Question about Dominant/Co-Dom morphs and wild population

[Really]

If so many morphs are Dominant or Co-Dominant, why are there not more morphs in the wild? I understand that the super forms of some of the morphs, like the ivories and BELS wouldn't survive since they wouldn't camouflage. But some of these other morphs are not so different that they wouldn't blend in the environment. Why then are morphs that look fairly similar to normals less common than normals in the wild if they are genetically dominant or co-dominant?

Please forgive me if this is a stupid question. I'm reading about herp genetics and thinking I might want to breed my baby in a few years and I'm trying to understand all that I can.

[RobNJ]

If so many morphs are Dominant or Co-Dominant, why are there not more morphs in the wild?

There's really no telling how many are in the wild...could be much more than you would think. Keep your eyes open in April during heavy importation season...seems like a good number of morphs and possible morph looking animals do come over.

[Funke910]

Who imports these animal? Just the big breeders? Do they have inside contacts over in Africa or is there a website or something they purchase from?

To OP....I've wondered the same thing.

[WingedWolfPsion]

The folks in Africa know this is huge money, and they pick things over to get the obvious ones before they bag and ship them. Once here, the big guys who have deals will look through them and pull out anything they think has potential. The rest of the unusual hatchlings get sold for slightly more as 'dinkers', while the remaining ones go out to pet stores.

The 'unopened bags' still give you a pretty low chance of finding anything unusual. Odds of coming across that new big morph in a pet store? Pretty slim.

[Luke Martin]

Lots of morphs come in every year. Pastels, hypos, yellowbellies, cinnamons etc. Just because you don't see it advertised on a public forum doesn't mean its not there. There are some morphs (even dominant) that there have only been 1 or 2 found. It's not like there are morphs just hanging out everywhere, all over Africa. The people in Africa look all over the place for new morphs, as they know where the money is at.

A lot of people import them, but you have to have particular licenses and paperwork in order to import animals into the US, which is why a lot of bigger breeders are able to do it as opposed to someone wanting 5 or 10 snakes to "take a chance with". Its not worth it cost wise for someone to bring in a few snakes over a few hundred.

Trappers will contact breeders in the US when they find something particularly different though. The normal public won't ever hear about this, nor see them until later, once the animals have already been imported and are in someones collection.

[WingedWolfPsion]

Read Kevin McCurley's book, where he talks about the Ball Lords in Africa.

[rabernet]

Also, the big guys also sometimes have to agree to buy lot of other critters as well as the one or two they want as part of the package. They have the facilities to do so. Your average keeper doesn't.

Besides, what less experienced keeper (and I include myself) wants to take a gamble on a wild caught pastel, cinnie, fire, etc, when I can get a well acclimated and well started captive bred one?

Anything new will be offered to the big guys with deep pockets first.

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[ChrisS]

I think several morphs do occur naturally in the wild, pastels ybs cinnys BEL complex, and several other subtle morphs. Maybe the super wouldn't survive maybe it would but for the number of different lines of each and new lines coming in each year there has to be some occurrence in the wild. Just think 10 years ago no one was looking at subtle genes now all we here is "is this a dinker/ is this worth dinkering with". How many subtle morphs were imported before people really started looking for traits? How many awesome combos are we missing out on because we weren't? I'm sure there are many more morphs waiting to be found, just look how short of a time frame balls have been on the scene compared to corns and how many more morphs there are. Something has to be going on other than anomalies.

[WingedWolfPsion]

Remember, the Platinum was imported as a wild-caught adult, and it is a combo morph!

[ChrisS]

Remember, the Platinum was imported as a wild-caught adult, and it is a combo morph!

You know I thought about mentioning this and am curious if het platinum x yb or other bel complex has been done and what the outcome was/ would be.