Originally Posted by myopia
i wanted to breed my normals this season (my ladies were still a bit underweight, though), and i'm sure that eventually i'll want to buy a morph or two to make it even more exciting. since it'll be a little while before i'm working with morphs, i want to learn as much i can about them now.
Good for you....that is the way to get things done. Do your homework first. Good luck in your future projects

Originally Posted by myopia
the example i remember was the spider- the trait was expressed in the het state, being a dominant gene, but in the homozygous state it was possibly lethal to the snake.
I don't think this is the case.....I don't think there is much evidence to suport this idea. I suppose that a homozygous spider can be produced.....will it or does it look different than a spider with just one copy of the mutant gene.....I don't know. The fact of the matter is that I have yet to breed or produce a single spider. Most keepers and enthusiasts are in the same boat. Very few have bred a spider to another spider. You would have to ask keepers with real experience on the subject (Kevin or Kara at NERD) to get an answer based on real trials.
I love spiders. It would be awesome if a super spider could be produced (one that was phenotypically different from a spider). But even if one can't be produced or the homozygous version looks no different than regular spider.......it's all good by me. Spiders are killer!


Incidentally, I do think it is possible that we will see a lethal mutation in ball pythons. We are just scratching the surface.......our breedings and understanding on ball python genetics are limited. To say something like that is impossible would be foolish.