Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Anyone has any idea...What's happening?

Wow, that is strange! Wonder if this is the start of another fluffy phenomenon?
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Aubrey Ross

www.SlipstreamSerpents.com

Where did you get the hypo? There is a bloodline out there that was from a wild caught female and when she was bred out most of the off spring went through a similar color change. But I haven’t seen it in a hypo. That female was in Bryan Hummel’s collection.

John

She is 2009 EBV Line Hypo BRB.

Ken,
...Is she related to the two hypos I got from you?
Jeff

Jeff,
If you got ML1EBN,They are sibling.
KEN.

Ken,
...No, I got RS1EBN0914 and RS1EBN0923. Both doing great BTW and thanks.
Jeff

Have not seen that before, very interesting.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

...

Looks to me like it could be the beginning of vitiligo. This is a de-pigmentation phenomenon that is widely known in primates (especially humans). Could very easily be seen in reptiles too.....why not? With vitiligo, the individual starts off with normal pigmentation, then begins to loose function of the melanocytes, causing advancing splotches of non-pigmented skin. Do not confuse this with piebaldism. Those individuals display a congenital lack of random de-pigmentation, while vitiligo is a progressive condition. Science doesn't really know what causes it, but it COULD be related to an auto-immune disease and COULD be genetically based.
Someone mentioned "Fluffy." Have you seen this snake? Fluffy looks to be a possible prime example of vitiligo in reptiles, if that is in fact what is occurring in that case. Not sure if vitiligo was ever discussed as a possibility with Fluffy. Perhaps the proud owner could clarify that for us. At any rate, yours may be following that pattern, and if so look for it to loose all pigment in those fading areas and be left with white! A very cool look.

Brian

Brian,
....This is a really interesting idea. Vitiligo is more common (in we humans) than most people would expect. Diagnosis is sometimes made using UV light which make the white spots glow brightly. UV is also used, but with limited success in treating the condition in humans. Hopefully Dave will try photographing Fluffy and this offspring snake under UV lighting and let us know the results. It may take a strong blacklight rather than the broad spectrum UV lights we use in herpetoculture to see the glow. Hmmmmm? Vitiligo in humans is, and again with limited results treated with steroidal creams. I am thinking that a steroidal cream would just not reach through snake scales but perhaps some could permeate through and provide some effect on the white spot. If Fluffy does have vitiligo Dave is obviously not interested in "curing" him but an experimental effort on a small spot might reveal some information.
Jeff

OOoo I like your thinking of black lights. would be cool to see fluffy and the "poss hets" under it. specialy the one whom is recently starting to "flake"

Brian,
...Did you find the article from Vivarium magazine about Black Milksnakes? If not I have it and can scan and email it to you.
Jeff

Jeff,
I did not locate it. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I would really appreciate that! I largely got out of those, but did keep a pair of huge 2010 babies from Rob Haniesen. These should be monsters when they get big. Really cool, EASY to keep colubrids. Just not much info on them.

Brian