Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've gleaned a lot of very useful information here pertaining to hondurans, which is a new interest for me. Many of the regulars here have some extraordinary animals too, which is helping me make choices on what I'd like to have.

Will a quality hypo with "clean" parents tend to lose its vivid cloration a bit or develop black (or red) tipping when it is an adult? Can the extremes (ruby red eyed, very light gray/silver, and NO black tipping individuals) be expected to pretty much stay the way they are as babies, with minor ontogenetic changes?

I would really appreciate some clarificaion on this, as I will be getting either a tangerine or tricolor hypo or extreme. It will be kept as a pet, so I am interested primarily in its phenotype, not genotype. I understand the difference in price.

Thanks again... Any photos or advice in choosing an appropriate animal would be most appreciated!

Dan

Yes Dan,...most ultra-clean hypo babies of both regular types and extremes can be expected to stay very clean and vivid through adulthood. Although when some get older, even they can get just a tad of tipping. But it is usually very minor, and doesn't really take away from the striking color and pattern. On extremes, it can sometimes just be a barely discernable very light silvery gray haze at the scale tips, but is tough to make-out without close inspection. Other's can basically stay just as they were as neonates too, so they are a bit variable just as any other type is. Some are just nicer than other's.

All of my hypo's and extreme hypos have stayed very colorful and sharp throughout their adulthood.

As you might already know, some of the more average hypo's that basically look nothing more than a fairly "clean" neonate, can display a good amount of tipping as they mature, and by the time these reach adulthood and beyond, can look very normal, and sometimes you can't really even tell they are hypomelanistic at all. As I've always said, they can vary between a 1 and a 10, and anywhere in between.

All in all, the nicer and more hypomelanistic you start out with, the nicer it will be as an adult.

best regards, ~Doug

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

WOW! Wonderful post, Doug; I really appreciate all the great photos and the crystal clear explanation... I'll most likely opt for an extreme, and a 10 at that! I have a friend in Civitanova Marche who has a reptile shop named Fauna Esotica. He related that extreme tangerines are available in Europe, and to a much lesser extent, extreme tricolors. Extremes sell out quite quickly, but maybe something will be available at the Hamm Expo.

The # 2 photo you posted shows the parameters seen in an exteme nicely; ruby red eyes, very light gray/silver bands, and zero tipping. If I'm not mistaken, I see your favorite honduran as a hatchling too. Great example of a super nice extreme.

Thanks again!

Dan

Thanks Dan,....actually the #2 pic is of the Falcon male that I bred her with this year. The favorite female I posted is just under that one(#3 pic) when she was very young. But they look very similar there, so I can easily see how you thought it might be her..LOL!

Anyway, I'm glad you like the animals, and it's good the explanations I gave were clear enough and made some good sense.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with at the Hamm show possibly, or anywere else for that matter.

Good luck finding one you really like man!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

I misread your post!. I see that you did not think the #2 photo was her, but rather another good example of depicting what a good extreme consists of...sorry!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

Holy "snake", Doug!

-Cole

L. t. gentilis X multistrata - Weld Co., CO

Glad you like those Cole!

Killer "multi" you posted too bro!. When it comes to some of the N.American stuff, you and the other's have quite the "arsenal" of triangulum!

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"