the context of the previous sentence. HM is refering to hypomelinism and HIB is Hogg Island Boa. "like-breeds-like" is how I understand how BCI hypo is passed on the offspring. Example: If you have two boas of similar appearance, when bred together, would produce a high percentage of offspring that look like the parents.

The "additive trait" usage is best explained with a question. Which of these examples would produce the most desired offspring? (pretend that we all like high red)

1. Two normals

a. Probably not. They would have mostly normals, if you got lucky maybe some hidden red lineage.. one semi-red baby.

2. One high red and one normal

a. Better possiblity of some reds here. But most likely- a couple high red and a couple that are normal.. the majority would be intergrades of that trait.

3. Two high reds

a. The best bet. Probably some that aren't as red as they should be, maybe one or two that smoke their parents.. but most would look like their parents.



Bare with me here. For those who still don't have a clue what I'm talking about, here goes. Currently accepted "boa hypomelinism" isn't inherited like most other color defects, like albinisim and anerythrism through a simple recessive trait. It has gone from Co-Dominance to Incomplete Dominance to Complete Dominance.. but is probably incomplete dominance. Whatever the mode of transmition, boa hypo is different from other traits in how it is passed on to sucessive generations. Hypo can be expressed in offspring after the first generation of breeding. Also, while the other color traits require that both parents carry and/or express the trait for offspring to express it, boa hypo does not. This doesn't make boa hypo any less valuable. It is probably one of the most influential boa traits now available... also the easiest to reproduce. Honestly,

as a purist, I would much rather see a pure Suri hypo in the making, than another mutt- like the Hogg Island x Peruvians.

[ Show Entire Thread ]