Red tail boa eye cap issues...

[Menacingriine]

So, the only pet store here that sells mice also sells some snakes. They have relatively healthy snakes (hog nose, ball pythons, king snakes, etc.) But the one that REALLY has my attention is this beautiful albino red tail they have there that is approx. A year old. But He is extremely aggressive due to being completely blind. To describe his eyes they were sunken in with quite a few layers of caps on top. I can barely see his pupil threw the caps.

Now today I asked the kid who works there about him. I noticed he has what I believe are severe eye caps. The kid told me that He just has "glassy eyes" because he has some snow red tail genes. I tried to get a picture but they got upset when I tried.

My questions are;

Wtf is this 'glassy eye' issue he told me of?
How could I possibly help this snake (I'm still interested in him) if he's so aggressive?


Thank you all for your help.

[Snakesitter]

I'm no redtail expert, but I've never heard of a "glassy eye" gene set before.

As for helping, your options are limited. You might ask for more "details" on the "morph" so you can read up on it, and if they cannot back it up, politely catch a manager to the side and mention that you really like the snake, but are concerned about its eyes. The prospect of a sale may justify further investigation and treatment to them. If all that fails, you would either have to buy it and treat it (risky), or report them to the local animal control area's reptile expert (also risky if you frequent or depend on them).

Of course, if it really is some new gene, then none of that second paragraph applies. ;-)

Good luck!

[Lankyrob]

Sounds lime they are talking bull to get a sale, report them and leave well alone, personally i wouldnt touch any animal or prey from that store.

[Terranaut]

I'd call them on it if you are interested. I agree with Rob and you should run away but maybe try this. Talk to the manager. Tell them you know lots about boas and they are killing this one. Explain the eye caps as the poor husbandry it is and tell them hiw bad it looks to have such a poorly kept animal in the store. Then try to make a deal if you can. But yes I would not buy anything there ever myself.

[Starbuck]

The eye cap issue could be contributing to the aggression/defensiveness of the snake. I too live in an area where even the private pet shop staff are not very educated about their animals (one shop owner couldnt even tell a client the approx lifespan of a beardie, and was surprised theirs was 12), so i know how frustrating it can be :/

[Menacingriine]

The eye cap issue could be contributing to the aggression/defensiveness of the snake. I too live in an area where even the private pet shop staff are not very educated about their animals (one shop owner couldnt even tell a client the approx lifespan of a beardie, and was surprised theirs was 12), so i know how frustrating it can be :/

Yeah... I already know they aren't very educated on their animals. It took me five times of telling him I needed a pinky rat before he understood what size rat I needed. Then today it took two employees about five times of asking to tell me the price of an unmarked black pastel ball python they have. I'm kind of peeved that the only place around my town to get feeders for my snake is there. Otherwise I'm looking at a 2 hour drive... I'm just going to start breeding rats for my snakes. *sighs*

Thank you guys for the advice as well. It helped me figure out what to do. I'm just going to report them. Who knows what sort of condition their mice and rats are in if a snake on the floor looks like that... poor thing.

[Squirtle]

Next time you go to the store, get us pictures of the boa, then we'd be able to help you. I'm also not a snake expert, but I've NEVER heard of glassy eyes, they were most likely trying really hard to sell you it. I'm almost positive that it has retained eye caps on top of multiple retained eye caps, and he's acting defensive because he can't see anything.

[Jules1618]

He maybe amazing after you fix him up. Get us some photos for sure, maybe he would give you a deal for this "defect" in the snake. There are any threads about bad sheds that you could follow

[bcr229]

I tried to get a picture but they got upset when I tried.
I'd approach it like you have a friend who would be interesting in buying it, but he doesn't live close by so he wants pics before making the drive.

[Jules1618]

That's a good idea

[KORBIN5895]

. Look into the khal albino eye defect. The particular strain of albinism has defective eyes ( usually the right) that is actually dead. It isn't retained eye caps or the snow genes ( visual albino and anery).

[TheSuppishOne]

There's such a thing as a Khal albino boa?!

I think you would pretty much HAVE to name it Drogo.

Is there such a thing as a Khaleesi albino boa?? XD

[Terranaut]

Yes there are 2 seperate ,non compatable albino genes in bci's. They are Kahl and Sharp. If you breed them together you just get normals.

[KORBIN5895]

Yes there are 2 seperate ,non compatable albino genes in bci's. They are Kahl and Sharp. If you breed them together you just get normals.

Actually there are four different "albino" strands for sure. Khal, Sharp, t+ and boawoman caramel.

[TheSuppishOne]

Apparently neither of you watches/reads Game of Thrones...

[Terranaut]

Actually there are four different "albino" strands for sure. Khal, Sharp, t+ and boawoman caramel.
I stand corrected ;)
Apparently neither of you watches/reads Game of Thrones...
I don't watch much tv at all.

[Jules1618]

Lol sunshine I got it... I love the show

[Menacingriine]

So I finally got a picture of the boa today... buuut I'm still not allowed to post pictures. ~.~

[Menacingriine]

Sorry it's so huge and not the greatest quality. T_T but hopefully now someone can help me.

http://i1295.photobucket.com/albums/b626/menacingriine/IMAG0074_zps4fe49703.jpg

[Mark Taylor]

Looks like it's blind.

[KORBIN5895]

Yep. It's the khal defect. It has nothing to do with the shops husbandry

[Terranaut]

Yep. It's the khal defect. It has nothing to do with the shops husbandry

I had never heard of this. Thanks.

[KORBIN5895]

I had never heard of this. Thanks.

It's a genetic defect that cause the eye to basically wither and be useless.

[bcr229]

Wow, that's sad. Looks like he could be a real beauty of a snake too.

[Terranaut]

It's a genetic defect that cause the eye to basically wither and be useless.

One more reason I am glad my girl is a sharp sunglow ;)

[Menacingriine]

Thank you all for the help. I'm not sure what I'm going to do now... Haha I still want him just cause I'm a sucker for animals with handicaps. But I'm not sure I could handle him once he gets bigger. Any tips if I get this guy? How does one deal with a blind, large snake? Or should I just stay away?

Seriously though, thank you all for all of the help you've given me.

[KORBIN5895]

It will all depend on his attitude. I have a blind girl that is just sweet as can be.

[Menacingriine]

All I know is that he's a bit nippy. He previously bit the kid at the pet store when I asked to see him a couple weeks back. But that could have been due to multiple things, one being that the kid was handling guinea pigs just before and didn't wash his hands. -_-

[bcr229]

All I know is that he's a bit nippy. He previously bit the kid at the pet store when I asked to see him a couple weeks back. But that could have been due to multiple things, one being that the kid was handling guinea pigs just before and didn't wash his hands. -_-
My guess is he will settle down once outside of a store environment.

Also, even a laid-back snake can't be faulted for trying to take a chunk out of your hand if it smells like food. The one and only time my king snake even came close to biting me was after I had been picking Alaskan king crab legs for dinner, and even though I washed my hands afterward obviously there was still enough scent left on my fingers for him to try to chow down.