Reptile & Amphibian Forums

just bought 2 rats and i was told one was leucistic and one was albino leucistic i cant find any info on albino leuc is this even a real moreph? he has red eyes instead or black is this worth more than a leucistic or less? i paid less than $100 for a 1.1 30inch pair did i get a deal or did i get burnt?
thanx

Sounds like a good deal to me. Albino lecistics sometimes go for more, but from what I've seen they tend to be near the same price. They could easily sell for $60 each, so I'd say that's a good price for the pair.

A leucistic snakes lacks chromatophores (pigment producing cells). An albino snake has chromatophores that produce little or no pigment. Since the gene that causes a snake not to produce chromatophores in its skin, a leucistic snake, is unrelated to the genes that cause a snake not to produce pigment, a snake can be both leucistic and be albino at the same time. If your blue eyed snake is hetro for the albino and you crossed it with your leucistic-albino snake, all of the offspring will be leucistic and about half will also be albino.

Why someone would cross an albino snake with a leucistic snake is beyond my understanding, but since you seem to have one, you know that it was done.

It is also more than likely that your snakes are part Texas Rat Snake. Leucistic Texas Rat Snakes are well documented. Leucistic Black Rat Snakes are not so well documented. Since about the only difference between the two is color, and yours don't have any, why worry, no one can tell.

Enjoy your snakes.

I don't keep up with current prices as well as I should, but don't leucistic black rats usually go for a significantly higher price? I don't think I've ever seen any for less than $75. If that's the case, I'd say those are definately leucistic since the pair was under $100. But like you said, they'll look the same as leucistics so it's no big deal.

I think that they both homo leucistic snakes. The one with pink eyes is also homo for an albino trait. I also think that they got the leucistic trait by being crossed with a Texas Rat Snake.

It sounds like the guy was able to get them at below market price. I like the natural colors myself. I hope he enjoys his snakes.

All the details and mumbo-jumbo aside: You got 2 nice snakes at fair market value. Your post does not mention the type of ratsnakes they are, right? They are almost certainly Texas Ratsnakes at that price and morph. A good friend of mine sells them, and your cost is right in the ballpark. Very nice snakes. How are their dispositions? Some little Texans can be a bit nippy at first, but almost all will calm down with regular, careful handling. At the length you mentioned, hopefully yours have already had some "training" and are becoming fairly calm. Enjoy them...they are fine animals. Duffy