definitions.jpg

Albino – Absent or deficient melanin. Common name for “Amelanistic”. See Tyrosinase-negative and Tyrosinase-positive.

Amelanistic – Having no Melanin.

Anerythristic – Having no red color.

(Co)Dominant – “Combination Term” used in this genetics wizard to identify a gene that is either dominant or codominant. The genetics wizard will give you the correct genetic makeup of the offspring. You need to know if you are specifying a dominant trait or codominant trait to determine what the babies will look like.

Codominant – A gene that causes the homozygous form to look different than the wild-type and the heterozygous form to have traits of both.

Dbl. Het. – Double heterozygous.

Dominant – A gene that causes a snake to look different than the wild-type and where the homozygous form and the heterozygous form the same as each other.

Double Heterozygous – Being heterozygous for two different traits.

50% Possible Het. – A snake that comes from breeding a heterozygous snake with a wild-type. Statistically, one-hqalf of the resulting babies are heterozygous. Until their genetics are proven. Each of these baby snakes are known to 50% possible “Het”.

Gene – Unit of heredity that determines the characteristics of the offspring.

Genetics – The study of heredity.

Heredity – The transmission of genetic characters from parents to offspring.

Het. – Short for heterozygous.

Heterozygous – Having two different genes for a given trait. Such a snake with one recessive, mutated gene looks normal, but it can pass the gene on through breeding. A heterozygous snake with one (co) dominant, mutated gene looks different than a wild-type because of that gene.

Homozygous – A snake where both genes for a given trait are the same. Even recessive genes, if they are in a homozygous state, will affect how a snake looks.

 

Hypomelanistic – A snake having less black and / or brown color than a wild-type.

Leucistic – A pure whit snake with dark eyes.

Melanin – Black or brown skin pigments.

Melanistic – Abnormally dark, due to increased melanin.

Mutation – An abnormal gene that under certain circumstances can cause a snake to be born with appearance other than wild-type.

Normal – a snake that looks like the wild-type generally seen, and it carries no mutated genes.

Offspring – Babies.

Possible Het. – A snake from a known breeding that has either a 50% or 66% possibility of being “Het.” For mutant gene. This is an inexpensive way to obtain snakes with the genetic makeup required to produce much more valuable snakes.

Recessive – A gene that affects a snake’s appearance if it’s present in the homozygous state. A heterozygous snake carrying a mutated, recessive gene looks normal.

66% Possible Het. – A snake that comes from breeding two snakes that are heterozygous for the same mutant gene. This produces babies in the following proportions: 25% will be homozygous, 50% will be heterozygous, and 25% will be wild-type. Of the normal-looking babies, 2 out of every 3 (66%) are heterozygous.

Snow – A snake that’s homozygous for both Albino and Axanthic or (for some species) Albino and Anerythristic.

Tyrosinase – An enzyme needed to synthesize melanin.

Tyrosinase-negative – An Albinowhose cells lack Tyrosinase, producing a white and yellow / orange snake with pink eyes. A separate Albino mutation from Trysinase-positive.

Tyrosinase-positive – An Albino not able to synthesize melanin, but capable of synthesizing tyrosinase, which results in lavender-brown skin color.

Wild-Type – The way the snake usually looks in nature (i.e. the normal color and pattern).

Xanthic – Having more yellow color than wild-type.