Reptile & Amphibian Forums

IS it me or do melanistic females seem in very short supply? I've got an awesome males but can't find a female. I've heard that breeding melanistic to melanistic results in a varied clutch......can anyone say otherwise? Are there any breeders producing melanistic thayeri consistently?

Thanks,
Russ

John Cherry told me that he usually produces melanistic thayeri, but he didnt produce any last year. You might try Robert Applegate too.I wish they were more readily available.

Greg

I've been looking for a pair of melanistic thayeri for a couple of years now and haven't had any luck. I don't think many people breed them. Most thayeri fanatics try and breed the high white or yellow, bright colored, phases. I saw a melanistic female three years ago at a reptile show in Puyallup (Pue All Up) Wa. and I'm still kicking myself for passing her up. They only wanted $40 for her too. Oh Well!
-Phil

I've never seen one "live, in person" yet. I've heard Mike K. describe them in detail but I've never seen one except in pictures. I think they are hard to come by.
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Vichris

Vichris Variables

I have a melantistic female that i bought from Mark Bell a couple of years ago. I only paid $40 for her.I don't see them often though. I am breeding her this year. If i am lucky, i should have some hets,as i understand that is a simple recessive trait. Rin

trait" theory. If it were that simple, I think it's relatively safe to assume there would be more. I know of only one person to breed black to black and his results were leonis, milk snake phase but no black or "melanisitc" thayeri. He was really stumped so he sold the pair off and chocked it up to thayeri variability.

I loved to see your results after you breed them...especially a picture of the clutch right out of the egg.

Thanks,
Russ

thanks for the info russ. if she lays eggs, i will definitely keep everyone posted on the results. Rin

So do you have a male melanistic too? I'd be interested in a female also, if yer startin a list???? I know Mike K. has a proven male melanistic if you are interested.
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Vichris

Vichris Variables

Mike K's is a female. He bred it to a Dan V. white male that I sold him last year. There is a place called Sunshine Serpents that advertises black thayeri, I know Rich Gassaway here in Az used to breed them and still might, and I know John Cherry breeds them.
If it was a simple recessive trait, breeding a black to a black should result in all blacks. It seems to be more complicated than that. Now that thayeri are becoming more popular again, it seems like folks would start reviving the black phase.

You're right. I forgot that his (mike k) is a female. But I would be interested in a melanistic pair. Rich G gave his to Kerby and I don't know what has happen to it. And I'm not sure John Cherry is still breeding thayeri. I don't think he produced any last year. I'll check Sunshine. Thanks
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Vichris

Vichris Variables

....I think it's co-dominant. I had one female a few years back. I bred the melanistic thayeri and a relatively clean leonis. The babies were variable as expected but developed a lot of black tipping and it got worse as they got older so I got rid of em.

Chris

PS...I seem to remember they used to be the MOST common variant.

It's just a theory but I think it is very possible it's codominant and that the hets can be anything from indiscenable to completely black. That would explain why some people have said they bred black to black and got a mix.
I also think the striped/abberrant ruthveni, the blackbelly Cal Kings, and some of the hypo Cal Kings may work this way too.
I think it could also be that there are two codominante genes at play.