FAQ
Q: It was asked of Dave Barker, Author of "Pythons of the World, Volume 1, Australia" how difficult it would be to breed out undesirable genetic anomalies that may be linked to the albino gene, given that the two albinos born this year had noticable eye problems.
Dave's A. My guess is that there is no problem; at least it's too early to tell, based on the two albinos with eye defects. I say this because eye deformities in particular are caused by heat spikes at particular times of incubation. WHICH times exactly I can't say--it probably varies from species to species. But my guess, based on what I think is parsimonious, is that the eggs might have been influenced during incubation.
By parsimonious, I mean that while I think that it's possible that the eye defects are due to some recessive genes present in either parental lineage, I think that is the more unlikely possibility because we're just not aware of any pythons lineages plagued with problems like that.
When we've seen eye defects in pythons, only rarely have enough subsequent breedings been accomplished to be able to say if they had any genetic basis at all. Actually, we've seen eyeless and small-eyed defects occasionally crop up in pythons (including olive pythons), but based on breedings we've done, we concluded those traits did not have a genetic basis. At least they are not a simple recessive trait due to a single recessive gene. They appear to be random chance happenings.
We've never encountered a big-eyed defect in pythons. In albino boas there is a "big-eyed" trait that actually is the absence of the circumocular scales--the eyes are normal in size. It's not inheritable.
In Dumerils boas there is an inheritable small-eye trait. We also could make the statement that, based on the thousands and thousands of albino pythons hatched out over here (Burmese pythons, ball pythons and reticulated pythons,) that the condition of albinism in pythons doesn't appear to be linked to any other negative recessive traits, at least not in the case of these three species. The albino appearance is not a weak trait--albino pythons in general are healthy and robust animals.
Based on what we've experienced over here, it's much more likely that the eggs got a little warm, if just for a brief period during which they were susceptible. Of course, if my guess is correct, and assuming that none of the normals in the clutch show similar eye defects (since you didn't mention it) that means that either:
(1) the albinos develop at a different rate that normals
(2) the albinos have a different sensitivity to heat during development
(3) that was just extremely bad luck and it was the albinos that were affected.
I can definitely say from experience that despite the odds, sometimes choice (3) happens and it usually happens only when really valuable snakes are involved. If the eye defects do have a genetic basis, I guess it's a fair supposition that (1) the traits are recessive and (2) the genes responsible for the defects are not linked to the chromosome with the locus for the albino trait. I make those guesses based on the fact that neither parent showed the defective-eye traits.
If these are fair assumptions, then it still stands to reason that the majority of albinos that will hatch in the future will have normal eyes, although some will be hets for the eye conditions. If these suppositions are correct, then "purifying the lineage" is a matter of selectively breeding to get rid of a recessive trait. It's tricky, but it can be done.
A:" Dave Barker was correct. It appears that the cause of any physical anomoly was due to the temperature at which I incubated the clutch. Having taken that on board I reduced the temperature a number of degrees and have not had the condition rear its ugly head again over the past two years. All I can say is a big THANKYOU to the guru of world python husbandry, Dave Barker."
Q. It was mentioned in a number of Internet news groups that Spliff was a female and had never been bred.
A. This was a genuine error that was not corrected until recently when it was brought to Gavin's attention. Spliff was indeed male and has produced 30 direct descendents who in turn have produced the 6 eggs currently in the incubator. The fact that Spliff was male was mentioned in Monitor, the journal of the VHS. Spliff's photo was on the cover of Monitor , Vol. 5 No.2 Dec. 1993 Caption: Olive python (Liasis olivaceus) found at Woodcutters Mine, 80 km south of Darwin, Nth. Territory. "The male specimen measures approx. 1.5 metres TBL and is presumed to be just under 2 years of age. Photograph by Gavin Bedford."
(Spliff also made the cover of Herpetofauna: Vol. 23 No. 2 Dec. 1993. Article: Eye protection during basking by an albino olive python (Liasis olivaceus) by Gavin S. Bedford)
Sold!
All the albinos and genetic material on offer was sold in May 2004
Watch this space for details of when these amazing animals will be on public display.
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For more information contact:
Email gbedford@darwin.ntu.edu.au
Phone: 0413 080 045
(+61 413 080 045)
or write to
Dr Gavin Bedford
P.O. Box 3476
Palmerston, NT, 0831.
Australia
Please allow a week for responses to email as field trips
and other commitments limit Dr. Bedford's access to email.