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I wanted to ask the genetic wizards out there what would result from this pairing: 100% het albino X DH Sunglow. I don't have the money to just go out and buy both an albino and a DH sunglow. I have 1.1 normal BCI, they are a breeding pair and it looks like I will have some babies on the way. I really like sunglows and that is one of my breeding goals. So any guidence or help to make sunglows the cheapest would be great Thanks Josh

A DH sunglow has a gene pair containing one copy of the salmon (= hypo) mutant gene and one copy of the normal version of the salmon gene. The snake also has a gene pair containing one copy of the albino mutant gene and one copy of the normal version of the albino gene. For what it's worth, the normal version of the salmon gene is not the same as the normal version of the albino gene.

A 100% het albino (= het albino) has a gene pair containing one copy of the albino mutant gene and one copy of the normal version of the albino gene. The snake also has a gene pair containing two copies of the normal version of the salmon gene.

The expected breeding results from a 100% het albino X DH Sunglow:
3/8 normal looking (66% probability het albino)
3/8 salmon (= hypo) (66% probability het albino)
1/8 salmon albino (= sunglow)
1/8 albino

If you have more time than money, half of the babies from a DH sunglow mated to a normal boa would be salmon, 50% probability albino and the rest of the babies would be normal-looking, 50% probability albino. These could be sold or swapped for an albino or het albino.

Good luck.

Paul Hollander

Thanks Paul! That helps me alot. Do you know of any good books/articles on genetics? I have read NERD's genetic article it was good and easy to understand for the most part. Just thought I would ask. Thanks again Josh

I don't know of any herp genetics pages on the web that I would call better than fair.

I generally suggest starting with Schaum's Introduction to Genetics, 4th ed., by Elrod and Stansfield. I like its problem-oriented format, and used paperback copies in good to excellent condition are available for less than $10. It is either better or cheaper than most genetics texts, and it is better than most I've seen.

In combination with that, dip into "Three Neglected Advances in Classical Genetics". It is a paper that was published in Bioscience back in 1995, and the advances are still neglected, as far as I know. The paper is on the author's web site, at the link below. Go to the Contents page and find it in the Genetics & ... section. Actually, most of the papers in that section are worth looking at.

Paul Hollander

Advances in Classical Genetics