# PEW vs Albino



## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

Is there really a difference between PEW and Albino?


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## Blackthorn (May 14, 2007)

Short answer, yes. All albinos are PEW but not all PEWs are albinos.

http://www.afrma.org/pewrats.htm


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## Adeliek (Jul 28, 2014)

An albino is a genetic mutation, for example you can get Albino humans. Whereas a P.E.W is kind of intentionally bred. As far as I'm aware anyway...


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

How do you really tell the difference between them then?


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## Blackthorn (May 14, 2007)

You can't, phenotypically. If you know the genetic background of your rats, you can.


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## Blackthorn (May 14, 2007)

To clarify, the only difference is in the genetics. Albino is caused by a recessive gene (c/c) that masks all pigment. You could have a genetically blue rat that carries the albino gene and thus its phenotype is white. A PEW, on the other hand, can be caused by a number of different genetic combinations resulting in a white rat with pink eyes. The only way to tell for sure is to know the bloodlines and/or to test breed.


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## Tesumph (Aug 12, 2014)

Wait, so, an albino is the absence of all color (the rat could otherwise be black or whatever), while a PEW is the color white?


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

Tesumph said:


> Wait, so, an albino is the absence of all color (the rat could otherwise be black or whatever), while a PEW is the color white?


That's what I wonder. People argue that white (and black for some reason?) isn't a color. And being not a color means pigment-less (I don't know why people say black isn't a color if anything it has too much pigment I'd think) and albino is lack of pigment.. so..


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## Tesumph (Aug 12, 2014)

I would assume that a PEW has a lot of PEW in its genetics (parents are both white or whatever), while an albino could have virtually any color in its genes, but since it has the albino trait it is born a PEW. Meaning, albinism doesnt necessarily mean that the rat's parents/siblings are also white. I don't think the concept that white is the absence of color/black is every color theoretically applies in genetics..


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

I heard from a teacher once that blue eyes are technically the lack of pigment in the eyes that's why albino humans have blue eyes. Yet some humans are not albino and have blue eyes. So could a PEW/BEW still be considered pigment-less but not due to albinism?

(edit: don't know if the thing about blue eyes being pigment-less is true in all cases. Or even to begin with.)


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## Mrs.Brisby (Jan 4, 2014)

Albinism is pretty complicated. I could be wrong so feel free to correct me. Albinism is a genetic defect that causes a lack of pigment in the skin/eyes/hair. There are varying degrees of albinism so a person with the condition could have red, violet, hazel or blue eyes (most of them do have blue eyes) depending on how much pigment is missing. On the other hand someone with normal genetics could be born with blue eyes also, it doesn't mean that they are albino. I think a good example would be that of a black person with albinism. They are supposed to be dark skinned and have dark eyes because naturally they produce more pigment (melanin) than someone who is caucasian but if they are born with albinism than the genes that control the production of melanin don't produce as much as they're supposed to, so you end up with a black person who is light skinned, blonde, and who has blue eyes. A person who is, for example, from Sweden and is born with light skin, blonde hair and blue eyes would not be considered albino because naturally they produce less pigment, there is nothing defective about their genetics. So a PEW rat is like the person from Sweden and the albino rat is like the albino person. I hope that makes sense, it's so hard to type long responses when i'm on my phone.


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

Mrs.Brisby said:


> Albinism is pretty complicated. I could be wrong so feel free to correct me. Albinism is a genetic defect that causes a lack of pigment in the skin/eyes/hair. There are varying degrees of albinism so a person with the condition could have red, violet, hazel or blue eyes (most of them do have blue eyes) depending on how much pigment is missing. On the other hand someone with normal genetics could be born with blue eyes also, it doesn't mean that they are albino. I think a good example would be that of a black person with albinism. They are supposed to be dark skinned and have dark eyes because naturally they produce more pigment (melanin) than someone who is caucasian but if they are born with albinism than the genes that control the production of melanin don't produce as much as they're supposed to, so you end up with a black person who is light skinned, blonde, and who has blue eyes. A person who is, for example, from Sweden and is born with light skin, blonde hair and blue eyes would not be considered albino because naturally they produce less pigment, there is nothing defective about their genetics. So a PEW rat is like the person from Sweden and the albino rat is like the albino person. I hope that makes sense, it's so hard to type long responses when i'm on my phone.


It's makes complete sense ^^


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## Tesumph (Aug 12, 2014)

Just to be clear, you cannot be partially albino. There are two degrees (OCA l and OCA ll I believe), one of them is full blown albinism (no pigmentation anywhere) and the other is similar but there is pigmentation in the eyes. Either way, you either are albino or you are not. A person with a very light complexion is not partially albino-- they just have fair skin. Same for those with blue eyes or people who burn easily. Pale skin is just based on your parent's genes and what they passed down to you, like the shape of your nose and the size of your feet. Albinism is a birth defect caused by a small gene pool, aka incest. This may explain why heavily crossbred lab rats and feeders are often albino.


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## Zabora (Jun 8, 2014)

Incest does not cause Albinoism...both parents have to carry the gene for most types of Albinism the only expection is X-Linked Ocular Albinism because it only carried by the mother. So like Blackthorn said its a result of the parents genes. Its like Tay-Sachs both parents must carry the recessive gene to pass the disease to the child.


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

Zabora said:


> Incest does not cause Albinoism...both parents have to carry the gene for most types of Albinism the only expection is X-Linked Ocular Albinism because it only carried by the mother. So like Blackthorn said its a result of the parents genes. Its like Tay-Sachs both parents must carry the recessive gene to pass the disease to the child.


I think if there was incest though and both parents/siblings have the recessive gene then i'd happen more.. right?


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## Tesumph (Aug 12, 2014)

I was told (by a doctor) that albinism is much more common if breeding is kept within the same gene pool (aka inbreeding, or if you want to offend someone, incest). No, it's not impossible to think that two gene carriers (human or animal) accidentally met up, mated, and had an albino child, but in the case of lab rats and feeders it pretty much boils down to inbreeding.


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## Tesumph (Aug 12, 2014)

The odds are simply against cases of two animals, who both carry the albinism mutation, and are not related at all (since albinism is very much hereditary), finding each other and mating without human interference (such as being stuck in a tank with a dozen of it's albino siblings).


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## Hedgian (Aug 18, 2014)

It'd make sense that it's more common in some inbred gene lines (if the original parents had the gene or it occurred somewhere in the line) because then it'd be past down between the offspring


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## Zabora (Jun 8, 2014)

Yes it can occur in genetically isolated populations but it isnt the only way it can happen. Same with Siamese rats. If you have a black rat who carries it and it happens to mate with a blue hooded rat who also carries it and the female had 3 Siamese babies that does not mean that said black rat and blue rat were related like siblings. Again it comes down to the parents carrying the gene.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

The important thing to know here is the difference between phenotype (the visual look of the rat) and genotype (the genetic makeup of the rat). Pink eyed white is a phenotype and albino is a genotype. As mentioned a rat with 2 copies of the albino gene (normally denoted by a small c) will be both genetically albino and be a Pink eyed white phenotypically. However a pink eyed white rat could also be a roaned out silver fawn or champaign or it could be a champ or SF who is so heavily marked that they don't have any colour showing. 

As mentioned you would only be sure if you knew enough of the preceding generations to see if the c gene was lurking around or not. It's worth bearing in mind that recessive genes can pop up quite unexpectedly years later. In theory you could know for sure by doing a test mating with another pew of known genetics.


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