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Genetics of Striping in the Gopher Snake

pyromaniac Jan 22, 2010 06:40 PM

abstract:
"The normal pattern of the Pacific gopher snake is a longitudinal series of dorsal blotches, but in some areas of California an occasional specimen is found to have a pattern of longitudinal stripes rather than the ubiquitous blotched pattern. The striped variants differ additionally by having an unmarked venter with none of the small black squares that are found on many of the ventral plates of the blotched specimens. Controlled captive breedings involving blotched and striped specimens demonstrate that the widespread blotched pattern is recessive to the striped variant."
From: Genetics of Striping in the Gopher Snake, Pituophis melanoleucus, by Elizabeth R. Bechtel and Terrence Whitecar

Okay, my question here is are they saying that the striped gene is dominant over the normal blotched pattern gene?

Replies (5)

ginter Jan 22, 2010 10:49 PM

this tread ran about 4 months ago with mixed results and no real answers or affidavits coming forward... I have a group of 2.1 hatchling, locality P.c.catenifer that I obtained in the late summer of 2009. 1.1 are blotched and 1.0 is a striped phase individual. Give me about 2 years and if everything goes as planned I will have an answer to this question.......

pyromaniac Jan 23, 2010 08:40 AM

Thanks for the reply!

One of my youngsters, from Jason Nelson.
I have an 1.1.0 striped pair, an unrelated 1.0.0 striped, and a pair of 1.1.0 blotched (not het for anything), all 09's. Also have a few 08 (1.3.0). So it is going to be at least three years before I can do any breeding and answer my question. My main reason for keeping these animals is as pets, not to make an income, anyway. Scientific jargon tends to confuse me! LOL!

pyromaniac Jan 23, 2010 10:48 AM

I went back in the forum and found this thread with this post by Jason Nelson: Part of the post, which answers my question pretty much.
http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1738508,1738724

"Here is comparison shot. San Diegos tend to have bolder strips and background patterns where the Pacicfic are more speckled. Another note is San Diego's stripping gene is simple recessive and the Pacific's stripping gene is co-dominate.
Jason"

So if I mate my unrelated (not wanting to breed the brother to the sister) Pacific striped together the whole clutch should come out striped, as I understand this. None of them are part annectens.

Jason Nelson Jan 23, 2010 12:19 PM

Hello

I beleive all offspring would be striped. Even when breeding a Striped to unrelated animal. But if you were to breed a 2 of these striped offspring back together later, you would get a couple blotched offspring out of that. So I dont know if Co-domainate is the correct term for this.

Jason

pyromaniac Jan 23, 2010 08:19 PM

Well, I think I will have to wait and see in a few years what happens. In the meantime I can struggle to understand all the terms concerning this. I really appreciate the feedback from all the experienced experts here.

I found this site which gives a simplified version of the complexities of genetics.
http://www.supersnakes.com/gwiz.htm
This will likely just confuse me more, though. LOL!

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