Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've read that sometimes an experienced breeder can identify hets in baby corns. I'm particularly interested in hypo. I have babies that are by a wild caught anery to a normal female, het anery, hypo, amel, lavender and motley.

A couple of the anery babies are lighter than the others and maybe one or two of the normals seem less bright.

I'm trying to decide which ones to keep to cross up.

Any other hets that might be visually identified as babies?

Any thoughts? Thanks!
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Amy Claiborne

Don't let them take your wasted time. J.T.

Amy, I dont think its possible to identify recessive trait hets IMO. The recessive genes are being dominated by the non-recessive genes. Keep in mind there is variability in coloration within morphs. There are lighter and darker anerys/normals in a clutch without carrying hypo genes. A good example would be to look at a clutch of non-het. Okeetee (normal) morph corns. Some grow into screamers and others from the same clutch are just so-so. I would expect a clutch of normals or anerys to be the same. Some are just different colored than others.

it's usually written on the deli-cup when we buy them....

Just kidding....?...

yes sometimes hets are lighter or darker...but not always...not close to always....
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................JY

There are a very few traits that *sometimes* show hetmarkers... but not always. And some animals can show those markers without actually being het.

An example is masque. This trait is associated with bloodreds/diffused, but has been shown to be heritable down through animals that have been proven to NOT be het for diffused.

Another example is caramel which *sometimes* lends a bit more orange color to an animal.

A third is sunkissed, which can *sometimes* have very mild and subtle effects upon the pattern.

Hets like hypo, amel, anery, charcoal, motley, etc do not have het markers.

Yeah, I have to also agree 100% with everyone else on this.

Forget about knowing what a corn is het for by looking at it.

Same with a hybino Honduran,....again, forget about it!..LOL!

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

but decided not too because they are not truly recessive traits IMO. Caramel may be, but I do feel it influences coloration. My hold back motley striped amels het. caramel from last year are just nicer than normal amels IMO. Not sure if its the cancellation of the white borders by the motley/striping that gives it more of a sunglow coloration/contrast, or if the caramel genes are truly giving the oranges a better hue. Hmmm...interesting stuff for sure.

So, no one is owning up to being able to identify hets, huh? LOL!

I know I can't do it.
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Amy Claiborne

Don't let them take your wasted time. J.T.

There's no owning up. It's impossible. Shall I show you my anery that is het amel? Or the one that is het hypo? Shall I show you my almost-sunglow and let you guess along with me as to whether he is het anery or hypo or motley or any of the common hets at all?

,,
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Amy Claiborne

Don't let them take your wasted time. J.T.

a normal quad het female? Wow.

The only way a breeder knows 100% for certain normal babies are carriers for a recessive trait, is if one of hte parents is a visual morph. In your case, at the very least, all your babies are het anery since you bred your female to a visual morph (anery). Assuming the anery your female is het for is the same type of anery as the male (There are 2 or three different variations of anery in corn snakes, which aren't compatible with eachother...anery type 1 is the most common, Anery type 2 tends to have alot less yellow visible in adults than type 1. Breeding a type 1 anery to a type 2 anery wouldn't produce aneries, but normal looking snakes with het for both version..if I recall correctly)

All the normal looking babies have a chance to be het for any of those 4 traits present in the quad het female. ONly way tot know which snake has which het is to breed them back to the female or eachother...or to visual morphs of a particular mutation.
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PHLdyPayne

Forum Princess