SPHERE - Why We Chose To Work W/ The Ultramel Clown Project
Impressive Adults & Multi Recessives:
When doing research to find our “next project” we identified two dominant narratives floating around the Ball Python Industry. The first being obvious, to create impressive looking adult snakes that don’t fade or “brown” with age. And the second, an increasing trend to stack “multiple recessives (double/triple etc.)” together, which greatly increases the difficulty of hitting the achieved combination of genes and creates unique results.
Along our journey we found one “double recessive” combo that really captured our attention and seemed to achieve the above-mentioned result of creating amazing looking animals that looked better with age.
What Is An Ultramel Clown:
The Ultramel Clown is the result of combining two recessive Morphs.
The Ultramel, which is a “color morph” that “mutes” the black color of the Ball Python, replacing it with a Purplish, Light Brown color, which can vary in appearance/shade depending on the influence of additional morphs.
The Clown — a recessive pattern morph — with a distinct “missing eye stripe” — which is one of the foundation morphs in the Ball Python industry.
This simple, yet dramatic, two-gene combo — that affects the color & the pattern — results in the perfect base/platform to stack complementary “non-recessive” genes. When first getting involved, there were very few “non recessives” being mixed into the Ultramel Clown project, making it a project with massive upside potential, with a lot of work to be done.
The Best Is Yet To Come:
The relatively untapped nature of the Ultramel Clown project was very intriguing to us. From the beginning, we wanted to set our own path and make new & exciting combinations and we felt this was a ripe opportunity to do so. Although the project was relatively unworked — in terms of “multi gene stacked combos”- the foundation of the project was laid down, and being worked, by high caliber breeders. Signaling the health & viability of the project, and ensuring it would be well represented for years to come.
What We Are Doing:
With a longer-term goal of folding the Desert Ghost morph into the Ultramel Clown Project — making it a triple recessive — we have many generations of exciting work ahead.
We will be enthusiastically driving the project forward by adding additional “non recessive” morphs such as Acid, BH, Chocolate, High Intensity Orange Dream (HIOD), Leopard & Yellow Belly (YB) over the coming seasons.
With the project being in its infancy, its sure to be one of the most impressive “double recessive” projects for the foreseeable future. If you have any questions or comments about the project, feel free to reach out.
More info at Sphere — Ball Python Morphs, Ultramel Clown Ball Python (spheresnakes.com)