Too bad he screwed up on tyrosinase-negative and tyrosinase-positive albinos. Here are better definitions:

Tyrosinase-Negative Albinism: An albino whose cells lack melanin because they are unable to make a functional tyrosinase enzyme. Tyrosinase-negative albino mammals have white fur and pink eyes. Tyrosinase-negative albino reptiles are usually pale yellowish or cream with pink eyes. Positive identification requires a tyrosinase test.

Tyrosinase-Positive Albinism: An albino whose cells lack melanin because they are unable to make an unknown enzyme despite having a functional tyrosinase enzyme. Tyrosinase-positive albino mammals have white fur and pink eyes. Tyrosinase-positive albino reptiles are usually pale yellowish or cream with pink eyes. Positive identification requires a tyrosinase test. In reptiles, the definition has been broadened to include animals with less than the normal amount of melanin, such as hypomelanistics, lavenders, caramel albinos, etc. In these animals, the tyrosinase enzyme may be partly functional, or some unknown, nonfunctional enzyme may cause the pigment reduction.

Paul Hollander

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• Color in ball pythons... - Mahlon, Sun Apr 23 00:06:06 2006
• RE: Color in ball pythons... - Paul Hollander, Mon Apr 24 17:34:55 2006
• Thanks... - Mahlon, Tue May 2 21:36:55 2006