Well I want to learn a little about leopard gecko genetics. We did a mini-unit last year on plant genetics but I barely remember it. Anyway, this is what I have gathered so far:

For most morphs:
-If you breed a morph with a normal, some of the eggs will be hets for the morph
-If you breed the het back to the morph, you WILL get some morphs
-If you breed 2 of a morph you WILL get all morphs

I have a couple questions. Are these basic rules correct? Are their any morphs that are exceptions to these basic rules? Can you recommend any sites/tutorials on leopard gecko genetics? Preferably something simple. Thanks in advance.

Please allow me to set you straight.

If you breed a Genetic Recessive morph to a gecko that doesnt carry the recessive gene you will get all hatchlings that are 100% heterozygous (het) for the recessive trait.

Now, if you breed a 100% het back to a Morph of the same type, you will acheive 50% morph babies and 50% of the babies will be 100% het.

and yes, if you breed 2 Morphs of the same strain, you will get all morph babies.

The other rule you might want to know is this one:

If you breed (2) 100% het animals together you get 25% babies that are normal, 50% babies that are 100% het, and 25% morph babies. so the babies that look normal are 66% possible het for the morph trait.

Any further questions, let me know.

Paul

Thank you. That was a pretty stupid mistake on my part thinking that a gentic recessive bred to a normal will have 50% het. It has to be het because the gene code for the genetic recessive is xx, not Xx, so the babies will recieve at least one x. Are there certains morphs that aren't simply genetic recessive? I am still wondering what are double hets, triple hets, and so on? Are they a het of one morph bred to a het of a different morph? Also, I read that snows are "line bred." What is line bred? Also, how is it that some Leopard Geckos display two morph traits such as the blazing blizzard, which if I have it correct displays albino and blizzard traits? Thanks again.

Morphs that are not genetic recessives (Line bred) include but are not limited to:

Carrot tails
Snow
Hypo Tangerines
High Yellows
Carrot Heads

Morphs that are Genetic Recessives include but are not limited to:

Albino (rainwater, tremper)
Blizzard

Ok, Firstly line bred means breeding back into the stock to re-produce a specific trait. Take high yellow for example. Some one way back had a baby gecko that showed more yellow than normal, and bred it to another gecko that also showed more yellow, thus their offspring had more yellow than normal. With successive breedings, the babies grew to have more and more of this color. This is the case with all non genetic recessive traits.

Now, in the case of double and triple hets, I can explain double using Leopards.

Lets say that a male blizzard (genotype bb) is bred to an albino female (genotype aa).

The resulting offspring LOOK like normal Leopard geckos, but carry (are het for) both Albino and Blizzard. (genotype BbAa)

For triple hets, the same thing, except it takes more than one breeding for the most part, unless you breed a double homozygous animal to a single homozygous animal of a different morph.

Lastly, as to them showing 2 traits, like Albino and Blizzard, they just are genotype (aabb) carrying and showing 2 recessive genepairs. not really hard to accomplish, but still a really cool thing to have

Like I said, anything else, lemme know

Paul

What about patternless and leucesent? What are the difference between the two phenotypically and genotypically?

That answers your patternless question, but I don't know about leucistic. Maybe Lord_Jason (Paul) knows.

ok - Patternless albino is a genetic recessive that is different than the other 2 "normal" albino genes.

Also Blizzard is Leucstic, and it is a genetic recessive in Leopard geckos. in Ballpythons, it is a co-dominant trait, which I will attempt to explain in a "care sheet" I am writing.

Paul

Thanks Paul! Now could you say it in english?

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Ok merlin, just for you old timer.

Now, since you all know what a recessive gene is (if you dont its a gene that only shows its self if there is not a dominant paired with it). A Co-Dominant trait is similar to a recessive gene, but that it will show its self partly even if the dominant trait is there. if both of the co-dom traits are there, then you have a "super" whatever. or a true leucstic.

This gene type is hard to tell some one about unless they already have a grasp of genetics.

If you want a visual, go to www.bobclark.com and look at the leucstic BP section.

Leucstic is carrying both of the "correct" genes and the fireballs only carry one.

Tiger Retics only carry one, and Super Tiger Retics carry both.

Hope this helps, and I'll do my best to get a page up on my website explaining this in full.

Paul

So basically if you breed a Hypo with another hypo, you may get hypos but there will be normals mixed in??

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