Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

I still trying to figure out how boa genetics work so please bear with me. What happens when you put a reverse stripe male with a striped female? Would they produce stripes, reverse stripes, or hets for both?

Amie

so many answers, so little time! lol

There are many possiblities..

Very few striped genes are proven, such as the Kahl Stripe line which is recessive.

Some others seem to work in other ways. I don't think anyone has figured out the reverse striped gene really yet.

Where these animals come from, how they became striped, are also some factors.

What if one striping was recessive, the other dominant? both look different.. so first generation you have visible reverse stripes (just speculating here) that are het for regular stripe? then next generation you get combo stripes? no stripes, because they cancel each other out? who knows!

You can have lots of fun trying to find out!

If you do, let me know! lol

Take care, Joe

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Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin

Thanks Joe,

I bought a reverse stripe Nicaraguan boa from you earlier this year and I am trying to figure what type of female I should pair him with. I've seen a few striped females for sale, which is why I asked the striping question. I have not seen any reverse stripe females. Should I breed him to a normal to try to prove the gene?

Amie

I'm sure you would love to get more stripers and reverse stripers, but if breeding a reverse to a normal striper, it would make it practically impossible to determine how the gene was inherited, if even possible.
Probably the only sure way would be to breed him to a normal and see what happens. If you get all normals, they should be considered hets and be bred back to each other or dad to prove this out.

These first and second generation captive animals can have multiple forms of striping and inheritance.. you may breed a striper to a normal and end up getting stripers from something the normal was hiding... tricky.. lol.. and more fun!

take care, Joe
-----
Thanks and take care - Joe Rollo
'Tis not the stongest of the species that will eventually survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change' Charles Darwin