Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Those two have to be the most colorful and beautiful Ball Pythons on Planet Earth!!! Please Post More Pics if you get a chance. Thanks.

Are butters and bananas different morphs? Is one of them the same morph as a platinum? Thanks.

Banana and Butter are far from the same....although it looks as if the Butters may be allele's of the Platinum gene since Ralph produced some 'Platinum Butters' this year....more breeding to be sure though....I'm waiting on Butter to Butter....
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Luke Martin
Bronze Serpent Reptiles

Maybe I can lend some help. I am a Boa guy but try to follow BP morphs.

A mutation is caused by an allele. So far breeding trials have led us to believe that the same mutation causes both Lesser Platinums and Butters. Now, then why are the phenotypes different? Simple, because the traits are polygenic. In that one mutant allele can give rise to multiple mutant phenotypes.

I've seen slightly different definitions of the word "allele" posted from textbooks. It looks like you are using it to mean any gene and Luke is using it to mean variations of the same gene.

One explanation for the whole Lesser/Mojave/Phantom and probably also Butter connection is that they may all be different mutations of the same gene. Sort of like the A/B/O blood type in humans where you have three different versions but because they are all the same loci/gene any one person only has two copies.

It still could be polygenetic with the differences due to other genes effecting each line’s expression of a single common mutant gene but RDR's breeding results using the mixed line white snakes which produce their distinctive parent types is making me lean toward the allele idea.

There is also an interesting theory someone from Taiwan came up with that the gene that turns a Lesser into a Platinum may be yet another allele (using the different mutation of the same gene definition).

From what I understand an Allele is both the LOCATION on the Chromosome where the mutant gene is, and the mutant gene its self.

You bring up some interesting points. I haven't followed all of Ralph's breeding trials, but breeding Platty X Lesser gave Platinum, it also gave Lucy. This would mean that both Platinum and this particular blue Eyed Leucistic are two varied phenotypes of the same mutant allele in homozygous representation. Correct?