hi ross,



>>>I'm sure you are more well versed on genetics than I am but since some of those offspring are just as dark as a MBK, doesn't that prove it is not a recessive melanistic trait? Maybe at the very least its a co dominate trait, or maybe the MBK is not melanistic and more like a Black Pine and Black Milk that darkens with age for some reason. Black Milks and Pines are considered subspecies like MBK's and darken up with age just like them. There is no other Melanistic kingsnake morph I know of that darkens with age like that, they are born dark. Those are just my observations.



>some are as black as any mbk but being 50/50's who knows how they will turn out. ive seen mbk that looked like splendidas as babies and turned solid black as an adult, im not gonna say its one or the other (recc./co-dom) just yet, time and more breedings will tell.





>>>Recent genetic work also suggests splendida is separate from nigrita. Not only different subspecies but different species. I don't know a thing about DNA work to agree with it or not, but it seems that would be too big of a mistake to make if nigrita was just a melanistic splendida. What do you think?





>well i dont know a thing about DNA either as far as classification goes IMHO taxonimist must justify thier work(funds) somehow this class and reclass BS is just like a road construction crew just do enough so's ya gotta come back and "fix" it, again and again and again. as for me ive worked with enough getula over the years to have/develope my own opinion which is there are 3 classes/ssp. of getula.

western...incl. cali,conjuncta, nitida, yumensis,etc.

the central... incl. nigrita,splendida,holbrooki, nigra, etc.

the eastern... fla,chain,goini,obk, etc.

but im a big lumper when it comes to taxonomy and classification in general. i feel the same way about hybrids breed a snake to a snake and get a snake thats NOT a hybrid breed a snake to a lizard or a turtle and THATS a hybrid!

,,,,,,,,,thomas davis
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Morphs... just like baseball cards BUT ALIVE, how cool is that???



my website www.barmollysplace.com

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