On Paradoxes

[angllady2]

So, from what I understand the Paradox thing is a random occurrence, no genetic foundation.

My thought's are this:

I've seen several really nice examples of high paradoxes based on light colored morphs. Albinos, Lucy's, Bees, and a few others.
Now, I'm not speaking about the more common small Paradox spots, I'm more along the lines of the extreme examples of Paradoxes where there are large color changes.

Now, knowing that Paradoxes aren't genetic but random, if you had a high Paradox snake, would you purposefully acquire another high Paradox and pair them just to see if this increased the instances of Paradox coloring, or do you feel this would be a bad idea? If so why?

Gale

[Monty]

paradoxes in some species are genetic so who really knows. no one really has tapped the full genetics of ball pythons yet so who knows whats out there

[Dave Green]

I always liked ringers and paradox snakes. I have no problem paying a little extra for something I like even if it's not genetic. I'll have the animal for many years, look at them, feed them and clean up after them so it's well worth it in my eyes to pay extra for a snake I'll enjoy looking at even if it's not genetic. Take a look at my avatar for example, it's a champagne "ringer" produced by Brock Wagner from a champagne x normal breeding. It's one of my favorite snakes.

I don't think it's a bad idea at all, maybe you'll get lucky. I don't believe that these traits are genetic but they may be more then random. For example, I have a lesser male with small paradox areas that are barely noticable and I've gotten a few paradox lessers from his clutches. I also have a het pied female that produces ringers in her clutches. I think it may be more than random, just not recessive or dom/co-dom. Either way, it's fun to see what hatches...

[OhhWatALoser]

Might have a better chance but not for the reason you might be thinking.... assuming this to be true, its not proven, but widely accepted.

Paradox's are chimeras. What happens is inside the egg, two twins merge into one snake. so what you are seeing is two different snakes. Take DNA from 1 part and DNA from another part that looks different and they will be siblings not the same snake.

now I don't see it being out of the question that 2 paradox snakes being bred together might have a higher change of producing twins, thus having a higher chance of them merging into another paradox.

but as far as it being simple genetics 50/50 chance or 25/50/25.... no way.

[Monty]

yea but it still has to be genetic to produce the twins that produce that chimera or a paradox

[angllady2]

Really ?

I did not know that. I had always figured myself that it was something to do with the color producing genes in the snake.

What I mean is, an albino snake has certain genes that "turn off" the normal production of browns and blacks, thus the yellow and white snake. My thoughts were that in a paradox, some of the genes "short-circuited" for lack of a better term, and allowed colors that normally would not be there to bleed through.

For an example, I saw a beautiful Super Mojave paradox. Now, I know that for whatever reason I don't pretend to understand a Super Mojave is an all white snake. But being a paradox, this beauty was mostly white with typical Mojave coloring splotched all over it. This lead me to the conclusions above.

However, if I am understanding your post, you are saying that was actually two different snakes, one super and one standard Mojave, that somehow blended into one snake? What an interesting concept!

I wonder, has anyone out there purposefully bred two Paradoxes to see what would happen? If so, I'd love to hear about it.

Gale

[Monty]

see thats how im understanding what ohwhataloser is saying. but i always understood it as a gene leak thats how the breeders i talked to told me about it. but chimerism is an actual documented scientific mystery

[cerastesruber]

yea but it still has to be genetic to produce the twins that produce that chimera or a paradox

No, its just an occurance, doesnt mean its genetic. Just an "accident" in the egg.

But, i'm not saying it can't be somewhat genetic

[Freakie_frog]

Paradox is one of those things that many people speculate about, there are loads of theories, and hours of back and forth about what it really is..

All I know is its cool..and I enjoy my paradox animals allot ..makes them different.

[Monty]

i dont know i think everything has to do with genetics to a point. even "accidents" in eggs could crosswire some chomosomes and mess up that part of the genetics in a snake.