the online meeting place for all who love our amphibians and reptiles
Home Page Live Forums Archived Forums Site Search Identify Record Donate Projects Links
Forum Home Forum Home > Herpetofauna Native to the UK > Slow Worm
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Leucistic/White adult Slow Worm.
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Leucistic/White adult Slow Worm.
 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
Testudo Man View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 11 Apr 2012
Location: Kent
Status: Offline
Points: 91 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Testudo Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Leucistic/White adult Slow Worm.
    Posted: 11 Jun 2012 at 7:35pm
I came across a leucistic/white adult slow worm recently(9/6/12). It was half hidden and belly up, so I assumed it was dead. I wanted to examine it, to see possible cause of death, but as I picked it up, it was in fact very much alive! I took several photos of it, then watched it return to the cover of the woodland floor.
Its of adult size, and intact(as in, no tail missing/damage). It has normal eye colour, so its not an albino. It appears to be a female? but its head is also large, so Im not 100% sure its female? No blue spots could be seen on its body, although you would be hard pushed to see any type of markings on this slow worm.Wink
 
Has anyone else found a leucistic/white slow worm?
 
Some photos of the beauty, cheers.
 
 
 
In this photo, the slow worm is showing its nictitating membrane.
 
 
 
 
 
Back to Top
Liz Heard View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Location: South West
Status: Offline
Points: 1429 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Liz Heard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jun 2012 at 7:48pm
great find/pix. tks for posting!
Back to Top
Testudo Man View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 11 Apr 2012
Location: Kent
Status: Offline
Points: 91 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Testudo Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jun 2012 at 4:06pm
Originally posted by ben rigsby ben rigsby wrote:

great find/pix. tks for posting!
 
Thanks, no problems.
Back to Top
tim hamlett View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1062 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tim hamlett Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jun 2012 at 10:37pm
very beautiful and very rare i think

look at page 2 on the archived slowworm section under snow worm

tim
Back to Top
herpetologic2 View Drop Down
Forum Coordinator
Forum Coordinator
Avatar

Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1511 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote herpetologic2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jun 2012 at 6:47am
There are dark markings on its chin coupled with the normal coloured eye means it is not leucistic. a pale coloured animal which is pre slough perhaps? it would have been nice to take it into temporary captivity  
Back to Top
GemmaJF View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jan 2003
Location: Essex
Status: Offline
Points: 4359 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jun 2012 at 10:59am
I can't agree with that at all Jon. That animal is clearly leucistic. It is very common for leucistic animals to have normally coloured eyes.
Back to Top
herpetologic2 View Drop Down
Forum Coordinator
Forum Coordinator
Avatar

Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 1511 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote herpetologic2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jun 2012 at 11:18am
My mistake, therefore an animal with lack of pigment on its body. 
Back to Top
GemmaJF View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jan 2003
Location: Essex
Status: Offline
Points: 4359 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GemmaJF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jun 2012 at 1:34pm
Yep, there is a write up on Leucism on Wikipedia, with a fantastic picture of a leucistic lion, well worth a look. 
Back to Top
Testudo Man View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 11 Apr 2012
Location: Kent
Status: Offline
Points: 91 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Testudo Man Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jun 2012 at 5:18pm
Originally posted by herpetologic2 herpetologic2 wrote:

There are dark markings on its chin coupled with the normal coloured eye means it is not leucistic. a pale coloured animal which is pre slough perhaps? it would have been nice to take it into temporary captivity  
 
Darn it, I knew I would raise an eyebrow using the word leucistic!...lucky I wrote it like this then- Leucistic/WhiteWink.
 
The markings on the chin area, look like scale formation to me. It didnt appear to be pre shed/slough either, but if it was, if this slow worm did shed, then it would appear even brighter/white.
Im not that familiar with all things slow worm, but if this is a female, then it shows no normal markings that you would associate with that of an adult female slow worm.
 
The light conditions were cloudy, I didnt use the flash on my camera, and whilst editing these photos, I had to decrease the contrast, in order to tone down the whiteness of this slow worm.
 
 
Not so nice for the slow worm though, to be taken into temporary captivityWink
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.06
Copyright ©2001-2016 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 0.141 seconds.