Axanthic

Black, white, gray or brownish gray ball pythons.

There are at three lines of nonallelic axanthics- the TSK line, Barker or VPI line and Joliff line. The axanthic mutation does not affect the melanophores, (cells responsible for brown and black pigment), or iridophores, (cells that contain reflecting platelets). It only affects the xanthophores. These are the cells responsible for yellow and red pigment. The gene may completely inhibit the formaiton of these pigments or greatly reduce their formation.