• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Amel with random gray/tan

D

dpmRail

New member
My Amel is about 7 months old and I noticed after her last shed she has some random light grayish/tan scales on her, the same color as the belly checks. Some are next to the saddles, some are just off randomly by themselves. Is that common on amels? She's het for Charcoal and Anery but from my understanding hets don't show. Tried to get a picture but not sure how well it shows.

dsc0130fn.jpg


dsc0136c.jpg
 
Yours looks like it will turn out to be about the same color my two adult boys are, a dull orange. I think it looks pretty normal.
 
the saddles on an amel can go a bit... greenish sometimes. looks like your kid is doing that.
 
Yours will probably grow up to have the light lime green coloration to the saddle bands. I'm not sure how well you can see them in this old photo, but this amel zigzag had that coloration.
 

Attachments

  • Jennifer's Snake II & Eggs May '05.JPG
    Jennifer's Snake II & Eggs May '05.JPG
    48.4 KB · Views: 166
Got some new pictures after her most recent shed, so thought I'd post an update since it's been about eight months. She still looks about the same to me, slightly more orange overall maybe. Also I have another question about Amel eye color, and if it varies as much as the rest of the Amel colors? Her eyes almost look one color until you're super close up, while my other "pet store Amel" pupils are obvious


295973_2166604450867_1419350191_1986120_1195775785_n.jpg
 
Just as there is variation in the amount and shade of pigment in the scales, there is variation seen in the pigment in the iris. On your one snake, it matches the color od the pupil while there is some difference in this amel.
 
That makes sense, my other guy is more towards the yellow side so it would make sense that his eyes are lighter and the pupils stand out more.
 
I agree with the others on it being an idividual that has more of a greenish/yellow coloration left once the melanin is taken away from the amel gene. Also, this coloration can typically intensify as they mature depending on the pigment cell's (known as xanthophores) pre-disposition to retain and store carotenoids throughout it's life from their diet.


I actually think it is more interesting than a more typical voided black white/cream amel. Many other types of amel snakes are noted for getting somewhat yellow and/or green, or extremely yellow/green as they mature too that would normally be white or off-white.

Also as mentioned, the pupils and irises can vary some as well in their pink/red intensity.


~Doug
 
DMong said:
I agree with the others on it being an idividual that has more of a greenish/yellow coloration left once the melanin is taken away from the amel gene. Also, this coloration can typically intensify as they mature depending on the pigment cell's (known as xanthophores) pre-disposition to retain and store carotenoids throughout it's life from their diet.
Click to expand...

Is it a trait that can be bred for in a predictable manner?
Has anybody tried?

/ Niklas
 
NiklasTyreso said:
Is it a trait that can be bred for in a predictable manner?
Has anybody tried?

/ Niklas
Click to expand...

The original Reverse Okeetees and the Fluorescent orange amels were selectively bred to enhance and intensify the rich orange coloration in the saddles and the ground color. Since it is not controlled by a single gene (that we know of), there can be some variance in the offspring and it does depend upon what the parents look like. Breed 2 perfect specimens together and you will most likely get perfect or almost perfect offspring. There is a chance of a "throw-back", but not nearly as much if you were to breed a perfect specimen with a "so-so" specimen. Then you'll likely get a few good examples, more "so-so" ones and probably some average "vomitmels".
 
Susan said:
The original Reverse Okeetees and the Fluorescent orange amels were selectively bred to enhance and intensify the rich orange coloration in the saddles and the ground color.
Click to expand...

Ok, but I was mostly interested in green saddle bands in amels, not orange pigment.

Your right. The general pattern in breeding is that if you breed two good animals the average offspring look like something in between the parents. The variation makes some hatchlings less good than clutch average and some better than clutch average. A few might be better than the parents.
It might be the same with the green saddle bands.
 
That is a very pretty amel, I think if they all were colored like that I'd like them more :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top