Albino Tegu Questions

[PyraTheRex]

So, I’ve seen a lot out there about different types of albino tegus. I just wanted to ask a few questions about them since I’m looking into a variety of different tegus before I make my first purchase. Do albino tegus often come with health problems? I hear albinos are very sensitive to light, how would I go about cage setup for an albino? If I were to consider getting an albino, what are some things I should know about them before I get one? I was also looking into Hector’s Habitat and Jesse’s Jungle, are these two trustworthy breeders?

 

[Walter1]

Welcome. You're asking the right questions. Albinos in nature are often accompanied by lower fitness.Not surprising. What selects for an animal to be suseceptible to predation?

To cinpound it, there are unscrupulous breeders that include heavy inbreeding that increases the odds of problems because they wantca quick buck.

What does this mean? Legitimate breeders, such as Hector, keep problems to a mininum by minimizing inbreeding of a genotype that has low fitness to begin with. OTOH, unscrupulous breeders aggravate it by inbreeding to pro duce more albinos faster.

 

[PyraTheRex]

Welcome. You're asking the right questions. Albinos in nature are often accompanied by lower fitness.Not surprising. What selects for an animal to be suseceptible to predation?

To cinpound it, there are unscrupulous breeders that include heavy inbreeding that increases the odds of problems because they wantca quick buck.

What does this mean? Legitimate breeders, such as Hector, keep problems to a mininum by minimizing inbreeding of a genotype that has low fitness to begin with. OTOH, unscrupulous breeders aggravate it by inbreeding to pro duce more albinos faster.

Ahh, that makes sense. What kind of heating (and lighting if needed) would be best for an albino also?

 

[Walter1]

Ahh, that makes sense. What kind of heating (and lighting if needed) would be best for an albino also?

Same heatong. Lighring, not sure beyond their being sensitve to UV.

 

[PyraTheRex]

Same heatong. Lighring, not sure beyond their being sensitve to UV.

Oh, okay! Thank you very much for your help

 

[TripleTegus]

As far as I know the care for an albino is the same. Beyond having a sight problem I haven't really heard any issues with them. The average price for an albino is close to $3,000. Most of the prices I've seen anyways. I would like to get an albino myself.

 

[PyraTheRex]

As far as I know the care for an albino is the same. Beyond having a sight problem I haven't really heard any issues with them. The average price for an albino is close to $3,000. Most of the prices I've seen anyways. I would like to get an albino myself.

Oh wow, I wasn’t aware of the pricing yet! Good to know, definitely will need to save up if I do decide to get an albino. I may start with a blue tegu, but I’ve also taken a liking to the “albino red” from Jesse’s Jungle, they are quite beautiful. I’m just making sure to do all my research first, I don’t know much about this particular breeder so I’m naturally a bit cautious. They do seem to have a lot of positive reviews on Facebook though.

 

[TripleTegus]

Well your doing a great job on asking the right questions so far. You can find them a little cheaper some places but I haven't really seen any under 1500. I have no personal experience with Jesse's jungle but some people around here might.

 

[PyraTheRex]

Well your doing a great job on asking the right questions so far. You can find them a little cheaper some places but I haven't really seen any under 1500. I have no personal experience with Jesse's jungle but some people around here might.

Thank you! I appreciate your help. I’ll have to look around some more, but I’ll keep the pricing in mind.. As beautiful as they are, I may have to settle for a less expensive tegu lol. Not that I mind, of course!

 

[AlphaAlpha]

I find it quite disturbing that people try to breed dis-formed or inferior animals to gain bigger profit margins and also that stupid people feed the problem by paying these prices.

They should in all fairness be sold as a discount animal..... I would presume like most other albino species they have eye and skin problems with an all round lower life expectancy.

 

[Walter1]

I find it quite disturbing that people try to breed dis-formed or inferior animals to gain bigger profit margins and also that stupid people feed the problem by paying these prices.

They should in all fairness be sold as a discount animal..... I would presume like most other albino species they have eye and skin problems with an all round lower life expectancy.

AA, Quite the scam where you willingly pay extra for problems.

 

[rantology]

I was really seriously looking into getting an albino myself but decided against it and ended up with my anery. I don't have an issue with albinos in species that don't need UVB, I don't think affects them much. But in a lizard that will need substantial UVB exposure and bright lights over it's lifetime to function properly? eeeeeeh I'd rather avoid it, as pretty as those animals are.

I think albinos can be accommodated if you really have your heart set on them. But they do need additional research and special consideration in terms of husbandry. Melanin normally blocks UVB and since they lack any melanin, they would need a lighter level of UVB to get the same benefits compared to a normal tegu. You would need to find the balance between adequate exposure for them to produce D3 yet not enough to damage their skin. Even so, they would still have higher risk factors for cancer and blindness. There is, unfortunately, a lack of literature on the subject from what I can find.

 

[Debita]

I can't imagine supporting animals that are bred with sight problems. Sounds like cruelty to me. That said, I know that any progress made with any breeding of any species is subject to mistakes and corrections. If you're a breeder that isn't sure what you're dealing with....you're an idiot and are in over your head.

Breeders should have many years experience just raising the animals, and have a sound understanding and/or background history of DNA and genetics. I'm sure lots of mistakes are made still.

 

[Walter1]

The intersection of puppy mill and inbreeding to turn a quick buck.

 

[Debita]

The intersection of puppy mill and inbreeding to turn a quick buck.

Yes - total disregard for the animals they're breeding to be sold to people who have no idea how to handle what's coming, along with that cute puppy. In the end - it costs you a lot more than heartbreak.