sized rats rather than mice from the start. It can be difficult to transition a ball python from eating mice to eating rats because they grow too large to survive on even the largest mice.
The general rule of thumb is to always feed prey that is as wide as, but no wider than, the widest part of your snake’s body.
Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python Habitat & Tank Setup
Your Leucistic Blue-Eyed Ball Python will spend the majority of its time in its enclosure. Its health and wellness are dependent on a suitable home with the appropriate temperature, humidity, and retreats.
While we will list the basic requirements for a healthy ball python, challenge yourself and ask if your goal in snake ownership is to meet the bare minimum… or better?
The size of the Enclosure
Ball pythons do not require large enclosures in comparison to their size. In fact, hatchlings and juveniles under 20 inches do well in tanks of 15-20 gallons.
In the meantime, juveniles and adults under three feet tall fare better in 40-gallon tanks. Minimum enclosure for adult pythons should be 120-gallon tank (48″ Long x 24″ Wide x 12″ High)
You should have an enclosure that is at least the same length as your ball python and at least half as wide. Because ball pythons are a terrestrial species, enclosure height isn’t critical. As a result, this species is frequently kept in shallow tubs.
Types of enclosures:
There are many kinds of enclosures you can get for your pet snake. Get the one that works best for you and your ball python!
Enclosures made of PVC:
Enclosures made of PVC have three solid sides, a solid bottom, and a solid top. This significantly helps in the retention of the high temperatures and humidity levels required by Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Pythons.
The front-opening door allows you to enter at the same level as your snake, rather than from above, which may make you appear to be a predator.
Overall, these enclosures make your snake feel more secure, which is important for this shy species that frequently stops eating when overwhelmed.
Plastic tub:
Plastic tubs are also an affordable option for keepers who aren’t concerned with saving space. If you go this track, you can get a tall tub instead of a shallow tub, which allows your Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python to climb and explore more.
Most tubs are made of opaque plastic, which can increase your ball python’s sense of security but prevents you from observing your pet without removing the enclosure lid.
Temperature and humidity:
Cold-blooded reptiles regulate their body temperature by thermoregulating, or moving to a warmer or cooler location based on the biological process they are trying to enable.
Snakes, on the other hand, typically choose to cool themselves off during shedding, food scarcity, illness, or sperm development in males.
To encourage our slithery friends to engage in this natural behavior while keeping them healthy, we must create a temperature gradient in their enclosure, with one cool and one warm side.
84-89°F on the warm side
9o-94°F for the basking surface
75-80°F on the cool side
Temperature Drop at Night (Optional): 72-78°F
55-60% humidity is ideal.
Consider increasing the humidity even more for young hatchlings and snakes that are blue or shedding.
Health information about Blue-Eyed Leucistic
The following are symptoms of a healthy Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python:
- Unless the animal is in a shed, its eyes are bright blue and clear.
- Scales that are smooth
- There is no discoloration on the Blue-eyed Leucistic ly or mouth (may have beige markings on the back)
- Breathing is clear, with no clicking, wheezing, or drooling.
- The body shape of a rounded triangle
- Ball pythons, and snakes in general, are generally healthy, especially if you don’t have many other snakes or handle or buy new snakes regularly.
However, there are some common issues that owners may face in the future…
Snake mites:
Snake mite symptoms include black specks on your snake’s skin, water bowl soaking, and frequent and incomplete shedding.
Treatment consists of over-the-counter insecticides.
Mouth rot:
Symptoms of mouth rot include dead tissue in the mouth, and discharge coming from the mouth and nose.
Manual mouth washing with iodine or chlorhexidine, antibiotics prescribed by a veterinarian; severe cases may necessitate surgery.
Scale rot:
Symptoms of Scale Rot include red or brown lesions on the Blue-eyed Leucistic, soft and swollen scales, scales falling off, a foul odor, and blisters.
Sanitize the enclosure, disinfect it regularly, soak it in iodine or chlorhexidine, use veterinary-prescribed antibiotics, and in severe cases, surgery may be required.
Symptoms of respiratory infection:
Symptoms of respiratory infections include mucous discharge from the mouth or nose, loud clicking or wheezing when breathing, open-mouth breathing, and keeping the head pointed upward.
Treatment is veterinary-prescribed injectable antibiotics.
Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python Handling
After you’ve finished introducing your Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python to its enclosure, leave it alone for at least 7 days without disturbing it. Do not handle it after 7 days. Rather, simply attempt to feed it.
Also, do not handle your Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Python for at least 24 hours after it has eaten. You can start handling your snake after it accepts its first meal and has had enough time to digest it.
Approaching it from the side is preferable to approaching it from above. Lift your ball python by sliding both hands under its body. Always support as much of the body as possible.
Move and calmly. Nervous, fast, or jerky movements are one of the causes of a ball python bite because they initiate a defensive or food-response bite.
Once accustomed to its surroundings and owner, your Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Pythons make excellent pets that enjoy exploring while being handled and hardly ever bite.
Common Blue-Eyed Leucistic Feeding Problems
When it comes to food, Blue-Eyed Leucistic ball pythons can be primadonnas, as previously stated.
The following are the most common solutions for Blue-Eyed Leucistic Ball Pythons who refuse to eat:
The appropriate Enclosure
To ensure that your ball python has access to the proper temperatures, humidity levels, and habitat security, follow all of the guidelines Blue-eyed Leucistic. One of the most common causes of a snake refusing to eat is a low body temperature.
Time Alone
Another important aspect of getting a picky ball python to eat is to leave it alone and not handle it until it is eating regularly.
Food refusal is one of the most common signs of stress in snakes, and some ball pythons may find handling stressful.
The Zombie Walk or Teasing
If you’re feeding Frozen or pre-killed prey, the zombie walk is especially useful. Move the food item around the enclosure with tongs as if it were walking.
Don’t move it directly towards your snake at first because it can be intimidating. If this method fails, you can try “teasing,” which entails tapping the prey on the snake’s nose until it becomes irritated and strikes.
Hopefully, after tasting the prey, your ball python’s feeding instincts will kick in and it will finish eating it.
How Much is a Leucistic Python for?
Most pythons cost between fifty and six hundred dollars. It all depends on what kind of ball python you’re looking for. If you are thinking about buying or breeding a leucistic ball python your costs will vary greatly.
I would recommend doing some research on the best terrariums, food, heat lamps, and bedding for leucistic ball python before making a purchase. It makes no sense to spend a lot of money on a snake that dies because you didn’t do proper research on its health.
The health of your snake is critical, and having the proper equipment and resources will ensure that health. Make sure that you get the best quality you can. You’ll be sorry if you buy cheaper items of lower quality.
Are Leucistic Pythons Sensitive to Light?
Because of their lack of melanin, albinistic creatures are generally sensitive to light. This is not true of Blue-eyed Leucistic ball pythons. They, like all other pythons, are not light-sensitive.
Ball pythons are nocturnal, and because Blue-eyed Leucistic s are a type of ball python, they are as well. You can care for your Blue-eyed Leucistic in the same way that you would a regular Ball python. (Only the Blue-eyed Leucistic is colder!) Ball pythons, like the Blue-eyed Leucistic python, prefer small, dark, and cool environments.
Some breeders and pet owners use different kinds of lights to enhance the color or of their ball python. UVB lighting, heat lamps like this one , and other kinds of light and heat have all been used to help ball pythons.
Why Is it Called the Blue-eyed Leucistic Ball Python?
Well, it’s called a Blue-eyed Leucistic because of its leucism and blue eyes. The B.E.L. stands for Blue Eyed Leucistic. The Blue-eyed Leucistic ball python is grouped up with Ball pythons because of its origin and its characteristics that are unique to ball pythons.
A Blue-eyed Leucistic python is a type of Ball Python and has the same characteristics as that of a ball python. The only reason it has a different name is that its appearance and attributes are different than that of a normal ball python. Even though it may be slightly different, it is still a part of the same species just like the others!
Conclusion
The Blue Eyed Leucistic Ball Python is a fantastic and well-known morph. They are docile, tolerate being held, and move slowly, which is a welcome combination for most newcomers.
A corn snake is a good choice if you want a smaller snake with a lot of personality. The Brazilian Rainbow Boa is another popular choice. These long-lived snakes are an excellent addition to any reptile collection.
