Question about genetics

[Weaver]

I have a normal female. I was told she may or may not be het for something. The previous owner had no clue. He was told she might be het for something but he couldn't remember what. If I put her with a het pied, what are the chances I'd actually end up with a pied? Does each parent have to carry the gene? I had no plans of breeding her but I'd really like a pied and will never be able to afford one so I want to see what my chances are of producing one. I really am clueless when it comes to the whole genetics thing. Thanks.

[jglass38]

Check out www.ballpython.ca/genetics.html . That should help you out.

[Adam_Wysocki]

If I put her with a het pied, what are the chances I'd actually end up with a pied?

Probably about as good as finding a winning lottery ticket.

It's a nice "glass half full" thought though.

-adam

[cassandra]

The other thing to consider when breeding even proven het animals is that you not guaranteed to produce a hom. animal either. (right guys?)

Check out New England Reptile Distributors (NERD) website for lots of information on genetics and ball python morphs as well. =)

[jglass38]

The other thing to consider when breeding even proven het animals is that you not guaranteed to produce a hom. animal either. (right guys?)

Check out New England Reptile Distributors (NERD) website for lots of information on genetics and ball python morphs as well. =)

True enough. Nothing is life is guaranteed except death and no Milli Vanilli reunion tour. Damn...

[JLC]

I have a normal female. I was told she may or may not be het for something. The previous owner had no clue. He was told she might be het for something but he couldn't remember what. If I put her with a het pied, what are the chances I'd actually end up with a pied? Does each parent have to carry the gene? I had no plans of breeding her but I'd really like a pied and will never be able to afford one so I want to see what my chances are of producing one. I really am clueless when it comes to the whole genetics thing. Thanks.

Sounds to me like at some point in the animal's past, it may have been sold as a "possible het for ____." There are a number of different recessive morphs that would produce "possible hets" and it would be quite an undertaking to try and prove out just what kind of het you're dealing with...and IF she's even a het at all. "Possible het" also means "Possible normal." LOL

All that being said...if you should happen to find yourself wanting to buy a new snake and you love pieds...you might consider a 100% het pied male...they are not overly expensive anymore. When they are capable, you can breed them together and see if anything pops out. If not, you've at least given yourself a chance to get genuine poss-het-pied girls that you can then breed back to the father when they mature.

[jglass38]

Or as Ralph Davis says, 66% possible hets could just as well be called 33% possible non hets...

[Adam_Wysocki]

Sounds to me like at some point in the animal's past, it may have been sold as a "possible het for ____."

I have a different opinion.

I doubt it was ever sold as a possible het ... if it were a male maybe, but even the most un business savvy sellers know enough to charge a premium for possible het females and when someone pays a premium for an animal it's not likely that they forget what they paid for.

Speaking from a little bit of experience dealing with stuff like this every week, my guess would be that the original owner got the female at a show or a pet store and did some poking around on the internet. He/She probably saw pictures of morphs, looked into ball python genetics a little, read irresponsible posts on message boards about het markers and the "looks" that certain hets have to them, and then convinced himself/herself that in fact their animal might just be a het. To someone with a cursory understanding of ball python genetics and mutations, "possible het" is a very misunderstood term.

Just my $.02.

-adam

[JLC]

I have a different opinion.

I doubt it was ever sold as a possible het ... if it were a male maybe, but even the most un business savvy sellers know enough to charge a premium for possible het females and when someone pays a premium for an animal it's not likely that they forget what they paid for.

-adam

All true possibilities. And when I said it may have been sold as a poss het...I was thinking along the lines of a small-time hobbiest who had a poss het and bred to a normal...sort of 2nd or even 3rd generation of poss het that the original breeder never intended to profit from the "poss het" but simply said, "Oh, by the way, her great grandfather was a poss het albino who hasn't been proven...so she could be het for albino." Something along those lines is what I imagined...

EDIT: Do you think I can fit the phrase "poss het" in there a few more times???

[Adam_Wysocki]

All true possibilities. And when I said it may have been sold as a poss het...I was thinking along the lines of a small-time hobbiest who had a poss het and bred to a normal...sort of 2nd or even 3rd generation of poss het that the original breeder never intended to profit from the "poss het" but simply said, "Oh, by the way, her great grandfather was a poss het albino who hasn't been proven...so she could be het for albino." Something along those lines is what I imagined...

I can dig it.

-adam