Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Has anyone ever bred hypo to hypo BRBs? What were the outcomes? I have a few unrelated animals I'd like to try and pair this season.

ps. Aubrey and Rascal, it was great meeting/seeing you at Tinley Park this weekend!

I can't answer your question at all, just wanted to say I enjoyed meeting up also. Hope that little guy you picked up does great things for you!

Charlie

i believe the first hypo x hypo was done by mike lockwood in 2004. I own two hypos from this litter, that have had regurg issues their whole lives. It took me a while, but i now have it under control. With smaller meals, and less frequently.
These animals are only being used for crosses, never to a hypo or het hypo.
I believe with outcrossing, great results are being seen. And i havent had a regurg issue with any hypos or hets that i have produced from outcrossed parents.

That said, is their a need to do a hypo x hypo breeding these days? would it not be more worth while chasing a ghost project with your animals?

cheers
-----
Dave

Ive given up counting how many rainbows i have, but its enough to deplete my credit card every rodent order....
Im an aussie in an arctic environment
Helsinki, Finland

It was awesome seeing you and your beautiful animals again this year, Trace!

I have a vague memory of hearing that the breeding has been done, but couldn't tell you much more about it. Sorry for being no help on the subject, lol!
-----
Aubrey Ross

www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

How long do you suppose we breed hypos to hets? Where will the line be drawn that we have outcrossed enough? I guess we won't know until someone attempts the hypo to hypo, right? Being able to do that opens so many more doors for that gene, think of the color variants within the hypo animals we've witnessed. I have yellow, orange, and gold hypos. I've even heard of cherry hypos. We could make some impressive animals if we just jumped that hurtle.

As i said, Mike Lockwood did it in 2004, using animals hypo animals born in 1996
You can read it here
http://tooscaley.com/reptiles/BrazilianRainbowBoas/Hypomelanistic Lineage.html
-----
Dave

Ive given up counting how many rainbows i have, but its enough to deplete my credit card every rodent order....
Im an aussie in an arctic environment
Helsinki, Finland

Interesting little read, and I've no doubt that there has been much more struggles with hypo animals than what is mentioned there or it wouldn't be brought up so often.

That said though, I can also see the arguement that we are a handful of years and several generations of outcrossing further along now. Maybe there is something about the hypo gene that can't be outcrossed out of it enough to make a visual/visual pairing a good idea, but for now it would appear to me that we won't know that for sure until it's tried...and if it fails with weak babies, then more outcrossing and trying again a few more years and outcrossings down the road.

Personally I don't plan to do a visual/visual pairing, although I also like seeing mixed litters or clutches. At the same time, I also wouldn't fault someone for trying this occasionally to see if it seems to be "safe" yet. I understand it has the potential to create weak animals that may need more care, but I don't see it in the same light as breeding desert female ball pythons where we now know there is a high chance of it killing her.

I do think that there should be honest disclosure to buyers if the animals come from a visual/visual pairing. I met Trace at the recent Tinley show and I got a good impression of him, he seems like a straight forward guy to me and if he does this I believe he would be honest about the litter.

If there is more info out there about why this should never be attempted, I'm definitely open to listening to it and hearing why not to. Right now I just don't see fault in trying to do a visual/visual pairing if you know you have two animals that have been outcrossed away from each other.

Charlie

I think a visual x visual pairing might be a good "test" to confirm outcrossing has worked but only verifies those two individual animals paired together.

I also agree with the wanting multiple visual outcomes in a single litter. For example I would not breed Ghost x Ghost (once I have them) Would much rather breed Ghost x DH or Hypo het Ghost x Anery het Ghost for litters of 1/4 each - Ghost, Hypo het Ghost, Anery het Ghost and DH Ghost.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats