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Howdy Leopard Gecko Forum! I'm a "Law Enforcement Officer" (read: Donut Eatin' Cop...) just returning back to Leo's after about 5-6 years outta the loop, and I've noticed things have changed a LOT. I'm going to reply to my own post and show a few pictures of the Tremper Albino's I just got, and their set up.

I'm trying to catch up with all the new morphs and designer Leo's out there, and I need a little clarification. I understand cage set up and temperature and everything, but there's so many new words for different morphs, I have to ask the stupid questions. From my understanding, there's three "strains" of albino: Tremper, Bell, and Rainwater. I don't have any clue how to tell them apart, but from my understanding from the guy at thegeckobasement.com, (awesome guy by the way) you cannot cross different strains and expect to see albino babies, unless the parent was het for the other strain. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, I see so many new terms, like APTOR, Tangerine, Giants, Carrot tail, and others, that I'm trying to get a grasp of them all. I also saw something like an SHCT or something, that confused the heck outta me, but I'm not smart, I run TOWARDS gunshots for a living.

Anyway, if any of those experts out there can chime in and give me a heads up about how to tell the difference between the albino strains, and the different other morphs out there, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'll be on this forum a LOT in the coming weeks.

Thanks in advance! Hope you enjoy the pictures, I'm not the best photographer in the world.

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1.0 Hypo Okeetee - Wesley (Princess Bride)
0.1 Ghost - Sydney (Scream)
2.0 Striped Amel - Jay and Aiden (Kevin Smith movies)
1.0 Snow - Silent Bob (Kevin Smith movies) R.I.P. 5-30-05
0.1 Anery - Columbia (Rocky Horror)
1.0 Creamcicle - Brandon (Mallrats)
0.1 Zig Zag Anery - Pepper (didn't name her)
0.1 Normal - Bindy (Croc. Hunter)
0.1 Motley - Craven (Underworld)

This is Norm, so called because as soon as he got in the new cage, he found a comfortable spot and just sat, much like Norm from Cheers. Had to try to color balance a bit, and it's over exposed, so my apologies for that.

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1.0 Hypo Okeetee - Wesley (Princess Bride)
0.1 Ghost - Sydney (Scream)
2.0 Striped Amel - Jay and Aiden (Kevin Smith movies)
1.0 Snow - Silent Bob (Kevin Smith movies) R.I.P. 5-30-05
0.1 Anery - Columbia (Rocky Horror)
1.0 Creamcicle - Brandon (Mallrats)
0.1 Zig Zag Anery - Pepper (didn't name her)
0.1 Normal - Bindy (Croc. Hunter)
0.1 Motley - Craven (Underworld)

I haven't named her yet, so if anyone knows a good name for a patternless Tremper Albino, feel free to chime in!

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1.0 Hypo Okeetee - Wesley (Princess Bride)
0.1 Ghost - Sydney (Scream)
2.0 Striped Amel - Jay and Aiden (Kevin Smith movies)
1.0 Snow - Silent Bob (Kevin Smith movies) R.I.P. 5-30-05
0.1 Anery - Columbia (Rocky Horror)
1.0 Creamcicle - Brandon (Mallrats)
0.1 Zig Zag Anery - Pepper (didn't name her)
0.1 Normal - Bindy (Croc. Hunter)
0.1 Motley - Craven (Underworld)

Um, this is not a patternless tremper- hence the head spots lol. more on morphs later...
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1.0 Hypo stripe, Het RW from JL (BJ)
1.0 HypoTang from Crested (Apricot)
1.0 Tremper Albino from Petsmart (Cloud)
0.1 Hi-Yellow Leopard gecko from Petco (Beatrice)
0.1 Stripe female (rehabilitated rescue)(Pepper)
0.1 Jungle het RW hatched by me! (Jungle Bunny)
0.1 SHCT Leopard Gecko from Petco (Brite)
0.1 Tangy Mutt Leopard Gecko from Petco (Rainbow)
0.1 RW Stripe hatched by me! (unnamed yet)
0.1 Leucistic rescue (Lucy?)
0.1 Tremper stripe from JMG (Delta)
0.1 SHCT hatched by me! (Blinky)
0.0.1 SHCTB hatched by me! (Sunny II)
0.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Hatched: ~50 leos

But the body has NO pattern what so ever...
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1.0 Hypo Okeetee - Wesley (Princess Bride)
0.1 Motley - Craven (Underworld)
1.2 Tremper Albino Leopard Geckos

