Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a hypo that'll be ready to breed next year. His mother was a salmon, and father was an orange tail. Does this mean that he's a possible super hypo and could produce all hypos? also produce both types ? --not that I'd be able to tell an orange tail baby from a salmon. I'm not sure how these two co-dominant traits mingle when both are part of the same snake. Thanks for any info.

Yes, there is a CHANCE that your snake is Dominant. Only way (as I am sure you know) is to breed it to a normal).
-----
Brian Oakley
Phoenix, Arizona
BrianOakley@cox.net

It can be proven by breeding it to a known heterozygote,(co-dominant F1.) if you breed it to another hypo,that you know is an F1,and,roughly one fourth of the litter doesn't express the trait,you'll know your original animal in question wasn't dominant...if all the offspring are expressing the trait,*bingo* there's your proof...

According to probability theory, if you get at least 17 babies from your salmon/orange tail cross mated to a normal, and none of the babies is normal, then there is a 99% probability that your snake is homozygous. If you mate your snake to a salmon (heterozygous salmon), then shoot for 35 babies.

Paul Hollander

I always "shoot" for 35,just not always that fortunate! *lol* If I were to do this breeding,and,got 30 slugs,5 live,and,even one of those were WT...I'd be willing to wager good,green money that there was a 99.9% probability that neither parent would prove dominant in subsequent breedings. (but,I'm an optimist by nature.)

Two lineages of the same trait,(kind of like two branches of the same limb?)at least for all intents,and,purposes,and,have proven to be compatable,in that they will produce the same genetic stages of expression when combined. So I'd say yes,if both parents expressed the trait,then your animal is possibly homozygous,(it needs to be bred to be proven dominant tho.).The differences between the two can be subtle when bred together,so there is really no accurate way to predict how many might appear more like one than the other,or,if they may just be a somewhat even blend of the two...hope that made some sense?