Repeated inbreeding, such as in line breeding, typically results in a phenomenon called inbreeding depression manifested as lowered fitness in the inbred population. Gross morphological abnormalities like eye defects rarely occur. IMO the eye defects in albino boas are much more likely to be related to the absence of melanin in the eye. Considering the huge number of inbred captive populations of reptiles with very few if any inbreeding related problems, I would question the impacts of inbreeding in captivity for reptiles. It takes 500 individuals to have a completely outbred population. This suggests that some reptile populations may be naturally inbred. Certainly insular populations of reptiles such as those on the Galapagos Islands were heavily inbred initially. Some captive populations such as Publan milksnakes originated from very few wc individuals (4 I believe for Pueblans), further suggesting that inbreeding may not be a major concern in captivity. Of course, the affects of inbreeding may be masked by our husbandry (hand fed, vets and medicine), but this again suggests that inbreeding may only be a major concern in the wild where individuals and populations are constantly stressed and performance needs to be optimal. I would further add that IMO once your snakes are past one generation from wc locality matched breeders, you no longer have animals that are representative of the wild population. In captivity selection is either nonexistant (we keep everything alive) or completely biased since many keepers select future breeders based on the appearance that they prefer. Here on the west coast (USA), many salmon and steelhead hatcheries now take only wild fish for breeders. Wild and hatchery fish are treated totally different as it is now recognized that hatchery operations can have a major effect on the genetic makeup of the population in only a couple generations. Hatchery fish are fin clipped so they can be recognized and retained by fishermen.



>>I have seen quited a few BCI with abberent patterns sold as jungles in the last year or so. Are they definate jungles from a proven bloodline? "NO" , but there is a chance that they are unproven animals with the same genetic makeup as jungles. I think some of the boa morphs are very simular to what is going on in the ball python market.. anything a little different from the norm demands a huge pricetag. As for Hermann labeling his surinams jungles because the trait was passed down to this years offspring? Why bother? an abberent suri is an abberent suri..either you like them or you don't. It might take you 10 years to prove a pattern genetic in BCC, unlike BCI where you can do it in possibly 2, but ofcourse once it is proven genetic you must line breed them for YEARS to produce enough to conrer the market. That's my biggest complaint with the morph market... how long can you breed mother to brother ..etc .. etc.. before you totally ruin the genetic makeup of the original animals? Time is money in the BCI morph game..but I don't think the same holds true for the true redtail enthusiasts....a pretty normal will always be worth it's weight in gold... How many one eyed suris do you see? Now take a look around..how many one eyed albinos have you seen?

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>>"If woody would of went to the police, none of this would have ever happened!"

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Rick Staub

R&R Reptiles

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