Gravel - but what else in in this girl.

[WiscoBalls]

Hi folks..

We are doing some ID work on this but her head is completely unexpected. She is a known gravel, but something is throwing a crazy head stamp and those blacks dropping across her top lip. What the heck is in her? I has a Spotnose look to it but still odd. Any thoughts would be cool.

[Albert Clark]

That was my first thought, spotnose ? Yellowbelly and enchi maybe. The checkering on the ventral scales possibly? What were the parents?

[nikkubus]

Looks like Spotnose to me too, though I don't see Enchi. Can't be Gravel + YB or it would be a Highway, which would look entirely different. The checkering is from the Gravel.

[WiscoBalls]

My apologies.. I got sidetracked here,, The father was a FireFly Super gravel. The mother was a highway. I suppose it could just be a really high expression Gravel but man is that some crazy head pattern going on for simply that. She has 1 yr to go before we can put a male with her to attempt to weed anything odd out. I just thought she had a very odd look for the pairing. Thank you guys for giving your opinions on her. I instantly thought Spotnose, but we were assured there was none in the pairing.

[nikkubus]

My apologies.. I got sidetracked here,, The father was a FireFly Super gravel. The mother was a highway. I suppose it could just be a really high expression Gravel but man is that some crazy head pattern going on for simply that. She has 1 yr to go before we can put a male with her to attempt to weed anything odd out. I just thought she had a very odd look for the pairing. Thank you guys for giving your opinions on her. I instantly thought Spotnose, but we were assured there was none in the pairing.

The "father" might not be the father. Could be retained sperm from previous season or a dual-sired clutch that the breeder didn't think got a lock. Or the father could be identified incorrectly. If mother was Highway, I would not even be so sure this is a Gravel. Could be YB instead of Gravel if it has a different father.

[plateOfFlan]

If it's super gravel to highway, the offspring would have to be either super gravel or highway, not possible to get only one copy.

[nikkubus]

If it's super gravel to highway, the offspring would have to be either super gravel or highway, not possible to get only one copy.

You are correct! I was so lost in thinking about a different father, I missed that. So that proves the supposed father cannot actually be the father because this one is neither Super Gravel or Highway.

[Albert Clark]

Retained sperm and possibly looking at the grandparents as a potential “random expression”? As opposed to a “high expression” of the ruled out parentage.

[WiscoBalls]

Ok ! All perfectly sensible input here. I will inquire further to see what may have been paired with her aside from the supposed sire. I really do think it has Spotnose and the highway in the mix would in fact have to produce a super gravel or highway. I really appreciate all your thoughts on this and I suppose for safety sake we will avoid Spotnose pairings and use our Pastel Gravel male to attempt a proof on the Gravel at all. She should be a go next season and we will just have to see what if anything more we can get for information on what they may have had in with the mother.

Thank you guys