Enigma Syndrom

[JennPopper]

Hello all, I have a situation I need to run past you. First question, Do all enigmas have ES? This seems to be a difficult ? to get answered, due to lots of research, (articles,breeders,forums), its seems to be a matter of opinion, cause some say yes others say no. The reason I ask is because I have several enigmas, and all act completley normal. Except one gecko I just recieved. I messaged the seller, (in less than 24hrs.) telling them I had an issue, the poor thing cant stop walking in circles. They replied to me admitting she has slight ES (it doesnt look slight to me), and she should be fine in a week & that I can still breed her. You must understand I never once mentioned whether I wanted her for breeding or a pet to them, even though I would have bred her if she was healthy. I cant BELIEVE, they think this leo is breedable!! I was upset in the first place, but a statement like that I'm appalled! Also when I saw her for sale NOwhere did it mention ES, this wasnt admitted by the seller until I purchased her, had her shipped to me, in my possession, and seeing it for myself. I feel as if I was duped, and did not sign up to care for a leo with special needs. Now dont get me wrong, I love my leos and she will have the best care possible at my hand, my heart is broken just watchin her, and I would do anything for her. I can not ask for a refund and reship her back to them, not right away, since I'm certain the stress of shipping made her condition worse, and I wont do that to the poor girl. But I feel like that there is some retribution in order since the wool was clearly pulled over my eyes, and worst of all at the risk of this leos health. Im not what I can do on my end about what they did, if anything at all. But I would like any advice you can give. Thanks

 

[Neon Aurora]

That is a tough question to answer for sure, but I don't think all enigmas have ES. There are some breeders that have bred ES-free enigmas for several generations. But no one really knows for sure. There has not really been any research on how it works. Some people believe it to be an autosomal dominant disorder, with affected individuals being heterozygous (homozygous being fatal). IMO, I think it's probably more complicated than that. Being a spectrum disorder, I have trouble believing it is caused by just a single dominant gene.

I think you're right to be appalled that a breeder would encourage you to breed a gecko with any amount of ES. In my opinion, that's simply unethical. I also think the breeder should have informed you that she does have ES, but at the same time I feel like purchasing enigmas runs that risk. Sometimes a gecko does not appear to have ES and after shipping it pops up. This is a huge reason why I simply don't work with them. It's too hard to tell if they are really, actually ES-free. I think the best thing to do would be to get into contact with the breeder and express that you feel you were misinformed about your purchase. The breeder isn't required to refund you or allow an exchange, but he/she may be willing to work with you.

 

[DrCarrotTail]

I believe that all enigmas do have ES to some degree. Outward signs are almost non-existent in some but it is there in all of them and can begin to display at any time in their lives. Stress, like bright lights, shipping, a change in environment, and breeding can bring out symptoms that were not easily visible when the gecko was not stressed. It may be true that the animal did not appear to have terrible symptoms before it left the breeder and the stress of shipping and moving have caused them to be much worse. The symptoms may fade as your gecko calms down and acclimates to its new environment or they may not. Really only time will tell

That said, I believe responsible breeders working with enigmas today only breed animals that do not show a high level of ES symptoms. Even when the most care is taken in choosing the breeders, babies with bad symptoms can hatch out. I think you should talk to the breeder and see if you can work something out for this guy. I wouldn't instantly accuse them of being irresponsible because, as I mentioned, the symptoms may be brought on by stress and the breeder may not know how bad the symptoms have gotten in a short time.

Best of luck working something out!

 

[pandyana]

I had a gecko that I was not told was Enigma. I kept him regardless. We were already attached and the symptoms didn't seem that pronounced. As he aged however they did get worse and at the age of about 5 I ended up putting him down :-( He got so bad he couldn't stand up and couldn't eat. He was flipping like a fish. Now I'm not saying this is going to happen to yours it is just my experience with one. He was an entertaining little guy and we miss him.

I agree that symptoms do get worse with stress and then calm down as they get calmer. His would get more pronounced if we took him out so we only took him out when we were going to clean his tank and if absolutely necessary. Good luck and I wish you the best. Special needs or not they hold a special place in your heart. Sometimes more than others. I have 2 autistic spectrum kids and one higher functioning than the other. Taking care of special needs is second nature to me.

 

[acpart]

I bought an enigma 6 or 7 years ago that also reportedly hadn't shown enigma signs. I got her for breeding purposes, but as soon as she started ovulating, she started showing enigma syndrome signs. I still have her and she has never and will never breed (and I will never get an enigma again). Here's an article about ES that Gecko Time ran:
Enigma Syndrome in Leopard Geckos: An Autosomal Dominant Disorder - Gecko Time - Gecko Time

Aliza