A few years back I started talking to a few guys down in south Florida by the names of Doug Beard and Morton Wright. I had purchased some ball pythons from them and remember them telling me I should buy a few of these ball pythons they called 'Yellow Bellys'.

Morton told me that he and Doug were working with them and crossing them into their pastel jungles. "They make nice pastels", Morton told me, but I had not seen one and had my sights set on other projects at the time. I admit, that as much as Doug and Morton bragged on them, I was reluctant to bite. That was a very valuable lesson learned on my part.

Yellow Bellys AKA Het Ivorys were a very normal looking ball python that had very few believers. It has gone on to make believers out of a lot of breeders, including myself.

Yellow Bellys first became the talk of the town when a pure ivory colored ball python, subsequently named the 'Ivory', was hatched out in 2003 by Dan and Colette Sutherland of the Snake Keeper.

Doug had told me, that rumor had it, that it was the pairing of Yellow Bellys that produced the Ivory. Speculation grew until yet another Ivory was hatched out the following year by Amir Soleymani of Snakes at Sunset, who originally aquired the first Yellow Belly in 1997 and proved them to be genetic in 1999. The secret was now out and confirmed.

The Yellow Belly has gone on to produce some more outstanding designer morphs. It's only a matter of time before this, somewhat normal looking snake, produces some more beautiful morphs. Needless to say, I am now a believer!

To get a closer look at the distinguishing marks of the Yellow Belly, do the belly roll!