Hypo Common Snapping Turtles Genetics/Breeding

[cbaker81]

Can anyone tell me about how the hypo gene in snapping turtles is passed on?

What kind of offspring could I expect from
hypo x hypo?
hypo x super hypo?
super hypo x super hypo?

 

[nickolasanastasiou]

While there may be genetically-based hypomelanistic snapping turtles that exist somewhere, the various ones I have seen so far have not revealed themselves to produce hypos (in other words, no morph gene/allele that is heritable appears to be involved). Like so many trade names in turtles, the hypo versus superhypo thing is distorted/abused. The naming is based on an arbitrary sliding scale in this context of looking nice instead of the genetic conventions of what a super form is in other morphs.

My recommendation, if you are into the hypo (better to call them pastel, but one individual does not turn back the tide of marketing) snappers is to regard them as showpieces or special individuals instead of morph breeding investments. Valuable animals where the value and appreciation is confined to the animal itself and pretty much nothing beyond the individual animal.

If there were hypo snappers that were found to have bred true, it would be quite exciting and most people probably would not part with the adults since their production over time would than be way more valuable than a probable sale price. They may be out there somewhere, but they are being kept under wraps if so. Given the fecundity of snapping turtles, they should show up someday and might have already done so, but differentiating them from pastels that have simple quirks of development probably would prevent them from being readily identified, too, and used to their potentials. In other words, it is possible that tiny gold nuggets are getting lost in large pans full of pyrite.