Yes, because more breeders had albino prairies already in their collection than normals or WC’s when the Bell’s started to release the hypos, many have albinism in them. I’ve noticed hybinos at shows and on the classifieds mis-marked as albinos from the get go. It’s not always very obvious from the blotch contrast, but the pupil color is noticeably different.

I used to think the striping/partial striping would prove out to be a co-dominant predictable trait, but now after 20+ years of multiple fellow breeders I know attempting to increase the stripes or amount of stripers in a clutch- I don’t think so. Later I though it was just polymorphism (like in screech owls or some moths). Now I’m wondering if calligaster might nest to capture unique temp fluctuations that we breeders don’t duplicate or if a majority of the CB’s available all originated from one batch/locality which carried a stripe gene?? I’ve discussed with many buddies who herp the mid-west, and a few commercial collectors I asked in the nineties, about the rate of occurrence in finding one with any striping on it in the field. They all said it’s infrequent to say the least. Yet common (in the neighborhood of 30%) in captivity, with skipped years, etc. Embryology hiccups yield striping in many animals that are not genetically reproducible.

Would love feedback from some field gurus in their range…..

I haven’t yet, but have been meaning to ask Mark Kenderdine if his Mole localities have thrown him any striping.

When I breed tri-striped Queensland carpets in the nineties, and they never genetically performed in a predictable statistical manner. When I brought up my results and experience it helped start what I call the “ten year Morelia forum war”. I’ve noticed people want absolutes and hate when they can’t clearly define or predict things.

Interesting stuff….

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