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Sudden Color Fade

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[quote][i]Originally posted by Snakesitter[/i]
[br]This week at Living Gems Reptiles, we are taking a break from our regular updates to discuss an unusual topic: sudden color fade in the Brazilian Rainbow Boa.  A little understood -- and less discussed -- part of keeping this gorgeous subspecies, this phenomenon is an intriguing possibility of which any current or potential owner should be aware.

[i]Background[/i]
While Brazilians are known for changing color as they mature -- it is commonly said that babies can move one or two levels up or down the �quality scale� as they grow -- that is a gradual and ongoing process, often taking 18 to 30 months to fully occur.

Sometimes, however, a Brazilian changes color very unexpectedly and quickly.  When this happens, the animal�s color almost seems to undergo a �fade� effect, often over the course of less than one shed.

There seem to two very separate and distinct forms of this phenomenon.

In the first, a Brazilian will lose *all* of its color, in effect completely �browning out� from its prior orange or red.  By way of illustration, following is a picture of Stone, a then four-year-old male (he is the animal in the background; before he faded at age two and a half, he was the same color as the animal in the foreground):
[img]http://premium1.uploadit.org/ViaWea/FadeGene/Picture.jpg[/img]
The above picture is courtesy of Daniel (used by permission); Living Gems has not yet experienced this type of fade directly.

In the second form, the animal will lose only *part* of its color, leaving a fascinating patchwork of vibrant and whitish areas.  By way of illustration, here is a picture set of our own Hills, an (estimated) four-and-half-year-old male with firecracker-level orange color. The set was taken in the context of his pairing with Alexandrite, the female in the photos, and spans a period of three months.

February
[img]http://premium1.uploadit.org/ViaWea/FadeGene/2011-02.jpg[/img]

March
[img]http://premium1.uploadit.org/ViaWea/FadeGene/2011-03.jpg[/img]

April
[img]http://premium1.uploadit.org/ViaWea/FadeGene/2011-04.jpg[/img]

May
[img]http://premium1.uploadit.org/ViaWea/FadeGene/2011-05.jpg[/img]

As you can see, the fade hit very suddenly between March and April, a period of less than one shed.  Up until May, I had thought it a temporary condition brought on by breeding stress, one which would disappear after a break, a meal, and a shed.  It did not, leaving Hills with a novel new look.

[i]Analysis[/i]
While I had heard of the first type of color fade, the second was new to me.  Having spoken to many of the top Brazilian breeders since that date, here is what we have been able to determine:

One, while uncommon, color fades are not as rare as they might seem.  Of the nine top breeders I spoke with directly, eight had personally witnessed this phenomenon.  Their experience ranged from single animals to multiple occurrences.  (One of the eight had experienced the first fade type only, and the ninth never answered directly.)  In addition to their own experiences, several were able to relate stories of other breeders and customers who had experienced fades.  Based on this data, I suspect the phenomenon is publicly underreported -- and understandably so, as it would be very easy to scare away customers who did not understand the nature of this change.

Two, this does *not* seem to be a disease, affliction, or in any way health-related.  With only one single exception, all animals that experienced a color fade were reported to be and remain in good health, continuing to eat, grow, poop, and breed exactly as they had before the change.  Animals they were housed in the same collection, room, or even cage have been completely unaffected, even over the course of years.  I was also told of several cases where the animals were maintained as front-line breeders even after a change, and continued to produce normal offspring.  In other words, the color fade is cosmetic and affects the specific animal only.

Three, while a last-minute example proves this can affect a snake of any age, the reported incidents seem to affect *mostly* adults that are exposed to a breeding environment.  In every reported case except that one, the animal was two and a half years or older (in other words, sexually mature), and either actively breeding or housed in a situation where they could sense and react to the opposite gender during breeding season.

So, if not a disease, exactly what is this?

The best collective guess, based on all these conversations -- including one with a breeder friend who was kind enough to have his geneticist colleague sit in -- is that the color fade phenomenon is probably controlled by a family of genes, and thus �non-calculably inheritable� (in other words, only one or two animals in each litter may eventually express it).  In addition, it may have breeding hormones as a major trigger.  By way of full disclosure, alternative theories included moisture-triggered (which I suspect coincides with breeding conditions, as many people raise humidity during breeding season), fecal burns (which is possible, but I�m pretty sure is inaccurate in Hills� case), and some type of vitamin/mineral deficiency that interfered with the ability to synthesize color (possible, but even this would have a genetic underpinning, or many more Brazilians would fade).

