Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Quite a few people have mentioned to me that they can tell if a boa constrictor is heterozygous albino by the color or pattern of the eye. Some have stated this eye test only applies to hypos or Salmons and other say it is an indicator for any het albino. This would be really cool if it were true in order to determine which animals born from a het to het breeding, or a het to normal breeding, are actually het. Imagine a fool proof way to eliminate all the guessing and uncertainty of buying hets. I have seen many definate hets with this trait, I own several hets with this supposed eye indicator. As much as I would like the eye test to be true I believe it is wishful thinking at best. How can you tell the genetic composition of an animal carrying a recessive trait by the color of the eyes? Even if all albinos were also carrying a dominant separate trait for eye color or eye pattern all offspring produced from that line would have the eye, het or not. Maybe if all albinos were carrying an incomplete dominance eye trait, similar to the Salmon trait, then it could be possible, however, the trait would have to be linked to the albino trait not just a seperate trait. Also, with all of the outbreeding albinos have undergone since their inception it is possible this trait exists only from a certain line. Furthermore, I am of the opinion that every boa has a unique eye color and eye pattern, sort of like a fingerprint. So... below are 35 pics of different individual boa eyes, 5 of them are heterozygous albino. Every pic is labeled with a unique number from 1 - 35 (when you click on the pic and a new window opens look in your address bar for the pic number.) I'm sure some of you are going to take this way too seriously and get all bent out of shape, I do realize that this sampling is grossly inadequate to prove or disprove the theory but I figured it would be fun. Anyways..., can you guess which ones are het? If you can I'll bake up a batch of brownies and mail you one ~ ..... Happy hunting (Sorry dial-up people, your gonna be here a while.):

Click on thumbnails to view picture full size in new window

So which ones are the hets?

Wow, boy have you thrown me for a loop. I guess in the few months that I was busy and not able to keep up with the forum, I missed the whole eye debate, but just this post alone is making my head swirl with thoughts and ideas on the subject! Please let me know what is up with the eye thing and what trait is supposed to be seen in Albino hets for the trait to be present?
This may have some basis in fact just from what I know about the albino line. It was not too long ago that the one-eyed or blind Albino was a common problem with this genetic line. Many people were blaming it on too much inbreeding (I personally have seen that problem in the Albino line of Burms, Cockatiels and several Finches) So I do believe that the albino trait is somehow linked to a distinctive eye issue. I ever remember someone posting an article about the albino gene and it’s effects on the eyes in humans!
So a dominate eye gene that is linked to a recessive Albino gene is not too far out there to have some basis. I have not ever heard of the specific trait or look that is visible in the eye of a het and would love to know more about it. Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks
Jim Hopkins

>>Quite a few people have mentioned to me that they can tell if a boa constrictor is heterozygous albino by the color or pattern of the eye. Some have stated this eye test only applies to hypos or Salmons and other say it is an indicator for any het albino. This would be really cool if it were true in order to determine which animals born from a het to het breeding, or a het to normal breeding, are actually het. Imagine a fool proof way to eliminate all the guessing and uncertainty of buying hets. I have seen many definate hets with this trait, I own several hets with this supposed eye indicator. As much as I would like the eye test to be true I believe it is wishful thinking at best. How can you tell the genetic composition of an animal carrying a recessive trait by the color of the eyes? Even if all albinos were also carrying a dominant separate trait for eye color or eye pattern all offspring produced from that line would have the eye, het or not. Maybe if all albinos were carrying an incomplete dominance eye trait, similar to the Salmon trait, then it could be possible, however, the trait would have to be linked to the albino trait not just a seperate trait. Also, with all of the outbreeding albinos have undergone since their inception it is possible this trait exists only from a certain line. Furthermore, I am of the opinion that every boa has a unique eye color and eye pattern, sort of like a fingerprint. So... below are 35 pics of different individual boa eyes, 5 of them are heterozygous albino. Every pic is labeled with a unique number from 1 - 35 (when you click on the pic and a new window opens look in your address bar for the pic number.) I'm sure some of you are going to take this way too seriously and get all bent out of shape, I do realize that this sampling is grossly inadequate to prove or disprove the theory but I figured it would be fun. Anyways..., can you guess which ones are het? If you can I'll bake up a batch of brownies and mail you one ~ ..... Happy hunting (Sorry dial-up people, your gonna be here a while.):
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>>Click on thumbnails to view picture full size in new window
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"If woody would of went to the police, none of this would have ever happened!"

on the forum instead of your place...lol....here goes....6, 10, 25, 29......BTW, answer your phone ~
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There are no STUPID QUESTIONS just STUPID PEOPLE.....quoted by the common sense committee

n/p
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There are no STUPID QUESTIONS just STUPID PEOPLE.....quoted by the common sense committee

I guessed these because they seem NOT to have the distincted lite and dark line in the middle of the eye.Anyone guessing,please tell your reasoning behind it.We owe it to each other to figure this out.I don't think it's right that certain few know the trick.

Randy Bush

I picked the same ones for the same reason -- the distinctly different light upper half and dark lower half of the eye.

Bill

I do not know the whole story behind the origin of the eye theory, however, it sounded wrong right from the begining. #2, #3, and #24 are prime examples of why. These three snakes come from the same parents. They are 2nd generation captives born here at my house. They do not have any albinos in their family tree, tracing back to the wild. The answers are 1, 6, 10, 25, and 29.