And that is that locality phenotypes are often very plastic -- for a variety of reasons. Migration from other locales (this is a biggy to consider), genetic drift (VERY powerful in small populations), mutation, genetic variation (rampant in alterna), environmental stimuli, and other types of selective pressures all play a role in the dynamically changing phenotypes that occur in an area from generation to generation.



Steve Hammack even showed via experimentation that several species of Lampropeltinine colubrids from the same clutch of eggs show a marked color plasticity when exposed to different incubation media wetness/dryness ratios.



Further, is anything at all known about the home ranges of individual wild alterna? Or how often they migrate? I'm not referring to any speculation here, but rather something published (or submitted) in a journal since Dennis Miller's thesis.



And if you don't have that above information, then how do you invoke the term "100% locality" (BESIDES using photo vouchers)?



How can you be absolutely certain, for example, that 9 mile N Sandersons never ever (and I mean NEVER) mix with 9 Mile East Sandersons to any degree? It's roughly a 12 mile gap between those two locales...who can say with any authority that the two populations are significantly genetically and reproductively isolated? (For the record, this is NOT me admitting anything about the Anery Sandersons. LOL. I have no reason to believe that Ric Blair sold me a snake that was misrepresented by locality...for a pretty good reason...I borrowed a suboc from Ric to breed to one of my animals, and Ric didn't want any of the offspring, because they would be non-locality.)



I'd say at this point, that one person's definition of what consists as 100% locality in alterna is only worth a fairly uninformed opinion UNTIL real population genetic and phylogeographic studies are conducted and subsequently published.



Just taking a quick 30-second scan through Dennie's thesis, I was able to find this statement: "Although pattern is fairly stable at the higher elevations of the Chisos, Davis, and Guadalupe Mountains, wide variations in coloration and pattern are found within localized populations throughout the remainder of the range of alterna."



Of course, if the best gauge you have available is photo vouchers of parentstock, then by all means, use them. But just because something pops up different in captivity OR in the wild doesn't mean that animal is not representing that which would occur in nature anyway (e.g. dispersal, genetic drift, etc). What we herpers catch, bring home, and breed is always at least one generation behind from what is ACTUALLY happening in the wild, at any rate.



Dusty
Suboc.com

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