Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have decided to share what I have been thinking about the past few months. I am not claiming to know any facts here...only what I have noticed.

We have been seeing alot of patternless boas of late, and to consider it a trait of a particular line is not accurate for me.

We have patternless hogs, patternless Surinames, patternless black boas and Purple patternless, patternless Harlequins.....Look at the half patternless Jeff Ronne produced...we got Mohawks..??...and probably a whole lot more that I have not seen yet.

Rich Ihle had said in a DVD I have, that the Salmon trait when it gets to a super level shows a reduced pattern.
From that statement I have been thinking...is it really a trait or are we breeding the pattern out of the boas??

It starts with stripes and aberancies. Then we notice that the stripes when bred produce REVERSE stripes, then with further breedings it would appear that we get the patternless boas.

I am not a genetics wizard, just an observer. This is only my own theory and I wanted to share for a discussion.
We agree that the Pastel trait is polygenic and that the trait strings along and all animals do not share the same specific qualities within a litter.
So what I am saying here is this, when breeding for stripes which is a concentrated pattern on the animal, is it not possible that some of the animals that get created would actually carry the genetic ability to eliminate the pattern altogether?

Just thought I would open up a can of worms..LOL..really though, what does anyone think about this? Thanks and have a great day! Andy Federico

AJF Reptiles

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NP

This subject, has been on my mind for many years now. Maybe from a different aspect than you, but here are my feelings on patternless Boas and I have opened many cans of worms on this in the past. When it comes to patternless Boas, I have no problem with it in the realm of Morphs. People who are breeding designer Boas are doing just that; " breeding designer Boas. " In B.C.C. and in more rare Localities however, I feel it is a bad deal. People have said; " Hey, Johnson you are talking about future events and we are nowere near having a surplus of Patternless Boas of any Local!! " Well, yes and No and if Breeders are not more responsible with their selective breedings, it will happen sooner than later ESPECIALLY when imports are no longer legal to bring in and that will have to stop sooner or later.Now, I said; " I have no problem with this in the realm of Morph Breeders, but if Columbians and other B.C.I. are no longer Imported in either, it will be the same Bad Deal. Breeding patternless Boas can be genetic and it has been proven a few times that Normal thick saddled Boas can have them, BUT the biggest majority of Super Thin Saddled and Patternless Boas are a result of selective breeding more-so than anything else. I have said before; " Nothing wrong with breeding the pattern that you like, BUT when the Bloodlines saddles get to thin, it is time to incorporate some thicker saddled animals into that particular Bloodline so that the animals do not become patternless and loose their identity all together. " I have also said a 1,000 times; " Look at alot of the Bolivian and South Brazilian Bloodlines that are out there. They are becoming more and more reduced in their pattern every year and alot of the Bloodlines out there are just one step away from becoming patternless and that is sad considering that you cannot get any out of the wild LEGALLY to fix the problem! " Someone posts a patternless Boa " particularly a B.C.C. Locality " on the forum and for a minute, everyone Oooohs and Ahhhs and then later, you realize how terrible it is or at least could become.There was a couple of guys " whose names I will not mention, so this will not turn into a War " that started all of this Thin Saddled Crap about 10 years ago anyway and slowly the Bandwagon started filling up. When I got my first B.C.C. I remember why myself and alot of others that got them or desired them back in the days, really wanted them over B.C.I. in the first place and it was not pattern that turned most of us on " at least not fully." It was color and tail and the overall markings. Speckling and drip markings and big bold patterns " thick or not " is what makes a B.C.C. or any Boa for that matter. Why, do so many breeders want to breed it all out of them??? Did not mean to rant on, but as long as I am alive, " A big, thick saddled Boa with speckling will always be loved and appreciated by me. " ..........Johnson Herp

Of selectively breeding for thin saddles,or,pattern reduction! it was a spontaneous development from two unrelated animals,one has a concise hereditary history & one does not.