Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I am just now getting into genetics(not to mention Breeding) Ball Pythons...and I was wondering about when I look on breeders websites I see titles that say stuff like

60% HET FOR PIE or 100% HET FOR ALBINO

Now I know that means that that snake has that percentage of Piebald or Albino in it but what do the percentages mean? From my understanding I think that 0 means guaranteed you will get a whatever the snake is het for in your next clutch but what about  or P or something? is it just the higher the better?
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1.1.0 Leopard geckos
0.1.0 Bearded Dragon
1.0.0 Ball Python
0.2.0 Dogs
1.1.0 Cats
2.2.0 Ferrets
1.0.0 Gerbils
1.1.0 Bunnies

For some reason it messed up certain words in that post so here it is edited

So I am just now getting into genetics(not to mention Breeding) Ball Pythons...and I was wondering about when I look on breeders websites I see titles that say stuff like

60% HET FOR PIE or 100% HET FOR ALBINO

Now I know that means that that snake has that percentage of Piebald or Albino in it but what do the percentages mean? From my understanding I think that 100% means guaranteed you will get a whatever the snake is het for in your next clutch but what about 15% or 50% or something? is it just the higher the better?
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1.1.0 Leopard geckos
0.1.0 Bearded Dragon
1.0.0 Ball Python
0.2.0 Dogs
1.1.0 Cats
2.2.0 Ferrets
1.0.0 Gerbils
1.1.0 Bunnies

The % is the chance that it is actually a het and carries the morph gene.

100% het means that one of the parents was an actual visual morph so you are certain the offspring carry the gene.

Everything else means that there is a chance that the snake doesn't carry the gene.
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Tosha
JET Pythons
Toshas Blog

100% Het could also mean that it used to be 66% het, but it has proven to carry the gene through breeding.
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1.0 normal ball python
0.1 greyband hybrid kingsnake
0.2 crazy cats
1.0 husband

66% het for pied is short for 66% probability that the animal is het pied. Such snakes come from a mating in which both parents were het pied.

50% het for pied is short for 50% probability that the animal is het pied. Such snakes come from a mating in which one parent was het pied and the other was normal.

In my opinion, anything less than 50% probability isn't worth more than a known normal.

These percentages are usually applied to normal-looking snakes that may or may not be heterozygous for a recessive mutant gene.

Paul Hollander

Aaaaahhhh

Okay I understand this way more now. Thanks SO much for the help
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1.1.0 Leopard geckos
0.1.0 Bearded Dragon
1.0.0 Ball Python
0.2.0 Dogs
1.1.0 Cats
2.2.0 Ferrets
1.0.0 Gerbils
1.1.0 Bunnies

Pied X Normal=100% hets They HAVE the gene
het pied X het pied=66% het They have a 66% probability for the gene
het pied X normal=50% het They have a 50% probability for the gene
66% het pied X 66% het pied=?????

>66% het pied X 66% het pied=?????

If this mating produces one or more pied babies, both parents are heterozygous pied (AKA 100% probability het pied). And all the normal babies are 66% probability het pied.

If only normal babies are produced, then either one parent is normal or both parents are normal. I'd sell the babies as normals.

Paul Hollander

The 100% hets just means it carries that mutant gene (ie piebald, albino, etc.) it doesn't mean you are 100% guaranteed to have the visual morph in the snake's clutch. Other factors will determine that, mostly what the other snake's genetics will be.

If its a visual morph (ie breeding 100% albino to an albino (it looks like an albino, thus is a visual morph). You will only have a 50% chance Per egg of it being an albino OR 100% het for albino. In theory (the law of averages) half the eggs should be albino, the other half het for albino. But it is very possible you can end up with all het for albinos in a clutch, or all albinos.)

If you breed two 100% hets together (for the same mutation, such as albino) your chances for a visual morph isn't as good, only a 25% chance per egg of it being a visual morph. All normal looking babies will have a 66% chance of being het (it is possible to have a completely non mutation carrying ball python) but since they all look normal, there is no way to distinguish the 'hets' from the completely normal except via breeding. Though I suppose you could pay big money and have its DNA examined.
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PHLdyPayne

Check out our FAQ on simplified genetics, including some handy dandy visual pics. It is no scientific thesis, but it may help to wrap your mind around the basics : )
Pro Exotics FAQ- Basic genetics made simple

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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

To try top make it even easier to understand, there really is only one type of het; 100%. All the rest (50%, 66%) are either 100% or 0%; they just haven't been bred out or "proven" either way yet.
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www.strictlyballs.ca