# Albino and lights



## SnakeCharmr728 (Apr 11, 2013)

there was a thread quite awhile ago about the special requirements of albino tegus, can someone point me towards it? I tried searching for it but didnt find it.


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## Dubya (Apr 11, 2013)

All albinos of any kind of animal cannot stand much uv. Breeding a basking animal for albinism is cruel. I would supplement D3 instead of a uv bulb. Just my 2 cents.


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## TegusRawsome80 (Apr 11, 2013)

D3 supplements = no. Setting it up without UVB and feeding whole prey is a better option.


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## TeguBuzz (Apr 11, 2013)

I've seen albinos thriving off of natural sunlight (living outdoors) and being fed a strictly whole prey diet. Prior to Bert Langerwerf's death, I spoke to him occasionally on the subject and that is what he use to do. 

His son can also attest to raising and breeding albino tegus successfully with little to no impediments as far as albinism - outdoors and on whole prey. They also bred and housed their pure white phase (non-albino tegu), outdoors.


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## Roadkill (Apr 11, 2013)

There's one aspect that I know has always been overlooked with respect to albino reptiles and that's the damage that light (not just UVB) does to their eyes. I don't think it has been investigated in reptiles _per se_, but guidelines for research institutions utilizing albino animals mandate that light levels need to be kept below 300 lux (long term exposure of albinos to light levels greater than 300 lux causes permanent damage to the retina, or in other words blindness). While most of us have little idea what 300 lux looks like, I gather that the average office lit by standard fluorescents sits at around 450 lux. I work for a research institution and we recently moved into a new facility supposedly specifically designed with all these regulations in mind. Our small animals are all kept in topaz coloured plastic caging (so akin to sunglasses), our ceilings are quite high, and all lights are behind diffusing filters - despite all these conditions, when we set instruments within the cages to measure our light levels we found we were well above the 300 lux level and had to actually remove a lot of lighting to get under 300 lux. Let me tell you, 300 lux is pretty dim. I can't say what UVB may or may not be doing to ones albino tegus, but I'm pretty certain that conditions such as natural sunlight and regular reptile lighting will slowly blind albino tegus (and other albino reptiles).


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## Bubblz Calhoun (Apr 11, 2013)

_I don't think it's been overlooked but down played. Albinism reacts and presents itself pretty much the same in people and animals. With some visual differences from one to the next depending on the extent of it (and the type), you get that in people too. But since the main issues with albinism like eyesight, deafness (and some others) are not aesthetic, therefore not as important as skin carcinomas or anything like that. A pretty paint job is just that, a pretty paint job. Most people don't care about the inside or what's under the hood unless they can see it (or it effects them in some other way).

Something I've noticed and considered when watching Nerds videos of their albino monitors is how they're kept in dim lighting. With the little ones I've seen red heat lamps more than anything else but it's not something I've heard discussed in the videos I've seen. 

Some people even deny that they have visual issues at all but even Tom Crutchfield says so in some of his videos. But like other things it's a degenerative issue that varies from one to the next, which the lighting they're in at that time also effects how they see among other things._


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## laurarfl (Apr 12, 2013)

I visited Shawn Heflick and talked about his albino alligators. He does keep them outside, but makes special considerations for them. They are never bathed and have a thick algae on their skin to protect from sun damage. They also live in an enclosure with plenty of foilage to offer shade. It is definitely something that takes extra precaution to keep the animal comfortable.


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## chelvis (Apr 12, 2013)

When I had an albino tegu she was kept in a low light cage, she did get some basking time but it was limited to prevent damage to the eyes. You have to keep in mind when tegus bask they often will keep there eyes closed, so there wasn't too much issue there. I got her as an adult and she already had some damage to the eyes. I kept her on a whole only diet and soon after switched Bosco to the same, not only did it work to prevent MBD but it also helped keep Bosco lean as he was starting to get a big chunky. 

I took her to the herp vet when I suspected eye issues and he confirmed that she was partially blind and that eye drops would keep her comfortable. I did daily eye drops, outside time and then inside for chermatic heat basking. She was a great lizard but a lot of work, didn't help that she was fed by hand and often bit me by mistake. I ended up finding a great home for her, someone who had an albino tegu that passed away.


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## laurarfl (Apr 12, 2013)

She's very pretty, Chelvis


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## chelvis (Apr 12, 2013)

She was a great lizard, but school and two jobs and one growing tegu was too much.


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## Dubya (Apr 12, 2013)

Thank you,roadkill. That is what I was getting at. I hate you a little less today. But I do respect your rightness.


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## bfb345 (Apr 13, 2013)

I personally dont like the albinos something just always looks weird or sickly about them i think they should not be purposely bred unless it is an animal that requires no basking such as ball pythons but with tegus its not right


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## TegusRawsome80 (Apr 13, 2013)

I have heard that albino iguanas don't have any ill effects from being albino although I've never kept them so no personal experience. I personally enjoy albino tegus and would love to have one some day and don't have an issue breeding with them. However, they aren't for everyone.


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## laurarfl (Apr 13, 2013)

I have seen albino igs kept outdoors and they look fine. Go figure.


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## TheTeguGurl (Apr 13, 2013)

I hear some many diff things when it comes to albino Tegus. At one time they used to be so popular and everyone wanted one. Not so much any more. Yes they are neat looking but at the same time so hard to keep and need special care.


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## TegusRawsome80 (Apr 14, 2013)

I don't think anyone has had enough success with them to determine exactly what care works for them. I think they are more fragile but I would take on that challenge. I love their coloration and think they're pretty cool animals.


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