Question on genetics

[Lumpy]

I've been meaning to ask, what does that mean 1.1 or whatever numbers I'm seeing?

Lump

[Stefan-A]

I've been meaning to ask, what does that mean 1.1 or whatever numbers I'm seeing?

Lump

One male, one female.

1.2.3 would mean "1 male, 2 females and 3 of unknown sex".

[Lumpy]

Ah! Ok, I get it!

Lump

[Zephyr]

Females generally don't cause problems; it's the males. You could always get a species of the same sex... Or get 1.1 of one species and 1.1 of another.

Or, even better yet, house the females and males of each species separately. :P

[drache]

what I do is I house females of similar size together and males of similar size

[Zephyr]

I personally have never had any accidental ingestion problems... However, I keep my snakes well-fed, so it's never really uncontrollable at feeding time.

[andyoconnor83]

Just to clarify with the example given, they wouldn't be hybrids, but unnaturally occurring intergrades, since they are technically the same species, but different sub species ie. Both are Thamnophis sirtalis, but the P.S. are T. s. pickeringii and the eastern are T. s. sirtalis. In any case, as was mentioned here, they wouldn't be very attractive most likely, unless they were easterns considered Florida blues... then you could get some very nice looking snakes, but for all reasoning, I would keep them separate. The babies would be fertile as well, just like if a Pugent sound (T. s. pickeringii) and a valley (T. s. fitchii) garter bred, which happens naturally in a few locations here in Washington state.

[Steven@HumboldtHerps]

Hello,

In this case, I believe there is no hybridization to fear since the Puget Sound (T. sirtalis pickeringii) and the Eastern (T. sirtalis sirtalis) are still the same species. I agree against giving them the opportunity to cross, especially if you are not dealing with simple recessive genetics. Subspecies characteristics usually deal with polygenic traits (I call 'em "blenders"). Blending or intergrading the two will alter the purity of both lines.

I intend to create actual hybrids between one and 2 other local species - pending approval from our local university and fish and game (still a ways away...) for research purposes only. Hybridization is suspected here in NW California. Proving that it occurs in the wild might explain many mysteries regarding the ancestral lineages of these snakes. Other than actually reading the DNA, breeding at least a couple of generations would be the only other way to determine actuality and thereafter the stats on fertility vs. sterility in proposed hybrids.

That's my take... Thanks for letting me ramble,

Steve

[Lumpy]

So Easterns, Butlers and Melanistic Garders are naturally occuring in Michigan. Wouldn't these from time to time cross breed?

Lump

[drache]

from how I understand it, the pheromones may be slightly different and there is a preference for one's own species apparently