All albino axolotls don't really come from tiger salamander genes

[michael]

I keep seeing the reference that all albino axolotls come from tiger salamander genes. I also see people stating that all axolotls in captivity have some tiger salamander in them. The situation is a little more complex than this. I was looking over "Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico - volume one - Analysis of the Literature on the Mexican Axolotl" by Hobart Smith. On page xxi smith states "Albinism (47 titles) received early attention through receipt of an albino in the Paris reproductorium in 1866, establishing this genetic variant in stocks widely distributed throughout the world."
What are your thoughts?

This book is mostly old references to literature on axolotls. After the intro it gets pretty boring. Unless you are a real axolotl fanatic I would not recommend rushing out and buying it.

 

[oceanblue]

It is my understanding that the early "albino" was what we now call leucistic, and that true albinos are of more recent origin from tiger salamander hybridisation.

Old literature usually calls leucistics albinos or partial albinos.

It is my guess that there are still stocks of "wild type' and leucistic descended from the Paris introduction without tiger salamander genes. The trouble is without a stud book and breeding history how do you know?