why albinos?

[sweet]

why does eveyone seem to like albinos? I know they may seem cool to look at but do you know most are pretty much blind? this holds true for humans, if snakes are different let me know.

[sapphire_moon]

well if all things that are albino are blind, then albino rats and mice would pretty much be screwed. I don't think that it is true for snakes, and my partner knew some people aflicted with albinoisim (Sp?grammer? lol) and blind they weren't.

[sweet]

maybe I should have said visually impared instead of blind. almost all albino humans have moderate to severe visual problems and im assuming other animals are too. bringing out recessive traits cant be a good thing IMO.

[BoAddict]

no they are not visualy impaired either, they are more sensitive to light is all

[Jeff_Favelle]

Weird that being blind they can strike a rodent from 1/2 a cage away! Must be cool to have "The Force" like that.

[Jeff_Favelle]

An albino human is not an albino snake. Not even close. Making connections like that is pretty much useless.

[HetForHuman]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
Weird that being blind they can strike a rodent from 1/2 a cage away! Must be cool to have "The Force" like that.


HEHEHE i agree Jeff.

My albino is one hell of a good striker, and a little fiesty, just the way i like them :)

[latazyo]

albino boas look absolutely stunning

[sweet]

maybe they arent "true" albinos, maybe just light colored variations. albinos lack all pigment

[Jeff_Favelle]

albinos lack all pigment

LOL....ummmm.......NOOOO! Albinos lack BLACK pigment. Amelanistic. The absence of melanin. The absence of black pigmentation.

Close, but no cigar.

[BoAddict]

i think this is a troll thread now after reading this guy

[sweet]

check this out, interesting
http://www.lairweb.org.nz/tiger/albinos.html

[lostwithin]

You cannot compare animal species when it comes to things like albino genes. The effect would vary greatly on how it affects eyesight depending on the eye structure of the animal. And again depending on if the animal is nocturnal or diurnal the eye structure and pigments present would be different. It would make sense that animals of any sort who are albino may be more sensitive too light but too my understanding pythons and boas have evolved to rely greatly on other senses over the use of sight.

Hmm an interesting question just popped into my head; maybe somebody with more knowledge on the matter can answer it for me. It seems too be a common and logical assumption that due too the lack of melanin in an albino species that the eye site would become hypersensitive too light. And is also a proven fact that nocturnal animals have evolved an eye structure that fit their lifestyle and is more sensitive too light, and less too colors. Now in a nocturnal species would the albinos Hypersensitivity not be an advantage too have in a low light environment??


bringing out recessive traits cant be a good thing IMO

Hmmm, many traits are recessive in some traits albino is just one of MANY, and many recessive traits are very advantageous.

Devon

[NewLineReptile]

Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
LOL....ummmm.......NOOOO! Albinos lack BLACK pigment. Amelanistic. The absence of melanin. The absence of black pigmentation.

Close, but no cigar.

Your right on the money there jeff

As for the question ask (why does every one seem to like albino boas...

Well for me the Albino Boa's do nothing for me. I would sooner take a Normal Columbian over a Albino. I just like the assorted colours in a normal instead of an albino. But that is just me

Brandon

[python_diva_06]

i don't know it you relize it but more then likely almost every person on this site has an albino reptile of some sort and i'd bet they're reptiles don't have health problems...i know mine don't! and reptiles aren't people we don't have the same genes which in turn means we don't have the same genetic problems with albinoisim...think about it...and bringing out resisive traits is not always a bad thing...i mean humans have resisve trait come out constantly...mid-diget hair on fingers, ear-lobes that don't dangle below the point of contact to the side of the head...the list goes on forever...what's the diffrence between that and albinoisim in snakes...

[sweet]

so the red you see in albino snakes is another pigment besides melanin? im not trying to start arguments, i like to ask questions because i think knowledge is great. i do know that melanin is what helps you see and without it can cause problems.

[lostwithin]

Yes, there are different color pigments in the body, melanin is the black/brown and most common, it would depend on the species but each can have several color pigments. As well as other adaptations that cause color change, here is a good site for you.


http://www.hiltonpond.org/ArticleAnimalColorsMain.html

Devon

[Jeff_Favelle]

Red is controlled by erythins. Hence, an anerythristic snake, is also known as a "black albino". No red.


Now in a nocturnal species would the albinos Hypersensitivity not be an advantage too have in a low light environment??

That's a GREAT question. If we only knew a cool-a$$ PhD student who could study it for us. That would be a fascinating read as far as I'm concerned! Good one! :D

[sweet]

im an eye dr. (optometrist), thats why i brought up the subject :)

[Optimus Prime]

I wish I could use the force like that Jeff :)

[MouseKilla]

I think the question was, "why albinos?".

Well it's really quite simple, people like them.

It doesn't matter why, all you need to know is that people will pay for them and so others will produce them and will continue to until it doesn't make money. What's hard to understand there?

[jason_southFL]

well i guess it's good that snakes use their tongue as their main sensory organ. ;)

[jjnnbns]

I guess that my answer to albions is:

THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL!!!

(The funny thing is that I used to think that "white" snakes were unattractive. This was due to L. Texas rat snakes and snow corns. I found them very neat looking, but not what I'd want to own. I thought that it was the color thing, but after acquiring my corn and then boas and pythons, I realized the it is the head structure that I was not as impressed with. The albino boas that I've seen were quite spectacular looking!)

Whew! Quite a little tangent there, sorry!

Brent Strande