Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is bug eyed a genetic trait? If I take two bug eyed rat snakes and breed them will I get 100% bug eyed offspring or will it be a mixture? What about if I take a normal and bug eyed rat snake and cross them? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

The "bug-eyed" trait is a tandem gene that follows the leucistic gene in these snakes. It can stay hidden in he shadows quite often, or pop up in any individuals too from time to time, even if both parents don't display it. The trait is always lurking within leucistic populations regardless.

In any case, there is no such thing as being "het" for bug-eyed, it is an unwanted "bi-product" of the leucistic gene.

Also, they can have different degrees of "bug-eye", anywhere from mild to severe, and anything in between. Your odds are always going to be better if you DON'T use the "bug-eyed" snakes as breeders though. If you breed two bug-eyed snakes, the odds will definitely increase that you will also produce these two, but there is no guarantee that ALL will be bug-eyed from that pairing.

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Yeah, I'm glad you said "Unwanted trait", lol. This is one of the things that have kept me from buying some of these guys. I really don't like the bug eyed snakes and don't want to risk getting them in a clutch. I do like the Leucistic Black and Texas rats except for the attitudes that is, lol.
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J Sierra