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I am in the process of buying a high contrast albino ball python. I have a few questions though...how did the high contrast evolve...is it just a different color from the normal albino...can you breed a high contrast albino to a het for normal albinism?....do people just call them high contrast because they are brighter form of albinism or is it actually a different genetic make-up...thanks for the help...i really appreciate it...
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(soon to be the owner of an albino ball)
0.2 normal ball pythons
0.1 normal Redtail boa
1.0 Hypo Redtail boa
1.0 true Redtail boa
1.1 100% Het Albino Redtail boa
1 baby sulcata tortoise
0.0.1 Baby Bearded Dragon
0.0.1 Baby Red Uromastyx
0.1 GF Eryn (WC)

High contrast. whiter whites. yellower yellows (is yellower even a word) they look cleaner. I'm just going by what ive seen. I'm sure you can get a better explination...?
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Thank you,
Dave

I hope somebody has a more informative explanation than "it is what it is"

Eh LOL. I don't know how else to describe them. I'm hopeing some one can better explain it too.
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Thank you,
Dave

In a word, it's the contrast or how noticable the difference is between the yellows and the white. Most albinos are almost faded looking - the yellows appear as if they "bleed" into the white areas. Many are born with darker yellows which make there lines stand out, but fade with age. There are few truly high contrast albinos out there. I picked up an albino from VPI that was very dark (yellow). But as time passed he faded and looked like just about every other albino.

HTH
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

With the exception of seperate mutations like Carmel albino or Lavender albino. The 'normal' albinos and the 'high contrast' albinos are the same genetic mutation.

Ball Pythons are by nature extremely variable in color and brightness. If you start out with Brightly colored parents, chances are that you could produce brightly colored babies that keep their color, but it's not a guarantee. All albinos are good looking as babies, but many will fade out as they age.

My personal opinion is that the 'high contrast' term is a marketing gimmick designed to squeeze more bucks out of the consumer.

Mark

>>I am in the process of buying a high contrast albino ball python. I have a few questions though...how did the high contrast evolve...is it just a different color from the normal albino...can you breed a high contrast albino to a het for normal albinism?....do people just call them high contrast because they are brighter form of albinism or is it actually a different genetic make-up...thanks for the help...i really appreciate it...
>>-----
>>(soon to be the owner of an albino ball)
>>0.2 normal ball pythons
>>0.1 normal Redtail boa
>>1.0 Hypo Redtail boa
>>1.0 true Redtail boa
>>1.1 100% Het Albino Redtail boa
>>1 baby sulcata tortoise
>>0.0.1 Baby Bearded Dragon
>>0.0.1 Baby Red Uromastyx
>>0.1 GF Eryn (WC)

>
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles