Morphs

[-okapi-]

I recently read an argument on another forum over leo morphs. Basically they were argueing over the difference between blizzards and patternless leos. I only know about a few morphs: wild, albino, blizzard, patternless, and midnight. However I often hear people talking about other morphs. Does any one know of a good website, or know from exp about all the morphs AND what genes cause each morph? Thanks

[rmlr]

I have found many sites on this topic. A simple search on google will definately bring up mores.

Here is one that I really like. The genetics guide is also very good if you ever get interested in that aspect of Leopard Geckos.

http://www.gekkonida.com/morphs.htm

Hope this helps.

Josh
Big Rock Reptiles
www.freewebs.com/bigrockreptiles

[KyleK]

Yah I was going to give that site as well Josh.

[-okapi-]

thank you very much :D.

[-okapi-]

Ok, heres a list of all leo morphs ive heard of. The ones that I know I have added definitions. What are the other ones?

Aberrant-
Albino- lacking dark pigment
Baldy- no markings on head
Banana Blizzard-
Bell albino- Albino with red eyes
Blizzard- completely patternless; greyish white to purple
Blazing Blizzard-
Bold Stripe-
Carrot Head-
Carrot Tail- Darker orange on tail base
Chocolate-
Ghost-
Giant- Larger adults
Giant pastel-
High Yellow-
Hypermelanistic- more dark pigments
Hypo carrot tail-
Hypo Tangerine-
Hypo Tangerine Baldy-
Hypo Tangerine Carrot tail-
Hypo Tangerine Carrot tail baldy-
Hypo Tangerine Carrot head-
Hypo Tangerine Carrot head baldy-
Hypormelanistic- less dark pigments
Jungle-
Las Vegas Albino-
Mack Snow-
Melanistic- having more dark pigment
Midnight-
Pastel-
Patternless- yellowish body color and gray tail; sometimes called Leucistic
Red Stripe-
Reduced spotting-
Reduced spotting tangerines-
Reverse Stripe-
Snow-
Stripes-
Sun Glow-
Super Hypo Tangerine-
Super Hypo Tangerine Baldy-
Super Hypo Tangerine Carrot tail-
Super Hypo Tangerine Carrot tail baldy-
Super Hypo Tangerine Carrot head-
Super Hypo Tangerine Carrot head baldy-
Super Snow-
Tangerine-
Tangerine Baldy-
Tangerine Carrot tail-
Tangerine Carrot tail baldy-
Tangerine Carrot head-
Tangerine Carrot head baldy-
Tremper Albino- Albino with brown markings
Wild- The wild morph
Xanthic- Having more yellow

PS- I just got myself a blizzard hatchling :D! (s)he has no pattern and a white tail and white feet. His/her head is darker (but her lips are white), and her sides and arms are yellowish. the very top of his/her back is darker (just like his/her head). Is this coloring normal for a bliz leo baby ?

[HerpAddict]

As far as what your leo is, a picture would be most helpful.

here are some definitions to add to your list:

Aberrant = Jungle - large blotchy pattern, not little spots, but patches.
Banana Blizzard - yellow tinted blizzard
Carrot head - orange head (similar in color to carrot tail)
Ghost - reduced color overall, especially black. To me they look like their in shed constantly
High Yellow - Having more yellow than normal.
Hypo Carrot Tail - having carrot tail, and (hypo) few black spots on the torso
Hypo Tangerine - Hypo + Orange tone to body
Baldy - no spots on the head
....
The list goes on, but basically it's mixing and matching of traits. Once you get the basic meanings down, like hypo, tangerine, etc, then you can just add them together to get the more length morphs.

[-okapi-]

