"do you mean so many snakes have health problems in general or do you mean yours have so many health problems. "
I appear to have a personal curse with pets. My dog, at two years old, has hip dysplasia, food allergies, flea allergies, some sort of autoimmune-thingy that has nearly killed him 5 times AND may have diabetes insipidis on top of it. I have a cat with asthma, another one that was found with a diaphragmatic hernia, a third with severe aggression issues, and a fourth that likes to consume non-food items and has had to have surgery to remove them from his stomach.
Of my first dogs, one had epilepsy, the other liked to form tumors. I had, as a child, a baby hamster that was born with only three legs who developed heart problems, eye problems, and then cancer at 1.5 years of age.
I caught a wild western fence lizard as a little kid that had a seizure disorder.
Cursed I tell you! So like I said... I tend to be paranoid. So far, except for one sinus infection, my snakes have been healthy knock on wood.
"still a mute point...your snake isn't kinked so it isn't an issue "
The point is not moot in relation to the general idea that sometimes odd patterns have a detrimental cause. No, it is not specifically a kink, but could it be something else? Probably not, but again... paranoid.
"YOU are the one that said EVERY PIEBALD TO DATE, not me."
If I did say that, and I will go back and check, my apologies for not including the words "that I've seen". And rereading this post, I just noticed that I did not manage to include the word 'not' in the previous sentence. I often think faster than I type and sometimes words get lost.
"why do you add in "with underlying health issues"?
what underlying health issues?
are you assuming it has underlying health issues because it has an aberrant pattern or is there something you're not telling us? "
I add that because the possibility exists. There is likely a correlation between the highly aberrant patterns seen on some DIEs and the fact that they died. A genetic "oopsie" that made them inviable that could also play with the pattern. Just as with double merles and lethal white, or the tendency for white and blue-eyed animals to be deaf. Add the deformed head scales on top of the strange pattern and I have to wonder if there's something else that might not be visible.
"nice little back-handed insult. "
Insult truly not intended, and re-reading, I see how it definitely reads that way. Sometimes on forums I forget that people aren't psychic. And that what worries me with my vet tech, and personal pet, background is not going to magically translate itself across the internet.
Your snakes have lovely examples of saddle fusing/zigzag, but it's not quite what I was talking about. I don't know how to explain it better. My worry is probably because he's not a zig/zag, wide stripe, or aztec. I'm used to seeing those, but not pseudo-motleys that go straight to the tail tip. Most "notleys" I've seen have been proper motley look for about... 1/3 the length of the body? If need be, think of me and my paranoia as being as if I'm from the 'planet of easily frightened people' from the old cartoon Earthworm Jim. "Aaaah! something motley! Aaaah! something not motley!"
