"How can an "albino" look normal?"
Tyrosine positive albinism. Here is a link to my breeder male Tremper
albino from Albey Scholl:
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/026/Tw/nm/M0/mM22113.jpg Our own Tony Gamble
has proven Tremper line to be T+ albinism. Still waiting on the Rainwater
results.
As for eye color, albino eyes DO NOT have to be red. And I quote,
Iris color is usually blue/gray or light brown (Diagram 1). It is a
common notion that people with albinism must have red eyes, but in fact
the color of the iris varies from a dull gray to blue to brown. (A
brown iris is common in ethnic groups with darker pigmentation.) Under
certain lighting conditions, there is a reddish or violet hue reflected
through the iris, which has very little pigment. This reddish reflection
comes from the retina, which is the surface lining the inside of the
eye. This reddish reflection is similar to that which
occurs when a flash photograph is taken of a person looking directly at
the camera, and the eyes appear red. With some types of albinism the red
color can reflect back through the iris as well as through the pupil.
Taken from http://www.cbc.umn.edu/iac/facts.htm#eyeprob - Facts About
Albinism, What Eye Problems Result from Albinism
There are also different forms of albinism. There's PKU (Phenylketonuria).
Individuals that are PKU lack the enzyme (phenylalanine hydroxylase) which
converts the amino acid phenylalanine into another amino acid, tyrosine.
Since PKU individuals lack the ability to convert to phenylalanine, the
tyrosine step is missed as well. This brings me to tyrosine, the amino acid
responsible for melanin production. This is where you get your tyrosine
positive and tyrosine negative albinisms, or T+ and T-. T+ albinos produce
minute amounts of melanin. Some individuals more so than others. T-
albinos totally lack the ability to produce melanin. This also brings me to
the term albino and amelanistic.
An albino is a person or animal that lacks the ability to produce
the DARK BROWN or BLACK pigment melanin (note only the pigment
melanin, bells and whistles). This pigment is responsible for most of the
color of hair, skin, and eyes. Without melanin, an orgamism appears
completely unpigmented, with extremely light skin, white or pale yellow
hair, and pink eyes (caused by underlying blood vessels).
Amelanistic: a= lack, to lack melanistic or melanin = the pigment
responsible for the color of browns and the shades of black. So basically
to lack melanin.
In reptiles the first documented case of 2 albinos breeding to each other
and no resulting in albino offspring was in black ratsnakes (Elaphe obsoleta
obsoleta). The breeding yeiled normal hatchlings. Testing was done and the
2 snakes were found to be T+ and T- albinos, another first for reptiles.
This same thing has also occured in Colombian boas. I believe it's the
BRian Sharp strain, and the Pete Kahl strain. When both albinos are bred
together they result in normal pigmented babies. Unfortunately I am unaware
if there has been testing done for T+ or T- albinism in boas. On another
note there is a new albino boa in the possession of Dave and Tracy Barker.
The albino was produced by a Beckee Hutchens. Information about the new
albino can be found at: http://www.kingsnake.com/bherps/
Anyhow, enough of my rambling, I need to get to work.
Later,
Chris
Albino definition taken from The World of Biology, Fifth Edition, Solomon &
Berg, page 207.
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