The melanistic "curse" is weakening

[Rok Grzelj]

Yep...sometimes is boring taking pics of melanistic herps...
....they all look the same and if you make pics of animals in the same population you will never know if you are making pics of the same animal all the time again and again
Than you have to check the pics...pileus fragmentation,etc

[Jürgen Gebhart]

Jürgen would call us crazy, but I cannot see how a black viper can be nicer than a regular one with the nice zigzag pattern... So, for me, black does not rock

Also, as much as I like Salamandra atra, I prefer a beautiful Salamandra salamandra anytime... Maybe it's my lack of skill, but I hate taking pictures of those blackies.

Is there really no-one else here who agrees?

This is one of these Days where I wish that my english is much better than it is!

At first, Salamandra atra – Salamandra salamandra ( it doesn’t matter witch subspecies or species) they are all nicer than the atra.

In Lizards the black color morphs are very rare, they are not nicer, but the make my heart beat faster.
I think when I saw the black Anguis in nature I`m close to a heart attack!!! (Black rocks)

In Natrix natrix I love the black ones with the many spots, the real good normal ones (deep yellow or deep orange markings behind the head) are also great, but I prefer the blacks.
What would happen if I find a deep black Coronella one Day?? Heart attack!!!

I still think that the European Natrix tessellate are the most unbeautyfull snake is that we have.
But the black ones realy look great.

I don`t care in Viperas if it black or regular, I love them all.
But look at the second vipera at Rok`s thread, the black head with the orange, white, gray markings gives me a lot of more than the head of a normal, black rocks!!!

[Borji Heras]

we use to want what we havent
in spain is quite difficult to find melanistic vipers , only in many populations of vipera seoanei cantabrica about 20% are melanistic , in the rest of the area you will find 1 of every 50 (i dont know really the ratio) so when you find one is always a nice discover

[Rok Grzelj]

All you are right guys peace

Melanistic Anguis was really for heart attack!Can not imagine a melanistic coronella...