Mechanism of Sex Determination in Ball Pythons?

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Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls

I also suspect that breeders do not want to reveal all their secrets right away.......

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It is not that they don't want to give away secrets. If they kept too many secrets, it would bite them in the a$$ eventually. The majority of ball python morphs have only been breed in the past 5 years and still some are not in high numbers. They do not want to make a statement like it is a proven fact without it being well supported....i.e. they don't want to give away bad info, be proven wrong later, and have their reputation in the reptile industry ruined.

You will see all kind of conspiracies in the ball python industry.....homo spiders, deadly combinations, and other genetic problems...

Here are some good old threads to read over and see what I am talking about...
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=27328
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=25653

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

It is not that they don't want to give away secrets. If they kept too many secrets, it would bite them in the a$$ eventually..

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True....Their reputation is on the line so it is defiantly worth being sure u are correct.....

And since eventually they want to lure people into buying more snakes they want to share breeding/potential offspring advice with their clients.....

Still like a scientist who doesnt share his breakthrough definative results until he publishes them.....Breeders probably do keep some little genetic secrets until the right time...

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Originally Posted by Mendel's Balls

Does anyone know what determines whether a ball python develops into male or female?

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I was doing a little research online and found that all snakes (unlike other reptiles) use a genetic system to determine sex. However, they do not use an XY/XX system like we do.

In mammals, the male is the sex that carries two different types of chromosomes (XY). In other words, males are the hetrogametic sex.

Reptiles not using temperature dependant sex determination often use what is called the ZW system. In this system the females are the heterogametic. The genotype of a female is ZW while males are ZZ.

Essentially, this means the sex-linked genetics of Snakes are "backwards" if you compare them to mammals. (Birds and some fishes also use this system).

Anyway thought I'd share that FYI.

After owning a ball python for a little more then a week I just like watching it when its active at night.....I sometimes feel like I am watching an alien life form.....When I learn about things like that it only reinforces that feeling....

Coooool! thx for the info. As a former biology/animal science major, I find that sort of stuff really fascinating. I just hadn't thought of it until U posted.


;) Personally, I think we humans (us humans?? I never could remember that one :oops: ) have it all mixed up -- giving the sex determination control to the guys! :giggle::rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by sweety314

;) Personally, I think we humans (us humans?? I never could remember that one :oops: ) have it all mixed up -- giving the sex determination control to the guys! :giggle::rolleyes:

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You women already get to determine WHEN the sex occurs, we have to be able to determine something. Besides, if we left it up to the women the poor kid would be switching sexes every 3 days throughout the pregnancy..;)

That was a good one !!LOL

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Originally Posted by Gecko Den

You women already get to determine WHEN the sex occurs, we have to be able to determine something. Besides, if we left it up to the women the poor kid would be switching sexes every 3 days throughout the pregnancy..;)

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Bah! Hilarious!

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Originally Posted by Gecko Den

You women already get to determine WHEN the sex occurs, we have to be able to determine something. Besides, if we left it up to the women the poor kid would be switching sexes every 3 days throughout the pregnancy..;)

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Says who??? That wasn't the case where < I > come from! :( I dunno...maybe I was the unfortunate minority. Hmmmmmmmmm :confuzd:

Mendel, as an aspiring Biology Major, I'm really excited about that information. It sor of makes sense in a bizarre sort of way. -Hums.- Woot. Something to put in my notes for later.