What is the ground color of a normal Ball Python patterning?

Lighter brown or tan

The standard wild-type coloration in Python regius features a distinct contrast between its patterning and its ground color. Specifically, the patterning consists of dark brown or black blotches, but the background color upon which these blotches sit is described as a lighter brown or tan hue. The Yellow Belly morph directly impacts this area by reducing the dark pigment, allowing the underlying light color to become intensified into bright yellow or orange, thereby demonstrating how dramatically the morph deviates from the typical cryptic camouflage of the West African grasslands.