So was looking around the web and found this great glossary biological terms. You can find the original page here: http://www.lioncrusher.com/glossary.htm

So what originally inspired me to post this was this:

"Chromatophore: Cells responsible for holding pigmentation. In plants, these are chloroplasts, which produce chlorophyll (green coloration). Animals have many different types of pigmentation cells, and can produce any number of compounds that produce color. Xanthophores produce yellow pigment; erythrophores produce red pigment; melanophores produce melanin (black pigment). Two types of chromatophores are "colorless", unable to produce pigmentation, instead producing color by reflection of light off of the surface of purine crystals. Iridophores are packed with large highly-reflective non-motile purine crystals, which produce a silvery iridescent reflection in fish, amphibians, and invertebrates; these give blue poison dart frogs frogs their color. Leucophores contain small motile purine crystals, is often referred to as "white pigment". Combinations of any number of these five pigment cells produce the variety of colors seen in the animal kingdom. Pigmentation in some species, like the flamingo and goldfish, is not synthesized from pigment cells, but instead synthesized from food. The colors disappear when their diet lacks carotenoids. Pigmentation of a chemical compound is often secondary to function, such as the red pigmentation hemoglobin in red blood cells. Mammals only have melanophores, while other animals usually have more than one type of pigmentation cell."

Just thought that the above definition summed up really well the ways in which colors in animals are made to appear.

Also, found this and was thinking, hmmm this sounds just like our normal pastels/super pastels!
"Xanthic: Having more yellow color than usual."
Think that sums up the pastel morph pretty well, an overabundance of yellow!

Below are some more definitions of color mutations:

"Albinism: An albino individual, which completely lacks pigmentation in its fur, flesh, and eyes. True mammalian albino individuals are white or pink with pinkish red eyes. (IMAGE) Albinism can also occur in patches over the body, known as a piebald pattern. (IMAGE) Partial albinism is when the animal still retains some markings, though they may be faint. In snakes, they are still able to synthesize yellow and red pigments, so albino snakes have red and yellow markings, but lack the normal black pigmentation. In fish, red markings are often preserved, as in the albino red-tailed shark (Labeo bicolor). White animals that retain most markings and have blue eyes are not albinos, but are leucistic (ex: White German Shepherd dogs, white lions, white or snow white tigers)"

"Tyrosinase-Positive Albinism: An albino not able to synthesize melanin, but able to synthesize tyrosinase, often resulting in a fawn or lavender (platinum) color. This ("partial albinism" is the most common form of albinism."

"Tyrosinase-Negative Albinism: An albino whose cells lack tyrosinase (an enzyme which synthesizes melanin), usually producing a pale yellowish or cream animal with pink-eyes"

"Leucistic: An animal that is white or light in color that is not naturally so. Not albino, because the animals still have some pigmentation, such as markings, and have blue eyes, not red, like in albinos. Leucistic individuals lack, or partially lack, chromatophores, the skin cells that are responsible for holding pigmentation. Snakes that are leucistic appear solid white, whereas albino snakes still retain red and yellow pigmentation"

"Melanistic: An animal that is dark or black in color that is not normally so. These animals are usually not pure black, as any markings can still be seen"

"Abundism: An animal that has markings that are more prolific than usual. Also known as pseudo-melanism"

"Erythristic: When the coloration of an animal is unusually red. Usually in reference to black pigmentation, like markings, but can apply to ground coloration as well. "

Well hope you guys enjoyed and check out the above site since it has pictures connected to many of the terms above, including an albino ball python for the T- form!

-Dan
Also here is another link about color in animals: http://www.tightrope.it/nicolaus/origins.htm

[ Show Entire Thread ]