>are ball pythons like boas where you need 2 hets to produce offspring that show the specific traits of the hets??

MATING 1.
het x het -->
1/4 homozygous mutant
2/4 het
1/4 homozygous normal

MATING 2.
het x homozygous normal -->
1/2 het
1/2 homozygous normal

When the mutant gene is recessive to the normal gene, then only the snakes homozygous for the mutant gene show the effect. In other words, of the two matings above, only mating 1 would produce babies showing the mutant's effect.

When the mutant gene is dominant or codominant to the normal gene, then the snakes that are either homozygous or heterozygous for the mutant gene show the mutant's effect. In such cases, both of the above matings would produce babies that show the mutant gene's effect. Examples of such mutant genes are pastel in the ball python and salmon (AKA hypo) in the boa constrictor.

By the way, I am using the standard definition for heterozygous. A heterozygous creature looks normal if it is heterozygous for a recessive mutant gene. A heterozygous creature does not look normal if it is heterozygous for a dominant or codominant mutant gene. Many herpers believe that het means that the animal looks normal, which is incorrect.

Paul Hollander

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