Allee Toler
New Member
- Messages
- 382
- Location
- Mission Bay, CA
So I went to a geneticist a few weeks ago, curious as to why my leopard gecko wasn't acting like a leopard gecko and wasn't as big/looked like a normal leopard gecko. Also, as to why she was ALWAYS sick.
The geneticist says she has a deformity of the FGFR3.
Basically, she's a little gecko. Short arms, short legs, little hands and feet, and short tail. Medium sized body, and big head. All due to when she was forming the FGFR3 gene. She has a very odd stance.
It won't shorten her life in any way, but she'll always be tiny, and need to be examined once a year for any tumors in her brain. Which I was told happens rarely, but it's more common when the FGFR3 gene is involved.
GiGi's a diagnosed "hypochondroplasia" dwarf.
It's common, he said happening in ALL species at a rate of 1 in 15,000. Most cases are over looked in humans, because they're not extremely small or deformed. It's more visible in small animals and dogs.
6 5/8th" and 31g. My 9 week old is as long as her now, and weighs 19g.
"born" May 18th 2008. at 2.7g just shy of 2" long. Her clutchmates (2 of them) were hatched at over 6g, and over 3 inches long. They've been bred, and all their offspring were normal size except for one who came from Daisy, GiGi's sister who is now retired from breeding because of it.
Her health problems: constant stuffy nose and boogies, hunger strikes, FLD (Fatty liver disease), vitamin A deficiency from her body not absorbing it correctly making us go to the vet every other week for shots, refusal to drink liquids the first year of her life, brain function delay, walking problems (her back legs are always in a "split" position, when she walks, she uses her ankles as leg extensions) and her inability to know what shedding is.
Here's some pictures of my dingbat. She has a CRAZY personality. She's 100% in love with me and my fiance, and loves to be held. She's been trained to kiss you on command. We simply say "kiss kiss GiGi" and she crawls to your face and kisses your nose. We're currently working on her waving. She can get her leg up when we say wave, but I don't think she'll ever actually wave. Lol. It takes a TON of patience and lots of treats. But she's very smart. Smart in the learning aspect, slow in the instincts.
And this cup, it's 2 1/2 inches wide. This was her first ever hide. She'd lay in it all the time when she was a baby. She still plays in it sometimes. She's standing up big and tall, this is the highest she can stand. About 7/8th" tall. Her back legs barely stand up 1/2". It's more like 1/3".
So there's my Giovanna. The best leopard gecko I will ever own, and will always be my favorite. She's always getting into trouble, and exploring our bedroom.
The best thing about her, when you call her, she comes out of hiding. Doesn't run to you, but comes out of hiding and waits for you to pick her up. So she's allowed to free roam our room, which she loves. When she's done, she usually climbs onto the bed and goes to sleep (as seen in one of the pictures). She doesn't know she's a reptile. I don't ever want her to think she is either. She's truly genuine. I've never known a more well behaved, well trained, and lovable reptile with such a personality.
Oh and Hi. I'm Allee. I'm usually on the Geckosunlimited board. So some of you may know GiGi. ;] And her antics. Like the one time she climbed up the sliding glass door screen and perched herself on the valance, and I couldn't find her for a few hours since she doesn't talk. Lol. She could get up, but clearly couldn't get down! Haha. I love my GiGi.
The geneticist says she has a deformity of the FGFR3.
Basically, she's a little gecko. Short arms, short legs, little hands and feet, and short tail. Medium sized body, and big head. All due to when she was forming the FGFR3 gene. She has a very odd stance.
It won't shorten her life in any way, but she'll always be tiny, and need to be examined once a year for any tumors in her brain. Which I was told happens rarely, but it's more common when the FGFR3 gene is involved.
GiGi's a diagnosed "hypochondroplasia" dwarf.
It's common, he said happening in ALL species at a rate of 1 in 15,000. Most cases are over looked in humans, because they're not extremely small or deformed. It's more visible in small animals and dogs.
6 5/8th" and 31g. My 9 week old is as long as her now, and weighs 19g.
"born" May 18th 2008. at 2.7g just shy of 2" long. Her clutchmates (2 of them) were hatched at over 6g, and over 3 inches long. They've been bred, and all their offspring were normal size except for one who came from Daisy, GiGi's sister who is now retired from breeding because of it.
Her health problems: constant stuffy nose and boogies, hunger strikes, FLD (Fatty liver disease), vitamin A deficiency from her body not absorbing it correctly making us go to the vet every other week for shots, refusal to drink liquids the first year of her life, brain function delay, walking problems (her back legs are always in a "split" position, when she walks, she uses her ankles as leg extensions) and her inability to know what shedding is.
Here's some pictures of my dingbat. She has a CRAZY personality. She's 100% in love with me and my fiance, and loves to be held. She's been trained to kiss you on command. We simply say "kiss kiss GiGi" and she crawls to your face and kisses your nose. We're currently working on her waving. She can get her leg up when we say wave, but I don't think she'll ever actually wave. Lol. It takes a TON of patience and lots of treats. But she's very smart. Smart in the learning aspect, slow in the instincts.
And this cup, it's 2 1/2 inches wide. This was her first ever hide. She'd lay in it all the time when she was a baby. She still plays in it sometimes. She's standing up big and tall, this is the highest she can stand. About 7/8th" tall. Her back legs barely stand up 1/2". It's more like 1/3".
So there's my Giovanna. The best leopard gecko I will ever own, and will always be my favorite. She's always getting into trouble, and exploring our bedroom.
The best thing about her, when you call her, she comes out of hiding. Doesn't run to you, but comes out of hiding and waits for you to pick her up. So she's allowed to free roam our room, which she loves. When she's done, she usually climbs onto the bed and goes to sleep (as seen in one of the pictures). She doesn't know she's a reptile. I don't ever want her to think she is either. She's truly genuine. I've never known a more well behaved, well trained, and lovable reptile with such a personality.
Oh and Hi. I'm Allee. I'm usually on the Geckosunlimited board. So some of you may know GiGi. ;] And her antics. Like the one time she climbed up the sliding glass door screen and perched herself on the valance, and I couldn't find her for a few hours since she doesn't talk. Lol. She could get up, but clearly couldn't get down! Haha. I love my GiGi.
Thanks for sharing and Welcome to GF!
