Hello Nicole,
Wednesday, December 20, 2000, 11:54:11 PM, you wrote:
NG> I just thought that somebody out there in geckoland/cyberspace would be able
NG> to recommend a great book on gecko genetics???
There is VERY little available on gecko genetics. Leopard geckos have
had some work done with them regarding the SRY box motif, ZFY and ZNF6
gene families and some tRNA stuff, but none of it related to selective
breeding. Any general biology textbook, though, will have information
on genetics that will be helpful to you. If you want a real bare bones
approach, some of those GRE biology study guides have great overviews
of these kinds of topics. Most of the large chains of bookstores
should sell them.
NG> I would love to start breeding the fancy leopard geckos... yet I don't have
NG> a clue about hets/albino/recessive/or not... and all that stuff. Is there a
NG> good book out there that explains or diagram the mixing of genes and some
NG> possible results...??? I was absent during that part of biology ;-)
"The Leopard Gecko Manual" by deVosjoli et al... has a chapter by
Brain Viets that discusses the effects of incubation temperature on
leopard geckos. One of his findings is that it can affect pattern and
color. There is also a chapter by Ron Tremper that gives good
definitions of the different "morphs." In it, he suggests that some of
the common "morphs" (like jungle, stripe, etc...) are the result of
single, recessive genes. In my experience that's not right.
NG> I am seriously thinking of breeding fancy geckoes. I have bred the normal
NG> phase from wild ones and I have wild ones right now, but I'm ready for some
NG> more colors.
NG> How does one decide on the color of the female/male? Are the fancy a cross
NG> between normal phase and a color morph? or what is the basis of... let's say
NG> what they call "jungle morph?"
Every single "morph" has a different story behind it. In general,
though, traits like leucistic (patternless), the two strains of
albino, and blizzard behave like single recessive genes. All of the
others (that I have seen) seem to have a genetic component but are NOT
single recessive genes. So, for example, breeding two leucistic
animals gives all leucistic babies (recessive genes involved) whereas
breeding two stripes will give a variety of patterned babies just as
breeding two tangerine animals will give some tangerine babies,
some normal babies, and some in between.
NG> Thank you to anybody who could shed some light in my darkness!
I always recommend that people buy the animal not what the animal
might produce. It saves a lot of frustration and hard feelings if the
babies don't look as nice as the parents (which can happen). It also
makes for a pleasant surprise when they show you a PHENOMENAL looking
animal they produced from an gecko you sold them.
--
Best regards,
Tony mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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