A hypo or hypomelanistic boa is one that has less black pigment (melanin) than normal. Think of it as a catchall term. Salmons, pastels, orangetails and possibly some others have less melanin than a normal boa but for different reasons. So do T-positive boas, but people will scream like a wounded buffalo if you call them hypos.

Rich Ihle's breeding results showed that his hypomelanistic snakes were hypos because of a dominant mutant gene that he named "salmon". Orangetails may also be produced by a dominant mutant gene, but there is no guarantee that the orangetail mutant and the salmon mutant are the same or even related mutant genes. Pastels are supposed to be a line selectively bred to be lighter colored than normal.

As others have already written, most of the hypos and probably 99% of the DH sunglows out there are salmons.

Paul Hollander

[ Hide Replies ]

• OK...what's the difference between..... - cyn, Fri May 26 12:24:01 2006
• answer and another question... - michaelburton, Fri May 26 13:43:43 2006
• Easier answer on hypos - giantkeeper, Fri May 26 13:57:16 2006
• So basically..... - Cyn, Fri May 26 14:05:15 2006
• RE: So basically..... - michaelburton, Fri May 26 14:17:08 2006
• That makes sense, thanks. np - Cyn, Fri May 26 14:22:35 2006
• RE: So basically..... - Paul Hollander, Fri May 26 14:38:01 2006
• A little over explained - giantkeeper, Fri May 26 14:41:47 2006
• RE: A little over explained - Paul Hollander, Fri May 26 15:16:23 2006
• Numerous breeders... - ChrisGilbert, Fri May 26 15:30:07 2006
• Thanks for the information. n/p - Paul Hollander, Fri May 26 15:41:56 2006
• Pastels a little underexplained.... - slithering_serpents, Fri May 26 22:34:10 2006
• RE: Pastels a little underexplained.... - snakehorse, Tue May 30 18:01:46 2006
• A little on the Pastel for you Michael> - ChrisGilbert, Fri May 26 14:26:46 2006
• one more ? - michaelburton, Fri May 26 14:34:15 2006
• Does anyone have any pictures of... - drasticplastic, Fri May 26 16:21:07 2006
• You mean a Sunglow? - giantkeeper, Fri May 26 16:36:34 2006