Aberrant- unusual pattern on body w/ broken rings but normal rings on tail
Albino- lacking dark pigment (there are three types: Tremper, Rainwater, Bell)
APTOR- Albino Patternless Tremper ORange; (Hypo+ tangerine+ patternless+ Carrot head+Carrot tail+Tremper albino)
Baldy- no markings on head
Banana Blizzard- yellow tinted blizzard (blizzard + patternless)
Bell albino- Albino with bright red eyes
Blizzard- completely patternless; white to grey and with dark eyes (true Leucistic)
Blazing Blizzard- blizzard with red/lighter eyes (blizzard+any albino)
Bold Stripe- dorsal lines running from neck to tail base (line bred)
Carrot Head- orange head (similar in color to carrot tail)
Carrot Tail- Darker orange on tail base (more than 15% of tail)
Chocolate-
Ghost- reduced color overall
Giant- Larger adults (over 100 grams) co-dominant gene
Giant APTOR- (giant + APTOR)
Giant pastel- (Giant + pastel)
High Yellow- Having more yellow than normal
Hypermelanistic- more dark pigments
Hypo- few black spots on the torso
Hypo carrot tail- (carrot tail + Hypo)
Hypo Tangerine- (Hypo + tangerine)
Hypo Tangerine Baldy- (Hypo + tangerine + baldy)
Hypo Tangerine Carrot tail- (Hypo + tangerine + carrot tail)
Hypo Tangerine Carrot tail baldy- (Hypo + tangerine + carrot tail + baldy)
Hypo Tangerine Carrot head- (Hypo + tangerine + carrot head)
Hypo Tangerine Carrot head baldy- (Hypo+ tangerine + carrot head + Baldy)
Hypomelanistic- less dark pigments (aka hypo)
Jungle- large blotchy pattern, not little spots, but patches
Las Vegas Albino- aka Rainwater albino
*Mack Snow- co-dominant gene that causes only black and white colors (het for snow gene)
Melanistic- having more dark pigment
Midnight- blizzard with dark grey body
Mocha- darker albinos (tremper) are sometimes called this
Pastel-
Patternless- yellowish body color and gray tail; wrongly called Leucistic
Rainwater albino- pinkest of the three albinos
Red Stripe- red tint and a stripe going from head to tail that is red in color
Reduced spotting- less spots than normal, but more than 7 spots total
Reduced spotting tangerines- (reduced spotting+tangerine)
Reverse Stripe- like stripe but with a black stripe going head to tail and lighter stripes on either side of the black stripe.
Snow- black and white morph with a little yellowing (line bred, not co-dominant)
Stripes- light colored stripe from the head to tail that is flanked by two darker stripes down either side
Sun Glow- bright colored (albino + Tangerine)
Super Hypo Tangerine-
Super Hypo Tangerine Baldy-
Super Hypo Tangerine Carrot tail-
Super Hypo Tangerine Carrot tail baldy-
Super Hypo Tangerine Carrot head-
Super Hypo Tangerine Carrot head baldy-
*Super Snow- co-dominant gene that causes only black and white colors (homozygous for snow gene)
Tangerine- Orange toned body
Tangerine Baldy- Orange toned body + baldy
Tangerine Carrot tail- Orange toned body + carrot tail
Tangerine Carrot tail baldy- Orange toned body + carrot tail + baldy
Tangerine Carrot head- Orange toned body + carrot head
Tangerine Carrot head baldy- Orange toned body + carrot head + baldy
Tremper Albino- Albino with browner markings
Wild- The wild morph
Xanthic- Having more yellow

*Codominant - an allele that causes the homozygous form to look different than wild type and the heterozygous form to have traits of both. (All three look different from each other.)

[-okapi-]

Recessive Genes
- Temper Albino
- Bell Albino
- Las Vegas Albino
- Blizzards
- Patternless
- Stripes (certain lines)
Dominant/Codominant
Ghost -(Believed to be Co-dom)*
- Mack Snow - (Co-dominant)
- Giant - (Co-dominant)
-Wild (dominant)
Line Bred
- Jungles
- Aberrant
- Stripes (certain lines)
- Snows
- Red Stripes
- Hypermelanistics
- Baldy
- Carrot Tail
- Carrot Head
- High Yellow

Ok, all parts of the animal, including skin patterns and colors are controlled by dominant and recessive (and co-dom) genes. If something is line bred it HAS to be because of one or more dominant or recessive genes, right? Is it just because they dont know all the genes involved so they dont consider it genetic, or is it because of something we still dont understand, such as "jumping genes*" ?

*I think thats what they are called, they are genes that move from one part of the DNA to another every time the RNA is made, and are not yet fully understood. I heard about this in my anatomy class, my teacher showed us a video on genes and they breifly mentioned jumping genes in corn plants. I think they said something like jumping genes cause different colors to pop up in corn ears randomly, but it isnt a simple recessive/dominant gene because scientist cant rebreed the colors, even after many generations of inbreeding the randomly colored corn plants in controlled conditions.

[rmlr]

Ok that is mostly right. In Leopard Geckos for the most part two alleles form a trait (one from the mother and one from the father). Although many traits are either dominant, recesive, or co-dominant. Line bred traits are basically, as we understand them at this time, a 'normal' variation. Pattern is controlled by a seperate gene, color is controlled by another, and it goes on like that. If you look at the development of line bred traits all they do is mix and match characterisitcs which are appealing be it color, or pattern. They are not formed due to a mutation like albinos were, they are using established traits and over generations improving them to the point they are today. Of course all traits are controlled by DNA but the manner in which they were created is all that distinguishes these traits.

This website is a good example of line bred traits being created and worked on over time. They are a never ending process.
http://www.hqreptiles.com/leopard.html

Josh
Big Rock Reptiles
www.freewebs.com/bigrockreptiles