[i]Questions and Answers[/i]
This theory leads directly to two additional questions: how prevalent are these genes in the Brazilian market, and what do you do if one of your animals experiences a color fade?

I don�t think anyone can answer the first question.  These genes are absolutely �out there� in the public market, as evidenced by the reported cases.  But no one knows just how common they are, both because the change is unusual and not always reported.  This is compounded by the fact that very few breeders know the genetics of their animals back more than one or two generations, so these genes can remain �hidden� in otherwise beautiful breeders.

For the second question, I would urge anyone who experiences a color fade to let the source breeder know.  That tips them off to the fact that one of their animals carries this gene set, and they can then factor that into future breeding decisions.

While I cannot speak for other breeders, in Living Gems� case, after much deliberation, we plan to continue breeding Hills.  We have two solid reasons for this.

One, animals with color as intense as Hills are rare.  We�ve moved on every pick of that quality we�ve seen over the past year, and have seen only two.  We believe we have the appropriate female stock to develop that color while separating out the fade genes for use elsewhere.

Two, the color fade gene set seems to be poorly understood or researched.  We are not aware of a single instance in which offspring have been tracked and reported on to gain more understanding -- which is a shame, because like all unusual genes, this set has the potential to be a strong plus in the right project.  If an entire litter could be followed and reported on, it would collect some very useful data for the Brazilian community as a whole.  We will work with our customers to collect and share that data.

As a final note, to reassure those customers pursuing Hill�s amazing color but not the fade genes, we are willing to extend a guarantee: if any customer who purchases these offspring experiences a fade and is *unhappy* with the result, we will give that individual a discount on a future baby.  (Remember, this is anticipated to occur in only one or two animals per litter.  We will probably tie this guarantee to the original purchaser and a set period of years, just to avoid age-related issues.  As was pointed out by the geneticist, this change can happen naturally to older animals.)

Thoughts?  Comments?  We welcome your input!
[/quote]

