>>Im not clear on what the bottom Pyro is mutation wise. It doesnt look like any anery Ive seen ? It looks like a faded normal. Is it supposed to be lacking red ? Is it a proven recessive mutation ? Pretty snakes by the way !

>>Keith



Hi Keith,



First, the morph has performed as a recessive: I produced 1.1 of them last year from the original male and a presumed "het" daughter. No one's bred "het" x "het" yet, the original animal was wild caught so bred x normals, and though jeff teel has a het male that's bred, he didn't have a het female ready for it this year. So the only test breedings were mine of the original x "het" females, and i got some normal-lookign babies, presumably more hets, and the two babies last year like the father.



Second, you raise a good point: I know, the one on the bottom is actually "hypo-erythristic"--REDUCED red, not absent red. But the same is true of "anerythristic" hondurans--THEY are also actually hypoerythristics, virtually all of them show some remaining pink or salmon in the formerly "red" rings. So choosing a name or label for a morph is partly based on the most descriptive possible term (hypoerythristic) and part is based on calling them something people will readily understand. The fact is though that the hondurans have a MUCH greater degree of reduction than the pyros do.



I've referred to them as hypoerythristics and as anerys, probably using the latter term less often, and for only 3 reasons, perhaps none of them legitimate:

1) "anery" as a convenient abbreviation is shorter, easier than hypoerythristic, and just "hypo" won't suffice because you have to be specific, "hypo"MELANISTIC? or "hypo"ERYTHRISTIC (in fact, once we start using only the more precise "hypoerythristic" term for these, the abbreviated "hypo" should never be used again re: pyros because it could refer to either of two morphs)

2) it's a term people generally are familiar with

3) the original hypoerythristic was sold to me as an anerythristic.



What other anerys have you seen? Are any lampropeltis "anerys" true anerys, wholly lacking the red/yellow pigment? ("anery" agalma sometimes start out red or pinkish red and fade to "anerythristic" appearance with time, right? yet some look "anery" (actually hypoerythristic) as soon as they hatch. now THERE is a confusing morph, and maybe a bad example to throw into this discussion. so what else have you seen?)



terry

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