Amelanism is a color mutation that removes melanin, which is the dark skin pigment found in most animals. In many reptiles, this reveals bright red, yellow, or even blue pigments which may be hidden or obscured by melanin in normal "wild type" examples.
Though they are often called "albinos," reptiles that are missing melanin are more specifically called amelanistic. Most amelanistic reptiles have red eyes, unless they display other traits that remove the red coloration.
Amelanism is usually the result of a simple recessive genetic mutation. Breeding amelanistic to normal specimens will produce all normal-looking offspring that carry the amelanistic gene. These genes carriers are called heterozygous, or just "hets" for short. Breeding amelanistic to het will produce half amelanistic and half het offspring. Breeding het to het will produce 25% amelanistic, 50% het, and 25% normal. The hets cannot be visually distinguished from the normals. If you see animals labeled as "66% het," these are most likely the normal-looking offspring resulting from a het to het breeding.
The Corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) was one of the first widely-bred reptiles offered in a variety of colors. Many of the same color morphs that popped up in Corn snakes later appeared in other species as those species became more commonly bred. Corn snakes display black, red, and yellow pigments. Amelanism removes the black, clearly revealing the red and yellow coloration.
Aloha, We urgently need your support for the scientifically sustainable Hawaiian Aquarium Fishery.
The final decision is this Friday, August 28, at the Board of Land and Natural Resources.
We need to submit unique testimonies in short form by Thursday, August 27.
It doesn’t have to be technical. Simply express your support for the proposed rules and management of the fishery under Agenda Item F in a sentence or two.
blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov
We appreciate your continued support throughout this long process and hope to provide healthy, sustainably caught Hawaiian fish in the near future.
Here is a sample email you can customize:
Subject line: Support proposed Rules and Management of the Fishery
I am writing in support of the proposed rules and responsible management of Hawaii’s aquarium fishery under Agenda Item F. I support a scientifically managed, sustainable fishery that protects Hawaii’s natural resources while allowing responsible fishermen to continue their livelihoods.
Fairytail Dragons has donated this beautiful Albino Blue-tongued Skink as an auction item!
USARK FL and USARK need volunteers for Saturday, August 15 at the National Reptile Breeders Expo in Daytona Beach. Volunteers will meet in the lobby of the Ocean Center Saturday morning at 9:30am.
Our volunteers are HUGE contributors to making our mission possible.
If you can help, email info@usarkfl.net. Please note that volunteers must represent USARK, USARK FL, and the reptile community professionally and maturely. Volunteers who help collect auction items will receive free admission into the Expo.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission@MyFWCvideos will meet this Wed Aug. 5, 2026 at 9am in Panama City Beach, FL. This meeting is open to the public, however there is NO public comment scheduled for items not on the agenda.
There are no reptile-related items on the agenda, but USARK FL will be monitoring the meeting.
We need volunteers Sat Aug 15 at the National Reptile Breeders Expo. Volunteers will meet in the Ocean Center lobby 9:30am. They will receive free admission to the Expo. Volunteers must represent the reptile community professionally and maturely. To help, email info@usarkfl.net
From USARK: "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed to list the southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). FWS has found that the southern hognose faces serious threats from habitat loss and degradation as a result of land conversion and fragmentation causing loss of connectivity between populations, road mortality, invasive species (red ants, feral hogs, and cogongrass), and climate change." LINK IN BIO
UPDATE 6/5/26: This update will be posted in the Federal Register on June 8. FWS is reopening the comment period for 30 days on the proposed rule to list the southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule. If you work with this species, please email us at info@usark.org.
Public hearing: On June 25, 2026, FWS will hold a public hearing on the proposed rule from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The public hearing will allow an opportunity to present verbal testimony.
For more information, contact Christy Johnson-Hughes, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Carolina Ecological Services Field Office; 843–727–4707; christy_johnsonhughes@fws.gov
While Southern hognose snakes are currently bred in small numbers by private breeders, zoos are not known to breed them. Conservation strategies should include responsible breeding programs, along with habitat preservation.
The introduction of Caiman to Florida can be traced back to the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1967, the American alligator received federal protection. With domestic alligator leather previously driving the industry, leather producers started importing the Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) from South America into Florida. Established populations of C. crocodilus were not reported in Florida until the late 1970s.
Molecular phylogenetic analysis has suggested the taxonomic status of Florida Caimans as C. c. fuscus originating from individuals collected from the Magdalena River and nearby coastal Colombia.
Catch rates of Caiman in Florida have been on a steady decline since 2020. In recent years, the Croc Docs and Homestead Air Force Base staff have reported that they believed they were close to eradicating Caiman in South Florida.
Florida’s native American Alligator populations have shown no evidence of species level population declines, despite tremendous environmental pressures and direct killing efforts. American Crocodile populations are on the increase in Florida. The warming climate and decrease in subsidized egg predators like raccoons (which are being eaten by nonnative pythons) are contributing factors.
No evidence supports claims by recent news articles that Caimans are “hampering” efforts to restore the Everglades. There isn’t even enough evidence of negative impacts by Caiman to support calling it an “Invasive Species.”
The Everglades faces far greater challenges than its small and apparently declining population of Caiman. Pollution, development, changing climate, water quality and availability pose the most serious threats to the Everglades ecosystem. Any folks trying to convince you otherwise most likely want to distract you from their own environmentally-destructive activities, or they need funding for their own projects.
Smithsonian Magazine reports: "Earth was a terrifying place during the Cretaceous period, some 66 million to 145 million years ago. During its tail end, Tyrannosaurus rex prowled the land. And a little before that, another kind of T. rex stalked the ancient ocean, according to a new fossil analysis.
In a study published May 21 in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, researchers reveal a newly discovered species of mosasaur—an ancient aquatic lizard—that they’ve dubbed Tylosaurus rex for its giant size. The name means “king of the knob lizards,” much like the land T. rex’s translation, “king of the tyrant lizards,” and, of course, it comes with the same recognizable abbreviation.
“If any animal deserves it, it’s this animal,” study co-author Amelia Zietlow, a paleontologist at the History Museum at the Castle in Wisconsin, tells National Geographic’s Asher Elbein. “Half of its characteristics are around it having a bigger jaw and bite.”
Daniel Parker, Director of Media for USARK FL, will speak at the Calusa Herpetological Society meeting on Thursday, June 4th at 7pm at the Calusa Nature Center in Ft. Myers, FL.
The subject of his talk will be Backyard Reptiles and Amphibians of SW FL: ID and Safety. He will also give a short USARK FL update.
USARK Florida
Amelanism is a color mutation that removes melanin, which is the dark skin pigment found in most animals. In many reptiles, this reveals bright red, yellow, or even blue pigments which may be hidden or obscured by melanin in normal "wild type" examples.
Though they are often called "albinos," reptiles that are missing melanin are more specifically called amelanistic. Most amelanistic reptiles have red eyes, unless they display other traits that remove the red coloration.
Amelanism is usually the result of a simple recessive genetic mutation. Breeding amelanistic to normal specimens will produce all normal-looking offspring that carry the amelanistic gene. These genes carriers are called heterozygous, or just "hets" for short. Breeding amelanistic to het will produce half amelanistic and half het offspring. Breeding het to het will produce 25% amelanistic, 50% het, and 25% normal. The hets cannot be visually distinguished from the normals. If you see animals labeled as "66% het," these are most likely the normal-looking offspring resulting from a het to het breeding.
The Corn snake (Pantherophis guttatus) was one of the first widely-bred reptiles offered in a variety of colors. Many of the same color morphs that popped up in Corn snakes later appeared in other species as those species became more commonly bred. Corn snakes display black, red, and yellow pigments. Amelanism removes the black, clearly revealing the red and yellow coloration.
Photos by Daniel Parker
14 hours ago (edited) | [YT] | 9
View 2 replies
USARK Florida
From our friends at Pet Advocacy Network:
Aloha,
We urgently need your support for the scientifically sustainable Hawaiian Aquarium Fishery.
The final decision is this Friday, August 28, at the Board of Land and Natural Resources.
We need to submit unique testimonies in short form by Thursday, August 27.
It doesn’t have to be technical. Simply express your support for the proposed rules and management of the fishery under Agenda Item F in a sentence or two.
blnr.testimony@hawaii.gov
We appreciate your continued support throughout this long process and hope to provide healthy, sustainably caught Hawaiian fish in the near future.
Here is a sample email you can customize:
Subject line: Support proposed Rules and Management of the Fishery
I am writing in support of the proposed rules and responsible management of Hawaii’s aquarium fishery under Agenda Item F. I support a scientifically managed, sustainable fishery that protects Hawaii’s natural resources while allowing responsible fishermen to continue their livelihoods.
1 month ago | [YT] | 6
View 0 replies
USARK Florida
Auction to benefit USARK and USARK FL August 15th at 8pm at the Daytona Beach Hilton after the Expo
www.reptilebreedersexpo.com/schedule.htm
Fairytail Dragons has donated this beautiful Albino Blue-tongued Skink as an auction item!
USARK FL and USARK need volunteers for Saturday, August 15 at the National Reptile Breeders Expo in Daytona Beach. Volunteers will meet in the lobby of the Ocean Center Saturday morning at 9:30am.
Our volunteers are HUGE contributors to making our mission possible.
If you can help, email info@usarkfl.net. Please note that volunteers must represent USARK, USARK FL, and the reptile community professionally and maturely. Volunteers who help collect auction items will receive free admission into the Expo.
See you there!
#nationalreptilebreedersexpo #usarkfl #usark #reptile
1 month ago | [YT] | 10
View 1 reply
USARK Florida
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission@MyFWCvideos will meet this Wed Aug. 5, 2026 at 9am in Panama City Beach, FL. This meeting is open to the public, however there is NO public comment scheduled for items not on the agenda.
There are no reptile-related items on the agenda, but USARK FL will be monitoring the meeting.
The agenda can be viewed here:
myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/aug…
Watch live on thefloridachannel.org
#fwc #usarkfl #florida #savefloridaspets
1 month ago | [YT] | 8
View 0 replies
USARK Florida
We need volunteers Sat Aug 15 at the National Reptile Breeders Expo. Volunteers will meet in the Ocean Center lobby 9:30am. They will receive free admission to the Expo. Volunteers must represent the reptile community professionally and maturely. To help, email info@usarkfl.net
2 months ago | [YT] | 14
View 0 replies
USARK Florida
From USARK:
"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed to list the southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). FWS has found that the southern hognose faces serious threats from habitat loss and degradation as a result of land conversion and fragmentation causing loss of connectivity between populations, road mortality, invasive species (red ants, feral hogs, and cogongrass), and climate change."
LINK IN BIO
UPDATE 6/5/26: This update will be posted in the Federal Register on June 8. FWS is reopening the comment period for 30 days on the proposed rule to list the southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule. If you work with this species, please email us at info@usark.org.
Public hearing: On June 25, 2026, FWS will hold a public hearing on the proposed rule from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The public hearing will allow an opportunity to present verbal testimony.
Register for the hearing at empsi.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NGVA5rxMRtG1jvFU….
Comment and get full details at www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2025-166….
We have the document posted at usark.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25-western-ho….
For more information, contact Christy Johnson-Hughes, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Carolina Ecological Services Field Office; 843–727–4707; christy_johnsonhughes@fws.gov
While Southern hognose snakes are currently bred in small numbers by private breeders, zoos are not known to breed them. Conservation strategies should include responsible breeding programs, along with habitat preservation.
Photo by Glenn Bartolotti
#southernhognose #hognose #hognosesnake #southernhognosesnake #heterodon
3 months ago | [YT] | 17
View 5 replies
USARK Florida
The introduction of Caiman to Florida can be traced back to the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1967, the American alligator received federal protection. With domestic alligator leather previously driving the industry, leather producers started importing the Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) from South America into Florida. Established populations of C. crocodilus were not reported in Florida until the late 1970s.
Molecular phylogenetic analysis has suggested the taxonomic status of Florida Caimans as C. c. fuscus originating from individuals collected from the Magdalena River and nearby coastal Colombia.
Catch rates of Caiman in Florida have been on a steady decline since 2020. In recent years, the Croc Docs and Homestead Air Force Base staff have reported that they believed they were close to eradicating Caiman in South Florida.
Florida’s native American Alligator populations have shown no evidence of species level population declines, despite tremendous environmental pressures and direct killing efforts. American Crocodile populations are on the increase in Florida. The warming climate and decrease in subsidized egg predators like raccoons (which are being eaten by nonnative pythons) are contributing factors.
No evidence supports claims by recent news articles that Caimans are “hampering” efforts to restore the Everglades. There isn’t even enough evidence of negative impacts by Caiman to support calling it an “Invasive Species.”
The Everglades faces far greater challenges than its small and apparently declining population of Caiman. Pollution, development, changing climate, water quality and availability pose the most serious threats to the Everglades ecosystem. Any folks trying to convince you otherwise most likely want to distract you from their own environmentally-destructive activities, or they need funding for their own projects.
3 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 19
View 1 reply
USARK Florida
Smithsonian Magazine reports:
"Earth was a terrifying place during the Cretaceous period, some 66 million to 145 million years ago. During its tail end, Tyrannosaurus rex prowled the land. And a little before that, another kind of T. rex stalked the ancient ocean, according to a new fossil analysis.
In a study published May 21 in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, researchers reveal a newly discovered species of mosasaur—an ancient aquatic lizard—that they’ve dubbed Tylosaurus rex for its giant size. The name means “king of the knob lizards,” much like the land T. rex’s translation, “king of the tyrant lizards,” and, of course, it comes with the same recognizable abbreviation.
“If any animal deserves it, it’s this animal,” study co-author Amelia Zietlow, a paleontologist at the History Museum at the Castle in Wisconsin, tells National Geographic’s Asher Elbein. “Half of its characteristics are around it having a bigger jaw and bite.”
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/paleontologists-…
3 months ago | [YT] | 6
View 0 replies
USARK Florida
Daniel Parker, Director of Media for USARK FL, will speak at the Calusa Herpetological Society meeting on Thursday, June 4th at 7pm at the Calusa Nature Center in Ft. Myers, FL.
The subject of his talk will be Backyard Reptiles and Amphibians of SW FL: ID and Safety. He will also give a short USARK FL update.
www.calusaherp.org/Speakers/month_meeting.htm
#reptiles #herplife #herpetology #florida
www.calusaherp.org/Speakers/month_meeting.htm
3 months ago | [YT] | 10
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USARK Florida
Be sure to follow USARKFL on Palmstreet!
We will be holding a Palmstreet sale to support your freedoms to keep reptiles this Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 7pm EST!
We will be coming to you live from Repticon Orlando, but you can only bid online at the Palmstreet app.
✨ Don’t miss out!
We will auction off a CSerpents Incubator geckos, lizards, snakes, tortoises, invertebrates, products, and merch live:
palmstreet.app/l/cLvbXlib
Please contact media@usarkfl.net to donate items.
Thanks so much for your support!
4 months ago | [YT] | 11
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