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T O P I C R E V I E W
Snakesitter	Posted - 20/06/2011 : 20:49:45 This week at Living Gems Reptiles, we are taking a break from our regular updates to discuss an unusual topic: sudden color fade in the Brazilian Rainbow Boa. A little understood -- and less discussed -- part of keeping this gorgeous subspecies, this phenomenon is an intriguing possibility of which any current or potential owner should be aware. Background While Brazilians are known for changing color as they mature -- it is commonly said that babies can move one or two levels up or down the �quality scale� as they grow -- that is a gradual and ongoing process, often taking 18 to 30 months to fully occur. Sometimes, however, a Brazilian changes color very unexpectedly and quickly. When this happens, the animal�s color almost seems to undergo a �fade� effect, often over the course of less than one shed. There seem to two very separate and distinct forms of this phenomenon. In the first, a Brazilian will lose all of its color, in effect completely �browning out� from its prior orange or red. By way of illustration, following is a picture of Stone, a then four-year-old male (he is the animal in the background; before he faded at age two and a half, he was the same color as the animal in the foreground): The above picture is courtesy of Daniel (used by permission); Living Gems has not yet experienced this type of fade directly. In the second form, the animal will lose only part of its color, leaving a fascinating patchwork of vibrant and whitish areas. By way of illustration, here is a picture set of our own Hills, an (estimated) four-and-half-year-old male with firecracker-level orange color. The set was taken in the context of his pairing with Alexandrite, the female in the photos, and spans a period of three months. February March April May As you can see, the fade hit very suddenly between March and April, a period of less than one shed. Up until May, I had thought it a temporary condition brought on by breeding stress, one which would disappear after a break, a meal, and a shed. It did not, leaving Hills with a novel new look. Analysis While I had heard of the first type of color fade, the second was new to me. Having spoken to many of the top Brazilian breeders since that date, here is what we have been able to determine: One, while uncommon, color fades are not as rare as they might seem. Of the nine top breeders I spoke with directly, eight had personally witnessed this phenomenon. Their experience ranged from single animals to multiple occurrences. (One of the eight had experienced the first fade type only, and the ninth never answered directly.) In addition to their own experiences, several were able to relate stories of other breeders and customers who had experienced fades. Based on this data, I suspect the phenomenon is publicly underreported -- and understandably so, as it would be very easy to scare away customers who did not understand the nature of this change. Two, this does not seem to be a disease, affliction, or in any way health-related. With only one single exception, all animals that experienced a color fade were reported to be and remain in good health, continuing to eat, grow, poop, and breed exactly as they had before the change. Animals they were housed in the same collection, room, or even cage have been completely unaffected, even over the course of years. I was also told of several cases where the animals were maintained as front-line breeders even after a change, and continued to produce normal offspring. In other words, the color fade is cosmetic and affects the specific animal only. Three, while a last-minute example proves this can affect a snake of any age, the reported incidents seem to affect mostly adults that are exposed to a breeding environment. In every reported case except that one, the animal was two and a half years or older (in other words, sexually mature), and either actively breeding or housed in a situation where they could sense and react to the opposite gender during breeding season. So, if not a disease, exactly what is this? The best collective guess, based on all these conversations -- including one with a breeder friend who was kind enough to have his geneticist colleague sit in -- is that the color fade phenomenon is probably controlled by a family of genes, and thus �non-calculably inheritable� (in other words, only one or two animals in each litter may eventually express it). In addition, it may have breeding hormones as a major trigger. By way of full disclosure, alternative theories included moisture-triggered (which I suspect coincides with breeding conditions, as many people raise humidity during breeding season), fecal burns (which is possible, but I�m pretty sure is inaccurate in Hills� case), and some type of vitamin/mineral deficiency that interfered with the ability to synthesize color (possible, but even this would have a genetic underpinning, or many more Brazilians would fade). Questions and Answers This theory leads directly to two additional questions: how prevalent are these genes in the Brazilian market, and what do you do if one of your animals experiences a color fade? I don�t think anyone can answer the first question. These genes are absolutely �out there� in the public market, as evidenced by the reported cases. But no one knows just how common they are, both because the change is unusual and not always reported. This is compounded by the fact that very few breeders know the genetics of their animals back more than one or two generations, so these genes can remain �hidden� in otherwise beautiful breeders. For the second question, I would urge anyone who experiences a color fade to let the source breeder know. That tips them off to the fact that one of their animals carries this gene set, and they can then factor that into future breeding decisions. While I cannot speak for other breeders, in Living Gems� case, after much deliberation, we plan to continue breeding Hills. We have two solid reasons for this. One, animals with color as intense as Hills are rare. We�ve moved on every pick of that quality we�ve seen over the past year, and have seen only two. We believe we have the appropriate female stock to develop that color while separating out the fade genes for use elsewhere. Two, the color fade gene set seems to be poorly understood or researched. We