Midnight Blizzards???

[Gregg M]

What is up with this??? I see some people calling dark blizzards midnights??? I even see them for sale for double the price of "regular" blizzards...

I dont get it... They are just blizzards and the dark coloration is fairly common... I have had my dark purple-ish bliz for about 4 years now.... Its nothing really new or out of the ordinary... There is nothing else going on with them genetically, but the fact they are blizzards...

Is it just me or does anyone else think these extra names are more silly than descriptive???:main_laugh:

 

[KelliH]

Well, in the case of the Midnight Blizzard I happen to agree with you. It seems like not too long ago I saw a Midnight advertised and it was extremely yellow. I prefer my Blizzards to be white or light grey, but for someone who is into the more yellow blizzards, that midnight woulda been right up their alley.

 

[Ian S.]

I've seen a few advertised at some absurd prices too. It's a matter of coining a name to sell the "uglies". I think the dark blizzards are pretty cool myself, but They are just dark blizzards.

 

[robin]

ya i think garrick coined the name to sell the dark ugly ones. i guess people think its some genetic different morph or line bred or something which is BS

 

[eyelids]

Yup! I'll never call mine Midnights... It'd be a different story if they stayed very dark and their offspring did as well. For example, Steve Sykes hatched a Mack Snow Blizzard that was totally black and had solid black eyes... A few months later I asked him how it was looking and he said it had turned lighter like an average Blizzard. I think selling dark Blizzards at a higher price is a bad move because even if they're dark as babies they'll more than likely turn out like the case I just mentioned. Then maybe someone could say, well I only sell them as adults so I KNOW their true coloration... Mehhh we all know how much they can change color... I'll buy into it after I've hatched my own dark Blizzards, watched them grow without ever lightening and then they have produced similar babies.

 

[skmcwilliams]

I would normally agree with you all and do to a degree, I was lucky enough to own this guy for a time, he is the only one I would call a true "midnight" as he was velvet black all the time. He passed on mysteriously a year ago I did get 7 offsrping from him all appeared normal, well darker than normal, more like what Garrick calls "midnights" but not like him. But after the first breeding attempt of his offspring, I did have a "darker" than normal baby come out, two more have come out but they were normal. I am keeping my eye on this one and see what happens as he grows.

 

[Ian S.]

Funny thing is I have a blizzard that is some times as dark as darkest above, and the next day or so will be as light as the lighter one. I think its really wild! I'll try to get some comparison pics for this thread.

 

[skmcwilliams]

I know what you mean. That is why it is going to be so hard to impossible to prove out if the " midnight" exists. He was the only one that ever stayed black all the time no questions, no mood change, no nothing, never even went to dark grey as so many do. But I know they do have such a variety in their colors when they change that it would be difficult for someone to say they have a true "midnight" I will keep up with his line just to see what happens, but I wouldn't go out buyting what people are claiming are midnights just to run the darker line of blizzard.

 

[eyelids]

Hmmm... I'm impressed! Too bad he passed away... Keep us updated on that little one please.

 

[Malibu Barbie]

WOW - He was dark... Suddenly I really feel the urge to send a mail to all breeders and ask them to step up the work on a black leo ...*mmmmm*

 

[Gregg M]

That is a dark blizzard, but its just a dark blizzard... I have a dark purple blizzard... Should I call it a grape blizzard and ask 200 buchs for it??? LOL

I think that a new line name should only be given to animals that have proven to reproduce consistantly... For example, the tangerine tornados from TUG have proven to be consistant and are a real step above normal tangs so adding a name is acceptable in MY opinion... Same goes for HISSS and HG.... Their genetics breed true and are steps above the "normal" tangerine...

"midnights" do not breed true and are not uncommon... A dark blizzard will pop up anywhere without rhyme or reason....

 

[skmcwilliams]

Couldn't agree more, that is why I would never sale the ones that aren't coming out dark as being het like some peopoe do. I will keep working with his genetics as he seemed to be the only one I ever saw they stayed dark all the time regardless of temps, moods, etc. If it ever comes around to breeding true (could take many years) than I guess it woul be pretty exciting

 

[MichaelJ]

WOW - He was dark... Suddenly I really feel the urge to send a mail to all breeders and ask them to step up the work on a black leo ...*mmmmm*

I have a midnight as dark as that and will post pics soon.. I'm actually working on black myself. My boy has bluish eyes as well. I have a female that is a dark pewter as well; basically just a few shades darker than an average blizzard. I'm hoping that maybe two generations down I'll get a close to black one.. :main_thumbsup:

 

[Gregg M]

I hate to say it but I feel selectively breeding for "black" is a lost cause especially with blizzards...

I dont think there will ever be a truly black leo until an actual melanistic gene pops up in someones collection... Hopefully it will be mine... LOL

Its bound to happen somewhere down the line with the amount of breeding that goes on... Law of averages...

 

[Kotsay1414]

I hate to say it but I feel selectively breeding for "black" is a lost cause especially with blizzards...

I dont think there will ever be a truly black leo until an actual melanistic gene pops up in someones collection... Hopefully it will be mine... LOL

Its bound to happen somewhere down the line with the amount of breeding that goes on... Law of averages...

You're right on with that... the closest thing we have is Black Velvet.

 

[skmcwilliams]

Oh come on Gregg M. Where is your sence of adventure. Who thought 15 years ago when "high yellow" was the "it" craze, that today we would have stuff like we do now. I am not saying for sure it is possible, but the one thing I know is that with leo morphs it seems anything is possible. I wouldn't be surprised that line breeding blizzards for darkness doesn't work, do I think in line breeding itself will make absolute black, no probably not but I think we can do better with it than we have now. It seems already that "darker" blizzards are popping up more than in the late 90's when blizzards were introduced. Am I wrong about that?

 

[chad e]

well i think kendra might have something. if that little guy stays as dark as its parent than thiers a possibility it is genetic. you'd probably want to cross it with one of its siblings to prove it out further if it does. it could be a seperate gene for melanism. i mean, whats up with the black spotting and the black eyes in blizzards? MAYBE hypermelanism has already surfaced but it is being masked by another morph like blizzard or hypo...? i'm rooting for you kendra!

as far as every other so called midnight blizzard, chocolate albino and bananna blizzard i have ever seen, i agree 100% with gregg on that. however there are a lot of T.U.G.'s that don't quite cut the mustard as a $700-1000.00 tangerine but they still have the "tangerine tornado" price tag and label. they are merely T.U.G.'s line of tangerine hypos. its not like genetically they are hosting any extra goodies either.

 

[Gregg M]

but the one thing I know is that with leo morphs it seems anything is possible.

I am with you 100% on that:main_thumbsup: ... I am sure a true (black) melanistic will pop up eventually... I just dont see it being a line or selectively bred trait or morph...