is there a way to tell if a "normal" is het for something without proving it out. I love normals but maybe down the road when i have more room i can start proving out and making babies.
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prove it
officert
Aug 15, 2006 01:54 AM
Replies (2)
gmherps
Aug 15, 2006 04:52 AM
No. It must be proven out.
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www.imageevent.com/gmherps
gmherps@sbcglobal.net
Chance
Aug 15, 2006 11:22 AM
I don't think there's any way at the current time to, without a doubt, say that an animal is a het unless you know it came from a homozygous parent. Until we've mapped the ball python genome and know where all the alleles for these crazy morphs are found, it won't be possible.
On that thought, I actually had the idea, because my roommate is a biology teacher this year and has access to gel electrophoresis equipment, to see about taking blood samples from my het albino, albino, and normal balls, using the restriction enzymes to 'cut' the same bits of DNA from each animal, and comparing them. Of course, I'd have to luck out and hope I cut the right section of DNA where the alleles for melanin production are found, but there are a few different enzymes I could use which could cut different sections. Eh, it's a long shot, but if I saw three different discrepencies between the three different snakes, it might be something.
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Chance Duncan
www.rivervalleyexotics.com
