Genes come in pairs. A gene pair is homozygous when the two genes are the same. A gene pair is heterozygous when the two genes are not the same. A heterozygous snake has at least one heterozygous gene pair.

A heterozygous gene pair could contain a normal gene and a mutant (abnormal) gene. Or it could contain two different mutant genes. Most heterozygous snakes have a gene pair containing a normal gene and a mutant gene.

A heterozygous gene pair could contain a normal gene and a recessive mutant gene. In this case, the snake looks normal. Example: a heterozygous albino ball python has a normal gene paired with an albino mutant gene. Such a snake looks normal; it does not show the effect of the mutant gene.

A heterozygous gene pair could contain a normal gene and a dominant (or codominant) mutant gene. In this case, the snake does not look normal. Example: a heterozygous pastel ball python has a normal gene paired with a pastel mutant gene. Such a snake does not look normal; it shows the effect of the mutant gene.

Your best bet is to learn genetics from a genetics text, like Schaum's Introduction to Genetics, by Elrod and Stansfield. Trying to learn from other herpers almost guarantees a lot of misinformation, such as the claim that all het snakes look normal.

Paul Hollander

[ Hide Replies ]

• Explanation of het? - Mannyrottie, Sun May 27 17:20:14 2007
• Heterozygous. - RyanT, Sun May 27 17:39:06 2007
• RE: Explanation of het? - RatliffReptiles, Sun May 27 17:45:30 2007
• RE: Explanation of het? - mannyrottie, Sun May 27 18:03:11 2007
• Sounds like you're catching on. - RyanT, Sun May 27 18:19:51 2007
• RE: Explanation of het? - levi987, Sun May 27 18:25:59 2007
• RE: Explanation of het? - mannyrottie, Sun May 27 18:35:25 2007
• I don't think it's hard at all. - RyanT, Sun May 27 18:58:34 2007
• RE: I don't think it's hard at all. - mannyrottie, Sun May 27 19:28:05 2007
• RE: Explanation of het? - RandyRemington, Mon May 28 05:10:55 2007
• OK SO THEN EXPLAIN THIS...? - mannyrottie, Mon May 28 13:04:55 2007
• RE: OK SO THEN EXPLAIN THIS...? - RandyRemington, Mon May 28 13:38:42 2007
• RE: OK SO THEN EXPLAIN THIS...? - toshamc, Mon May 28 13:41:35 2007
• OK WITH THAT SAID, WHAT ABOUT...? - mannyrottie, Mon May 28 14:02:10 2007
• RE: OK WITH THAT SAID, WHAT ABOUT...? - tomorrow264, Mon May 28 14:35:57 2007
• RE: OK WITH THAT SAID, WHAT ABOUT...? - mannyrottie, Mon May 28 14:38:38 2007
• RE: OK WITH THAT SAID, WHAT ABOUT...? - tomorrow264, Mon May 28 14:43:11 2007
• Check this out - tomorrow264, Mon May 28 15:07:23 2007
• RE: Check this out - mannyrottie, Mon May 28 15:26:47 2007
• RE: Check this out - tomorrow264, Mon May 28 15:40:57 2007
• RE: Check this out - mannyrottie, Mon May 28 16:32:41 2007
• RE: Check this out - tomorrow264, Mon May 28 18:23:49 2007
• RE: Check this out - mannyrottie, Mon May 28 19:18:11 2007
• layman explanation with pics - robyn@ProExotics, Sun May 27 18:33:56 2007
• HEY ROBYN, QUICK QUESTION? - mannyrottie, Sun May 27 20:32:21 2007
• RE: HEY ROBYN, QUICK QUESTION? - robyn@ProExotics, Sun May 27 20:39:51 2007
• RE: HEY ROBYN, QUICK QUESTION? - mannyrottie, Sun May 27 20:53:45 2007
• RE: HEY ROBYN, QUICK QUESTION? - robyn@ProExotics, Sun May 27 21:11:58 2007
• Thank YOU - mannyrottie, Sun May 27 21:15:06 2007
• RE: HEY ROBYN, QUICK QUESTION? - morphed, Tue May 29 09:29:24 2007
• RE: Explanation of het? - EmberBAll, Mon May 28 13:15:51 2007
• RE: Explanation of het? - Paul Hollander, Tue May 29 17:15:29 2007