Chemicals>>true or false?

[reptilesalonica]

I thought i've read somewhere sometime that some Ranchers - Breeders use some kind of chemicals upon the eggs to change babies' colours and designs. Is it possible? And if it is, this design or color will remain in the snake for all it's life?

[rattekonigin]

This is highly improbable. Though applying certain chemicals to eggs would no doubt have some effects, these would most likely be more along the lines of deformations and death of the egg-lings (also, since this was posted in the boa forum, the chemicals wouldn't even be able to be applied to the eggs since boas are live-bearing snakes)...I wouldn't put any stock in these rumours...Besides, exposing eggs to chemicals in order to change certain attributes of the would-be hatchlings isn't what I would call an ethical practice, since the chemicals in question would almost certainly have deleterious effects as well. It's comparable to a woman taking thalidomide during her pregnancy to intentionally alter her unborn child because she thinks "flipper-arms" are cute...So why anyone would want to buy a snake from someone who would do such a thing, is beyond me...not to mention that these supposed chemicals wouldn't change the genetic makeup of the snake, so whatever trait they confered wouldn't be able to be passed onto that snake's offspring.

[reptilesalonica]

I wouldn't want a snake that when it was in it's eggshell, chemicals apllied to it but how can i know that the amazing snake that some people offering to me, hasn't pass from any chemicals. This is my point, to know how animals like this look like and to know the ways to avoid it.

[rattekonigin]

I wouldn't worry about it, I'm 99% sure that it's not true...I've never heard of any chemicals that would change the colouration of any animal when applied during development.

[reptilesalonica]

And if it's happening, thank God at least it's not so common. How they make those patterns and colour morphs? Mike's red Boa (Boamania) is a very rare red specimen. Do you have any idea?

[rattekonigin]

As I understand it, the redness of blood boas is a genetic trait, like albinism or hypomelanism...but I don't know its nature (whether it's simple recessive, dominant, co-dominant...), someone who's better read on boa morphs will have to enlighten us. ;)

[reptilesalonica]

:)...Yeah!...I wanted to get involved with genetics. I never forgive to myself that i never study as an Hepetologist. Good for me that my passion for Herps leads me to read dozens of different books and post hundreds of post on the E-Herp communities. Then whith the time i can maybe called an Herpetologist by experience.

[Linds]

I wouldn't put much faith in that rumour, it doesn't make much sense, and this is the first I have ever heard of it. Many morphs are not "made", they occur on their own (excluding designer morphs such as ghost boas, albino arabesque, etc - these require a combination of morphs) and are a genetic trait.
However, steep fluctuations in temperatures (called temperature spikes) are believed to be the cause of abberrantly patterned boas. These are not genetic. Hope this helped :)

[Jeff_Favelle]

What I want to know is what a boa egg looks like. Wowsers. I've never seen one in all my travels and experiences. That must be some sight to see.

[reptilesalonica]

Ok Jeff you can critisize me because i posted about eggs in the Boa forum...ts!...ts! That's all you had to say?...thanks for the concirn.

[BWSmith]

I thought it was funny ;)

[reptilesalonica]

;) if so, ok