Help ID Emoryi-Cross Hatchlings

[tatesrus]

Can anyone help me ID whether my new hatchlings are emoryi crosses or not? I decided to cross my male emoryi to a ghost this year. They appeared to breed and I got seven very oblong eggs (she's small, but her usual is around 11-12). So I thought I had successfully crossed. Now that they're hatching (all seven have pipped), I'm not so sure. So far, the babies look just like last year's normal/het ghost babies. The only male the ghost female was with this year was the emoryi. I'm concerned she may have retained sperm from last year and not had a successful mating with the emoryi. Any way (color, saddle numbers, scale count, etc) to ID these guys as emoryi or not?

BTW, my plan was to breed an offspring back to the ghost mother. I'm sure this has been done before, but I'm not sure it's a really worthwhile project. Thoughts?

I'll post pix later - Thanks!

- Glynn

 

[Tula_Montage]

Im assuming the hatchlings would be a lot bigger than corn babies. But pictures would help.

 

[cka]

Babies are generally the same size, they usually look a bit "off' colorwise, but I'm sure folks have hatched out "rootbeers" that look like just like any other normal corn hatchling...As far as sperm retention it could happen, but not an expert on the subject, by far...

breeding a male back to the female ghost will give you a nice mix of 75/25 corn/emory normals, anery a's, hypos and/or ghosts...whether or not they'll be a marked emory influence to them will remain to be seen ...Some members here have posted different morph corn/emory crosses also...

 

[lefty_mussolini]

Last year, when I hatched Rootbeers (Emoryi cross), the babies looked just like normals when they hatched. In fact, when I posted pics here, someone commented saying "they look like normals to me."
Give them a couple of sheds. After one shed, they might look more like a Rootbeer, but after 2 or 3 you will definately see the difference.

 

[tatesrus]

Hatchling Data

OK, the babies weigh from 5.9-8.9 grams.

They have 37-38 saddles neck to vent (50-51 neck to tail tip)
Emoryi male has 43 saddles neck to vent (63 neck to tail tip)
Ghost Female 31 saddles neck to vent (41 neck to tail tip)

Thanks again for the help!

- Glynn

 

[lefty_mussolini]

Those look quite a bit like my Rootbeers when they hatched. I have pics, but I'm about 1,200 miles away from my computer :grin01:

 

[vanderkm]

They look like emoryi crosses - head patterns, color and saddle shape and count are all quite suggestive of rootbeers. Belly patterns may also be different from typical corns. So much depends on the lines of corn and the variety of emoryi. Would be very interested to see pics of the parents,


mary v.

 

[tatesrus]

Parent Pix

Thanks!

parents: male emoryi, female ghost

- Glynn

 

[tatesrus]

Belly Pix

Emoryi male, ghost female, hatchling

 

[lefty_mussolini]

That Mama Ghost is a KNOCKOUT!!!

 

[tatesrus]

Thanks! She's pretty small, but a very reliable breeder. So the building-concensus seems to be thata the babies are emoryi crosses?

- Glynn