I found an Albino Garden Snake

[WarriorPrincess]

Absolutely not. Northwesterns breed with Northwesterns and Checkereds with Checkereds.
Cross breeding like that is the worst thing you can do for both species.

What would be your recommendation for her?

[ConcinusMan]

I thought you were in the Portland area? I go to Vancouver, WA quite often. I'm there now. Portland is just minutes away.

I would suggest you breed her with any normal northwestern male. As long as she produces a litter, her offspring will be 100% het albino. The important thing is that the babies will carry that albino gene, thus preserving it for future generations in case something happens to her.

[WarriorPrincess]

I thought you were in the Portland area? I go to Vancouver, WA quite often. I'm there now. Portland is just minutes away.

I would suggest you breed her with any normal northwestern male. As long as she produces a litter, her offspring will be 100% het albino. The important thing is that the babies will carry that albino gene, thus preserving it for future generations in case something happens to her.

I don't want to sound stupid here but what does het mean I've seen it mentioned often but don't have a clue. And when you say 100% het albino does that mean they will all look white like Casper? I have most of the week off on vacation here so if you want to meet her let me know.

[WarriorPrincess]

I suppose I should start looking through the fields around my area for other garten snakes since it it that time of year for them. I don't know the difference between the sexes and am mostly afraid of the ones with color but if I wore gloves I suppose I could do it. Just scary I've always ran from them in the yard in the past. LOL!

[guidofatherof5]

Study this thread to help you with the sex ID.

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/bree...xing-pics.html

[ConcinusMan]

Het is just short for "Heterozygous". Without getting into a long explanation about DNA, the double helix, dominant/recessive genes, and alleles, The offspring will look normal, but if bred to a sibling or back to the mother, can produce albinos.

Do you know the exact location where the albino was found? I ask because in order to be albino, the snake had to have received a mutated gene from both parents. In other words, there must be hets in the area.

[WarriorPrincess]

IMG_2931 (640x480).jpgyou can see a pipe to the left side of the curb where the driveway slopes then at the entry of the home walking up to door is a walkway under the number 120 is a bush. Ok with all that in mind summertime I saw a normal dark color medium in size go under that bush while I was weeding it freaked me out so much I quit weeding for the day. Fast forward to Oct. 23rd. at the bottom of the walkway while decorating for Halloween about 3 feet from that pipe at the curb I saw Casper. Like I said I thought at first she was a kids halloween decoration but she moved. She was so little and light in color and for some reason didn't scare me so I picked her up and I put her into a tupperware container until I got to the pet store and that's where the story starts.

[guidofatherof5]

Thanks for picking her up. What a special snake.

[guidofatherof5]

What would be your recommendation for her?

Find a same local Northwestern (T.ordinoides) male or better yet get a captive breed male from someone in your area.

[WarriorPrincess]

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