'Xanthic' versus 'Caramel Albino' Picta

Ophidiophile · #1 01-28-2010, 02:33 PM

My 'xanthic' pictas hatch out with no black whatsoever on them and red eyes (though that's hard to see in the picture). As they grow the eyes darken to a dark ruby and look almost black. I'm assuming everyone else's 'xanthic' pictus hatch out with these same characteristics? These are the traits that in other reptiles would seem to be hallmarks of "caramel albino" status. Because someone named these 'xanthic' that is the name I've been using (actually 'hypo xanthic') but c'mon IMO they are definitely caramel albino animals and should be called that -- or maybe at the least just 'hypos'.

Opinions?

**Riverside Reptiles** · #2 01-28-2010, 02:50 PM

That's very interesting David. And I agree, these are the traits that I would associate with the term "caramel albino" (or T+ albino). What would be an interesting experiment is to breed one of these to perhaps a "xanthic" from a different bloodline and see what comes of it. Honestly, I've long thought of the xanthic picta as more of a hypo trait. But yours (at least from that pic) seem to truly have no black pigment what so ever...and the red eyes too. I have to agree that you should call them caramel albino. The big question though remains...is this a different morph, or are all the xanthics out there actually caramel albinos?

Edit to add...beautiful baby! Wish I had known you had some available. I would have had you send a couple with the tokay!

**Riverside Reptiles** · #3 01-28-2010, 03:15 PM

Just to add...looking at the pic you have on fauna classifieds, I would consider the one in the middle...the "light colored stripe"...to be a hypo. I mean, when compared to the dark banded one, he obviously has reduced melanin.

Ophidiophile · #4 01-28-2010, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverside Reptiles

The big question though remains...is this a different morph, or are all the xanthics out there actually caramel albinos?
Wish I had known you had some available. I would have had you send a couple with the tokay!

That's in part my purpose in posting this. I'm interested whether other people who breed 'xanthics' produce babies that hatch out with no black and red eyes?

As for my babies, I have a bunch of hets available, but am not releasing any of the 'xanthic/hypo/caramel/whatevers' yet - need them for my future breeding stock!

About that light phase one that you might call 'hypo', they're pretty much what some others have called 'snow'. I hesitate to call them that because snow has usually come to mean both anerythristic and amelanistic in one animal. So I've just taken to calling them 'light phase' pictas.

aquapimp · #5 01-28-2010, 04:06 PM

very nice indeed!

**Riverside Reptiles** · #6 01-28-2010, 04:58 PM

It's such a name game these days. Much to do with marketing, little to do with actual genetics involved and working with said genetics. No standardization. Everyone's out to name the next big morph. Because, if it's something "new", it has the potential to worth a lot of money. A lot of this has come out of the leopard gecko market. By the way...here's the next big morph to hit the picta scene...I call it the tie-dye picta and I'm gonna be rich biyatch!!!:

hauseremt · #7 03-27-2010, 04:26 PM

I just recently started working with Picta. I have roughly 10 or so hatchlings at this point. I've been working on getting as many different color phase/ morphs as i possibly can. I just recently picked up a Xanthic male but he doesn't have red eyes. I do have many of the "snow" phase, a few Red's, and a possible Axanthic that i'll be proving out this year.

jacobmartin · #8 04-20-2010, 07:43 PM

lol is that rainbow real? i doubt it but anyways i was wondering how to breed pictas without letting them over lay?

Thehappypet · #9 08-31-2010, 06:39 PM

So we have agreed that the picta in the OP's post is an albino? If so it is the first albino picta I have ever seen! Very cool!

Ophidiophile · #10 09-01-2010, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thehappypet

So we have agreed that the picta in the OP's post is an albino? If so it is the first albino picta I have ever seen! Very cool!

There are 2 forms of albinism, tyrosinase-positive and tyrosinase-negative. Tyrosinase negative albinos make absolutely no melanin. Tyrosinase positive albinos make melanin-precursors which can be lavender to light brown in color and sometimes small amounts of melanin as well. In tyrosinase positive albinos the melanin and melanin precursors are often concentrated particularly in the eyes but may also appear on the body. In reptiles, tyrosinase positive animals are commonly referred to by breeders as "caramel albinos" rather than just "albinos".

My pictus line are definitely NOT tyrosinase negative albinos (the classic albino with pink eyes). They are almost certainly tyrosinase positive or caramel albinos. They hatch out with no melanin on the body and dark ruby red eyes. As they grow, the eyes seem to accrue even more melanin or melanin precursors and get even darker. As adults the eyes look black but shining a light into them one can see that they are really a deep dark ruby color (just as one sees for example in caramel albino ball pythons, "T+" radiated ratsnakes, and the like).

Hope this clarifies things a bit!