snow leopard gecko question

[rinoa0587]

i was wondering how rare snow geckos are. i really like snow leo's but cannot find them for sale. are they a new morph that just hasn't caught on?
thanks much,
ashley

[diablohogs]

its my understanding that its not a morph at all and they have been linebred to look that way.

personally i got excited when i discovered them thinking they were black albinos (anerys). if they are then that opens alot of doors as far as double morphs go including the "true" ghost and snow morphs that you see in corn snakes, hondurans, red tail and kenyan sand boas.

if they are in fact anerys or even if the "snow" is a reccesive trait id really like to know myself. if its just a line bred thing it really doesnt interest me.

if you are looking to get one try albeys "too cool" reptiles. i know they had some and they have some pictures of some really nice ones on there "best of" pages. check it out.

good luck.

[MGReptiles]

I think your right its just a line bred thing nothing special. The snow breeders on Albeys are really nice though...I have also heard that they darken with age...

[geckogod2]

i think the snows are awesome looking....i believe it is line bred trait.... just like the tangerines. they don't too much with age..


here are some of mine.......
http://www.printroom.com/ViewAlbum.asp?shopperid=4AF6MVJ6WP2G8N797CNBGMRHUK PQ3GUC&userid=geckogod2&album_id=170776

[montezuma]

I breed snows. Truthfully they are nothing but a pastel with very light coloring. Mine don't get darker... I have never heard of that happening before. I was going to attach a pic of my snows but I see I don't have any on the computer already, I will try to take some later and post them.

[diablohogs]

okay but can you define a pastel? how do you make one? is pastel genetic? if so is it reccesive or dominant?

[montezuma]

To be truthful I am not positive. I believe that it is would be a recessive trait due to pastels being very close to "normal" coloration and pattern. I have not bred mine out to see.

[Intense Herpetoculture]

Chad, line bred traits are morphs, just perhaps not simple recessive, dominant, or co-dom. You have to understand that leopard gecko have been selectivly bred longer then any other reptile except the cornsnake. Every bit of a leopard gecko is governed by genes, it is all genetic. Many morphs are poly-genetic and are made of up several genes, including tangerine, hi yellow, snow, and some lines of hypomelanisitc (such as Gourmet Rodent line). The pastels I am working with do not seems to be a simple recessive, dom, or co-dom, but seem to have several linked genes that influence their coloration.

[Golden Gate Geckos]

This is what I consider a "pastel". Please correct me if I'm wrong...

http://www.goldengategeckos.com/breeder%20pix/lornablk.jpg

[beakgeek]

WOW - beautiful Marcia!!!!!!

Regards,

Terry

[montezuma]

Marcia,
Is that crossed with a rainbow? It has some of the goldish colored spots... I like it!

[beakgeek]

Every bit of a leopard gecko is governed by genes, it is all genetic.

I attended a seminar yesterday on the effects of environment on children and one of the speakers - Dr. Peter W. Nathanielsz was talking about how environmental effects on human fetus can overide genetics. He showed several recent studies with rats - I know not geckos - that showed how the health of the mother, as well as other external factors, during gestation could change things like color, size, etc.

The thing that ties in with geckos, for me at least, was genetic traits could be overidden by other factors.

Since we know that tempertature is a huge factor in Leopard Geckos, sex determination, brightness in color, it might not be all about genetics. Other factors, what those are I am not certain, could play a role in all of this.

BTW - I know Justyn Miller likes to have discussions like this so I thought this was appropriate. ;-)

Regards,

Terry

[Leo Lover]

I only know of 2 breeders who breed snow leos and they are Albey and Cody (Pro Geckos)

Not too many people breed them as I hear that when you breed snows together you get a mix of light colored snow, darker ones, and ones that look yellowish or grayish still. I've been thinking about breeding them, but I'm in no big rush. We'll see. Maybe in a year or two I will. ;)

I have a grade A+ female snow. She has never darkened with age and she is at least 3 or 4 years old. She's very white. In fact her father is the best snow male that Albey has in his stock.

Shayna

[Intense Herpetoculture]

Yes, traits can be overidden by environmental factors, but if you look at it this way, the animals genes are built in such a way that they allow them to be overidden by environmental factors.

Also, yes, I do like dissucssions like this. For once on a leo forum people are asking and looking into real questions that require discussion and not ones like "is my leo gay"?

Originally posted by beakgeek
I attended a seminar yesterday on the effects of environment on children and one of the speakers - Dr. Peter W. Nathanielsz was talking about how environmental effects on human fetus can
overide genetics. He showed several recent studies with rats - I know not geckos - that showed how the health of the mother, as well as other external factors, during gestation could change things like color, size, etc.

The thing that ties in with geckos, for me at least, was genetic traits could be overidden by other factors.

Since we know that tempertature is a huge factor in Leopard Geckos, sex determination, brightness in color, it might not be all about genetics. Other factors, what those are I am not certain, could play a role in all of this.

BTW - I know Justyn Miller likes to have discussions like this so I thought this was appropriate. ;-)

Regards,

Terry

[lostkauze]

Does Pro Geckos have a website?

[Leo Lover]

www.progeckos.com

Check to see if Cody has anything. If he doesn't right now, tell him to contact you when he does or put you on a waiting list so that if you really want one, then you have a chance at getting one.

In the meantime keep your eye on a bunch of the classifieds as I see some snows posted here and there every so often. ;)

Good Luck!