Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just got a hatchling hypo tang. both parents are giants.
when i collected it, it had a very orange head and eyelids. the orange is starting to develop on the body and the bands were fading to light purple without any spots.
when i brought it home and placed it in the tank, the light purple bands turned to black. it is still black now.
do the bands of tangerines turn black? anyone ever expeienced this?
thanks

It sounds like the animal may just be stressed from the move. Another possibility is this: When an albino, or any phase leo, is subjected to cooler temps for a prolonged period of time the melanine seems to creep into the body. Unfortunately this is not reversable. Chances are that your new baby is just stressed over the move and a new home.

Uriah Walker
geckoville

you said prolonged... how long is prolong? anyway, i'm living in a tropical country, so it's always warm here.. i think it's just stress.. thanks!

It could actually be quite normal. I've seen quite a few normals look like they were losing their black bands to light purple, only to have their normal spotting develop on the once-banded area as well as the unbanded areas. Sometimes this is just how it happens.

You're unclear, are the light purple areas turning solid black again, or spots?
-----
Rob Jenkins
http://herpcam.com

the purple bands are turning solid black.

i have a baby that did the same thing. when it was first hatched it was solid black and yellow. after a few weeks the black bands turned purple exept for a thin line around each band and then a few weeks later i noticed it was looking solid black again. but i have noticed that when ever i hold it or let it run around on my bed its color lightens up alot. im not sure why it does that but try holding yours or leting it crawl around on a light colored surface.

i keep her on kitchen towels which are white.. but the backdrop of her tank is black.. maybe that's the cause...

Hey, the same thing happens to me. My hypo tang carrottail is always pretty dull in his cage, but then when I get him out, he gets much brighter and his colors really show.
-----
Josh
My Email