Quote Originally Posted by mcavana View Post
Ok... I think I get what you are saying. So a true albino rat is ONLY all white with red eyes. Is that correct? In other words, even if the eyes are red, if there is any color on fir other then white, it is a Pink Eye Dilluted and not an albino?

If it is all white with black eyes... what does that mean?

Here is a twist in the question for you connie.... moving away from rodents and talking about snakes... an albino ball python. Is it really an albino??? or is it actually another example of pink eye dilluted?

great conversation by the way... thanks!!!
It's difficult to say, and I certainly don't presume to know if the mammalian albino is the same all across the board as well as reptilian albino definition.

The definition for Albinism in the Domestic rat, albino simply means the animal has no melanin production. Which is why they are white with pink eyes.

Obviously the albino Ball python seems to be producing the Yellow Phaeomelanin, and not producing the blacks or browns. But I don't know if the yellow is actually yellow pigment continuing to be produced, or if it is some other trait that produces yellow coloring. I just don't have that answer.

However, in rats, the dilute genes that create a yellow or orange and blue are specifically considered dilutes.

They (PED rats) very well could be considered a form of albinism, I'm just following the lead of already described scientific terms for the ASF's based on the domestic rat and calling them dilutes.


Oh, btw, there are ways of creating an all white rat with black eyes and not be a genetically true albino. Most often they selectively breed for a higher and higher white animal, or have control of other specific genes that limit the area that the pigment cells travel to on the body.