What dorsal pattern feature is considered the pinnacle expression for breeders?

More broken up or "alien-headed"

Even among snakes identified as standard Yellow Bellies, keepers and breeders often show a distinct preference for specific manifestations of the underlying gene expression. This preference leans toward specimens where the dorsal pattern—the markings along the back—is more fragmented or broken up, often described by the evocative term 'alien-headed.' This feature is frequently considered the pinnacle expression of the Yellow Belly gene, especially when the side color saturation is comparable between two individuals. This selectivity influences breeding efforts, pushing keepers to select pairings that maximize contrast between the bright flanks and these cleanly broken dorsal markings.