genetic issues wth albinos

[k2l3d4]

Alright I have two store bought albino checkered garters. ....
Little Dude is healthy and a strong eater. but when I got him the breeder had not realized that he had a bit of shed left on his tail... to make long story short he lost the tip of his tail as a youngster,, it has since healed and grown back? Since that incident he has not been able to shed on his own... I tend to have to help him to make sure that it all comes off.
Now I just picked up his sister Rescue that was being starved to death at the store... He is 23 inches long she is 13 inches long... iShe has just had her first shed with me and also is having issues with shedding......

Now my question would be ......

Is shedding problems in albinos genetic?
and if not what other issues should one look out for in Albinos?

There you go Steve.... got it posted....

[snakeman]

It is either a humidity problem or a health issue.

[k2l3d4]

Ok..... explain please what you mean about health issue, because the humidity, temps, hides, feeding, ectera is all where it should be,... and Hudinie (green checkered) is in the same tank with them and has never had to be helped with shedding.... he gives me a perfect one piece shed every time...
I am asking about the genetic defects that can come in morphs because I know that ball pythons will exhibit issues...(I am picking up a spider ball python and I know that they have wobbles - that is a genetic trait of the morph) ...
So if it is not husbandry then what else could cause two albino checkered to have problems shedding, while their tank mate (normal checkered) has not problems?

[guidofatherof5]

Is the shedding problem only in the tail area? Does the shed break off at the cloaca or do they get past there and it's just a tip section? Are they shedding eye caps and the rest of the body okay?

[k2l3d4]

Eye caps and head are off fine.... Ever since Little Dude lost the tip of his tail last year ... he sheds in "shredded " pieces.... that is the closest to how I can describe it, adn he definately has troubles shedding the tail......
Now Rescue has only done one shed with me so far and she got the head and eye caps fine,.... but then was sheding the same way he does.... in shredded pieces. I noticed her shedding the same way, so I just went ahead and helped her like I do her brother.

I just always thought that Little Dude had issues since he lost the tip of his tail, and did not think more of it until Rescue showed the same shedding pattern..... They are siblings but I got him last Oct and only just picked her up since the store was starving her. So they have been in different enviroments until just recently, but still shed the same.

[guidofatherof5]

Do they have a large enough water dish so they can soak their whole body? Have you seen them soaking? What do they have in their enclosure to assist their shedding(rocks, branches, their hide, plants, etc) I find a lot of sheds stuck to the side of the water dish. They soak, which loosens the old skin. Then they rub against the dish.
Having the shed come off in pieces sounds like a humidity problem. Maybe for some unknown reason they need higher humidity. You may need to give them a shed box when that time comes around.

My albino radix shed for the first time and didn't have any problems. I was the one with the problem. I had no idea she was in the blue phase. Never saw a change in her eyes.

[k2l3d4]

I have a dish that is big enough for all three of them to go swimming if they so choose at the same time..... Then there is a half cocanut hide, a rock hide, a bush that is sticking out of rough rock, and foliage to help grab the shed.... Now Hudinie (normal) will soak himself in the dish, and when I had a water fall in teh tank last year, would not come out of that thing. I was afraid that he was going to get water logged and have since removed it. He loves the water,. now the Albinos on the other hand will not get in the water unless I am heping with their shedding and I am makeing them get into the water. They seem to have an adversion to the water. I guess they think that water is only for drinking. Little Dude will not even get the fish out of the water bowl when I get them a treat of feeders..> I have to get the fish out of the water for him to eat it..... spoiled rotten I say.

I will have to keep in mind the shed box. I do that with my baby ball python since he is in a 55 gallon tank and it is easier to do a shed box instead of the whole tank. Maybe that will help.

[sirtalis01]

in my opinion its humidity...i dont house my snakes in groups they are all kept individualy but my albino checkers tend to go in side the water bowl when they are on shedding sicle...you should try putting some wet paper towel when you see there eyes getting milkie this should help them shed easier...if im not mistaken i red somewhere that when snakes are stress could cause them to shed like that too......

[k2l3d4]

Yeah.. I know about the stress issues.... At first I think that is what cause Little Dude to go on a shed like that (last year when he lost the tip ) but since he was a baby at that time, maybe he never learned how to shed properly, and probably did not help that I babied him and helped him every time after that...whoops.
And my albino checkered avoid water at all costs.... they are completely backwards from all other garters that I have read about... they seem to hate water. and only go in it when I give them a bath to help with shedding..... I will try upping th ehumidity for them on the next shed though... see if that helps. I know that my green checkered soaks himself and seems to have no problems like the albinos do.....

But the huge question that I asked at the beginning that no one has answered..... Are there any problems that a person needs to keep an eye out for with albino checkered garters?

[ssssnakeluvr]

I don't know of any issues with albinos. if the little one lost a piece of tail, there will be scar tissue...that would be the probable cause of the shed problems with the tail....it might not be able to separate normally like the rest of the skin.

[sirtalis01]

i dont think that thers any genetic problem with albino checkereds or any other morph of garters...

[DrKate]

Are there any problems that a person needs to keep an eye out for with albino checkered garters?
I'm not sure either of these is exactly the kind of problem you're talking about, but...

Albinos of *any* species are going to be more easily burned by UV light. It seems that the benefit to garter snakes of a UVB bulb is controversial and I honestly don't have an opinion on that. But with an albino you probably either don't want to have a UVB bulb, or only turn it on for a short time each day if you're a strong UVB believer.

Also, albino mammals (including humans) tend to have poor eyesight. They're not blind, they just don't see quite as well as normals. I don't know if the same thing happens in albino reptiles, but I also don't know that you'd really notice it in a garter. (Come to think of it, this may be why your albinos don't hunt fish in a bowl - they can't see them well enough, and in the water they can't hunt by smell. You could try changing the color of your bowl to improve contrast with the color of the fish.)

Off the top of my head I can't think of any other problems strongly associated with albinism, of the kind you need to "watch out for" in the future. Doesn't mean there aren't any, of course, but I can't think of any. ;)