Well, it finally happened. After long long LONG months of waiting, Zuul finally gave birth this morning. I was lucky enough to catch her in the act when I came home this morning at 5:15 AM. Some babies were already out and cruising the water tub, but she still had several more to go.
What a sight! I was amazed by how fast it went. The last 5 or 6 babies came out within 10 - 20 minutes! Perhaps this is why it is so hard to catch them giving birth.
12 total were born, but 2 died about an hour after birth. One of them was all kinked up, so I was not surprised. So final total is an even 5.5 if I sexed them correctly. Will double-check after they shed.
I was elated to see that all but 1 of the babies have cool aberrant patterning! Of course, the kinked one had the best pattern.... almost NO dorsal blotches! Will definitely be trying to breed for a healthy version of that one!
So yeah, this aberrancy is now proven to be a genetically reproducible trait. Just now have to learn whether it is line bred or recessive or whatnot.
The other half of the genetics I was hoping to prove out does not appear to have happened. I was wondering if the adults may have been Hypermelanistic to some degree, but all the babies look normal. Though, I was told that both Gozer and Zuul looked normal as babies, but became darker by their first year. So who knows... the dark pigment is probably more polygenic.
Ok, here are the pictures!
-----
Aubrey Ross
