We produced babies with this new "Desert" mutation and some with a hypo-erythristic appearance for the first time in 2006
from a pair of normal-looking boas.  We were given the pair of supposedly normal Colombian boas in 2005, and were told that they
had been purchased from a local breeder.  We contacted the breeder after this pair produced Desert babies in 2006 and T- albino
babies in 2007.  We were told that the breeder was working on a snow project when these boas were produced, and that the T- albinos
were Kahl line.  However, we could get no information that would explain the Desert mutation, or the hypo-erythristic appearance.
We've discussed both the Desert mutation and the hypo-erythristic mutation with a number of other boa breeders, and also had other
breeders look at whole litters and individual babies.  Most believe that the Desert is a T+ mutation, and that the hypo-erythrism is not a
Type 1 or Type 2 anery mutation.  Some have suggested that the hypo-erythrism is a co-dominant mutation.  
The percentage of babies with each mutation in each litter strongly suggests that the Desert is a recessive mutation and the hypo-erythrism
is a dominant or co-dominant mutation.

Desert babies are born a grey/pink color.  As they get older their color becomes light cream/tan with darker brown saddles and
tails and variable amounts of speckling.  Some of our Deserts have a yellowish color to their bodies while others have a more pinkish
body color.  They have purple tongues.  They generally have light colored eyes with black pupils.

The Desert Mutation

We’re currently working with Kahl and Sharpe albinos, as well our recessive “Desert” mutation and a dominant (possibly co-dominant)
hypo-erythristic mutation.  Our original pair of boas, as well as their offspring, are also producing a number of babies with
jungle-type markings.  The jungle-type markings appear to be dominant or co-dominant, but we haven’t worked on proving this out yet.

A number of the babies from each litter from our original pair also have a very pretty coral pink overtone.  The coral color is not present at birth,
but develops and deepens during the first 1 to 2 years.  The coral has appeared on normal, Kahl albino, Desert and hypo-erythristic babies.
Eventually we hope to figure out how this coral overtone is being inherited, but we’ve got our hands full right now with the Desert and
hypo-erythristic mutations, as well as the jungle-type markings.

In addition to the Desert mutation, we have a second mutation showing up on about half the babies in each litter.  This second mutation
reduces the amount of red on the snake.  The hypo-erythristic mutation functions independently of the Desert mutation, as it appears on
normal, Kahl albino and Desert babies. Otherwise normal colored babies with the hypo-erythristic mutation have very little or no red,
and appear to be almost anerythristic.  They are silver and purplish-black at birth.  As they get older, their overall color lightens somewhat
to a light brownish/grey with darker brownish/black markings and tails.  

Desert babies with this hypo-erythristic mutation are born the same pinkish/grey color as the other Desert babies, although they have little or
no red on their tails from birth.  The hypo-erythristic Desert babies become cream/tan with chocolate colored markings and tails as they
get older.  Any small amount of red that they have at birth quickly turns chocolate brown.  

On the albinos, the hypo-erythristic mutation diminishes but does not eliminate the red coloration.  It creates a low contrast albino that is
otherwise completely normal appearing.

Now that we’ve had a chance to grow some of the hypo-erythristic snakes up, and see what they look like as older juveniles and young
adults, we’ve realized that our original male is hypo-erythristic and is the source of this mutation.  As adults, the hypo-erythristic boas
do not look dramatically different from normal boas.

The Hypo-Erythristic Mutation

2011 Update

In May 2010 we had a litter from our hypo-erythristic, het. Kahl albino Desert male bred to his hypo-erythristic, possible het. Desert, Kahl albino
sister.   We normally don’t like to breed related animals together, but in order to prove out the Desert and hypo-erythristic mutations we
have to breed related animals.  The litter, unfortunately but not surprisingly, consisted of slugs and still-born babies.  The appearance of the
still-born babies, however, proved that the Desert is a recessive mutation.  One of the still-born babies was pure white, suggesting that the
hypo-erythristic mutation is probably co-dominant.  We haven’t definitely proven this yet however.
  
In May 2011 we got our first live litter from our hypo-erythristic, het. Kahl albino Desert male to an unrelated het. albino female.  
About half the litter have the hypo-erythristic coloration, proving that this mutation is dominant.  We still need to do additional breedings
to determine if the hypo-erythristic mutation is co-dominant.  Many of the babies also have the jungle-type markings, as does their father.
This proves that the jungle-type markings are also dominant and possibly co-dominant.