Blue color in box turtles fascinates me. Especially in the eastern subspecies, which are the subspecies I keep. It is very uncommon in eastern box turtles, but among all the subspecies, they have the genetic variability to take a trait farther and more extensively than the other subspecies. I want to know what causes it. Why is it only present, so far, in males? Does it really change shade dependent on temperature and mood? Is it a recessive gene, or can it be passed through an expressing father?
I hope to find out in the next few years, as I breed him to some select females.
Here is my male. He came out briefly from hibernation the other day, then went back down. I got him last fall, but he went straight into hibernation. He is very thin, but is otherwise healthy.
He has blue on his throat, cheeks, a patch on each front leg, and perhaps some in the front armpit regions. There is an orange spot on the blue throat. It seems to be a pied trait, where it is expressed as patches. Is anyone a geneticist who can tell me what is going on here?
I hope to find out in the next few years, as I breed him to some select females.
Here is my male. He came out briefly from hibernation the other day, then went back down. I got him last fall, but he went straight into hibernation. He is very thin, but is otherwise healthy.
He has blue on his throat, cheeks, a patch on each front leg, and perhaps some in the front armpit regions. There is an orange spot on the blue throat. It seems to be a pied trait, where it is expressed as patches. Is anyone a geneticist who can tell me what is going on here?