adam would certainly be the man to contribute to this thread. but here are a few statements from my own research that i believe to be true:


people commonly refer to this trait as "ghost" due to its faded almost "ghost" like appearance. the term hypomelanisitc would be defined, in simplest terms as a reduced amount of "dark" or "black" pigment. hypo, meaning less than normal...and melanistic, referring to the dark brown or black pigment, or simply melanin.

because some normal animals do show a reduced amount of melanin, one of the defining characteristics of a ghost is that it DOES shed clear, while the normal critters will display a pattern.

a true ghost is normally referred to by most as a hypo axanthic, if'n i have my facts in order. i have to state tho...i have yet to see one.

and you are correct in your statement that some hypo traits are not compatible with others as kevin stated in his website. as far as the desert ghost, i believe tracy barker had one or two animals that displayed the desert ghost appearance that proved not to be an inheritable trait. although there may be others that have that i am not aware of. if you discover a line that has proven to be inheritable i'd love to hear about. i think they're awesome!

i've spent a small fortune on balls this season and the hypo i acquired from joe c. is perhaps one my favorites :-)