Second litter of the 2013 season is a dandy!!!

[Jeff B]

Born 4/22/2013, the dame of this litter was produced last year from breeding the wild caught Dodge Co. albino T.radix to my female axanthic T.radix. The axanthic gene has not been completely well characterized or documented, but it has long been suspected that the axanthic gene and the anerythristic gene are co-allelic to each other. That is the two mutations are different alleles or slightly different mutations yet exist at the same loci or location on a gene. Thus, an axanthic phenotype is actually genotypically one copy axanthic gene and one copy anerythristic gene. Two copies of the anerythristic gene which is recessive yields the anerthristic phenotype, a very dark almost solid black snake. However, two copies of the axanthic gene does not yield a phenotypic axanthic snake. Only when a snake inherits one copy of the axanthic gene and one copy of the anerythristic gene does the axanthic phenotype manifest itself. The dame was a normal looking phenotype, she had a 50% chance to be carrying a copy of axanthic and a 50% chance of carrying the anerythristic gene, and due to her father was also het Dodge Co. albino. The dame proved out to actually be het for anerythristic and het Dodge Co. albino based on the premise that the axanthic gene and the anerythristic gene are co-allelic and the types and ratios of this litter there is only one possibility based on the punnet squares. Base on the ratio and types of offspring she could not be het for axanthic gene. The sire of this litter was an axanthic T.radix purchased this winter from Scott Felzer.The sire proved out to also be het Iowa albino, which was a bonus surprise that neither Scott nor I were unaware of.
Originally it was suspected that the wild caught albino male from Dodge Co. Nebraska was a Nebraska type strain with a dark orange dorsal stripe, however this litter actually proved that the albino is actually compatible with the Iowa strain albino. The results were 16 big healthy babies, 4 normal, 4 axanthics, 2 anerythristics, 1 high orange dorsal striped albino, 3 snows, and 2 blizzards. The two blizzards have faint orange dorsal stripes that go about half way down the back. Can't wait to see what the blizzards and axanthics look like when they get a little size.
This was an exciting litter in several ways, there were no stillborns or slugs, there is a nice variety of different morphs and morph combinations, the Dodge Co. albino proved out to be compatible to the Iowa strain albino, and the further confirmed and characterized the axanthic gene. I hope to get better picture when they get a little bigger.
http://gartersnakemorph.com/images/blizzardsnowaneryaxanthicradix.jpg

[guidofatherof5]

Sweet radix scrubs.

[thamneil]

Congrats! Hope there are many more to come :)

[Jeff B]

Thanks guys, hope there will be many more too, but I always count my blessings either way.

[Eddie]

That is just a flat out awesome litter!!
Appreciate the biology info!

[Jeff B]

Thanks Eddie, if you want a fun exercise in punnett squares, try that one out. Sets up as a 4x4 gamate possibilities (4 from each parent), yielding 16 output squares, which yields 12 different genotypes and 6 different phenotypes

[chris-uk]

A fine looking litter - whilst morphs aren't my thing the genetics does interest me. You've given a good example of how analysing a litter can reveal a lot about the parents' genes.

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Awesome litter man! Congrats Jeff!

[Jeff B]

I have another het axanthic female giving birth right now 9 out and she isn't even close to being done. will post pics later this evening. Man I love this time of year but I already see the work mounting up. Looks like she is likely het for the axanthic gene only because of the babies so far about half are axanthic and half are normal looking. Will post pics this evening.

[Jeff B]

I appreciate that you appreciate the genetics Chris.

A fine looking litter - whilst morphs aren't my thing the genetics does interest me. You've given a good example of how analysing a litter can reveal a lot about the parents' genes.

[mikem]

Congrats! Looks like a nice litter :)

[Dan72]

Very nice Jeff! Can't wait for more pics of these two litters, love the radix. Do you know what you will keep for future projects and what will be for sale based on what your getting?

[Invisible Snake]

Awesome congrats Jeff! I love seeing your litters because of the multitude of different morphs in a single litter.

[Jeff B]

Very nice Jeff! Can't wait for more pics of these two litters, love the radix. Do you know what you will keep for future projects and what will be for sale based on what your getting?
Sorry Dan its too early for me to decide what I will keep and what will sell. First off they have to be feeding great before I would even consider selling them. I don't sell problem snakes to other people PERIOD. If there is something in particular you are interested in let me know, but keep in mind I hopefully have other litters still to come.

[Jeff B]

Awesome congrats Jeff! I love seeing your litters because of the multitude of different morphs in a single litter.
I hear ya brother, I enjoy seeing the "variety pack" litters too, especially when its a surprise,lol.

