Reptile & Amphibian Forums

what traits make a ghost a ghost and not a clean anery?

Well,.....the truth is, some "ghosts" DON'T look like anything more than a "clean" anery. But the better examples of ghosts can tend to have a much cleaner, and/or reduced pattern in regards to the black bands.

There will always be variation in these morphs,even though they include the same two(2) genetic traits that are responsible for the "ghost". This being "anerythrism", and "hypomelanism".

Just like some hypos look better than others as well.

-----
"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

n/p

-----
"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

If you look closely at a normal/anery you will usually see outlining around the edging of each scale giving them a very pronounced border which really makes individual scales stand out. Hypos tend to be clean all the way across the scale which gives them the look that they are blending in with the scales to each side. I don't mean tipping, that is seperate.

Also hypos/ghosts will usually leave no black on their shed. Especially between the bands. Apparantly some people have seen black pigment come off on a hypo but I have never noticed any dark pigment on the shed of a hypo - even one with tipping.

-----
Jon Wedow
Sharp Dressed Snakes

The key to ghosts is the coloring of the black bands. They are actually more grey than black, even at hatching. You can tell as soon as they poke their nose out of th egg, especially if you have an anery to compare them too.

The comment about there being a slight black outline on scales of anerys is also a good visual cue.