Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently ran across this article regarding the expression of coat color genes in mice.
I noticed two things. The baby's environment can profoundly affect its gene expression, and the color genes affect the animal's metabolism.
How often does this sort of thing happen in herps? How would we know?
Much more seems to be known about rodent coat color genetics as opposed to those of reptiles, probably because breeding experiments are easier. And because more people care. There are something like 20 different known genetic traits in gerbils, some different alleles of the same locus. Perhaps herps are just as complicated, we just don't know it yet.
So what I'm saying is this color genetics thing is a very very complex subject, and it makes my head spin, personally. The major ball and corn breeders seem to be interested in approaching the subject scientifically, so I'm sure interesting discoveries will be made in the near future.
article- hope it works

Your link didn't work but I have read articles on that study. I don't think that is that more people care about rodents, it's that research on them is more likely to apply to people, and they are cheap and easy to breed as use as reserach subjects, and perhaps also LESS people care about them- after all we buy traps at the supermarket to kill mice. Reserachers aren't researching on mice for the benefit of mice, they are doing it for science---untimately to understand more about genetics as they work in human beings.

The whole epigentics thing is fascinating. What I am still not sure of is whether the changes of methylation are heriditable or not. One article I read says they are, another says they aren't.