Leucistic question for breeders

Hi all -

I'm not by any means a leo gek guy. So I figure I'd ask those of you who are. Without getting into much detail, I'm able to get my hands on a WC leucistic leopard gecko. This would all be above the board and legal BTW.

Whats this animal worth, and more importantly would anyone in the hobby be interested in it? Is leucistiscm (sp?) even a genetic trait in leo's or just a birth fluke?

If it's a waste of time and money for me to even consider it, feel free to say so in plain words...

Putting all personal doubts aside concerning the orgin of this specimen, you forgot to look at one detail. It you plan on importing it from any of the countries that support wild populations of Leopard geckos, well, you're out of luck. Recently the US customs placed a ban on the importation of many goods, including live animals, from these countries. Even if you were to bring it into Europe and reexport it, it would still be considered illegal.

On to the orgin part, so who is offering this gecko, where are they located, sure it's not WC and they are trying to screw you over? what makes you so certain it is in fact WC and not CBB? A WC would be nice to bring in new blood, maybe it's even a seperate gene, but I do find it a bit odd that you have access to this animal.

A family friend has been teaching at a christian missionary in India for the past 16 months. One of his students gave him this animal as a classroom pet. He knows that I'm interested in exotic animals and has contacted me about bringing it back. He is coming home June 6th. Special provisions have been granted in the past for military and civilian families living abroad for long periods to bring non-livestock pets back to the states with them. He has permission from the Indian government to bring it with him, but would have to contact USFW to get a waiver, which he feels he could get.

If not, he can apply for a scientific collection permit from both India and the US (he is a life-sciences professor) and try it that way.

The origin I am 100% sure of.

He has asked me to find out what if anything it may be worth, and if it is worth the trouble to go through to export it legaly. He would not bring it into the country illegaly. It would have documentation that it was collected legaly in western India, as well as the correct papers to show it is a legal import.

See if you can get a picture of this animal. I am sure everyone would love to see it.

Originally posted by Blazin
See if you can get a picture of this animal. I am sure everyone would love to see it.

Already asked for one. Has to be via snail mail as there's no internet access at the local school or church. Hopefully a week or so?

It would be cool for you to try, but I highly doubt you will be allowed to bring in an animal from India, not only does India prohibit export, but the US prohibits importation of Indian wildlife. If you can do it legit, go for it, if not, don't even try.

im amazed by the lack of enthusiam being displayed on this thread.

IMPORT IT!!! what ever it is, its obviously different. maybe its a patternless, maybe its a blizzard, maybe its a new morph all together. either way... it should be brought into the states.

Good Luck importing it and id love to see a picture.

Originally posted by diablohogs
im amazed by the lack of enthusiam being displayed on this thread.

IMPORT IT!!! what ever it is, its obviously different. maybe its a patternless, maybe its a blizzard, maybe its a new morph all together. either way... it should be brought into the states.

Good Luck importing it and id love to see a picture.

i'M WITH YOU ON THAT!!!! LOOK FOWARD TO SEEING. Man what if it is a luecistic!!!

Yeah, I agree, bring it here, but then what? We wont know anything about it unless an expert gets ahold of it, and we wont know its genetics or het. traits, or anything unless we breed it, but who would breed it?

Unless you give it to someone who knows what they are doing, there is really no point in bringing it here. Then if you do sell it, its your word against someone else's, but I suppose you would have the import papers or whatever.

What I'm getting at is, yeah, it would be cool, but whats the point if we cant study it.

Michael

Yeah, I agree, bring it here, but then what? We wont know anything about it unless an expert gets ahold of it, and we wont know its genetics or het. traits, or anything unless we breed it, but who would breed it?

i would imagine the guy importing it would breed it. if you breed it to a normal and breed the offspring back to the originater of the morph you can find out if its recessive or dominant. if it looks like a patternless or blizzard than breed it to which ever one it looks like. if it produces more of the same than its genes can freshen that morphs gene pool. either way it is 100% beneficial to bring this animal into the pet industry. its either a new morph or a fresh source for an exsisting one. maybe this animal can proove that niether the patternless or the blizzard are a true leucistic. well just have to cross our fingers that...

A) it gets imported into the u.s.
B) the caretaker of this animal prooves out the morph
C) the morph successfully makes it way into the general public

hey while your or you friend is in india why dont you look around for an Anery or a T- albino. the leopard gecko world could truely benefit from either one of those too.