What do you make of this...

[Jerm]

I have a juvenile that hatched out with a white patch. I'm just curious if anyone has experienced this before in their babies. It doesn't seem to be changing size or anything. He is a little over 2 months old now and growing at the same rate as his siblings. It doesn't seem to be affecting him in any way. I don't see any signs of it in any of the others from his clutch. It looks to me like a genetic defect maybe similar to a piebald ball python, let me know what you think.

 

[ChameleonsTree]

wow weird...i wonder what his adult color will be

 

[Fate X]

what kind of chameleon is it?

 

[Jerm]

what kind of chameleon is it?

Sorry, I assumed that everyone could identify it, he is a juvenile panther.

 

[voxxom]

hmm thats really interesting.

i noticed on my female veiled, she has 2 of those as well. but they arent nearly as large, her white spots are about the size of a sesame seed.

i suppose its just a pigment issue, glad to see that hes doing well though

 

[Prism Chameleons]

Hi Jeremy,

Definitely born that way? Or is it possible he got too close to a heating source after he was born? Burns start out that coloration. Just a possibility to throw out there.

 

[Jerm]

Hi Jeremy,

Definitely born that way? Or is it possible he got too close to a heating source after he was born? Burns start out that coloration. Just a possibility to throw out there.

Hey Jenna,
I actually noticed this from birth, and he has never been close enough to a heat lamp to have been burned. I keep the lamps out of the enclosures just for that purpose. I know what are talking about though, they do start out with that coloration. This has to be a flaw in his pigmentation. I have kept a close eye on him from the beginning because I thought that something was wrong with him due to this. He doesn't seem to be affected by it in any way. I am keeping him as a pet just in case he has some sort of health issue, but he's already over 2 months and doing fine. Thanks for the concern.

 

[Jerm]

Just an update, i found another baby from a different clutch but the same parents with the same white spot. I am very interested in why this is occurring. I will post pictures of the new guy soon.

 

[Sean]

This is a great mutation Jerm. I would definately breed this guy. If you can isolate that gene you'd be closer to creating a white chameleon than anybody, probably. I don't think a white chameleon would do as poorly as most think, as long as you adjust the keeping parameters accordingly i.e., moving the basking light further away indoors or dappled sunlight outside. Cool!!

 

[ClmbrJ]

hmmm and we aren't breeding away from the neutral outdoor specie huh?

I wonder how many generations it would take breed in that trait and have an all white clutch.

 

[Sean]

Im going to weigh in on your first question over at the anti-brevity thread you started ClmbrJ. Odds are it would take many generations to secure high white content and even then there are no guarantees that the mutation wouldn't be pushed into the background in successive matings. Finding other breeders with this mutation would make the endeavor much more feasible, but this is the first time I've seen this so...

 

[Borat G R]

piebald ball python

My favorite snake...

A chameleon version would be amazing.

Can you post more pics of the two you have with the spot, Please.

Thanks

 

[podenbeck]

Partial albinism? This is seen in birds but I have never seen or heard of anything like this in herps. They have normal eye pigement etc. Pigeons are notorious for this. It also could be the same thing as the "translucent" that keeps showing up. Just throwing out some ideas.

 

[podenbeck]

After a little searching around partial albinism does exist in herps. That boa has it. Whether or not the cham has it is still up for debate.

 

[TylerStewart]

Looks to me like one of the cough, cough, "Chris Anderson Style" translucents, hack.... LOL

 

[Chris Anderson]

Haha, I'm sure we can ask our resident forum expert on chameleon genetic defects for confirmation.

Chris

 

[AncientCritters]

 

[TylerStewart]

Haha, I'm sure we can ask our resident forum expert on chameleon genetic defects for confirmation.

Chris

Who might that be?

 

[Chris Anderson]

Frodo of course!

 

[FL Chams]

Holland we need you to confirm something for us....Where are you?