Why aren't all ball pythons albino's? Leuistics? Piebalds?

Why are most ball pythons, most snakes for that matter, darkly colored with a leaf like pattern?

It's all about survival of the fittest and more importantly reproduction by the fittest (or those that appear to be the fittest). If, for a reason we can't fathom, being scaleless has some advantage, then they will reproduce more. Why aren't all ball pythons albino's? Because they are more easily seen by predators. Why then has the gene survived? Either it is, evolutionary speaking, a rather new gene or it survives because a few male albino's survive long enough to mate with females. I say males because they reproduce at a much younger age.

If you think it is so terrible and unhealthy, then why are you not up in arms for Pugs or dachshunds or teacup breeds of dogs? Each of these breeds has been modified through selective breeding to have traits that we find desirable yet are quite unheathly for the animal itself.

Matt

(steps off his soapbox)

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