Hypo - Hypomelanistic. Less black melanin pigment than normal. In most colubrids, hypo is a recessive mutant gene. In boa constrictors, hypo (AKA salmon) is a dominant mutant gene.

Super - Homozygous for a codominant mutant gene. Sometimes it also means homozygous for a dominant mutant gene.

Heterozygous for ______ - has a gene pair made up of a normal gene and a mutant gene or two different mutant genes. The two genes are different.

Homozygous for ______ - has a gene pair made up of two normal genes or two identical mutant genes, depending on what goes in the blank. The two genes are the same.

Recessive (Single Double) - A mutant gene that only produces an effect on the animal's appearance when homozygous. When a recessive mutant gene is paired with a normal (AKA wild type) gene, the animal looks normal.

A single recessive has one pair of recessive mutant genes. For example, albino in the boa constrictor is caused by one pair of albino genes, making albino a single recessive condition.

A double recessive has two pairs of recessive mutant genes. For example, snow in the corn snake is caused by a combination of a pair of amelanistic genes and a pair of anerythristic genes. As two different recessive mutant gene pairs are required to make snow, it is a double recessive condition.

Brumate - Verb form of "brumation" (AKA overwintering), which is the reptilian version of hibernation. The animal cools down and sleeps through the winter. Consult a herpetology text for details of the physiological changes required to survive brumation.

Gravid - Pregnant; usually applied to reptiles and fish. An offensive term when applied to women.

Dominant - A mutant gene that produces an effect on the animal's appearance when either homozygous or heterozygous. When a dominant mutant gene is paired with a normal (AKA wild type) gene, the animal looks like an animal with two of the dominant mutant genes.

Codominant - A mutant gene that produces an effect on the animal's appearance when either homozygous or heterozygous. When a codominant mutant gene is paired with a normal (AKA wild type) gene, the animal does not look like a normal animal and does not look like an animal with two of the dominant mutant genes. Most commonly, the animal looks more or less intermediate between a normal and an animal with two mutant genes. Molecular tests can reveal the products made by both genes in the heterozygous individual. Synonyms include incomplete dominant, transdominant, less than dominant, partial dominant, semidominant, etc.

Hope this helps.

Paul Hollander

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