Types of Albanism in Leopard Geckos

[Colonel SB]

Okay I just wanted to know if there are more then one albino gene in leopard geckos. Like there are 2 anery genes in corns and so on. Thanks Darryl.

[Youkai]

There are three strains of albino.
The most common, Tremper albinos.
Second there are Rainwater albinos. These are also called Las Vegas albinos. Tim Rainwater ripped many people off, and so people do not want his name associated with the trait.
There are also Bell Albinos.

Now, Mark Leshock also had albinos. But from what I hear people had/have trouble getting them, and they <i>might</i> be the same as tremper albinos. But of course, that's all speculation. Anyone else have anything else on Leshock albinos?

[Colonel SB]

So if you breed a Tremper albino to a Rainwater albino the babies will look normal but be hets for both types of albinos?

[Youkai]

Exactly!
The different types of albino are not compatable.

[Colonel SB]

Can you tell me what type my little guy is?

http://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/511/2294albino001-med.jpg

[Zoe]

Probably a tremper. Where'd you get him (her)?

Zoe

[Colonel SB]

I got it from a local pet store :) a good deal two.

[SnowSnake]

Youkai, who is Mark Leshock? Does he have a web site?

[Blazin]

I have a double het male las vegas bell albino. Will be trying to produce a rainbell one of these days.

[Youkai]

http://www.mlreptiles.com/

He does not have pictures of his albino leos on there anymore from what I can see. I think there was a photo or two in the Leopard Gecko Manual, however.

[Duncan]

Hey Blazin, you almost answered the question that immediately came to mind. Has anyone bred hets for both the Tremper and Rainwater lines (or as you are trying to do with the Rainwater and Bell lines) and come up with a new double albino? Maybe there is a triple (Bell, Tremper, Rainwater) albino to be produced some day?
Duncan

[SnowSnake]

I'll explain how this works.

On a chromosome where the genetic information is kept (for every living thing), there are little blocs, or "storage places" (to make it easier to unterstand) that are called locus (locii is the pluriel). In some of the locii (like for albinism) there is room for 2 and only 2 genes.

Since albinism is a recessive trait, to be expressed (homozygous) you need to have two of the same genes in the albinism locus. Since there are 3 different types of albinism you can have double hets but there will never be enough room in the albinism locus for 4 genes to be stored so the double albino is impossible. That makes the triple albino even more impossible.

When you breed double hets you will either get double hets or albinos from one of the hets (i.e.: breed a double het for las vegas and bell you could get double hets like the parents, las vegas albinos or bell albinos).

Sooo, do you understand or I made this too complicated? If you have any questions just ask! There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. :)

[Duncan]

Thanks SnowSnake,
I have a decent grasp of genetics so your explanation mostly makes sense. When I posted last night, I wasn't even thinking about the fact that the albinism genes would be at the same locus. For whatever reason I was thinking that there were two (three if you count all 3 types of albinism) separate genes, at different loci, one for each type of albinism. Then these would segregate independently (or together if linked) and you'd end up with a classic dihybrid (or trihybrid) cross. So that means a "double het" really only has a single pair of alleles for albinism, one for i.e Rainwater and one for i.e Bell. Not reallly a "double het", simple heterozygous.
What you're saying then is that there are multiple alleles for albinism? But what do the "double hets" look like? When the 2 different alleles (i.e. Bell and Rainwater say) are paired in a double het, which allele is expressed? If its an intermediate then its an example of codominance/incomplete dominance. Or is one allele dominant to the other? If they look normal, then it can't be that the genes are at the same locus, can it? I got the impression that the double hets looked normal? I guess I must be wrong. Can someone clarify this?
Thanks,
Duncan