# DNA testing for het's



## fat-pat (Mar 5, 2008)

I have read about people having DNA test on herps to find any hidden het's i was just thinking what sort of money are we looking at for one of these tests??? and as any one had one done??


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

I don't know if ANYONE has mapped the mutation genes in any species of snake or lizard, let alone developed tests to find out if the animals are heterozygous or not.

I know that DNA-sexing a bird is around £20-£50 - but that's because that's a chromosomal test checking for a ZZ or ZW animal and doesn't involve mapping individual GENES. 

Testing to find out if an animal is het for a gene won't work until they know:

1. Where the gene locus for X trait is located
2. What a "mutant" allele looks like and what a "normal" allele looks like
3. How to tell the difference in multi-allele gene groups (Ultra/Amel/Not-Ultra-or-Amel)


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## Mason (Jan 21, 2008)

as far as i'm aware thats never happened, as Ssthisto said "testing" for albinism (or whateveR) would mean that the tester needs to know the exact location of the albino gene for that species and be able to test for it's presence.


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## secuner (Feb 2, 2008)

the only snake testing i know of is testing the species of the snake, example, to prove that a honduran boa is as pure honduran and not a knock of common boa or cross.
thats usually costs around £75


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## fat-pat (Mar 5, 2008)

secuner said:


> the only snake testing i know of is testing the species of the snake, example, to prove that a honduran boa is as pure honduran and not a knock of common boa or cross.
> thats usually costs around £75


 

that must have been what i read about and misunderstood i feel a bit daft now :blush:


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## ragapan (Apr 3, 2009)

*dna*

are they actually looking into doing it?


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