You can get a good idea of these snakes' genes by mating them, but I would not call the odds of getting albinos, pieds, or albino pieds good.

From the "possible het" description, I'm guessing that the probability that the non-albino is het albino equals 50%. And 50% probability that each animal is het pied. That's best case. So the probability that the pair could produce any albinos is 50%. The probability that they could produce any pieds is 25%. The probability of having these snakes produce any albino pieds is 25% * 50% = 12.5%

The mating would test the possible het albino possible het pied for the albino gene. But if no albino babies popped up among seven babies, then the odds are 99% that the nonalbino parent is not het albino.

Both snakes must be het pied to produce any pied babies. If you get no pieds among 17 babies, then the odds are 99% that at least one parent is not het pied. But the mating would not tell which parent was not het pied. Or whether both parents were not het pied.

If pieds are available for a test cross, you'd get a better idea of the genes present by crossing the possible het pieds to the pieds. Even known het pieds would be better than a possible het pied.

People beat longer odds than these every day. But the casinos make their obscene profits off the majority of people who do not beat the odds. Good luck.

Paul Hollander

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