Ghost or Super Ghost

[Vettestngry]

I recently bought a 2015 ghost het for albino. I know that you can determine whether you have a ghost or a super ghost based on the litter but I hear people talking about looking like a super or possible super. She won't be old enough to breed for a couple years. How can I look at her and possibly be able to tell. She is a beautiful girl. Here is apicture. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Pandorasdad]

Re: Ghost or Super Ghost

How can I look at her and possibly be able to tell.

You really can't. The only way to know for sure is by breeding results. And even though I've been keeping boas for a while now, I'm still rubbish when it comes to genetics, so hopefully some of our genetic geniuses will chime in here.

She's a beauty though.

[paulh]

Re: Ghost or Super Ghost

That is a very pretty snake!

Did you ask the breeder what the parents were? A ghost has two gene pairs of interest--one with two anerythristic genes and one with a hypo gene and a normal gene. A super ghost has a gene pair with two anerythristic genes and a gene pair with a two hypo genes. Both parents must have at least one hypo gene to produce a super ghost. In other words, if one parent is either an anerythristic or het anerythristic, then there is no chance that snake is a super ghost.

If both parents have a hypo gene paired with a normal gene, then all the ghost babies are possible super ghosts. Each one could be either ghost or super ghost. The two look enough alike that there is no way to be certain which is actually a super ghost and which is not.

If parentage is unknown or both parents had a hypo gene paired with a normal gene, then a breeding test is required. Mate that snake to a normal and count the number of hypo and normal babies. If there are at least 7 babies and every one is a hypo, then the odds are greater than 99% that snake is a super ghost. If there are any normal-looking babies, then the snake is a ghost and not a super ghost.

Note the bowtie shaped saddles. From the pictures I have seen, a snake with two hypo genes has saddles that are more reduced. Saddles that look more like bars than bowties. So I lean towards the boa being a ghost instead of a super ghost. However, there is a range of saddle shape, so this is NOT a perfect method of identification. A breeding test is much more reliable.

[ldydrgn]

Re: Ghost or Super Ghost

Only way to tell is:

Both parents were Super

or

Breeding her and you produce 100% hypos.

You can't tell just by looks.

[Vettestngry]

Re: Ghost or Super Ghost

Ok thanks for the help yall. I will talk to the breeder and get more info. One more question if my wife gets a salmon (hypo) and it breeds with the ghost would that make some super ghosts?

[Pandorasdad]

Re: Ghost or Super Ghost

One more question if my wife gets a salmon (hypo) and it breeds with the ghost would that make some super ghosts?

Not unless the hypo (salmon is a bloodline of hypo) carries anerythristic genes.

[Joba1972]

Re: Ghost or Super Ghost

She's pretty. Who was the breeder?

[ldydrgn]

Re: Ghost or Super Ghost

You would make possible super hypos if the Salmon is not het for anery. If it is het for anery then you would make possible super ghosts. None could be called 100% super if neither parent is super.

[Vettestngry]

Re: Ghost or Super Ghost

The breeder is jpc boas I'm not 100% on his location.