Question Regarding The Genetics Of Hets

[cowana]

When looking at animals available for purchase I often come across them listed as Het Tremper Albino & Eclipse. Would or would this not be Het for RAPTOR? Such as this young gecko from David's Fine Gecko's...

Is it only Het RAPTOR if it is guaranteed to pass on both traits to its offspring, or is it a breeder preference the way they list it... Some prefer to list the traits separately and some prefer to list the combined possible morph (i.e. RAPTOR)? I'm still working on learning my genetics and the more complex they are, the more confusing they get, so to thanks for all of your help and guidance!

Amy

 

[ehebert]

Technically, it can't be het raptor since part of the raptor is a patternless stripe which is a poly genetic trait. Most of what people are calling raptors now days is not raptors but Tremper eclipses.

 

[geckolabs]

People label as 'het RAPTOR' or 'het radar', etc because many people have become too dependent on the marketing names.

It is best to simply label things for transparency, so that there is no room for confusion.

A frequent misunderstanding I've come across is that people think if an animal, such as the one above, were labeled het raptor, then it will only pass down Tremper albino and eclipse, as a pair, and that they aren't passed down individually.

But that certainly isn't true- each trait is passed down individually.

So in conclusion, yes, that animal could *technically* be considered het RAPTOR, but the manner in which it is labeled, is for the better.

 

[cowana]

Yes, I have noticed some of the RAPTORs I have seen aren't what I have known to be true RAPTORs.

Okay, that is what I thought. I know the possibility of passing on the RAPTOR trait is there, more likely if the parent expresses it, AND both the Tremper and Eclipse genes are passed on. I just wasn't sure why some people labeled it one way and others did it another. So really the proper way is to list all possible traits the gecko is or possibly is heterozygous for, correct?

 

[cowana]

My babies this season will be easy since they will either be het Tremper or poss. het Tremper, but I have a RAPTOR female I will breed most likely next year (she's 8 months and 40g) so I want to list her hatchlings hets right when the time comes.

 

[acpart]

I think it's largely breeder preference. My preference is to list each trait separately since, as mentioned above, it implies that each trait stands on its own in terms of heritability.

Aliza

 

[cowana]

Thanks everyone! That's how I will do it as well. It makes more sense to me to list them separately with the possibility of the hatchlings inheriting any combination of traits.