Quote Originally Posted by Yamitaifu View Post
This is what it would appear at first glance without knowing that female snakes are the heterogamete. While the ball python has not had its genome sequenced, other species of snakes have had their genome sequenced and they have followed this rule. Obviously we cannot know for certain if the ball python follows this as well without sequencing its genome, but the possibility that it differs is unlikely.

If it turned out that the male was the heterogamete it would solve this problem. But as ohhwataloser stated, burms and balls have been hybridized, making it even more unlikely.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That is a problem, one would assume that in animals as closely related as Burms and balls seemingly are the chromosomal arrangement would be highly conserved. I'm not aware of any organisms where this isn't true however I'd imagine it isn't impossible. What I am curious about is whether two related organisms that have different patterns of sex chromosomes would even be able to produce viable offspring. I'd really like to see what sexes a male burm female ball breeding would produce because that would answer the question.

I apologize if that has already happened and I'm just not aware. Please let me know if it has.