Posted by:
Eric East
at Sun Feb 19 07:15:15 2006 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Eric East ]
I trust your (and others) opinions/experience. If you have seen this in the wild as well then i'm sure it's nothing to be concerned with.
I wasn't questioning the taxonomic classification as Tony had suggested, but whether or not it was a genetic problem starting to pop up due to the limited gene pool.
Eric
>>I have noticed minute anomalies in over half of the D. couperiI have worked with; which includes over 40 captive adults, another 70 plus in the wild and over 200 hatchlings produced by myself and others since 1980. It has been my experience you will find some minute anomaly such as, scale count, scale placement, color difference, size difference and a host of other minute anomalies anytime you begin looking at the phenotypic differences beneath the microscope.
>>Keep in mind, certain population densities in the wild are probably less genetically diverse than the current captive gene pool, so various minute anomalies will begin to come to the forefront. I do not consider a small anomaly to be reason enough to start questioning the taxonomic classification of a species, nor do I subscribe to the idea that minute anomalies spell impending doom for a wild population of low to moderate density or the captive population…
>>
>>
>>Best regards,
>>
>>Jeff
>>-----
>>Jeff Snodgres
>>University of Arkansas
>>snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
>>501.603.1947
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Thanks! - Eric East, Sun Feb 19 07:15:15 2006