What a change!

[SC Geckos]

This animal was produced from my "High White" Mack Snow Male (Big Mack) x Lavender Mack Snow Female (Raven).
I just wanted to see what people thought of this beautiful gecko. As you can see he started out as a typical "Normal" looking gecko but as time has past he has gotten lighter and lighter. I had him labeled as a "Normal" but have since changed his label to Hold Back. I will pair him to a snow next season to see if he is a Snow or what is going on.
I know this animal should not be a Snow since it did not hatch out black and white but I would love other opinions especially from more experienced breeders. Perhaps it is just an odd looking Normal.

This animal was produced from my "High White" Mack Snow Male (Big Mack) x Lavender Mack Snow Female (Raven).

Thanks for looking.

3/19/13 Hatch Day

4/3/13

4/10/13

6/29/13 @25g

 

[acpart]

I think it's a lovely gecko, but I don't think it's a Mack Snow. I just don't think a Mack Snow can be born that yellow. It's interesting because usually it's the other way round--the gecko starts out looking like a Mack snow and then as it grows gets less and less snow looking. There are leopard geckos that have a kind of "ghost" coloration, where the color is muted and almost frosted and that looks like what you have there. I do have a female snow blizzard and her daughter who have both produced babies who hatched with such a pale wash of yellow that I could hardly tell which were Mack snow (in that case it really wasn't yellow, but a kind of graying of the nearby black bands into the white) and which weren't (in this case it really was a yellow that intensified as they matured).

It's worth proving out if you want to be absolutely sure.

Aliza

 

[SC Geckos]

I think it's a lovely gecko, but I don't think it's a Mack Snow. I just don't think a Mack Snow can be born that yellow. It's interesting because usually it's the other way round--the gecko starts out looking like a Mack snow and then as it grows gets less and less snow looking. There are leopard geckos that have a kind of "ghost" coloration, where the color is muted and almost frosted and that looks like what you have there. I do have a female snow blizzard and her daughter who have both produced babies who hatched with such a pale wash of yellow that I could hardly tell which were Mack snow (in that case it really wasn't yellow, but a kind of graying of the nearby black bands into the white) and which weren't (in this case it really was a yellow that intensified as they matured).

It's worth proving out if you want to be absolutely sure.

Aliza

I appreciate your opinion on the subject Aliza. So far from this pairing I have produced two of these animals out of 16 eggs. I know there is no "Ghost" gene in either one of the parents (even though the "Ghost" gene tend to make the spotting turn a brown color which is not the case here.
I am curious what other breeders on here would label this animal as. He still has alot of growing to do so we will see how he progresses but to this point every shed he gets lighter. He will be tested next season to see if he produces Snows or more animals with this look.

 

[stager]

Nice looking but I think one off the is not snow. A snow hatchling has no yellow and you should also have produced some super snows from that breeding. Where did you get the parents from?

 

[SC Geckos]

Nice looking but I think one off the is not snow. A snow hatchling has no yellow and you should also have produced some super snows from that breeding. Where did you get the parents from?

Thank you, but it is not a question on weather the parents are both Mack Snows, because they are. I think you misunderstood, I have produced several very nice Mack Snows and SS from this pairing already this season. My question was only about this specific animal and not the pairing itself. I know the genetics behind every animal I breed. This specific animal has me scratching my head. As I said above, when it hatched I thought... Normal no question, but now... Im not so sure. Both parents by the way, came from well known breeders.

 

[stager]

Thank you, but it is not a question on weather the parents are both Mack Snows, because they are. I think you misunderstood, I have produced several very nice Mack Snows and SS from this pairing already this season. My question was only about this specific animal and not the pairing itself. I know the genetics behind every animal I breed. This specific animal has me scratching my head. As I said above, when it hatched I thought... Normal no question, but now... Im not so sure. Both parents by the way, came from well known breeders.

Sorry I read your post to quik to get a full understanding.

 

[Phoenix1115]

Man oh man I'm STUMPED! It's crazy beautiful though, I'd try pairing it with a normal to see what happens.

 

[GexPex]

Same thing has happened with a few of my babies. They hatched out looking the same as yours, yet have lightened considerably. The one that looks the most different is Bourbon, from a normal x SHTCT pairing.

Bourbon on hatch date...5/18/13

Bourbon today at 12g and just a couple of days AFTER shedding

Bourbon even looks more like a Mack snow than what my snow juvies do.

 

[JasonG]

WOW! What a change in color on that second one. Almost looks w/y.

 

[SC Geckos]

Just wanted to update anyone that was interested in the progress the gecko we have named White Head. This is a picture taken this afternoon at a weight of 52 grams

In our opinion he still has a very interesting look that we are not sore what to make of.

The next attached picture is another animal from the same pairing that is beginning to lighten up and have a similar look. This picture was also taken this afternoon at a weight of 30 grams.


Both pictures are taken in natural light with no flash.
Perhaps it is possible that we are reaching and looking for something that is not there but I guess we will see.
Thanks for looking.

 

[Phantom240]

That's a really neat looking gecko

 

[indyana]

These are all very interesting, and I've often wondered about the occasional "pastel" geckos that breeders produce. I hope someone will work on breeding them to determine if there's a simple inheritance pattern. If not, maybe selecting the whitest snows has basically line bred very light colored normals once the snow genes are removed?

 

[SC Geckos]

That's a really neat looking gecko

Thanks

 

[OhioGecko]

Back in the earlier days of Mack Snow breedings these were called Pastels. Here is a link to the wiki article: Pastel - Leopard Gecko Wiki

I disagree with the trait being dominant. I believe it to be a line breed trait. I held several of ours back the first couple of years we were breeding Mack Snows and then let them go. I wish I still had a couple of them.

 

[SC Geckos]

Thanks for the info Thad. I was just reading an "09" post on Pastels and Mack Pastels. I will be holding on to at least one of these two boys and pairing him back to mom to see if I can produce a female. I personally really like the faded/pastel look of this animal and would love to reproduce it. I guess only time will tell.