Speaking from a strictly genetic point of view (claims to know nothing about snakes here) the reason for a physical mark that might denote heterozygosity (not to be confused with a genetic marker which is very different) would be that there is some gene linkage i.e. the gene or genes responsible for the physical trait you are seeing is VERY close to the gene you think the animal is heterozygous for. They may actually be "touching" or they could just be close to eachother on the chromosome. The reason you wouldn't see the trait all the time would be because of crossing over during recombination and stuff like that. I hope that makes things a little more lucid. On a side if I were a breeder or a person who actually had $$$ I'd be fingerprinting my snakes to no end. I still may try to fingerprint my personal snake some time this year if I can figure out a cheap way to do it that won't get me in trouble but that's a stretch yet

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