Lavender Hognoses
A Lavender western hognose comes out of the egg nearly red and turns purple, pink or lavender over its first sheds, with ruby or dark purple eyes and a purple-tinged belly. Breeders pair it with other genes to make named combos like Mercury, Moondust and Coral.
About the Lavender gene
A Lavender western hognose has lost its black pigment, which leaves a colour ranging from pink to purple. The snake starts red at hatching and the shade settles during the first few sheds. Keepers want it for that colour, and for what it makes when paired with other incomplete dominant and recessive genes in the hobby.
Appearance
A Lavender hatchling looks nearly red. This fades into purple, pink, or lavender tones over several sheds, leaving a duller cast where red was once present. The final result varies from animal to animal. Some individuals settle into a red-tinted grey or a silvery purple, while others become a washed golden brown or a soft grey with purple hues. A red tint around the saddles is common regardless of the shade.
The tongue and eyes are ruby or dark purple. A Lavender has a purple cast on the belly where a normal hognose would have a black belly, and the depth of this colour varies from animal to animal. The saddle pattern stays visible throughout the colour change and does not wash out the way a full albino's pattern can.
Genetics
To show Lavender, a snake needs two copies because the gene is recessive. A snake with only one copy looks like a normal western hognose. The family of this gene includes Lavender, Het Lavender, 50% Het Lavender, 66% Het Lavender and Pos Het Lavender. No other hognose gene shares an allelic complex with it. David Turcotte first produced it in 2005, and some listings use the short name Lav. Crossed with Albino, it produces the pink, red-eyed Coral. Other named combos include Mercury with Axanthic, Moondust with a single copy of Arctic, Moonstone with Super Arctic and Purple Haze with Evans Hypo.