Any forum members have Clowns?

[recycling goddess]

Here is a link to RDR's website with some pics of how different clowns can look. http://www.ralphdavisreptiles.com/co...all_python.asp

thank you sooo much!

[Wild Bill]

thank you sooo much!

No problem.

[Kizerk]

lol i was staring at the normal thinking...'is that really a clown?'

i think your clown looks perfectly fine!

those pastel clowns are really pretty

[Sean : EbN]

Hey guys,

After working with Clowns for several years now I have seen some trends that are worth mentioning. As opposed to Piebalds or Calicos which seem to be completely random traits, Clowns do not.

By working with the look that you prefer you can achieve the results you want. For instance... I wanted the most colorful reduced pattern animals that could be produced. I started on the journey with an animal that Brian Barczyk hatched in 2003...



I purchased several het and possible het females that came from reduced pattern backgrounds, hoping that the trait would continue to enhance itself every generation that I selectively bred it.

This year we produced a clutch from the Clown pictured above to a 100% Het. female and the results were fantastic...






This was a good indication that the selective breeding of the Clown gene was possible. Now all it takes is a lot of time and we can enhance the trait however we want to.

RedDevil : I know we have discussed this before but I think everyone should hear this too... If you think your clown is ugly than I think you can change that. I feel that if you were to obtain Hets from a reduced pattern bloodline or even a reduced pattern Clown itself that you will be pleased with your results. We've all started some project with an animal that is considered sub-par by our own standards but the next step is to mould that project to your standards.

I have several clients that prefer the more heavily patterned Clowns as opposed to the more reduced ones. Nothing wrong with that.

Many years ago, Tracy Barker started the Clown project with an imported specimen. This animal was not reduced at all. Some of the first babies ever produced were very brown in color and had a lot of pattern.

Here is a (not very good) photo of one of the first female Clowns produced many years ago. I had her on breeding loan from a friend last year. You can see that she has a very drab color and a non-clown-like pattern.



When I bred the male pictured at the top of this post to this older more drab female I got a clutch of fairly nice babies. Here is a pic of one of the babies that I hatched in that clutch...



So... long story short... you can make a Clown look however you want. Just do your research when you purchase them. ESPECIALLY HETS! You can get the same nice bloodline from a heterozygous animal that you do from homozygous ones. So I'm not saying you have to buy a visual to do what you want.

I hope this answered more questions about the reduction in Clowns than it made, but if it didn't just ask away and I will do what I can to answer!

LATER!

[basuca]

NICE!!! That reduce clown will make some Great pastel clowns!! theres allot in potential I think with clowns!! I can whait to see what ells breeders produce with theses goff balls lol

[ddbjdealer]

Awesome, well thought out post, Sean! Thanks for all those pics and explaining the selective breeding process with them! Beautiful animals!

[Alice]

I saw some of Sean's clowns at Daytona. . . . they were absolutely beautiful! I bought a het pair from them. I hope, once they grow up and produce babies, to get a clown as nice as the the ones in the pics above.

[rabernet]

I believe jkobylka has a few clowns in his collection...haven't seen him around for a while but he has some gorgeous clowns.

edit: He does indeed have clowns, here's his website link
http://www.jkobylkareptiles.com/Collection_clown.htm

Yes he does! My het clown male is coming from Justin. And of course Celia and Sean of EBN both post here too and also have clowns. (edit - posted before I read through).

Give me a few years - I'll post some pictures of the ones I hope to produce!

Sean, thank you for your thoughtful post on selective breeding. The reduced clowns that you produced this year are amazing. That is definitely the look that I prefer - and hopefully with my collection of reduced patterned normal girls, I can one day achieve the success that you have.

Now, who's working on a hypo clown? Now THAT will be hot!

[Ginevive]

WOW Sean; your Clowns about gave me a heart attack! They're so awesome, it hurts to look at them, lol. I like what selective breeding has done for you/them there. They literally look unreal

[muddoc]

Robin,
I don't know everyone that is working on the Hypo-Clown project, but I do know that D&M Breeders had a DH Male for sale in Daytona in 2004, and Rusty Davis from Rusty's Balls also produced some project animals this year. Therefore, hopefully it isn't to far off.

Like so many others on here, I am working on a Clown project that may or may not come to fruition this year. We have one female from our Clown project that may breed this year, so hopefully we can hatch on next year. If not, my definite Het. female should go next year. Both of my definite Hets came from Sean, so if anyone is hoping that Sean's theory is right, it's me. As everyone can probably guess, I'll be working on an Axanthic Clown at my first possible opportunity.