Ok I am a little confused here Clint. Are you sure you may not have lined up the Mojave side of the Crystal with something like say a Vin Russo Het that also happens to be a Pinstripe. I say that as obviously she isn't a Lesser Pin a Jig Saw or anything like that so who is to say that she may have a more subtle gene in her like Vin Russo/Mocha or something along those lines and you made a BEL with Pin in it as to me that doesn't look alot like a Super Special. The head doesn't look quite right to me for a Super Special and the Pin head should not effect the Super Special that much as a Pin's head isn't that extreme to knock out that much of the look one would not think anyway. I guess another way to look at this is if indeed your right that would mean my snake is likely a Pastel Super Special instead if you go by visual comparisons, one wouldn't think your snake having Pin in it wouldn't matter that much other than pattern wise and that yours would still look like a Super Special overall with Pin pattern affecting the pattern but not changing the shade of white as much as it has. The white on yours also seems different (brighter white) than the Super Specials Baker's made , maybe that's the effect the Pin gene is having on it, OR maybe it's because it's a more classic example of a BEL (Mojave x lesser complex member) without any Special in it ? I guess time will tell what you have , if it in fact proves to be a Super Special you'll make Crystals easily by breeding him back to Mojaves and if he's a type of BEL without Crystal in him you won't make Crystals but instead more BEL's (some with Pin in them too) , that will be the ONLY sure fire way to tell right away..

VERY cool AND RARE problem to have Clint, either way it's a first of it's kind ! GOOD PROBLEMS TO HAVE FOR SURE as it's stuff like this that makes your head hurt if you think to long about it! Please do let us know how this ends up! Knowing how rare the Special gene really is compared to the other members of the BEL complex I think it's a little early to call him a Super Special Pin myself but it's your snake so you call it what you think it should be called . I know from experience that this naming thing can cause quite a stir sometimes so I'd just tread lightly until you know for sure what side combined to make him! In a nutshell we know that the Regular Mojave side from your Crystal Mojave can just as easily line up a BEL via your Pin if she is carrying a subtle form of one of the BEL members. If you really think about it odds of the Mojave side of your Crystal Mojave lining up with a non "Special" BEL member are FAR more likely than lining up Special x Special as we already know there are SEVERAL ways to make classic BEL's in the crosses within the BEL complex and there is only ONE way to make a Super Special (Special x Special).. I know you already said she came from BHB BUT you also know that Brian wasn't sure about the genetics on this project for some time early on , if it was a hidden gene thing , recessive , codom or what it really was , he knew Balls can do crazy stuff so I kinda doubt he would sell off ANYTHING that "may" have anything to do with the Crystal project early on like that as just a regular ol' Pinstripe. However if he bred a PinStripe to a "nice pretty normal" that happend to not be just a "normal" but instead was actually a Russo or a Mocha or one of those subtle lesser complex members I could easily see him selling them babies off as just nice looking Pinstripes and not even put much thought about what else genetically was there because it combined in a subtle enough way as to not really be able to see he'd actually really made a double codom using a PinStripe and that "Pretty female normal" of which we all know he's raised up from a CH baby and hand picked out of the masses not knowing anything about her genetic background other than "just Pretty" ! Basically she hadn't lined up with the right pairing yet to prove her out as a BEL member, but still carried the gene under the radar and passed the gene on quietly to that Pinstripe without anyone noticing either ..

Please step in and correct me if I'm wrong here folks but can you really tell a Pinstripe that is also carrying say Het Russo (Het for White Diamond) or even a Mocha Pinstripe lets say from just a regular Pinstripe? Anyone care to chime in and add to that thought?????

Also Clint did you make a regular Crystal in this clutch? If you did or EVER do with that particular Pin female you will instantly prove that way she indeed is a Pin SPECIAL as the only way she could make a regular Crystal or even a Pin Crystal Mojave for that matter is if she has the Special gene and your pulling just the Mojave side of your Crystal to combine with her Special side. That being said it will be FAR more valuable for you to do this same breeding again and hope for a bigger clutch , if you don't make any sort of regular Crystal in a big clutch odds are very high that she isn't carrying Special and in fact instead carries another member of the lesser complex and it's a subtle one at that. IF you breed this male back to her you won't no matter what ever be able to make a regular Crystal which you really do need to see to prove your theory . Instead either your going to make Super Specials (if your correct on your theory) or you'll make more regular NON Special BEL's like him, and likely even the other Super form of whatever BEL complex you have hiding in there, and based on that head you have on this one I know it isn't phantom in that Pin either but instead one member who's head is white in it's Super form. That being said just taking a regular Super Mojave to this female Pinstripe would prove out if you made a Super Special Pin. You wouldn't even need a big clutch that way to prove it out either! If you hit on Crystals you proved out she's also a Special and if you make more white snakes but no Crystals then she obviously is not a Special at all... That's a surefire way I think to get her figured out quick without wondering much other than maybe which white headed member of the BEL NON Special she is if she can't make Crystals when bred to a Super Mojave !

Something to really think about here isn't there folks!


Anthony McCain
Pic enclosed is of a Super Special -Baker Line

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