Albino -- a defect?

[ssssnakeluvr]

albinos are abnormal looking, thats generally what makes them move "valuable" as they are uncommon. they are real popular with other reptile breeders. many garter snake breeders love the normal ones more than the abnormal ones. I love the abnormals, they are neat and with proper care and outcrossing, they can be fun snakes. I really do love the normals. when I was a kid looking thru the field guide to western reptiles and amphibians, I loved the garters! those were the ones I wanted to have...well, all of the snakes, but mainly the garters =)
it's all a matter of personal preference, but I have found that a lot of garter owners love the normals =)

[RedSidedSPR]

I love both! I have two normals and two not-normals. (anery and flame)

it's not the fact that they're abnormal. It's the fact that they have so many health issues...

I guess if they are housed right and taken care of i'ts not that bad, but still... technically "albino" is a defect.

[ssssnakeluvr]

yes it is... occasionally an albino adult will be found in the wild. they stand out real well for predators to find them. thats one reason they don't are rare. I have never had any health issues myself with albinos... as long as they don't get inbred too much, they do just fine. =)

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

technically any pigmentation altering effect could be considered a defect, including flames. Defect is an opinionated term, it depends on what you personally consider a defect. I consider anything that would majorly hinder survival in the wild to be a defect. albinism, pied, and leucistic are examples of this. Hypo could also be in there but it can also be a positive attribute, it actually depends on how light the animal is and how that affects it's camoflage in the environment. Same thing with melanism and anerythristic. In some pupulations, snakes with these traits thrive, simply because their habitat allows them to.

[RedSidedSPR]

yes it is... occasionally an albino adult will be found in the wild. they stand out real well for predators to find them. thats one reason they don't are rare. I have never had any health issues myself with albinos... as long as they don't get inbred too much, they do just fine. =)

Right. They do just fine. In the wild though, they can't be kept away from the lights and stuff, it's definitely a defect in the wild..

technically any pigmentation altering effect could be considered a defect, including flames. Defect is an opinionated term, it depends on what you personally consider a defect. I consider anything that would majorly hinder survival in the wild to be a defect. albinism, pied, and leucistic are examples of this. Hypo could also be in there but it can also be a positive attribute, it actually depends on how light the animal is and how that affects it's camoflage in the environment. Same thing with melanism and anerythristic. In some pupulations, snakes with these traits thrive, simply because their habitat allows them to.

Well, it's more than just easy-to-spot... albinos have trouble with light. Skin, eyes, everything.

mels and anerys are not affected like that. I wouldn't call them defects...

[BUSHSNAKE]

your right about melanisim(forget the anery thing all together).One of the only mutations that are thought to be intended for advantage. And very common in Thamnophis...butleri.sirtalis.vagrans.radix.pariet alis.ordinoides have all been found "in the black"

[RedSidedSPR]

yeah, they actually help the snake if anything. Albinos don't... in fact it does the opposite.

[Starling96]

if a predator came across a flame they might see his bright colors and mistake him for something venomous or poisonous because they always say that brightly colored animals are usually bad to eat

[RedSidedSPR]

This is true.

Although animals dont always see color...

[d_virginiana]

It's surprising how well flames can blend in in the wild.. Sort of like tigers or foxes I guess?