NOT a patternless, dude- a patternless morph leo has NOT a SINGLE spot. As below, I'd be happy to identify it for you if I can get a pic of the whole leo. It's most likely some form of super hypo (no body spots, just head, feet and tail)
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1.0 Hypo stripe, Het RW from JL (BJ)
1.0 HypoTang from Crested (Apricot)
1.0 Tremper Albino from Petsmart (Cloud)
0.1 Hi-Yellow Leopard gecko from Petco (Beatrice)
0.1 Stripe female (rehabilitated rescue)(Pepper)
0.1 Jungle het RW hatched by me! (Jungle Bunny)
0.1 SHCT Leopard Gecko from Petco (Brite)
0.1 Tangy Mutt Leopard Gecko from Petco (Rainbow)
0.1 RW Stripe hatched by me! (unnamed yet)
0.1 Leucistic rescue (Lucy?)
0.1 Tremper stripe from JMG (Delta)
0.1 SHCT hatched by me! (Blinky)
0.0.1 SHCTB hatched by me! (Sunny II)
0.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Hatched: ~50 leos

Doesn't look albino either
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1.0 Hypo stripe, Het RW from JL (BJ)
1.0 HypoTang from Crested (Apricot)
1.0 Tremper Albino from Petsmart (Cloud)
0.1 Hi-Yellow Leopard gecko from Petco (Beatrice)
0.1 Stripe female (rehabilitated rescue)(Pepper)
0.1 Jungle het RW hatched by me! (Jungle Bunny)
0.1 SHCT Leopard Gecko from Petco (Brite)
0.1 Tangy Mutt Leopard Gecko from Petco (Rainbow)
0.1 RW Stripe hatched by me! (unnamed yet)
0.1 Leucistic rescue (Lucy?)
0.1 Tremper stripe from JMG (Delta)
0.1 SHCT hatched by me! (Blinky)
0.0.1 SHCTB hatched by me! (Sunny II)
0.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Hatched: ~50 leos

This is the overall of their cage. I'm going to post a picture of the overall of the entire cage. It's home made, on casters so it's an easy roll to get to the back. The rear has piano hinged access points. I've since added two more hides, although I think I'm getting to the point of spoiling them...

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1.0 Hypo Okeetee - Wesley (Princess Bride)
0.1 Ghost - Sydney (Scream)
2.0 Striped Amel - Jay and Aiden (Kevin Smith movies)
1.0 Snow - Silent Bob (Kevin Smith movies) R.I.P. 5-30-05
0.1 Anery - Columbia (Rocky Horror)
1.0 Creamcicle - Brandon (Mallrats)
0.1 Zig Zag Anery - Pepper (didn't name her)
0.1 Normal - Bindy (Croc. Hunter)
0.1 Motley - Craven (Underworld)

This is the entire cage, with a big Abbott's cornsnake up top, and a wierd lil unknown corn on the bottom right.

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1.0 Hypo Okeetee - Wesley (Princess Bride)
0.1 Ghost - Sydney (Scream)
2.0 Striped Amel - Jay and Aiden (Kevin Smith movies)
1.0 Snow - Silent Bob (Kevin Smith movies) R.I.P. 5-30-05
0.1 Anery - Columbia (Rocky Horror)
1.0 Creamcicle - Brandon (Mallrats)
0.1 Zig Zag Anery - Pepper (didn't name her)
0.1 Normal - Bindy (Croc. Hunter)
0.1 Motley - Craven (Underworld)

OK, let me see if I can give you a quick run down while I cook dinner. FYI- I'm a future Crim Defense atty, so I live to make life hard for you LEOs lmao! Anyway- what you have been told re: 3 diff albino strains is correct. Rainwater albinos are also sometimes called Las Vegas albinos- they are the same- 2 names, same gene mutation. Your 1st pic looks like either a very light Tremper, or more so like a RW. Not sure from your pic. As for telling the 3 strains apart, it really is just a matter of an experienced eye, I know that doesn't help, but that's what I got when I asked that ? many years ago, and unfortunately, it's true. Trempers are more of a brown where the black should be, rainwaters are more of a white cream color. I'm not too good with the Bells, but they tend to be darker, closer to Tremper than RW. (i have no Bell albinos) As for morphs, there is so much to tell, I'd really suggest a quick google or something and come back with more specific ?s that don't require a whole run-down. a SHCT stands for Super Hypo Carrot Tail, which is closer to what that other pic looks like- that said, the color and body pattern are hard to see- could you post a better pic pls?
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1.0 Hypo stripe, Het RW from JL (BJ)
1.0 HypoTang from Crested (Apricot)
1.0 Tremper Albino from Petsmart (Cloud)
0.1 Hi-Yellow Leopard gecko from Petco (Beatrice)
0.1 Stripe female (rehabilitated rescue)(Pepper)
0.1 Jungle het RW hatched by me! (Jungle Bunny)
0.1 SHCT Leopard Gecko from Petco (Brite)
0.1 Tangy Mutt Leopard Gecko from Petco (Rainbow)
0.1 RW Stripe hatched by me! (unnamed yet)
0.1 Leucistic rescue (Lucy?)
0.1 Tremper stripe from JMG (Delta)
0.1 SHCT hatched by me! (Blinky)
0.0.1 SHCTB hatched by me! (Sunny II)
0.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Hatched: ~50 leos

