Ghost Rattlesnake

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:57 pm

This captive Western Diamondback lacks normal pigmentation. I doubt he'd have survived to be this size in the wild. He still packs a mean set of fangs and a mean look, though!

180mm macro lens
1/250th second @ f/32

Carl_Constantine · Post by **Carl_Constantine** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 8:10 pm

Back to the snakes I see Mike. What a wow color on this. Is this truely a white snake or an albino snake? I've never seen anything like it. I love how you fill the frame with these kind of subjects, very dramatic.

Mike B in OKlahoma · Post by **Mike B in OKlahoma** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 8:49 pm

Carl_Constantine wrote:What a wow color on this. Is this truely a white snake or an albino snake?

It is a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, which normally has a more traditional snakey color. Here's one of his normally-toned cousins:

http://www.photomacrography1.net/forum/ ... iamondback

I haven't heard it from an expert, but I believe this snake is what is called amelanistic....This means he lacks black (or nearly black) pigments. If he was a true albino, he'd lack any pigmentation, and he'd have lots of pink tones where we could see blood vessels easily. He'd possibly be blind.

Googling around for an article on the subject, I didn't find one right off, but found that this condition is also called amelanotic sometimes.

beetleman · Post by **beetleman** » Thu Nov 16, 2006 9:47 pm

Would you look at those pits. Wonderful picture Mike, the color is fantastic.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Fri Nov 17, 2006 5:08 am

Doug replied:

Would you look at those pits

Yeah, awesome. Maybe the snake should have had at least a tee shirt on

Great snake shots as usual Mike, seems like old times again now. By the way, where is our Journey to the Center of the Earth images