Articles: Hypo or Salmon Is my boa hypo or salmon? Hypos and salmons are the same animal. Here is a simple way to look at this trait: Hypomelanism does two things in a snake: It enhances red to a lesser degree reduces black to a larger degree When a hypo is bred to a normal, about half will show the trait. The other half are normal animals. THEY ARE NOT HET FOR HYPO. Nor are the hypos het for salmon. They are hypomelanistic. Hypomelanism is a proven co-dominant trait. Now let's look at the pigmentation of a hypo or "salmon". If you take an F-1 hypo and breed it to an F-1 hypo, your offspring will have had a strong reduction in black, thus showing more red, pink, and salmon colors. The offspring will generally lose some pattern along the way also. Suppose you line breed, and breed a daughter back to the father. Again, the black is reduced. Additionally the animal will appear an even more salmon color. Consider each breeding as stripping a layer of black off the animal. As you continue the process, additional layers of black are removed with each new generation. The animal is indeed cleaner, but not likely as colorful as what you started with. I believe this will occur in the majority of hypos. (This has occurred in my experience.) I think the reduction of black to be a much stronger influence than the increase in red. If you mix red and black together you will get brown. If you can remove the black, the red becomes a much truer color. This is not by the means of red itself, but because of the reduction in black. However, once a large majority of the black color is gone, you are left with pink. Thus the "salmon" name originally coined by Rich Ihle. If you continue in succession, the offspring will lose more and more color. (This is a simple thing that has been made into a monster.) The most basic element is reduction of black to show what is underneath. I hope this helps anyone who has had trouble in understanding this trait. A hypo is a hypo… is a hypo is a salmon is a hypo… Just depends which name you like the best! Darrin Brasher copyright 2003 Jungle Boas: What Jungles are and are not I was asked to define and hopefully bring more light and clarity on exactly what a jungle boa is and what it is not . The jungle boa is an established genetic morph . It is not a random aberrant anomaly that pops up in clutches or imported from Central America .Jungle boas originated in Sweden and was purchased by Pete Kahl.Jungle boas have been proven a co- dominant trait by Pete . Pete calls the trait dominant but this being my article I prefer the term co-dom just as in the majority of hypomelanistic boas. The animals themselves are easily identifiable as opposed to their litter mates when born . This is where the junglish pattern which would appear to be "aberrancy" is the variance of the genetic morph itself. The jungle pattern in numbers exhibits many facets from skewed saddles to zig zag , long striped tail, fully striped animals to my favorite the chain pattern . Each of these patterns demonstrated determines price of the particular animal . However in these cases the genetic material is the same and a lower end jungle $2500.00 can produce all of the afore mentioned patterns . Jungle to jungle produces super jungles . Jungles to any normal animal or various morphs would produce approximately 50% jungles . Mileage will vary according to numbers produced . Bottom line on jungles ;the animal must have Pete Kahl lineage whether you buy from Pete , Jeremy Stone or yours truly make sure you know where the founding stock came from . There are animals that are out there that have a jungle appearance, this is aberrancy and not genetic More information can be found on Pete Kahls site. The BLOODRED | Contact | Information | Gallery | Availability | Projects | Frequently Asked Questions | Articles email D Brasher at brasherreptiles@mindspring.com All content and images © 2000-2005 Brasher Reptiles