I would drop the sand... nice to watch, not so good to your leos...
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4.7.0 Leopard Geckos
0.1.0 AFT
0.2.0 Homonota Darwinii (Talus & Gracilis)
0.0.1 Hemidactylus Turcicus
0.0.1 Tarentola Mauritanica (Pickles)
0.1.0 Cham Caliptratus (Clotilde)
1.0.0 Golden Retriever (Cafu)
1.0.0 Black cat (Felipe)
0.0.2 Acanthoscurria Musculosa
0.0.5 Eupalestrus Campestratus
0.0.1 Gramostola Rosea

>>I would drop the sand... nice to watch, not so good to your leos...
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I tend toward agreement with this statement, though at least they're adults and so have somewhat less risk of impaction from it.

re: the person who said that defense attorneys live to make LEO's lives hard, I would contend that this is not in fact true: they live to make DA's lives hard.
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0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko - Tigger
0.1 Crested Gecko - Pooh-Bear

I'd argue its both- the DAs give a nice trickle down effect to the beat cops, and its usually their actions we take issue with, not the DA per se.
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1.0 Hypo stripe, Het RW from JL (BJ)
1.0 HypoTang from Crested (Apricot)
1.0 Tremper Albino from Petsmart (Cloud)
0.1 Hi-Yellow Leopard gecko from Petco (Beatrice)
0.1 Stripe female (rehabilitated rescue)(Pepper)
0.1 Jungle het RW hatched by me! (Jungle Bunny)
0.1 SHCT Leopard Gecko from Petco (Brite)
0.1 Tangy Mutt Leopard Gecko from Petco (Rainbow)
0.1 RW Stripe hatched by me! (unnamed yet)
0.1 Leucistic rescue (Lucy?)
0.1 Tremper stripe from JMG (Delta)
0.1 SHCT hatched by me! (Blinky)
0.0.1 SHCTB hatched by me! (Sunny II)
0.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
Hatched: ~50 leos

Yea, but us cops aren't fans of defense attorneys...

All in good fun, they make us better cops.
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1.0 Hypo Okeetee - Wesley (Princess Bride)
0.1 Motley - Craven (Underworld)
1.2 Tremper Albino Leopard Geckos

At least, it looks nice to us. Your geckos will really appreciate one closed-up hide with damp coconut grounds (the Bed-A-Beast stuff at petshops) to help keep future skin sheds from sticking to the toes and tails. It's great to give a belly heat source, too.

With regard to genetics, the tricky thing to keep up with nowadays is not so much all the single recessive mutations available, but the amazing array of double, triple, and so forth, recessive mutation combos. To further elaborate things, some of these recessive combos have been bred into line-bred traits (i.e., traits that don't breed completely true from one generation to the next, like stripes, hypomelanism, and SCHTHCHTH-whatevers).

For a gecko genetics primer, Sykes' site, geckosetc.com, has a good starting point for genetics, although it's pretty dated now. You were informed correctly about the three albino strains. Many albinos are so bright now, I can't tell the difference between Rainwater and Trempers. The amount of brown in any Tremper may vary according to incubation temp, habitat temp after hatching, and lastly, genetics. Bells can be a bit different looking from the other two albino types.

Tangerine morphs have a lot of orange. Carrot tails have a lot of orange on the tail. SHCT's are carrot tails with little body pattern (Super-Hypomelanistic-Carrot-Tail).

Gigantism is the most novel trait in leopard geckos - it's alledgedly the first heritable size mutation known in lizards (and to my knowledge, reptiles). Tremper claims it's codominant, meaning that two classes of expression exist and depend on the parental cross (Tremper's site explains the recipes). You can't truly appreciate this gene until you have a good representative male in hand, then you wish to work with little else. Your buddy at the gecko basement (indeed a great guy) has some really nice giants.

APTOR is a tricky one that doesn't seem 100% ironed out even in Tremper's recent book. It's supposedly a new patternless mutation (different from the original dull-colored patternless "leucistic" mutation) combined with Tremper's albino and some line bred traits such as carrot head (lots of orange on the head), carrot tail, the giant gene, etc. A very neat recessive gene for solid colored eyes surfaced around this project, and with APTORS being albino, APTORs with this latter trait have partially to solid red eyes and are called RAPTORs (Red-eyed Albino Patternless Tremper ORange, or something around there). Hope that helps for a start, hombre.