Reptile & Amphibian Forums

here he is, melanistic, anery, what do you think? i just got him and he is paired up with two females-let me know what you think
Trey
gamecockvaulter@yahoo.com
he is NOT for sale!

here is the same guys headshot.

cool how his shell is all black. he looks like he doesn't have any red/orange/yellow on him at all, except maybe tiny bits on his leg? hard to see. also interesting shell growth, as if whoever first had him wasn't feeding him right, but later on either got the right thing going on or sold him to someone who did, since the latest growth is smooth with little pyramids in the middle. do you plan on breeding him? it'd be cool to see if you wind up with any dark little babies!

well-depending on his genetics-im kinda hoping his babies come out looking like little normals-that is 100% hets to be bred back to daddy! but-who knows, the trait may even be codom leaving me with about half normals and half black ones. who cares though! this is the opnly one i have ever seen or heard of. and he looks like an aldabra-on of my personal favorties-but doesnt get as big. thanks for your reply
Trey

that is sure an interesting redfoot. Too bad the carapace is so messed up.
Looks like a little Galap!

not to worried about the shell. hes breeding size with two adult virgin females so ill have little ones here in the next year. ill keep the site posted-probably will not let any of them go until i can prove the trait out. and i have to figure out what to call it. good problem to have though!
Trey

That is sure a strange one but I still am pretty sure he is melanistic. He has some color showing through but he appears mostly, if not all black.
If he were anerythristic, then he would still show a lot of color---just no red. So his appearance would be more yellowish. But since he seems mostly black--and he is obviously not an old specimen, I think melanistic.
His carapace shape is clearly a result of captive conditions. The split scutes could be from his incubation or how he was raised. The pyramiding is almost certainly from the conditions under which he grew up. Neither of those factors should influence his breeding though.
If he produces 'normal' looking hatchlings, they may be heterozygous for the melanism---if it is really a genuine genetic trait.
But then, they could (or a certain number of them)show the black color in the first generation in which case it would be a dominant characteristic.

thanks for your post. we will know in about 7 months or so if breeding goes well. he has been trailing both of my females around the back yard-that is when i dig all three of them out of the pinestraw. i have a feeling things will go well-once i get them all gathered around the dinner table, if you will. i guess after that i will have to figure out what i should charge for them! that is a good problem to have
Trey