One of the more famous morphs of Burmese pythons, especially as pets, is the Albino Burmese python. Albino Burmese pythons are essentially the same animal as the regular Burmese python, they just appear to have a lighter shade of skin. The discoloration is a natural and biological effect, caused by hereditary reasons.Albino Burmese pythons usually hatch as white hatchlings with yellowish spots, which is different from regular Burmese pythons that are usually rich brown in color with even darker spots or markings. Albinos are rarer though, and are a rare find for pet lovers and snake collectors.
Albinism is hereditary, and is not an infectious disease that can be transmitted through contact or blood transfusion. Albino Burmese pythons are rare because only a few hatchlings end up coming out as albinos, if there are any even present in one clutch. Albinism is caused when the body does not make the usual amount of the pigment melanin. Some forms of albinism are found to be results of genetically recessive alleles or genes passed on to the offspring by both parents, or through biological inheritance. The chances of one hatchling ending up as an albino from the pairing of one parent with a strain of albinism with another who is without are quite minimal. This statistic makes albino variants of Burmese pythons, as well as other snakes, a lot more valuable for pet owners and snake collectors. Often one will find albino Burmese pythons snatched up and sold just some time after availability, as albino Burmese pythons are very much in high demand in the exotic pet market.
Albino Burmese pythons can grow up to over 20 feet in length and weigh up to 200 lb. (90 kilos). Female albino Burmese pythons generally grow larger than their male counterparts, and both sexes continue to grow in length and width all throughout their life spans. A very popular choice for snake lovers, especially ones in the know, albino Burmese pythons are sadly abandoned by some of their owners after years of being taken care of in captivity. This is due to their overwhelming size, which can sometimes be taxing for pet owners, eating away at their finances as well as taking up a lot of home space for their enclosures. Snake collectors may opt to acquire albino Burmese pythons by adopting pets from owners who can no longer handle them. Some abandoned Burmese pythons, including albino variants, have even made their way to the Everglades in Florida, where they are considered an invasive species. This is caused by the abandonment of some pet owners of their Burmese python pets.