Question about Double Het genetics

[Tim I]

So I recently saw a seemingly reputable breeder selling double HET (ivory and albino) sulcata tortoise hatchlings.
I understand the basics of genetics and heterozygous and homozygous genes.
The breeder states that when these hatchlings when bred back together there would be a 1/16 chance of a new visual morph due to them being double het, I know other reptile breeders do this to create new morphs but can’t find much information on it for tortoises.

I saw there where a few posts of someone selling similar hatchlings 10 years ago claiming the same thing. So now I’m just wondering if anyone knows if those hatchlings ever produced anything or if a mix of leucistic and albino didn’t produce anything noticeable given the similarities.

I know tortoise breeding projects are a lot more rare than say a snake because of the time it takes for them to mature, but just wondering if anyone has any insight.

 

[zovick]

So I recently saw a seemingly reputable breeder selling double HET (ivory and albino) sulcata tortoise hatchlings.
I understand the basics of genetics and heterozygous and homozygous genes.
The breeder states that when these hatchlings when bred back together there would be a 1/16 chance of a new visual morph due to them being double het, I know other reptile breeders do this to create new morphs but can’t find much information on it for tortoises.

I saw there where a few posts of someone selling similar hatchlings 10 years ago claiming the same thing. So now I’m just wondering if anyone knows if those hatchlings ever produced anything or if a mix of leucistic and albino didn’t produce anything noticeable given the similarities.

I know tortoise breeding projects are a lot more rare than say a snake because of the time it takes for them to mature, but just wondering if anyone has any insight.

It doesn't sound right to me. Breeding the two different double hets together, you would expect to get 25% ivories and 25% albinos, plus 50% more double hets for both genes.
No new gene would be produced or brought to the surface (other than accidentally) going by what I know of genetics (which is a fair amount as I have bred many species of tortoises, Ball Pythons, show dogs and pure-bred cats).

That being said, inbreeding (brother to sister, father to daughter, grandfather to granddaughter, etc.) of any type of animal can sometimes bring out recessive genes other than what one expects, but that is not predictable by any biostatistical formula of which I am aware.

 

[jaizei]

Since 10 years ago these double hets were $5000 and now they're like $350, seems like nothing special came from it. Also funny that the current ads are using the same 'lottery ticket' idea that theres a 1/16 chance of striking it lucky and getting a new morph.

I'd imagine that even though both genes are recessive to normal, one of the genes might be dominant over the other. So you get animals that are visual for one trait while also being het for the other.

 

[Tim I]

It doesn't sound right to me. Breeding the two different double hets together, you would get a small percentage of ivories and/or albinos, more hets for the same two genes, plus more possible hets for both genes. No new gene would be produced or brought to the surface (other than accidentally) going by what I know of genetics (which is a fair amount as I have bred many species of tortoises, Ball Pythons, show dogs and pure-bred cats).

That being said, inbreeding (brother to sister, father to daughter, grandfather to granddaughter, etc.) of any type of animal can sometimes bring out recessive genes other than what one expects, but that is not predictable by any biostatistical formula of which I am aware.

Thank you for the insight!
Yeah, the sellers ad talked about the different combinations of hatchlings that would be produced and how the 1/16 one that inherits both would become a super form.
I kinda figure if it was possible someone would have done it by now

 

[Tim I]

Since 10 years ago these double hets were $5000 and now they're like $350, seems like nothing special came from it. Also funny that the current ads are using the same 'lottery ticket' idea that theres a 1/16 chance of striking it lucky and getting a new morph.

I'd imagine that even though both genes are recessive to normal, one of the genes might be dominant over the other. So you get animals that are visual for one trait while also being het for the other.

Yeah, it kinda seemed like a “don't miss out on this chance” sort of ad

Although idk if I just suck at searching but it seems like there was a big gap in selling double het hatchlings from 10 years ago till now, so just wondering if maybe something happened to the original double het hatchlings and they never got the chance to reproduce.

But I may also be overthinking it

 

[zovick]

Yeah, it kinda seemed like a “don't miss out on this chance” sort of ad

Although idk if I just suck at searching but it seems like there was a big gap in selling double het hatchlings from 10 years ago till now, so just wondering if maybe something happened to the original double het hatchlings and they never got the chance to reproduce.

But I may also be overthinking it

Maybe the double hets were/are sterile for some unknown reason.