Your veterinarian will likely ask detailed questions about your reptile’s husbandry and may suggest some screening tests, likely a blood test, to determine any medical reason for the retained spectacle.Ī retained spectacle may be treated by placing the reptile in chin deep, cage temperature water (tepid or lukewarm) for 30 minutes to loosen the retained eyecap before it is manually removed. In the vast majority of cases your veterinarian will be able to diagnose a retained spectacle from this examination. Your veterinarian will start by taking a thorough medical history and give your reptile physical examination. This retained spectacle in a ball python's right eye creates a cloudy appearance. All gecko species (like tokay geckos) have spectacles, except those in the eyelid gecko group, such as the leopard geckos and fat-tailed geckos that have eyelids and so can’t have a retained eyecap, and some species of skinks. While any species of reptiles can have eye problems and eye disease, only those species that have spectacles can have a retained eyecap. Some of these include external parasites such as mites, infections of the mouth and teeth (mouthrot), and any infections that leads to swelling of the eye. Always check your snake’s or lizard’s shed to be sure both spectacles are there.īy far the most common cause for retained spectacles is improper or suboptimal husbandry, especially low humidity, but can also be due to others conditions or diseases. There may be dried skin visible in the groove between the eye and surrounding scales. Snakes and lizards can have one eye affected or both eyecaps may be retained. This abnormal eye appearance becomes more obvious as additional layers of spectacles accumulate. ![]() Retained spectacles make it hard for reptiles to see properly, can cause them not to eat well, and if not removed, then additional layers of spectacles can build up with each subsequent shed.Ī snake or lizard with a retained spectacle will have a cloudy, grainy look to the affected eye. ![]() When the spectacle does not come off with the rest of the reptile’s shed skin, it is referred to as retained. The spectacle is formed from fused eyelids that have become clear. The spectacle, or eyecap, is the scale that covers the eyes in snakes and in some lizard species. An example of a retained spectacle in a ball python.
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