Blue Snakes

Artemis · 10-01-04, 08:07 AM

I was just sitting here thinking about the gajillion morphs of all the snake species, and Im just shocked there is no way to get blue out of the gene pool. With the exception of ETBs and Chondros and that one kind of Garter snake that is blue, are there anyother blue snakes???

If you read this hoping for pics of some blue snakes, sorry to dissapoint

Art

Katt · 10-01-04, 09:13 AM

Blue beauties!!

Blue coral snakes!

Florida Blues, True blue garters and blue ribbons!

JonD · 10-01-04, 09:30 AM

And, when most snakes are in shed!!

Invictus · 10-01-04, 09:35 AM

I believe that blue pigment is produced by Xanthins... so having an axanthic morph would strip out the blue. I could be mistaken though.

JD@reptiles · 10-01-04, 10:01 AM

blue racers

texas black tail rattlesnakes

some vine snakes

some boomslangs

Linds · 10-01-04, 10:44 AM

Xanthin is the yellow pigment, hence it wouldn't be involved in producing blue.

Vanan · 10-01-04, 01:12 PM

The colour blue is produced by the iridiophores I believe.

Katt · 10-01-04, 01:30 PM

There are a few species where the axanthic form is actually blue ruling out xanthins as the pigment responsible for blue. The most notable example is New England Strain Brooksi that are bluish. I believe there is also garters, plains infact, that the anery and axanthic morphs are blue.

Check out this axanthic Rein snake. Normaly green in colour, it is now blue.
http://www.vmsherp.com/ImagePages/Rats/FrenataBlue.htm

Iridiophores are responsible for a wide range of colours, including blue.

snakehunter · 10-01-04, 02:27 PM

BOOMSLANGS have a blue morph

CamHanna · 10-01-04, 02:58 PM

Dead green snakes (opheodrys and liochlorophis, pardon my spelling) are blue.

enso · 10-01-04, 03:54 PM

Banded Sea Krait. Some can be quite blue. A pic:
http://rspray.tripod.com/Dive/Thaila...viewPage90.htm

Artemis · 10-01-04, 06:03 PM

Wow, I had no idea there were so many blue snakes, though its disappointing that the large bulk of them are poisonous! Go figure.

Invictus · 10-01-04, 06:32 PM

Ah, right... Iridiophores. I thought it might be produced by xanthophores, since they can create yellow, red, or brown pigments, I figured "Hmmmm... why not blue?" hehehe. Stupid me.

Katt · 10-01-04, 07:00 PM

Melanin produces brown and black. Melanin is broken down into eumelanin, black and pheomelanin, brown.

Sorry to pick on you Ken! I just love genetics and pigments, I picked up most of my info when researching rat colours and bird mutations.

In case you guys wonder how melanin produces browns and blacks. It's based on the shape. Eumelanin is round and pheomelanin is kind of kidney shaped. Light reflects back differently from the pigments and thus produces the colour. Shape of the hair shaft also affects colour, but mostly tint.

Invictus · 10-02-04, 12:03 PM

No worries Katt... of course melanin can produce a brown pigment. But so can xanthophores. I'm fascinated by genetics and pigments too.

Take kenyan sand boas for instance.... calling Anery kenyans "Anery" is kind of incorrect, since their orange pigment is produced by xanthins, not erythrins. Calling them axanthic is more correct. The same *can* (but is is not always) be said about brown. Xanthins in abundance *can* create a brown pigment.