Flame genetics

[Jeff B]

The flame morph is likely a polygenetic trait, which means that the phenotype (apperance) is an assemblance of multiple or many genes to create the flame look. This explains the high variability in offsping siblings, as variable amounts of the group of genes are passed on to each individual snake. As opposed to the single point, single gene (on/off switch) genes such as the recessive genes like albino and anerythristic that we are all familiar with and how it takes one copy of the gene from both parents (two copies of the gene in the offspring) to switch it "on", and either it has it or it doesn't. The fact that a flame can be bred to a normal and produce roughly half of the offspring with some degree of flame characteristic, says the the flame genes as a group have a dominant effect or are dominant in relation to the wild type color on the sides.
Hope this "sheds" some light and makes sense.
Jeff

[charles parenteau]

I agree,a lot of sense...tanks alot.Honestly I learn something I have experience with garter snake but genetic is another thing.
I have many flame from different location .next year most of them will be adult...I want to bred garter from the same location together ,that why Im going to each spot to complete my pairs...

At one location 1/3 of garter snake are very red or orange.Me and my friend have lots of futur breeding pair and we expect more from them than any other flame from anywhere else...He told me that inside this population the red pigment is very strong and most snake have the gene ...I dont want to brake the chain within this population.each year we will return our extra babie at this spot.

By experience my friend told me that we should have freak such as crimson garter .
You never know what to expect from 2 wild flame garter that why I love them so much.
Hopefully we will take regular flame to a step further!only because of the good genetic!!!
By the way this is a crimson garter snake on the top.

[Jeff B]

Those crimson flames from your locality are absolutely fantastic looking!!!
They look to have the red pigment more evenly dispersed more like a typical "erythristic", rather than just primarily on the sides like the "flames" in typically circulating in the USA . Also it is a more "crimson" red than the "orangish red" of the typical USA circulating flame. That should make for an excellent cross, hopefully strong and robust with good consistant bright red color all over body hopefully.
While good intentioned, be very cautious of what babies you release back into the wild, especially if they have blood from other locality mixed in, or where housed in captivity with other localities (could pick up other normal flora baceria that is harmless to one population, but lethal to another, ect, ect. pathogenic possiblities) it could have a negative or very harmful impact to your local wild population.
What a super great project.
I would be very interested to aquire any results that you wish or need to part with, if possible.