Four years ago I noticed something about hets (for Albino that is), normals and possible hets. Now don’t ask because I won’t tell you what it is exactly. Just be content that there is something that I noticed. Nearly every breeding that I have done with the Albino project successfully has been with het X het, 66% possible het X 66% possible het or het X 66% possible het. Because of this I have seen literally hundreds of possible hets. I have not produced many known hets over these last seven years. I have a number of Albino males but have not been very successful getting babies from these guys and so have not had the luxury of producing lots of known hets to keep for myself. I have had some nearly every year but not tons. So I had accidentally noticed something about the hets… I began looking around at other known hets, possible hets and normal Boas to see if this characteristic might be something that could be a possible indicator of those animals being Albino gene carriers. Don’t ask I won’t tell. I had told one breeder that I had a theory on this. He told me this information would be worth a great deal to him. I would tell him what it was if after investigating his own possible hets, if he thought there might be something to my theory he would pay me $3000. Well I told him, he paid and hasn’t asked for a refund.
Last year I bred successfully 18 pairs of possible hets. I had categorized these possible hets into two groups of Boas. Pairs where I believed both were hets, based on my theory and pairs that I thought probably both weren’t hets again based on my theory. Nine of these pairs I believed were both hets. Nine were not. Of the nine that were not one pair produced Albinos. Of the nine I thought were hets, eight proved to be both hets. Now when breeding possible he to possible het there is a 44% chance that both animals will prove to be hets. For me to be correct with 8 of 9 pairs is something of a mathematical miracle. This has proven to me that there is something to my little theory.
Unfortunately, this is and will always remain only a theory. I can’t use this theory to sell possible hets as hets and will not. However, I do use it to determine which possible hets I keep for myself. Of these that I have produced and kept specifically because I believed they were both hets I am hitting 100% so far. I am raising quite a few more possible hets with fantastic color that I believe are hets as well. Two years ago I bought a 66% possible het that Mark Kennedy, of
www.marksherps.com fame. Mark had produced him after successfully breeding a pair of 66% possible hets he had purchased from me some years before. Mark had offered this animal for sale on kingsnake.com Boa Classifieds. I could tell from the picture that this Boa had the characteristic I look for and so when it was for sale for I think only $175, I bought it and he proved to be a het this year after breeding with another 66% possible het that I had raised from a baby I produced seven years ago. He is the best-looking het male I have ever seen too by the way… As time goes on I will have more data on this. Except of course the data that is most important. Guess if you will but I will not tell.
I just love figuring stuff out!
Good luck! Remember I will neither confirm nor deny any theory anyone posts here or in an email to me.
Thanks,
Jeff
The Boa pictured above was one of those 66% possible hets until two years ago and the Albino on her back was one of the babies she produced two years ago...
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