Cataracts? or something else?

Dan Salter · #1 (**permalink**) 21-03-2010, 05:21 PM

Saw this in my pond last night and photographed it after i noticed in my torch light its eyes were not right? it looks to have cataracts or a bit like a reptile when its about to slough its skin? Is this common or a symptom of something? or something else altogether? =(

Moonmoth · #2 (**permalink**) 21-03-2010, 06:15 PM

I Dont Know the answer to this, but could it be something to do with Frogs having 2 eyelids ? and you just caught it closing the transparent 1 so it looks odd .

Herpvet · #3 (**permalink**) 21-03-2010, 07:04 PM

[quote=Dan Salter;605754]Saw this in my pond last night and photographed it after i noticed in my torch light its eyes were not right? it looks to have cataracts or a bit like a reptile when its about to slough its skin? Is this common or a symptom of something? or something else altogether? =(

Hi Dan,

Difficult to say from the pic, but if there does definitely appear to be something wrong with that eye may be worth taking the frog to a vet for proper assessment of any lesion. May be nothing practical to be done, but if it is an active lesion treatment may help the frog.

Most vets should treat wild animals for free (during normal hours), but obviously confirm that with your vet.

Hope this helps,

Bruce.

Dogghound · #4 (**permalink**) 21-03-2010, 07:25 PM

Its just eyeshine from the flash/torch. Caused by the reflective tissue (tapetum lucidum) within the eye, this is common in nocturnal animals for enhancing sight. Its reflecting the torch light back making it look like the eye is glowing its just the angle you took the photo from. Infact a cateract would prevent this so if its eye was not so bright you would then assume a problem.

Dan Salter · #5 (**permalink**) 21-03-2010, 09:24 PM

I did consider eye shine.....but...(oh and it was both eyes)...im out every night with a torch and the eyes dont normally look like this? infact they usually look coloured and shiny...and nice and coppery in the toads?...this one in the torch just looked white and blind...only THEN did i take a pic on my phone?...

However i trust your judgement and do hope you are right?...i didnt take the frog into captivity so vet is out of question, but as i say i monitor my pond nightly so ill see if it re appears or see if i can make any others look this way in the torch?

frog123 · #6 (**permalink**) 21-03-2010, 10:19 PM

I found a dead frog with eyes just like that the other day in my pond I don't know if this is because it was dead or maybe it had the same thing as yours Dan?

Dan Salter · #7 (**permalink**) 21-03-2010, 10:28 PM

Thankfully is think this is nothing sinister now....after a little research, Amphibians have dual eyelids (as you all know on here)...a second lid that slides over the eye....im guessing at night i normally catch them with both lids open...and this one had its slightly opaque lids closed which then reflects the torchlight...i just tested this on a toad in the hand and sure enough the crystal clear copper coloured eye was eventually covered by an opaque lid that looked white under light....phew!

However...it did look really severe on this frog...it even allowed me to touch it without dashing off like they normally would?...so ill keep an eye open (no pun) for this one again?

Frog 123...im guessing on death the second lid stays covered which is why yours looked like this?....however...i am a scientist...so i will never just 'assume' something is explained because of 'so and so' and ignore it....always worth keeping tabs just in-case its not just the second lid and these frogs have eye problems?

Dogghound · #8 (**permalink**) 22-03-2010, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

However...it did look really severe on this frog...it even allowed me to touch it without dashing off like they normally would?...so ill keep an eye open (no pun) for this one again?

Frog 123...im guessing on death the second lid stays covered which is why yours looked like this?....however...i am a scientist...so i will never just 'assume' something is explained because of 'so and so' and ignore it....always worth keeping tabs just in-case its not just the second lid and these frogs have eye problems?

It may have been dazed by the torch light which allowed you to touch it?

Yes when dead the pupil dilates which likely resulted in the dead frog looking like it did.