I think the confusion is that Beta Carotene is very low on the totem pole of what makes color. If we use Beta Carotene as an example it stores in the skin but the body will synthesize vitamin A with it thus using the reserves in the skin.

A better example is someone in a hospital that is critically ill and the skin grows pale as it is using stored TOIDS in the flesh to synthesize vitamins.

Looking from the outside (my only choice right now) I have ten years of data with other reptiles that would back Jobi and his assumption and findings.

My only observation is that Frank has an inherent understanding of how it all works without knowing the mechanism.

Everyone is focused on COLOR but color is only a (possible) indicator of health. A healthy animal will store TOIDS in the flesh, skin and organs. Weather these TOIDS are derived from mice, crabs or Twinkies is irrelevant, stress the reptile past a point and they will tap their reserves and the skin (could) be an indicator of health. As Frank pointed out age could also be and is a cultrate also.

Sometimes the Devil is in the detail as when Jobi’s monitors were shipped to someone else the husbandry (stress level) could be the cultrate. Some TOIDS are stable and will stay in the host for years. Beta Carotene is actually one of the less color stable TOIDS while insects, crustations and bird chicks are high in natural TOIDS that can last for years.

Last comment is that there has to be a “gene” for the color. A flamingo has a pink gene but without Cantaxanthin from a type of krill, they are white this holds true with many, many bird species and I have demonstrated the same in nine reptile species now.

Disclaimer:
I AM NOT A MONITOR EXPERT AND POSTED THIS FOR FEED BACK TO IMPROVE MY OWN UNDERSTANDING OF MONITORS NOT TO SAY WHAT WORKS WITH THEM AS I HAVE NONE.
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"Life without risk is to merely exist."

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