Does My Hognose Have the Arctic Gene?

[@Gael32]

Yeah, I had this same problem when I bought a female Toffee Belly Conda. In the pictures the breeder had she looks like a very light toffee belly, but when I got her I noticed she has very red eyes and she has a typical Albino colored belly. I want to believe the breeder because I've only been keeping hognose snakes for 2 years now, but I'm trying to get into a facebook group so I can ask around and get different opinions. I didn't realize how similar albinos and toffee bellies could look before I started searching for differences. I think one of the big problems is that a lot of breeders can't agree on what make a morph the way it is. For example, when I got my first anaconda hognose everywhere I looked people said they should have completely jet black bellies with absolutely no pattern. My boy has a checkered belly pattern like a normal but extremely reduced pattern on his top side. Later on I learned that there are different lines of anaconda and that the black belly is not a 100% thing. It's the exact same scenario with the arctic. There are different lines from the JMG line of arctic now which makes it difficult to tell, which is why I will be going with JMG all the way when it comes time to get an arctic because I can tell just by looking at his snakes that they are 100% arctic when he says they are, lol.

[@shovelnosehogs]

Yeah some of the morphs are clear as day but then you'll see some that will have you scratching your head

[@hognosebestuk]

Having the same problem trying to identify Arctics. JMGs look very arctic and are easy to tell but others are so much harder. I guess you can tell when you look at a clutch and can see normals alongside the arctics and have bred the arctic therefore the breeder would know their snake is an arctic. Also you can have high and low expression in a lot of hognoses. I've seen very high expression Anacondas that look almost like a super so it is really hard to tell these things. Arctic I find there is a lot less information about them but the super arctic is talked about a lot. I guess the only test is to get another arctic and breed her to see if you get some visual super arctics or at least get some more prominent arctics.

[@shovelnosehogs]

I'm going to pair her with an arctic albino. I'm just hoping for the best lol

[@mfleonard75]

How did it turn out? May 2022 She prove out?

[@shovelnosehogs]

She proved out to be arctic

[@stlhogs]

It can be iffy but I’ll send you a pic of 2 my Artics and how they vary.

[@ClutchXRexx]

ill tell you this. I have a low visual arctic male. Purchased from very highly trusted breeder. Only difference from a normal is his color is slightly greyish compared to a normal thats brownish. Slightly lighter white flecks on his side scales. Definitely low expression if at all. The breeder is someone i trust fully and is widely popular. Have a 10 egg clutch now so maybe ill get a higher expression arctic to confirm, not breed to another arctic. Feel free to message me and i can take some pics of him for you to look at. Jumping to PPA gene is a leap especially if the breeder worked with lots of arctics. But if you breed her and she is arctic you will know since your male is arctic. you will get 25% super arctics which will be easy to id.

[@shovelnosehogs]

Yeah I'm really hoping I can get a super arctic one day. I find that even some other Arctic combinations are hard for me to identify

[@Crikeydavis]

I believe your snake has the arctic gene it just Varys so much from snake to snake all you can do is breed her to an arctic and see if she produces supers if not then there’s your answer. I’ve noticed that sometimes animals being het can appear a little off also especially in the sable gene some hets almost look arctic

[@Lady_Ryl]

She doesn't look look like an arctic that's true, but she still could be. I'd continue with your plan to breed her to your Arctic male and prove her out. Arctic to arctic should result in 25% normal (as you said), 50% arctic, and 25% super arctic. If you don't get a single super arctic then either you angered the odds gods or she isn't an arctic :)

[@shovelnosehogs]

I actually bought a super arctic male to prove her out

[@Lady_Ryl]

@@shovelnosehogs Oh missed that, sorry. Then if she is arctic you will get 50% super and 50% arctic. That's even better.

[@Gael32]

Sorry second comment. Don't Arctics hatch out black? To me that would be the biggest give away. If you have a line to the breeder, you could ask?

[@shovelnosehogs]

I think they do hatch out darker

[@MoonstonePlains]

I think ur referencing how the super arctics come out almost black and lighten up with each shed.

[@crazychickenlady900]

Artic! 😊Just guessing.🧓😎🙏 Your channel is awesome!👍

[@shovelnosehogs]

Correct!