[BUSHSNAKE]

just like we have different albinos i think the anery and axanthic plains garters could actually be 2 different varieties of a melanistic. What do you think Jeff?

[Jeff B]

I think that the axanthic and anerythristic genes mostly remove pigments rather than adding melanin and the evidence of that is that albinos have yellows and orange colors, but when in combination with the anerythrist or axanthic genes those colors are removed resulting in the snow. This isn't exactly a new concept in snake morphs. We have had this discussion no less than a dozen times and it makes more sense for me to go spend my time discussing global warming with a republican.

[BUSHSNAKE]

I think that the axanthic and anerythristic genes mostly remove pigments rather than adding melanin and the evidence of that is that albinos have yellows and orange colors, but when in combination with the anerythrist or axanthic genes those colors are removed resulting in the snow. This isn't exactly a new concept in snake morphs. We have had this discussion no less than a dozen times and it makes more sense for me to go spend my time discussing global warming with a republican.
sorry it still does not make sense to me, i see the blacks and blues being taken away...

[Jeff B]

Albino does take away the melanin, so what takes the other pigments away, the oranges and yellows away from the snow? .........The anerythristic and anery.

[BUSHSNAKE]

Albino does take away the melanin, so what takes the other pigments away, the oranges and yellows away from the snow? .........The anerythristic and anery.
the melanistics dont have reds, oranges or yellows so when the albino takes away that dark pigment your left with nothing.
i think the anery is melanistic, the axanthic melanistic(they are compatable,we have known that for a long time and they look VERY similar and both created a "snow")and Steves'(Quidofatherof5)black and white is axanthic. That would make more sense to me and probably to other people. Peace out, to bad about the "axanthic" chicago garter

[Steveo]

the melanistics dont have reds, oranges or yellows so when the albino takes away that dark pigment your left with nothing.

It was explained to me that melanism just overproduces melanin, covering the other pigments. My understanding was that was melanistic is + black while anery is - reds so that anery + albino = snow

I'm trying to remember where I read that.

[BUSHSNAKE]

It was explained to me that melanism just overproduces melanin, covering the other pigments. My understanding was that was melanistic is + black while anery is - reds so that anery + albino = snow

I'm trying to remember where I read that.
if an albino is white and yellow LIKE A BALL PYTHON then you cross an albino with axanthic to create a snow.
if an albino is white and red LIKE A CORN SNAKE then you want to cross an albino with anerythristic to create a snow.
You can also cross an albino to a melanistic, that takes away the black pigment from the melanistic to create a snow. I believe all snow garters were created this way.

[Jeff B]

if an albino is white and yellow LIKE A BALL PYTHON then you cross an albino with axanthic to create a snow.
if an albino is white and red LIKE A CORN SNAKE then you want to cross an albino with anerythristic to create a snow.
You can also cross an albino to a melanistic, that takes away the black pigment from the melanistic to create a snow. I believe all snow garters were created this way.
You just illustrated my points exactly as to how the T.radix works beautifully in your first two examples, thank you, but your last point just falls apart. You can't make a true snow with a melanistic. The Schuett "snow" is the biggest misnomer in snake history. Its not a snow. It doesn't even really look like a snow, especially when adult. It is a melanistic albino combo....nothing more nothing less....it is not pigmentless. It has pigment, it's just the two genes fighting with each other to produce a solid light purplish/brownish snake.
I think the Schuett melanistic albino has really confused you into thinking that's how it "works" in garters, but it doesn't really translate to the plains and red-sideds snow very well. Anyway, I gotta go call up a republican now and convince him that global warming exists. Peace

[BUSHSNAKE]

You just illustrated my points exactly as to how the T.radix works beautifully in your first two examples, thank you, but your last point just falls apart. You can't make a true snow with a melanistic. The Schuett "snow" is the biggest misnomer in snake history. Its not a snow. It doesn't even really look like a snow, especially when adult. It is a melanistic albino combo....nothing more nothing less....it is not pigmentless. It has pigment, it's just the two genes fighting with each other to produce a solid light purplish/brownish snake.
I think the Schuett melanistic albino has really confused you into thinking that's how it "works" in garters, but it doesn't really translate to the plains and red-sideds snow very well. Anyway, I gotta go call up a republican now and convince him that global warming exists. Peace
we can go back and forth until you realize im right;) Peace out

[Jeff B]

we can go back and forth until you realize im right;) Peace out Funny, that is how this conversation always ends, you are right and the whole world is all wrong....and actually the whole world is all wrong these days and that I can't argue with.:p