Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The chromatophores are layered upon one another in the outer portion of the dermis. A layer of xanthophores (yellow pigment cells) erythrophores (reddish-purple pigment cells) and other fat-soluble pigment cells lay just under the basal membrane of the epidermal layer. Under the xanthophores are several layers of iridiophores which produce iridescent colors in the range from blue to gold, as well as white (guanophores and leucophores).

Above is from the link that Randy provided...

I was wandering about what you and Sean metioned about the lucys possibly being hyper irridaphoric ( i think that is the term you used but not sure?) since hypo irrisistic is the lack of white and the irridiphores according to this article produce iridescent colors wouldn't it make more sense that a hyper irrisistic dragon have a mother of pearl look to them? It seems that if a dragon was hyper irrisistic it would be a mother of pearly sheen over the entire body which i'm sure would vary from animal to animal as with the hypo irrisistic in the amount of white that is removed. i was talking to someone recently about a dragon they had that displayed this type of trait and she said that it was so bright that she couldn't even get a good pic due to the amount of reflected light?

What do you guys think of that? Or what did you mean when referring to this trait and tacking it on to the lucys or hypopastels? Just curious as to what your opinions/ possible info is on this.

Thanks,
Robert
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

I got it from an explanation Paul Morlock gave to a genetics question a while back. He's been against calling these leucistics from the beginning. I'll post the links, you'll recognize most of the names involved (Mattman is now MysticalDragons). It's kind of funny to see the same arguments being made 2 years later but that's just the forums I guess lol. Here are the links

http://forums.kingsnake.com/viewarch.php?id=281690,281690&key=2003

http://forums.kingsnake.com/viewarch.php?id=279582,279995&key=2003

Sean
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Heart Mountain Herps

Does anybody know what happened to Paul? If you do I would love to get in touch with him. I don't think he is working with SDR anymore b/c that is where I emailed him at.
Thanks,
Randy
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AlphaDragonZ
www.AlphaDragonZ.com

His SDR email hasn't worked for some time... He actually posted here a month or two ago and I emailed him throught the contact link but never received a reply.... bummer.... I'd like to chat with him too!
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

I'd forgotten some of the stuff in that post! It is funny though that we still have questions about the same issues... Wasn't that last Dedcember though?

We have come a ways though since those posts. The Dachius proved that the Lucys are a compatable hypomelanistic trait with the hypo-pastel.... So would that mean that the Lucys are not hyperirrisistic? It seems that the platelet allignment of a hyperirristic dragon would reflect a mother of pearl or irridescant sheen throughout the body and possibly excessive white... ?? That would be AWESOME!!! Maybe that dragon I'm speaking of that the lady has will breed true and prove out to be genetic mutation! That would be very unique indeed!

Also, in finding out that there are actually two seperate and independant sets of melanophores in the two layers of skin.... maybe the possibility of seperate forms of hypomelanism... Like t and t- albinism sort of....

and now everyone is beginning to say that clear nails is a seperate trait independant of hypomelanism...... That would be very interesting as well... That could mean that some of the lines that people are calling pastel could be hypomelanistic as well.... Like the ones that Satyrdays produced last year or was it earlier this year?.... It would also mean that not all clear nailed animals are hypomelanistic possibly too. That is fairly mind boggling considering how that could affect peoples projects they have spent so much time, money and energy on....

I find this very exciting and fascinating! Can't really waitto see what happens next!

Later,
Robert
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson