Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a few questions and I will make them as quick as possible.
This is not just a Sunday quiz, I really need some solid answers please.

Are Sunglow babies normally harder to keep up then normal babies?

Are Sunglow Genes weaker then other non morph genes, like just a Albino or Anery? Does this make them weaker babies?

COULD a Split Litter consisting of Snow and Sunglow produce those morphs - but with a weaker gene then had they been NOT a split litter such as DH Snow x DH Snow only?

Meaning is my Sunglow from the split litter as strong in the genes as just as DH Sunglow x DH Sunglow produced Sunglow?

I guess I should ask this too - do you feel animals that are born FIRST OUT or LAST OUT are weaker then the mid body babies? Do you feel the end babies are more prone to problems Vs Mid Body babies? Can some be DONE while the outsides are still medium rare???

Last - do you think that by me misting my gravid female I could have pushed her into labor a day or two earleir then she wanted?

PLEASE these are questions I really need answers to here so I can find out exactly what is going on here. I will give more info later.

As for our split litter we got something close to this:
1 Snow
2 Sunglows
8 Hypos
9 or so anery and normals

I am asking the above questions because the 17 babies that are NOT The snow or sunglows are ALL over running the cages like all babies should. However we are not having the same results with the 3 we REALLY are pulling for. The Snows and Sunglows.. how can it just be those 3?????

-----
Thanks
Shawn Morelan
www.SouthernBoids.com
_____

Signature file edited; [phw 9/26/04]

Shawn, I know exactly what you're talking about. Last year at this time I had a DH Snow litter that along with normal hets and anerys there was one snow and five albinos. All of the albinos looked very bloated and were not active as the normals and anerys were. Day after day I witnessed the albinos and then the snow die until finally only two albinos survived. Shortly afterwards Jeremy Stone wrote a great post here talking about how albinos have a very high mortality rate especially when born early. The reason being they have an extremely hard time absorbing their yolk sacs. I don't think there is much you can do except make sure they are separated individually from the rest so there is less stress until they grow a little stronger. You'll know they're going to make it after a week goes by. The albino gene is no doubt weeker in this area so I'm sure the Sunglows fall into this picture as well. I wish you luck with them.

The topic of discussion was why were snow boas so expensive to which Jeremy stated one reason was mortality rate. Here's part of his post from this time last year.

Posted by: Jeremy Stone at Fri Apr 30 11:43:47 2004 [ Email Message ]

1. Like someone mentioned below, they are a Double simple recessive gene. VERY HARD to produce NUMBERS. I have nice group of adult males, but still. I breed a SNOW to a DH snow, and only 1/4 of the babies come out SNOW. You really have to have power animals or just a lot of patience. Another thing with the Double Simple recessive gene. Many Albinos are weak as babies. They have a VERY hard time digesting that yolk, and if that yolk is very large, then they just don't make it. Some snows born just a DAY or 2 early have a tendency because they are "Albinos" to do the same thing. They have a HARD time lasting through those 3 CRUCIAL first days. So, with the GENES being rare, and this difficulty, it is MUCH harder to produce LARGE numbers of Snows.

v
-----
Thanks
Shawn Morelan
www.SouthernBoids.com
_____

Signature file edited; [phw 9/26/04]

Before I get something started on is a gene week or not etc.. I want to Add this.

After further examination we have found that the three in question (slow moving etc) have much more of a cord left. This could be a tad premature?? I have no idea, but I did want to put it out there that it may just be very odd instead of gene related.

On another note we also have a few albino in this litter and they are doing great....

I was just in a panic and not sure where to turn or how to help and that was my first stop. However after posting, I wish I would have waited and considered everything and studied it again before posting. I do not want to start a split with one side against the other, but something we can use and learn from.

I will post a more indept detailed report if anyone is interested in the detials.
-----
Thanks
Shawn Morelan
www.SouthernBoids.com
_____

Signature file edited; [phw 9/26/04]