Albino berms have no reduced survivability due to albanism and being more active hunters at night there color does not make them more obvious targets for preditors against the white sand and yellow grass of the area.

Bob Clark doesn't seem to agree with you.

From the article I cited earlier about the history of morphs in pythons:

"Some traits are decidedly a disadvantage for a free-living wild animal. A strangely colored animal might lack the adaptive benefits of the more cryptic normal coloration. This would make it more likely to become dinner for another animal up the food chain, and less likely to be an effective predator on those animals down the food chain. The color and pattern of an animal-indeed, all physical traits and behavior, as well-have been molded by eons of evolution. The current model of an animal has the attributes that makes it the most fit to survive and reproduce in its environment. Evolution depends on these spontaneous, random mutations. Those with a positive effect increase the survivability of the organism and are passed on to that organism's progeny. Those mutations that have a deleterious effect die with that organism. In a captive situation, a different set of rules applies. As rare, highly prized or expensive animals, color and pattern morphs can command high prices and an important place in collections. It is likely that these animals will receive special care and be more likely to reproduce. Initially, the occurrence of these mutations is very rare and their low survival rate in the wild make it extremely unlikely that they can be obtained and put into a captive-breeding program."
-----
----

0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
2.0 Brazilian rainbow boas (TBA)
0.3 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Hari)
1.0 Thayeri kingsnake (TBA)
2.7 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Show Entire Thread ]