25/09/2025
This a Morph or a Hybrid? 🤔😏😉
Rather this is one of those cool nuggets in evolutionary advantages & a classic example of natural selection in action. This is a Tri-Color Hognose (Xenodon pulcher) displaying Batesian mimicry.
When it comes to Morphs such as Albino, Pied, Hypo-axanthism (“Axanthic”), Leucistic found in many reptile species these are mutations that some think are made in a lab or engineered by breeders. While some of the naming can make it seem as such, all these traits exist from the wild genetic coding & it’s just putting the right key into the right tumbler essentially.
HOWEVER, these are not benefit serving in the wild & take generally isolating plus focus in the hobby to make more available. The rarity of say an Albino Ball Python, Albino Zebra, Albino Orca have a much wider gap of happening than what the industry makes some think.
Something such as Tri-Color Hoghose however, this is abit different in which through evolution this color scheme was in the benefit serving the best interest of the species to thus survive. Kind of a camouflage while being rather out in the open at times. These small, fossorial snakes are native to South America & can be awesome little snakes to work with.
With Batesian mimicry deception is the goal as an animal wants predators to think its dangerous, doesn’t taste well or so on & the hope in through predator learning they more often just get left alone. Western Hogs & Bullsnakes tend to mimic Rattlesnakes in hopes for the same but then becomes a down size in this mimicry which is Parasitic Relationships as for both species to benefit the mimic species must stay less abundant than the model species. They must exist in the same geographic area & the model species must have effect defensives to teach predators.
If for example, the Model is Rattlesnakes & the Mimic is Western Hognose; between ranchers & public more & more Rattlesnakes are removed, Western Hognose numbers as well interest, bluffs or not predators eventually learn there is no penalty for their actions & then the mimicry system fails.
Nature has very interesting relationships, balances & ways of co-existing / operating
