# Ok, Am I Getting This?



## midori (Aug 27, 2006)

Or being blonde?! Hopefully I'll explain what I mean in a way someone gets what I mean!

I have been trying to read up on and understand a bit about snake colour genetics, and have to be honest, and say it's quite confusing. I do, however, understand horse colur genetics, and although they are completeley different, some of the things are similar, so I THINK I'm sort of getting there. Perhaps someone could clarify for me? 

The colour genes come from both parents, so a snake has two copies of each gene, and can have either a 'switched on' copy, or 'switched off'. (so, for red, it might be R (on) or r (off). It has to have a switched off copy instead of it just not being there, as there just can't be a 'gap'. 

Some colours are dominant, which I am assuming are red and black mainly. (talking cornsnakes) So, a cornsnake can look 'normal' but may still be carrying other genes, such as 'lavender', for example, but we can't see it, as it's recessive. So, for a snake to show Lavender, it must be homozygous for it, eg. have a switched on copy from both parents, neither of which have to look lavender? 

I'm also thinking there are some modifying genes too. So some of the genes, such a Hypo aren't actual colours, but dilute the other colours, eg. making the snake less black in this case. 

Anyway, I won't go on anymore. Sorry if I haven't explained very well, but until a week or so ago, I'd never even heard of 'amel' or 'anery' or anything else. 

Am I getting the very basics, or really not? 

Thanks! (don't mind looking silly!)


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## dragonsdad&mum (Aug 18, 2006)

Blimey Midori,

That's a bit strong 4 this time in the AM!! No but, sounds fair enough to me. I'm not sure about snakes, but did do a fair bit of genetics for my Biology course, and if it applies the same to snakes, or at least is similar, I think you're pretty much there.

I'm sure Nige will put us both right tho, or one of the other Snakies.

Good on ya tho m8 for puzzlin it that far if its all relatively new 2 ya. Lot more than I coulda managed!!


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## JaneW (Aug 17, 2006)

midori said:


> Or being blonde?! Hopefully I'll explain what I mean in a way someone gets what I mean!
> 
> I have been trying to read up on and understand a bit about snake colour genetics, and have to be honest, and say it's quite confusing. I do, however, understand horse colur genetics, and although they are completeley different, some of the things are similar, so I THINK I'm sort of getting there. Perhaps someone could clarify for me?
> 
> ...


You certainly don't look silly!! You are getting the basics, and you've obviously got the knowledge to understand it all very quickly! 

I know where I am with corn snake genetics, but I'm no academic, so I can't always explain myself in correct terminology. Thing is, corn snake colour and pattern morphs area (almost) all recessive mutations (there are a few exceptions, but not many). There is no real dominant colour as such, although if one copy of the relevant "gene" is mutated and the other is normal, the animal will appear normal (wild-type) unless another gene pair for a different colour is mutated.

When we're talking about corn snake morphs in genetic terms, we usually use upper case for "normal" and lower case for mutated. So, an amel corn would be "aa", a normal (non-amel) would be "AA", and a normal corn carrying amelanism would be "Aa". You have to consider each mutation separately as they are all on different loci on the dna strand. However, if you are thinking about combination morphs (such as snow = amel and anery), you need to think of them in terms of both gene pairs (or more if you are thinking about triple or quad homozygous morphs). So a snow is "aabb", an amel het anery is "aaBb", an anery het amel is "Aabb", a normal het snow is "AaBb". 

Hypomelanism is a strange one - logically it means "reduced black", but it actually has more of an effect than that, depending on any other colour/pattern morphs involved. In coral snows, for example, the hypo gene creates a much pinker animal, so it appears to brighten and enhance the colours quite considerably. (Coral snow would be "aabbhh")

The pattern morphs work exactly the same way as the colour morphs - they are simple recessives also. So, for example, a striped amel would be "aass"; or a striped snow would be "aabbss".

I hope this helps! I have a rather large anorak in corn snake genetics - and I love to share it! LOL!


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## eeji (Feb 22, 2006)

for basic corn snake genetics, have a look here:
http://www.iansvivarium.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/corngenetics.html

its only a basic introduction, but its a good start


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