would like your opinion on this....

[captainmorgan]

How do you think an T+Albino Argentine looks? I want one of these but it's gotta be a male. I wonder how much they would go for? I know not many people share my enthusiasm for argentines besides Michelle, but everyone has a favorite boa. So what do you think? I got this picture on Mack's Reptiles....I also read on PK reptiles that they tried to introduce the albino genes to there argentines by a albino columbian. But that's cross breeding and isn't a 100% albino boa. So how does that work? How do breeders introduce the albino genes to the argentine species? Still not the best on the morph stuff....and if you know somebody who has an albino male, let me know. but not a mutt boa. 100% albino argentine...

	Morph A morph is a color or pattern variation that is proven to be genetic. Common morphs include albino, anerythristic, gentically striped, Hypomelanistic, and many others. Morphs also include combinations of simple traits such as "Sunglow" which is Albino and Hypomelanistic. These traits may be recessive traits, co-dominant traits, dominant traits, or created through selective breeding (ie Pastel).

[Stormyva]

Is that really an Argentine????
That looks more like a hog island to me.

	Hog Island Boa hogg

[AnAcOnDaMaN]

At first I thought it was a Hogg Island too Brian. Was there a price set on that one?

[herp_chick]

If I were going to get a boa, I'd get an Argentine. They are my favorite of all boas. Not too fond of that albino, tho. The black/white ones are much prettier

[Stormyva]

I still cant get over how much that looks like a Hog Island... even the pattern is similar.

	Hog Island Boa hogg

[lethargiic]

OH!! GENETICS!!! I LOVE GENETICS!!!

any rtb is awesome to me..they can come from antarctica and i'd still think they're awesome..but when it comes to country specific rtb's that's getting a lil tricky, because each country almost has different climates (except for Guyana & Surinam) so is a snakes desired living conditions...anyway..enuf on that.cross breeding species of boas in my opinion shouldnt be messed with cuz what do you call the babies?? Mutt red tails? lol introducing a trait to a species is very difficult to do. Albinoism can either be recessive or dominant, but a lot of breeders would prefer not to crossbreed. (but some will do that just so they can get that trait, and make a couple of bux.)

As far as genetics...the percentages change depending on the trait of the parents. here's a lousey way to explain genetics...lol i tried to remember as much as i can from college but here's a stab but im sure its all accurate.

>> het for albino + homozygous = 50% are het for albino, 50% are homozygous.
>>homozygous albino + homozygous alb. = 100% homozygous albinos. (duh)
>> het. albino + het. albino = 25% WT (w/out trait or wild type), 50% het. albino, 25% homozygous albino.
>> WT + het albino = 50% WT, 50% het. albino
>> WT + homogyzous alb = 100% albinos

I'd would get into the aspect of dominant, co-dominant, and ressive genes..but that's even worse...lets just say that homozygote is almost ALWAYS dominant. and heterozygous is either codominant, dominant or recessive..

ok that wore me out..but it should give ya better on morphs. if i remember anything i may have forgotten i'll add on to this..lol

	Heterozygous Heterozygous - the animal carries the gene for a genetic trait but does not outwardly demonstrate the trait. Example: A boa that is het for albino looks normal but carries the albino gene. When it is bred to another het for albino boa or an albino boa, a percentage of the offspring will be albino.

	Morph A morph is a color or pattern variation that is proven to be genetic. Common morphs include albino, anerythristic, gentically striped, Hypomelanistic, and many others. Morphs also include combinations of simple traits such as "Sunglow" which is Albino and Hypomelanistic. These traits may be recessive traits, co-dominant traits, dominant traits, or created through selective breeding (ie Pastel).

[Stormyva]

Ahh finally found Mack's site.... the first pick there does show more of the pattern on the snake that looks more Argentine... they are gorgeous no doubt about it
Here's the other image from the Mack Reptiles site.....

[Boaphile]

A true "Albino" Argentine can't be made. It must just pop up. You must breed two Argentines that are pure Argentine to each other and they both have to happen to be heterozygous for Albino and then BOOM! Albino Argentine. There is no other way unless one was to appear from the wild. However, it is illegal to import any Argentine Boas. People have bred Albino Colombian Albinos to Argentines but those are not Colombians or Argentines. They are simply crosses or as some would call them, "mutts'. So you can't make one. Nobody can. It has to just pop up. The "T" Positive Argentines are pretty cool but they are not true Albinos as most people would describe them. They are simple recessive Hypos.

I know I appear occasionally and usually post a few pictures and run. Just showing off I guess. I do have my own forum at www.theboathinktank.com where I am slightly more active but not by much. I have too much work to do and too few hours in each day to get it all done. I love the whole forum thing and if I could I would spend all day posting and posting on and on but alas the Boas require feeding, cleaning, watering, photographing, cataloging and recording information plus I am trying to stay on top of our overwhelming cage and rack orders at "Boaphile Plastics". Too much work for anyone to try to do unless that someone is nuts, which of course I am!

Good luck!

Jeff

	Hypomelanistic Hypomelanistic - a genetic reduction in the dark pigment Melanin.

[captainmorgan]

wow, I honestly didn't expect a reply...cool!! I know you're busy and you have many projects going. I've visited your site before. Well, how did the first albino come to be? Did one just poof and it was started?

[lethargiic]

im kinda curious about that too...i imagine that a boa my have crossbred with another boa prolly ones that habitate near the boarders and one of them was het or hom for albinoism. that's the only thing i can think of...
i just checked out pkretiles.com and i'll tell you what..i dunno how they're got the "look" of an argentine boa into offspring from a columbian albino to an argentine boa non het for anything. the babies are mutts!! you can't label em as true redtails. its funny how far ppl go for money.

I noticed a few other things about pkreptiles.. They had a genetics section that discusses genetics and they used a basic punnett's square..smart..but punnett's square is a little more complex than it looks. punnett also traits pure breeding hence homozygous traits. pure breeding is more common in dogs..get it? pure breed dogs...lol
double hets is just a term meaning that an animal has 2 dominant genes/traits.. ie a boa het for albino and say no pattern. etc etc

lol you can tell i can talk about this all day but im much too tired for this.

	Heterozygous Heterozygous - the animal carries the gene for a genetic trait but does not outwardly demonstrate the trait. Example: A boa that is het for albino looks normal but carries the albino gene. When it is bred to another het for albino boa or an albino boa, a percentage of the offspring will be albino.

[Boaphile]

The first Albinos were imported from Colombia back in around 1984 probably from a wild caught female that produced them at a "Boa Farm". There were three or four Albino males and one female. They were in the hands of Colubrid Breeders who did not have any success breeding them. Then Paul Miles bought one of the Albino males and shortly thereafter Pete Kahl bought one as well. Pete and Paul were next door neighbors and partnered up to make the first Hets in 1989 and 1990. They broke up their partnership shortly after. That is where the "original strain" Albino Colombians came from.

	Heterozygous Heterozygous - the animal carries the gene for a genetic trait but does not outwardly demonstrate the trait. Example: A boa that is het for albino looks normal but carries the albino gene. When it is bred to another het for albino boa or an albino boa, a percentage of the offspring will be albino.