Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was at a show this weekend and was discussing morphs with a customer. When I indicated many morphs came from inbreeding I was referring to morphs like albino which is recessive and require some level of inbreeding to get two copies of the mutant gene into one animal.

He agreed but had a differing viewpoint. His opinion was that inbreeding was leading to the "breakdown of the normal gene into a mutated gene" .

While I did not agree with that point I did not argue either. I figured this would be the place to discuss.

So, does inbreeding actually mutate genes or does it rapidly propogate a previously existing mutated gene(s)?

imho, it propogates the gene and through selective breeding two copies of a relatively rare mutant gene are combined into one animal and are then expressed.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, selectively bred from good stock)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
12.24 BRB
11.13 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

....
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Love snakes, the morph the merrier.

1.0 normal ball python Nicodemus
0.2 albino banana kings Dora and Queen
1.0 albino banded king Ace
and more to come...

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There is a greater chance for random mutation by outbreeding and placing more genes into the mix. By concentrating genes the typical mutations are undesired, ie. the problems of incest.