Enigma vision problem video

[snowgyre]

I'm sure most of you aware that sometimes enigmas can have spinning or vision problems. I hatched two out this year that just can't aim for beans. They're 100% healthy otherwise, but man, they overshoot their prey like crazy. I have to feed them with tweezers.

I took a video of the albino enigma. She's absolutely ADORABLE, but as you can see in the video, she's obviously not capable of feeding herself adequately. She'll eventually get something in her mouth by lunging and thrashing with it open, but with me to baby her she doesn't have to worry. As you can see, she's an absolutely beautiful girl, and it's a bummer I can't hold her back to breed. I'm adopting her (and her sibling) out to a school teacher so kids can enjoy her.

Please ignore the unmade bed. It's a Saturday and I'm a graduate student, I'm allowed to be a bad kid! ;-)

Here's the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0UAc-czUkU

 

[Brewboy74]

Very interesting video and a beautiful girl. She is an aggressive thing.....lol.

 

[BrilliantEraser]

Beautiful girl, and what a personality! I love Enigmas, but I don't think I could ever own another one. They are a HUGE amount of work, especially considering that they *should* have a 20-year lifespan.

 

[acpart]

Wow! I have 1 enigma and even though I love her, I won't have any more and will retire her from breeding. Luckily, she didn't produce for me this year. One thing that works for my enigma, who varies in her feeding ability, though is not usually as bad as that, is to put her in a very enclosed space (like the lay box or one of her hides) and put the feeder in there with her. That's worked really well for her.


Aliza

 

[snowgyre]

Yeah, that would probably work for this girl, Aliza, although I do admit that I get a great deal of enjoyment out of feeding her by hand because her personality is so amusing. She has captured dubias on her own before, but after a great deal of lunging with her mouth open until it accidentally touches her mouth. She and her sibling are the only two enigmas I've hatched this year that have ever had this problem, so I'm not exactly sure what the deal is.

I told the adopters that switching her to less mobile prey (like mealworms) may be good, because then she can use her mouth as a shovel and no aim is really required.

 

[LugiaLover]

You're all so lucky your enigmas will feed. Mine won't take anything, even from tongs. I'll probably have to formula feed her for the next 20 years.

 

[BrilliantEraser]

Vanessa, what I found with my enigma was that he fed *much* better on larger feeders than he did on the small/medium mealworms. He was able to strike the superworms and waxworms with a lot less difficulty than when he was fed mealworms. I would still suggest keeping your female on dubias, or moving over to supers.

 

[monkeytechahoo]

Thanks for this video. I have a 1yr old tangerine enigma and his aim is a little off but not like her's, so I wasn't too sure what to look for being this is my first leo gecko and his bein an enigma. He's a fatty otherwise. Crickets and roaches are a little hard for him, but he does get them after a while. A bowl of mealworms, reg & large size, every day keeps him happy. We haven't noticed anything near the signs of enigma syndrome, but your video helps us see what we've been reading up on so we know better now what to look for.

Thanks.

 

[geckoboa]

Wow, that leo is the most adorable leo I've ever seen! I think your commentary made me giggle as well! She was so excited to get the food. I've never had a gecko jump like that! Thanks for the video. I have two enigmas, one that spins in circles, but her aim isn't too bad and that was realized with this video! Appreciate your time and glad you found a nice home for your little lady.

 

[thegeckoguy23]

Wow thats one crazy gecko


Jake

 

[snowgyre]

Lugialover, sounds like you've got an unusually bad enigma case there. Is she not feeding at all on her own?

Liz, yeah, I've noticed that her aim is better with larger dubias. I feed her the largest size she can scarf down most of the time, although you couldn't really tell that in the video. I really don't like supers, mostly because my geckos tend to look at them like they're aliens, lol.

Heather, this girl doesn't show any "enigma syndrome" per se, since she doesn't spin at all. However, I have no doubt that her vision problems are caused by being an enigma. I'm not sure if there's some sort of genetic component to it, or if maybe it was developmental. She and her sibling were the only two enigmas I hatched this year with any issues, so perhaps the incubation temperature fluctuated with a minor power outage or something. I would expect the vision problems to crop up more frequently if the problem was caused exclusively by genetics. It's not because she's albino either. Her sibling isn't albino, and I hatched a nova this year which, considering it has red-eyes, you would think would be even more susceptible to spinning or vision problems who is completely fine.

Geckoboa, thanks! She's a lot of fun, that's for sure. Sometimes hand feeding geckos can be a real chore, but I really enjoy her antics. ;-)

Jacob, she sure is!

 

[prettyinpink]

Awe she's so cute! I like the coloring on her. She almost acts like a little puppy

 

[snowgyre]

Well, it's been a while since I posted in this thread, but the person who was going to adopt this girl out and her tangerine enigma sister (who has similar aiming issues) just backed down. If anybody wants them, you would only have to pay shipping. I would prefer it if these girls go to a school where they can be used for education, since they are darlings!

I will make an official ad later today, but I figured I'd give you guys a heads up.

 

[Neill]

Just wondering how often you feed her because i have NEVER had a gecko respond so much as to say I WANT FOOD! I WANT FOOD! I mean mine will here me shake the crickets and come out but nothing like that response.

 

[ddkgeckos]

would be very interested to know if other albino enigmas have a similar problem. If what you say is true and she shows no other signs of the enigma problems and is purely her eyesight. i wonder if bad eyesight is made worse when you have a albino enigma. seems to me taking one morph with bad eyesight and adding it to another morph with bad eyesight can onbly lead to hatchlings with bad eyesight. What you guys think?

 

[Alex G]

She's so cute, but I don't think I could possibly justify another animal so soon or I'd take her off your hands. Good luck!

 

[tlbowling]

What a funny little personality! My son and I just sat here giggling at your video. I wish I could take her, but we just got 4 more with in the last 2 months, and I know my husband wont go for it

 

[joeyjoe9876]

How cute. I wouldn't mind owning her, but I'm so dang poor

 

[snowgyre]

Neill, I was feeding her every day at the time this video was made. All I have to do is approach the cage (even after she fed) and she's like more, more! She will literally jump clear out of the tub to try to get at the food. She's the only gecko I have that, if I put her on the ground, she will run toward me to get food rather than going to hide under stuff like my other leos will do. I've had to cut back her feeding to every other day because she's turning into a fattie!

David, some albino enigmas have vision problems, but certainly not all. I have a nova (which is a raptor enigma) with zero problems. I think it's a random draw which hatchlings end up having vision problems. There have been lots of threads made though, if you do a search I'm sure you could find out more information.

Thanks for the interest, everyone!

 

[aburningflame]

where are her hides? :S