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Why do snakes dull as they age ?
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by TheBlackMamba on July 6, 2013
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Does anybody on this site know why snakes lose their contrast and get duller as they age. For example, my albino monocle went from a neon-ultraviolet pinkish purple when I got it to a very dull white cream color and it lost all of its contrast as it aged. Yet I just purchased an albino monocle of the same age and this snake has kept all of its bright high contrast coloring. Is this purely genetic ? Are their environmental factors that contribute to this ? Can it be prevented or slowed with vitamin spray or by some other means ? Do snakes loose color as they shed ? If anyone can explain what is going on biochemically or has any insight into this phenomena it would be greatly appreciated. Any books that address the matter would also be helpful.
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RE: Why do snakes dull as they age ?
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by Peter84Jenkins on July 7, 2013
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This is an interesting question that not many people probably give much thought to. I imagine that the majority of what you are seeing is purely anecdotal, meaning the circumstances behind your observations are limited to special cases. You mentioned that your albino monocle cobra was an ultraviolet coloration; surly that was not the case seeing as how the ultraviolet is a much shorter wavelength than the human eye is capable of perceiving. Nevertheless, I understand that you mean your albino snake was brighter and presented a brighter, purple color when it was younger. This is normal; most young albino snakes are bright and beautiful because the young of many snakes are lighter in coloration when born. That lightness in youth translates to a brighter albino simply because well patterned, light colored snakes show greater contrast in amelenestic animals. As many species of snake age they lose pattern and their pigmentation begins to naturally darken, and the same goes for a snake that is albino. Dark colors tend to turn mustard colored in albino animals, thus your snake looks to have lost much of those light, bright purple colors.
Other answers could simply lie in geriatric deterioration of pigment, damage to the body, or the animal is closing in on a shed cycle. Many wild caught animals are upon first examination very dull looking, but after a shed, these dull looking animals can brighten very significantly. Also light conditions the snake is exposed to will cause some snake specie’s colors to change slightly. Natural light is the best light under which to view your snake’s colors at their full potential. Their colors will shimmer at their best when bathed in sunlight. If the animal is viewed in doors or in dark environments, then the color will reciprocate those dark conditions.
Sorry for the longwinded post, but to my knowledge there is no real simple answer to your question. It could be just a matter of your perception of the snake over time, the conditions under which you view the animal, et al. Others may have insight to share, especially keepers who have been working with a variety of species over many many years, and who will be able to present insight from a greater sample size.
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RE: Why do snakes dull as they age ?
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by TheBlackMamba on July 8, 2013
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I don't mind your long post at all because I want to get to the bottom of this and any info helps. I think you hit the nail on the head when you mentioned pigment deterioration and pigment darkening with age. I have certainly noticed both of these qualities in many animals. I definitely don't think it has anything to do with perception because my two snakes are both albinos of the same exact age and differ to the point where they almost look like two different morphs with regards to brightness and contrast. I wish I could upload pictures. I am also aware that this is noticeable in snakes with regular non-mutated coloring as well. I had regular ball pythons growing up and I remember noticing that some were much more brighter and shiny then others. This phenomena is just more demonstrable in my albino monocles which is why I chose to use them as an example. On another note, this definitely seems to be an important aspect of snake morphology that I wish more people looked into. For one thing, I wonder if pigment darkening, deterioration, or brightening is a symptom of a vitamin deficiency or some other pathological aspect of their overall health such as parasites. It also has implications for breeders who breed snakes for morphology and for regular pattern. Does the brightening or dulling have any natural advantage if it is not linked to health problems ? It certainly has application with breeders who breed for aesthetics. I already see some people at reptile shows who claim they have "high contrast" albinos that will not dull with age and charge extra for them. I would really like to understand what is going on and I am going to do more research on this topic. If anyone else has further insight please share.
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RE: Why do snakes dull as they age ?
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by mike_anthony on July 31, 2013
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Often, color changes are attributed to ontogenetic phenotypic plasticity and color morphology. Your snake may have the ability to become adaptive to color stimuli, or it may alter its color hue via developmental genetics.
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