# Boa albino - some advice please



## suffolk etb (Feb 2, 2012)

hi guys. looking at Albinoism in boa's, and have a few questions

im aware that Kahl & Sharp are not compatable (im planning to work with sharp), but where do T- and T+ fit in?

are these 2 additional types of albino gene?

are they compatable with each other, or kahl/sharp?

also seem to have several types of T+ around - are these each individual or are they compatable with each other?

cheers guys, any help/advice gladly taken on.


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## paulh (Sep 19, 2007)

suffolk etb said:


> hi guys. looking at Albinoism in boa's, and have a few questions
> 
> im aware that Kahl & Sharp are not compatable (im planning to work with sharp), but where do T- and T+ fit in?
> 
> ...


T- and T+ albinos are buzzwords. They make you sound scientific without being scientific. T- stands for tyrosinase negative and T+ stands for tyrosinase positive. Nobody has done the test required to determine which if any mutant gene produces nonfunctional tyrosinase (is T-). Deleting T- and T+ from our boa vocabulary would not change how much we know about boas, at this time.

Right now, T- negative albino is any albino that doesn't have black pigment (both Kahl and Sharp albinos). T+ is any boa that has less than normal black pigment and the cause is a recessive mutant gene (around half a dozen unrelated mutant genes). 

When the test is actually done, Kahl albino may be T- and Sharp albino T+. Or Sharp albino may be T- and Kahl albino T+. Or both may be T+. It is very unlikely that the test will show both to be T-.

By the way, the T- and T+ categories were derived from human medicine. It is obsolete in human medicine now because it is too simple a model. 

The Sharp albino mutant gene and the Sharon Moore caramel (= boawoman hypo) mutant gene are compatible. The Sharon Moore caramel is one of the hodgepodge of unrelated T+ albinos. Edit: see http://www.paradigmboa.com/


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## suffolk etb (Feb 2, 2012)

cheers

ill stick to my plans to get a Sharp then, while keeping eyes open for a caramel, and continue to not worry bout T- & T+


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## BKBoas (Apr 24, 2010)

Speak to Chris (ez4pro) and get yourself some sharp and caramel stuff at the same time and that can be compatible with each other in your projects...he has produced some wicked animals within these morphs and has stuff available NOW! 

Ben : victory:


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## brittone05 (Sep 29, 2006)

Does that mean that T+ isn't actually albino in the true sense? I am very confused lmao xx


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## paulh (Sep 19, 2007)

What is an albino?

Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com

Albino -- an animal or plant with a marked deficiency in pigmentation.

T+ albinos fit that definition, so I guess they are true albinos. Of course, albino plants are albinos because they lack chlorophyll. Animals have no chlorophyll. Albino animals are albino because of a deficiency in some totally different chemical pigment, usually but not always melanin. So that definition of "albino" is pretty broad.

Anyway, pick the definition of albino from your favorite dictionary and then see if T+ albinos fit that definition. For what it's worth, human medicine has abandoned the T-negative/T-positive albino classifications because of the multitude of T-positives.


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