One way to explain the compatibility AND the consistently different colors/patterns is that the het blue eyed luecistic complex may be an allele group. Alleles are DIFFERENT versions of the SAME gene. In this theory, this group contains multiple mutant versions rather than just one mutant and one normal version as with more familiar allele groups (like the spider mutant and normal for spider allele pair).



A good test of this theory is to see if the mutant combo snakes within this group (like lesser phantom = karma or the mojave lesser leucistics or the mojave Vin Russo leucistic) only produce the two parent types when bred to a normal and don't produce any normals or combos from breeding to a normal. This could possibly be mimicked by two different genes that just happen to be closely linked by being close together on the same chromosome but the longer we go without a crossover causing an exception to the expected allele test results the more confidence we can have in the theory.



It's even possible that crystal and platy may be mutant combos in this allele group just like the leucistics. A dilute mutant version of this gene may combine with lesser to make a platy but not show much if at all by it's self.

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