"Special" single gene animals

[KitaCat]

What are everyone's thoughts on choosing a single-gene snake to add to your breeding collection, based on there being something "special" about that snake? I don't mean something extra going on genetically, just some unique feature of that snake that you really like.

There's a male Cinnamon for sale locally (not many BP's sold locally so I'm always delighted when I can save myself $100+ shipping charges). I've never seen a Cinnamon with a head quite like this one. It's extremely dark, to the point where you can barely see it has eye stripes. I LOVE dark snakes. I have no idea if he would pass this tendency towards darker head markings to his offspring, of course.

Here's the problem: I really don't need another single gene male in my collection. My list of BP morphs is in my signature for reference.

I'm really torn between my desires to
A) Get away from single gene animals (especially males!), and improve my collection genetically.
B) Start out with exceptional animals that will produce exceptional offspring. ESPECIALLY if they fit perfectly with my personal view of what makes an amazing snake.

Of course, it's more difficult to pick out the quality of individual genes in a multi-gene animal. It's a conundrum!

I'll add pictures later, if the breeder says it's okay to use them.

[Asherah]

To me there is nothing wrong with purchasing quality single gene animals and producing your own quality multi gene replacements.

[KitaCat]

Here are photos of the cinnamon that's making me question all this. 😅 (with permission from the breeder)

[wolfy-hound]

I think if it's a snake you find particularly high quality for what you want, you would find ways to use him effectively. He may throw an offspring that is a two-morph snake that you end up replacing him with.. or he might throw just superb offspring.

I generally want animals that strike me as exceptional, even if they are a "normal". I do have some animals I got for the genes, not because I "liked" them all that much and I'm just never as excited about breeding them compared to those that I wanted specifically as an individual.

[Asherah]

He does indeed have some interesting color on his head. Buy what you like. I always go for an animal that I am excited about and that I feel exudes the qualities that I am looking for.

[PitOnTheProwl]

I think that 3rd photo is more lighting if you compare all of them.
Then again it could just be me.
This is the one that made my male pewter then moved on to someone else.

[rlditmars]

I personally like single gene morphs for the very reason that you can see how good the quality is of the specific morph. I am alright with buying a two gene animal but I want to see pics of the parents so that I can assess the quality of the individual gene. Once I have produced multiple gene animals I can move the single gene animals out that no longer fit my breeding plans. With the multigene replacements, I know where they come from and I keep photos of the sires and dams so there is a pedigree of sorts.

I've used this example before but I think it makes the point. Any YB to YB pairing can produce an Ivory, even if both YBs are lousy examples of the gene. You buy the Ivory for your breeding plans but wouldn't know the isolated YB gene is not a great example until you've already bred it into your collection. By that time it's too late. You've wasted the time it took to grow the Ivory up to be ready to breed, plus an additional year and a clutch on something substandard.

If you are going to buy a single gene than look for the best example you have ever seen or one that grabs you in such a way that you just can't live without it.

[KitaCat]

I think that 3rd photo is more lighting if you compare all of them.
Then again it could just be me.
This is the one that made my male pewter then moved on to someone else.

I agree, I'm assuming the third photo is the most accurate representation of his color - and I love it.

Yours has a very similar look. Beautiful! Do you have a photo of his pewter son?

I may just have to find the funds for this guy. 😀

[h00blah]

I've passed up on a couple amazing single-gene snakes. If it's a male, I take one on the chin, and pass.

I'm a hobby breeder, but I would like more bang for my buck, especially since I built my collection around a lot of combo females. If you had normal females and other single-gene females, I wouldn't really mind getting an awesome male morph.

I -might- be picking up a single-gene female later tonight, but I'm still sleeping on it and thinking about it some more .

[PitOnTheProwl]

I agree, I'm assuming the third photo is the most accurate representation of his color - and I love it.

Yours has a very similar look. Beautiful! Do you have a photo of his pewter son?

I may just have to find the funds for this guy. ��

The third is NOT his true head color, its in his shadow so it looks darker.

Here is the Pewter: