Homozygous and heterozygous refer to gene pairs.
Homozygous = the two genes in a gene pair are the same.
Heterozygous (het) = the two genes in a gene pair are NOT the same.
Heterozygous and homozygous are most commonly used with recessive mutant genes. They can be used with codominant mutant genes and should be used with dominant mutant genes.
Het albino means that the animal has a gene pair made up of a normal gene and an albino gene. As the albino gene is recessive to the normal gene, the animal looks normal. Het albino and normal (AKA homozygous normal) distinguish two animals that look alike.
Het lesser means that the animal has a gene pair made up of a normal gene and a lesser gene. As lesser is codominant to the normal gene, the animal does not look normal. Super lesser = homozygous lesser and means that the animal has a gene pair made up of two lesser genes. As lesser is codominant to the normal gene, the super lesser ball python does not look normal and does not look like a lesser ball python.
Pinstripe means a ball python with the pinstripe appearance and at least one pinstripe gene. Het pinstripe means that the animal has a gene pair made up of a normal gene and a pinstripe gene. As pinstripe is dominant to the normal gene, the animal does not look normal. Super pinstripe = homozygous pinstripe and means that the animal has a gene pair made up of two pinstripe genes and does not look normal. A pinstripe and a super pinstripe ball python look alike, so het pinstripe and homozygous pinstripe distinguish the two. Using super pinstripe tends to make people think a homozygous pinstripe looks different from a het pinstripe.
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