Albino red/whitefoot hatchlings

[Kate]

I meant generality in species not limited to tortoises, but to other types of animal too.

Some peoples opinion of animals of different colours than those most commonly found naturally, are also that these are all 'abhorrent' mutants that should not be continued.

I personally do not like the true albino types of most of these as I prefer dark eyes, and so do not breed them, but there are other types of colour change involved people also extend these views to, and these also come under the bracket of genetic mutants.

I can assure you no reptile I breed has any side effect whatsoever from being other than it's most commonly found colour.

[mich]

Hi,

Well I say each to there own. I would love an albino yellow full stop.

I for one do not use a lot of UVB on my reds and cannot see the needs of an albino being different!

In the wild the major danger to albino animals is that they are easy to predate.

Mich

How long have you been breeding mutants Kate?

[Kate]

Is there any reason you ask?

Not all genetic mutations affect colour either - some are pattern changes that would not be affected by UV levels, or other such environmental condition.

Just wondering what age they have lived to with no problems

[Kate]

Unfortunately I have not lived long enough to outlive the lifespan of most of my snakes yet, but I can assure you they are all in perfect health. The first amel corn snake however I've just been told was discovered in 1959 by a Mr Bernard Betchel, and through my years of breeding I haven't heard of any problems specific to one colour or another.

Interestingly my mouse species of different colours other than the agouti normal type also live a normal lifespan.

[loulou]

Wow I was unaware that there were Albino torts thanks for sharing


And albino or more accurately describled Snow (which has a combination of the amel and anery gene)or amel corn snakes live a healthy average lifespan the same as any other cornsnake in captivity, the avarage lifespan of a cornsnake is 20ish years I have a healthy 12 year old amel cornsnake (orange red and white in colouration with red eyes)

Each to their own but generalising all animals genetic makeups is not something i would personally do

[lee]

how are anybody to know that albinos are in the eggs..normal looking animals can produce albinos
theres actually albino animals found in the wild so not mutants...the dogs we own today are more mutant than any reptile with mans goal for vanity
i can't see the effects really and at such a early age...albino animals are getting to adult sizes so why euthanise a healthy animal..albino animal are bred and kept everywhere without ill effects probably means enriching diets to make up for lack of UVB exposure due to the lack of melanin.
if i owned it id be a happy man...nothing creul in natures beauty
Lee

No one mentioned euthanasia, and I personally was referring to deliberately bred albino's not accidents of nature. In nature these animals die, thus ensuring that the occurence is minimal. I could not agree more about the dogs of today. My own dogs are rescued greyhounds. Greyhounds are very similar to the cave painting dogs of millions of years ago, unlike the poor specimens 'designed' by man. Unfotunately man has cashed in on this by racing them for money and then discarding them when they are no longer any use Nuff said

[Kate]

Having blue eyes is also a recessive genetic mutation in humans, and this has no bearing on lifespan.

There is also the most famous case of the peppered moth - in this case the genetic mutation from light to dark had benefits which ensured its survival and it subsequently became the more dominant form apparent. This is how all evolution occurs - from a small change that betters survival rate of the animal by changing its phentoype and is naturally occuring, and so you cannot label every genetic change as abhorrent.

Not all of these changes are as drastic as the removal of all pigmentation, but can change it sufficiently that we would notice it should we compare them.

I know that it is sometimes true in cases of albinism that animals can experience difficulties, but I hope I have opened you up to thinking that not all of these genetic changes have bearing on health.