Freaky eye, LTR. Pics!

[Katt]

As some of you know, I'm into LTR's (leucistic texas rats) in a big way (see avatar). I'm currently assembling a colony of these ivory beauties to work towards a line of non-bug eyed snakes.

Here is a pic of a snake given to me by a friend who bred hers. This side shows a good example of the "bug eye" common in LTR's. This eye is not so bad, I've seen worse.

<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/137oneeyegood.jpg">

But this snake was born with the other eye missing. It hatched out with a big blister on the other eye, which eventually popped and underneath was some sort of sludgy non-eye. The snake was given to me, to watch over the eye and if need be, be taken to a vet to get the sludge removed. In time the snake shed, and miraculously this "eye" had regenerated underneath.

<img src="http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/137oneeyebad.jpg">

This eye can neither move, nor see, and is deformed. (The gunk on the head it peat moss.) I haven't touched the eye, but there appears to be a spectacle on it. It's quite a sight this li'l snake. I won't ever breed her, but I keep her as an example of the eye problems associated with the leucy gene.

[Simon]

Poor little one~
but hey at least it's in good hands right?
Besides if you're talking about 'bug eyes' hers is already a good one. The other's that I've seen had eyes like a gold fish (you know the ones with the bubbles on their eyes)
Those are like one of the worst snakes ever. I can't understand why people breed these out~ I guess different people with different preference.....

Great looking snake either way~
hope that it will strive for you in the future~
Good luck with it!

[Katt]

Thanks Simon. Yeah, there are some pretty bubble eyed LTR's out there. I've been lucky to get several with some absolutely perfect eyes.

The angle I've taken that photo isn't the best for showing the extent of the "pop".

[mark129er]

best of luck producing some LTRs with 'normal' eyes

[Stockwell]

Katt you'd be wise to get some normal texas rats..maybe even wild caughts, Het the hell out of them, and start a new outbred line of Lucies

[vanderkm]

Thanks for sharing the photos Katt - intersting to see examples of this problem. It was one of the major reasons that I have never gotten any LTRats. As Roy says, if someone had a line that had a reduced risk of this developing, it would be a real advantage. The fact that it is quite frequent and may be in mild forms that are not easy to spot sort of suggests it is closely genetically linked to the leucistic gene so they are inherited together. Such a shame as they are such dramatic snakes. Best of luck with your plans and keep us posted,

mary v.

[Katt]

Yup, I believe the bug eye and the leuciscism are linked together. My plan is to breed the best eyed to produce better eyed offspring, and hopefully by recombination lose the bug eyedness. Some LTR lines in the states don't show exothalmia at all.

[crimsonking]

There are quite a few without the bug eye, however I am not sure how they arrived at this. Most assuredly as stated earlier, by out breeding every so often. The normal eyed ones are very nice.
:Mark