Quote Originally Posted by Jeff B View Post
On the one hand I agree with Joe in the technical sense that this is actually a true axanthic by purist definition, clearly has the yellow pigments removed. As Joe pointed out is very clearly demonstrated in the photo with normal siblings. This is the first garter with a recessive gene that has been demonstrated to only remove yellow, without altering the melanins or other pigments and is truly deserving of the definition/name axanthic.
On the other hand if Mark wants to call it achromatic that is his choice I guess.
Personally, for radix I would rather see this gene called axanthic and what we now call axanthics called blue axanthic (though I have been calling them that for years anyway) and what we call anery be called black axanthic (sorry Joe not ready to call them melanistic because they aren't solid patternless black).
The ball pythons have a black axanthic and is similar.
Just my two cents but to each there own.
BTW- awesome snakes Mark and Dan, congratulations on proving them out. They may be found from different location than Steves, but they look pretty much the same to me. I would guess they would be compatible too. Great work. Personally I would be interested in crossing with the blue axanthic and the black axanthic, especially the black axanthic to see if compatible which I doubt they would be but the combo might be neat anyway. Best of luck with them.
your almost there Jeff lol one day youll realize that a melanistic doesn't have to be patternless black, don't you remember the melanistic eastern that i had that had a pattern that looked just like the "anerys",it was from the ohio population I might add...I posted a picture of it on here so everyone can see melanistics can have pattern.