are not aware of a single instance in which offspring have been tracked and reported on to gain more understanding -- which is a shame, because like all unusual genes, this set has the potential to be a strong plus in the right project. If an entire litter could be followed and reported on, it would collect some very useful data for the Brazilian community as a whole. We will work with our customers to collect and share that data. As a final note, to reassure those customers pursuing Hill�s amazing color but not the fade genes, we are willing to extend a guarantee: if any customer who purchases these offspring experiences a fade and is unhappy with the result, we will give that individual a discount on a future baby. (Remember, this is anticipated to occur in only one or two animals per litter. We will probably tie this guarantee to the original purchaser and a set period of years, just to avoid age-related issues. As was pointed out by the geneticist, this change can happen naturally to older animals.) Thoughts? Comments? We welcome your input!
15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Snakesitter	Posted - 27/06/2011 : 00:40:44 Some of them do "wash out" a bit, Gluttony. Some also display less of the evening whitewalling. Both of those are pretty normal occurrences, though, in a species this variable. Feel free to post some picts of your gal from different points in time to illustrate!
gluttony32	Posted - 26/06/2011 : 03:16:20 I have a yearling brb and when she was born she was bright in coloration all through her neonatal stage and soon after gained a washed out appearance. She also never gets lighter like the others do when its night out. When i put the light on my brbs look gorgeous with the white creeping up their sides and brightly colored crescents, she looks exactly the same as she does all the time (still beautiful)...its kind of comical in a way
Snakesitter	Posted - 21/06/2011 : 16:09:44 Joe, thank you. I too hope this leads to more disclosures and data collected on this unusual condition. I have great faith in Hill's color intensity, and will keep several of his offspring back myself.
flaboye	Posted - 21/06/2011 : 12:23:15 Thank you Cliff for all the due diligence you do, and the very well thought out documentation you have done concerning this. Congratulations on 1,100 I see you are a master now! It's refreshing that you consider this an opportunity to consider and not simply a flaw. I also believe your assertions are correct that if this happened in any of the larger facilities, this animal would be given to an employee, taken to a show and sold (perhaps not as their name would then be associated with it), or just simply kept but retired. As you say some have admitted to seeing it, if only once. I was blessed to have personally worked with over 1,000 rainbows, and never saw this. Either on the retired's, the current breeding pairs, or any hatchlings up to yearlings. It is indeed rare. Rainbow's are generally bought for their beautiful coloration and their irridescence and as such this may perhaps scare many. The nice thing about all of this is that now that you've brought it to the public, others have admitted seeing it also, we will get to learn more about it, in that you didn't just "tuck it away" as has been done to this point. I also think the continuation to breed is not only scientifically sound, but should, rather quickly, shed much more factual accounting to this fade phenomenon. Joe
gmac	Posted - 21/06/2011 : 08:39:03 quote: Originally posted by Snakesitter (And lol, is that the tag for 1100 posts plus? I'm not sure I qualify, but very cool!) one of the admins may have just changed it from the default
Snakesitter	Posted - 21/06/2011 : 04:28:05 (And lol, is that the tag for 1100 posts plus? I'm not sure I qualify, but very cool!)
Snakesitter	Posted - 21/06/2011 : 04:26:52 Thank you, Todd, I appreciate that! You too, Kehhlyr!
Kehhlyr	Posted - 21/06/2011 : 02:18:25 Was interesting read, cheers.
CDN_Blood	Posted - 21/06/2011 : 01:10:29 This is a really interesting read for sure. I can see myself pointing quite a few folks to it in the future. Thanks for posting this, Cliff
Snakesitter	Posted - 21/06/2011 : 01:06:23 I think the fade genes can be separated out from the (far more inheritable) color genes, and then used to great effect in combination elsewhere -- so, yes. However, I'm aware that trait may not be for everyone, so -- while it seems to have a low chance of expressing anyway -- I added the guarantee to further hedge customers' possible concerns. Thankfully, Hills' base color is so intense he should make some very, very pretty babies.
gmac	Posted - 21/06/2011 : 00:51:31 Im assuming you see this as an opportunity not a flaw, interesting, but not in a bad way . Will be interesting to see how this pans out in the future.
Snakesitter	Posted - 20/06/2011 : 22:53:16 My findings have been that people have kept this trait rather quiet, (I suspect) viewing it as a flaw rather than an opportunity. As there have been no breedings for it, there is no data on gender prevalence, and only guesses on triggers. Lots to learn here!
newbie	Posted - 20/06/2011 : 22:24:35 A fascinating occurance, and not one I've read about anywhere else. It will be interesting to see, if definately genetic and not enviromentally influenced, how these genes pass on and what the triggers are to express this phenotype, or whether once within the snakes genetics, the trait will definately express at a certain point. Does there seem to be a higher prevalence in a certain gender? Thanks for this interesting topic
Snakesitter	Posted - 20/06/2011 : 22:18:37 Good question, Graeme. The specific genes are very poorly understood at this point, and I am not aware of a single owner who has bred for this trait. However, it stands to reason that if both the male and female display the fade, the offspring would be more likely to do so, too. So...hopefully?
gmac	Posted - 20/06/2011 : 22:07:28 a very interesting read snakesitter. I would like to ask on the point of the colour fade due to this family of genes, where this is affecting only possibly one or two per litter due to these genes, is there any discussion on breeding snakes that both later in their lifes show this colour fade, and would this possibly increase the number of the litter inheriting these genes?. a good post and a good read thanks.

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