Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wanting to know is the Jaguar gene coodominant or recessive or what? If you have a sibling is it het or is it just a normal? I would love any info on this. I have read a few sites and I am still confused.
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1.1 Motley het butter corns
0.1 Snow corn
0.1 Okeetee corn
1.0 Anery mutt corn
0.1 Stripe Ghost corn
0.1 Amelanistic corn het carmel
2.1 Colombian Redtails
1.0 Hypo Colombian redtail
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Anery Kenyan sand boa
0.1 Normal Kenyan sand boa

The pattern of inheritance in Jags is not completely understood.
It is generally agreed (and has been shown) that the gene works in dominant fashion.

In other words altered geneotype = altered phenotype.
The heterozygous animal displays the morph.

But is it an incomplete (co)-dominant trait?
Thus far when Jags have been bred together they have sometimes produced a small percentage of babies that were leucistic. So far this has proven to be fatal to the babies. While some of the leucies are better developed than others, none have lived long (hours).

It is thought by some that outcrossing the Jags will allow for live leucies to be produced. This will take time.

So to the casual observer it may appear that leucies are the "super" form or homozygous form of the Jag morph. With further scrutiny though, one finds other possibilities.

The Jag morph is quite possibly (some would argue obviously) a "set" of mutations. Instead of merely discussing one mutation, we are discussing two or three. The leucy may be the product of 2 or three of the potential genes interacting.

In more than a few Jaguar clutches "oddballs" have shown up. One produced early in the history of the trait was a nearly solid yellow snake. Others have been just as strange.

Adding to the confusion is the potential of a "Hypo" trait interwoven with the Jaguar Gene. A Jaguar carpet python is hypomelanistic relative to a normal coastal carpet python in the first place, however there are some animals that have a truly remarkable reduction in black pigment.

There are conflicting theories as to it's pattern of inheritance. Some working with the animals beleive it to be an incomplete-dominant type of mutation, others think that it is a simple recesive mutation. Others still are unconvinced as to "Hypo" being a predictably reproducible mutation in the first place, instead this theory holds that it is just a part of the wonderful variation that the species is known for.

Still another theory entirely is the thought that the Jag gene is a sort of master switch for various mutations. In effect it could turn on any number of possible dormant switches.

Sibs have not been proven to be heterozygous for anything in and of themselves. They are homozygous for beautiful though (lol...this post was getting kind of boring...little snake dork humor).

These sibs could be heterozygous for hypomelanism if:
a) The hypo trait is a simple recessive trait
b) The Sire or Dam was homozygous for the trait

Carpet pythons are incredibly variable animals. Within a normal clutch of coastals, there is AMAZING variation. When you throw the Jag gene(s) in to the mix things get crazy.

So in a nut shell....
A Jag bred to a Coastal (or Jungle, or Irian, or Bredl) will produce about 50% Jags. After that, you're on your own. Who knows what kind of stuff will pop out of these guys.

PSA- Beware carpets with Jag like patterns being sold as Jags. Or animals being sold as "Het for Jag". There are some carpets that have similar markings. Do your homework. There are an alarming number of scams being marketed at the moment.
Don't want to break the TOS, but a Google search for MORELIA and the word PYTHONS will turn up a good forum.

Hope this helped!!!
Ben

(Red Hypo Jag x Tiger)

Jaguar Sibling

Hatchling Jag

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Ben Team
Mark Davis
New Paradigm Herpetoculture
Captive Bred Morelia
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