iHerp Australia Issue 6 | Page 13

Kuligowski brothers and Justin Julander, we looked at the results of a pairing of two Paradox animals in a couple of YouTube videos. Exactly the same number of albinos and hets were produced, suggesting that this Paradox is in fact a chimera. Last year we also acquired some hets that originally belonged to Damian Hyde and produced Paradox and ‘reverse Paradox’ three seasons in a row. We have not yet bred any Paradox Darwins ourselves, but recently hatched a couple of ‘reverse Paradox’ animals – with small white patches where there would otherwise be normal colouration. Some people also refer to these as ‘Calicos’. Although there are not many Paradox albino Darwins around, last year we know of seven that were hatched out; three each in two separate clutches and one from a first-time breeder. There is also a line of axanthic Coastal Carpet Pythons which will occasionally pop out a Paradox. We have bred one, and we know of a couple of other people who have a total of four or five. Then there is the chimera that we hatched from a Jag to Jag pairing. It is part ‘super’ form, which is lethal leucistic, meaning that it is not quite right and shows signs of ‘neuro’ – when it came out of the egg it could hardly breathe. It is definitely a chimera, as it clearly can be seen to contain parts from two different animals (rather than a sprinkling of different colours or pattern). We will try to breed from it, but it may not be very productive; it is basically a pet. ‘We recently hatched a couple of ‘reverse Paradox’ We also have a Paradox albino Olive Python, which is one of only two randomly produced in Australia. It is currently 18 months old, and is unusual in that it has a dark tongue.. Left: Paradox albino Darwin Carpet Python. Above right: small ‘reverse Paradox’ animal. Right: this Paradox albino Olive Python is unusual in that it has a dark tongue. All images courtesy Deb & Wayne Larks. animals....’