Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This must have been close to 5 years ago....but the story goes I was looking for Thayeri at a show. Someone had some in a 10 gallon tank and all were gray with red saddles. Nice but I wanted color. I mentioned the variability in Thayeri and this guy went on to say his adults were similar and ALL the babies always came out like the ones he had. He actually got pissy with me when I suggested otherwise. I am guessing he was off base and had Greeri.....has anyone ever heard of Thayeri that had NO variation within a clutch? To this day I never have,........
Tom Stevens

I, myself have never seen a clutch that looks all the same. There is usually a variation in color and pattern in Thayeri. I think one would have to line breed a certain color/pattern for generations for a clutch to be all the same color and pattern.
Then there is always a great chance of something different that will hatch out ie: milksnake, leonis, yellow, orange, grey, buckskin, etc...
There is something strange happening with these genes in Thayeri. I do not know if it is the habitat or geology of their origin that makes these snakes hatch out so variable, but whatever it is I enjoy them the most.
I cannot wait until everyone is posting clutch pictures this summer. They have got to be the best eye candy on the market. IMHO
John Lassiter

John,
The possibilities are endless, except with the melanistic ones. Has anyone popped out a black thayeri out of a batch of the other morphs or do you have to breed black to black to get black?
Best...
Jim

The Melanistic Thayeri are the only morphs of thayeri. This is a recessive trait. The only way to produce black thayeri is to breed black to black or black to het for Melanistic. Or if you have a het to het pairing. The het to het pairing would be the only way to produce black offspring from normal looking adults.
Hope that helped you Jim,
John Lassiter

Thanks John,
I guess that's why there are so few of them. Here's to a prosperous breeding year!
Best..
Jim