Terms:

Gene = the basic unit of genetics, Genes come in pairs, one supplied from each parent. Each gene pair determines one specific trait. There are thousands of gene pairs in each strand of DNA.



Mutant gene = any gene that is different from the corresponding normal gene. Not necessarily a visual mutation.



Wild type or normal = A snake that looks like most of the snakes found in the wild. Also used to describe any individual gene that when paired up with a similar gene would produce a snake that, for that individual gene trait, would look like most of the snakes found in the wild.



Heterozygous (slang - heterozygous) = having two different genes within a gene pair. Most commonly one normal and one mutant but could be two different mutant genes.



Homozygous (slang - Homo) = having both genes within a gene pair the same. Can be normal or mutant.



Super = Slang term commonly used when a snake has a gene pair that is Homozygous for either a dominant or a codominant mutant gene.



Trait = Physical appearance that it distinguishable from the normal physical appearance.



Recessive mutant gene = Trait is only expressed when the gene pair is Homozygous for the specific mutant gene.



Dominant mutant gene = A mutant gene that has it trait expressed when the gene pair is either heterozygous or Homozygous for that specific mutant gene. Heterozygous and homozygous specimens are not 100% distinguishable from each other. Note, with some dominant traits some of the specimens can be visually identified as heterozygous or homozygous.



Codominant = Similar to “dominant mutant gene” except a Homozygous specimen can be distinguished from a heterozygous specimen 100% of the time.



Double heterozygous = Has two gene pairs where one gene in each pair is normal and the second gene is a mutant gene. I.e. double heterozygous for snow would have a normal gene paired with an albino gene and a normal gene paired with an anerythristic gene.



Triple heterozygous = same as double heterozygous except applies to three gene pairs.







Color mutations in boas:



Albino (AKA Amelanistic) - Two independent mutant genes: both recessive - a lack of melanin (black pigmentation) Kahl and Sharp strains.



Anerythristic - Two independent mutant genes; both recessive - a lack of red pigmentation. Two known strains (type I and type II)



Salmon (AKA Hypo) - Dominant - a reduction in the black pigmentation and often some increase in the yellow pigmentation.



Caramel Albino (AKA Tyrosinase positive albino) - believed to be at least two independent mutant genes; both recessive - has less than the normal amount of black pigmentation. Colombian and Nicaraguan strains



Caramel Hypo (Boawoman Hypo) - recessive - has leas than the normal amount of black pigmentation, similar to Colombian T-plus Albinos and Pastels.



Pastel (AKA Hypo) - Polygenic - A line of boas selectively bred for less than normal black pigment, not caused by a single mutant gene.



Blood - Recessive - A Hypererythristic mutation.





Named Color mutation combinations:



Ghost – homozygous anerythristic / heterozygous hypomelanistic

Super Ghost - homozygous anerythristic / homozygous hypomelanistic

Snow – homozygous anerythristic / homozygous albino

Sunglow – homozygous albino / heterozygous hypomelanistic

Super Sunglow - homozygous albino / homozygous hypomelanistic

Bloody Salmon – homozygous blood / heterozygous hypomelanistic

Moonglow – homozygous anerythristic / homozygous albino / heterozygous hypomelanistic

Super Moonglow – homozygous anerythristic / homozygous albino / homozygous hypomelanistic

Pewter - homozygous type II anerythristic / homozygous blood





Locale Related Color Mutations:



Sunset – homozygous hypomelanistic having 50% Hog Island Boa blood

Salmontine – heterozygous hypomelanistic having 50% Argentine Boa blood





Pattern Mutations:

Arabesque – Dominant? - A genetic circle-back boa with a ladder-tail, Typically highly speckled and often having a very brown color with some specimens tinted pink.

Jungle – Codominant - Originally identified in Sweden,

Motley – Codominant

Stripe – Recessive

Reverse Stripe – Recessive?

Leopard – Recessive - dark color, a mix of underlying tones and marbled pattern.

European Square tail - Recessive - long list of variable characteristics.

Scoria - Recessive? - Pink pattern-less with two parallel lines down back.

Aztec - Dominant?

Gray pattern-less - unknown
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Thanks,



Dave Colling



www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com



0.1 Wife (WC)

0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)



LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:

19.29 BRB

14.19 BCI

And those are only the breeders



lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

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