Did you know that there is a difference between leucistic and albino reptiles? A great deal of people often confuse a leucistic animal for an albino one, simply because the animal is all white. This is a very common mistake to make since both of these color traits are caused by a lack of pigments. What is the best way to tell if an all-white reptile is leucistic or albino? The color of the animal’s eyes actually gives it away. Albino animals including reptiles have red eyes. This is because albinism is caused by a partial or complete lack of melanin, the pigmentation that causes dark colors in hair and skin. Since there is no pigmentation in an animals eyes, that red coloration you see is actually all of the blood vessels in the eye.
Leucism is also a color mutation caused by a lack of pigments, or more specifically, all pigments. If a reptile is leucistic it basically means that its skin and scales are white, blotchy, or pale. It can affect the reptile’s entire body surface or only parts of the body. In essence, the animal may have some white areas on its body and some areas with its normal color. Partial leucism is typically referred to as “pied” or “piebald.” This phenomenon often occurs in Ball Pythons, and is a very attractive and desirable morph.
With leucistic animals, you’ll often hear people refer to them as “blue-eyed”, “gray-eyed”, or “black-eyed”. This is because an animal’s eyes are affected in reverse from the way albinism affects the eyes; it’s the only place any pigment is found.
An important thing to remember for anyone who keeps albino animals is that they are sensitive to light. That means they will usually hide during the day in order to avoid bright sunshine, and or hide at night if there are bright lights in the area. This however does not mean that albino reptiles should not be provided with the same level of ultraviolet lighting that their non-albino counterparts receive. They need that type of light for warmth.
Reptile Shows of New England is an educational, hands on, and interactive reptile show experience that is on a mission to educate people of all ages about reptiles in the safest and most engaging environment. Our team of professional performers strives to spread awareness about wildlife conservation in the most entertaining manner possible. We specialize in educational reptile shows for birthday parties, BBQ’s, corporate events, summer camps, town fairs, daycares, schools and more.
We showcase all of our reptiles in the safest and most educational environment as possible. Our team of reptile experts will provide you, your guests, and or students with a full hands-on experience that is second to none. Reptile Shows of New England does not feature venomous snakes, alligators, or crocodiles at any of our shows. We are fully licensed and insured. Please click here to use our online show booking system when booking your next event. We look forward to seeing you at our next show.