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Genetic value in my female ball python??

Rivergecko

Rivergecko

Rivergecko
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My name is Shawn

I am new to the forum

This seems a little far fetched, but I am a college educated biologist working in the zoo field.

I acquired a female ball python 7 years ago. The woman that I got her from claimed that she was from a parthogenetic (fatherless) clutch. I called B.S. and put this animal into my normal breeding rotation. Then last year I get a call from the same woman saying that her 20+ year old female laid a clutch of 8 eggs and would I incubate them. Mind you this is the only BP that she has. I incubated the eggs and 5 of 8 hatched. 3 were fully developed but dead in the egg, and one of the hatchlings had a mid body fusion and massive deformations. Several of the others died shortly after hatching, leaving only 2 from this partho clutch.

I have bred the original female two times successfully and have ended up with some amazing juveniles each time.

The female looks normal, but several of her offspring have some unique pattering.

I will upload pics when I figure out how.

I am just wondering if anyone feels this is a genetic line worth pursuing, or should I move onto bigger and better things
 

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The picture that I have attached is of a male that hatched out two years ago when I bred the female in question to a lesser platinum. I will get the other photos of offspring and the female in question up soon.
 
The animal in the pic looks sweet! I would cross that into either a het red axanthic, any blue eyed leucistic complex gene, or cinny/black pastel. Parthenogenesis is a topic that always interests me as well. I would love to see pics of the other offspring Shawn. Welcome to the forum!
 
No doubt! One kick ass Black Back or something else there. I'd stick with it and see what happens.

Welcome to the boards Shawn. :D
 
Ok, I got the pictures to finally work.

Picture#1 is the sibling to the black back that I posted earlier, she is from a lesser crossed with the female in question.

Picture #2 is of a Female that is the result of a pastel crossed with the female in question. He has been bred numerous times to other females, but this is the only offspring with this pattern. Makes me think it is Mom

Picture #3 is of the Female in question. She is a little dark with heavy iridescence, rivals most rainbow boas.

Please let me know what you think, I have several males available to breed to her at this time. Leaning heavily toward either a Bumble bee or a pinstripe at this time just to see what would happen with those patterns. I also have a pastel, iridescence, black pastel that would be possible for breeding.
 

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Wow, those are awesome! Looking at the female #2, I'd try a blue eyed Lucy complex on her. That one looks like a sweet dinker for sure!
 
Man I love anything black back, so if you need help proving out some genes, just PM me and maybe we can work something out :thumbsup:

But either way, I can see Het Red blending really well with that, along with cinny, black pastel, and mojo.
 
Unfortunately the male in pic #1 was sold, I needed money at the time. The person that bought him wanted to work with me to breed him back into the line. Several months later he informed me that the male had died, apparently he brought something into his collection that had Mycobacterium and he lost the majority of his animals. So I am back to square one when it comes to males.
 
Rivergecko said:
Unfortunately the male in pic #1 was sold, I needed money at the time. The person that bought him wanted to work with me to breed him back into the line. Several months later he informed me that the male had died, apparently he brought something into his collection that had Mycobacterium and he lost the majority of his animals. So I am back to square one when it comes to males.
Click to expand...

Wow that's harsh, but yea if you hatch out a few extras, keep me in mind. A nice dink project with something like that is right up my ally
 
I will keep you in mind. Things changed yesterday, I placed a call and was able to get my hands on the original Partho female. She is currently looking like she may lay again in the spring, if not she will be bred to see if I can coax some of those genetics out of her.
 
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