Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all. I was wondering if anyone else has heard about people "engineering" tangerine and carrot tails through excessive betacarotene supplement. I've been seeing a lot of really really orange geckos in the local stores for cheap (30 as babies) and Im starting to get a little suspicious. Luckily this fall's acquisitions are holding their color very well!

Thanks

i have never heard of tangerines being engineered with betacrroteen.... but concerning the orange babies in your local herp store... it honestly depsnds on what lines they are coming from as to whether or not they will keep their orange or not. and what you are seeing in your local pet shop is the result of a flooded leo market.... nice gorgeous animals that say a year or so ago would be going for a fair amount (100 ) are now being sold for cheap, average hypos (even average super hypos for that matter) and average tangerines are becoming a dime a dozen. chances are what your seeing is possibly the real thing.
-----
-robin struck
Geckoheads And Geeks

I completely agree. I really don't see how they could use betacarotines any way, how could they get them to consume them? The only foods I know of that they are in are shrimp, carrots and a few other foods leopard geckos don't eat. I'm no betacarotine expert though.
-----
Well sit right down my wicked son
And let me tell you a story
About the boy who fell from glory
And how he was a wicked son

This ain't no holiday
But it always turns out this way
Here I am with my hand

He took his sister from his head
And then painted her on the sheets
And then rolled her up in grass and trees
And they kissed 'till they were dead

This ain't no holiday
But it always turns out this way
Here I am, with my hand

Well sit right down my evil son
And let me tell you a story
About the boy who fell from glory
And how he was a wicked son

This ain't no holiday
But it always turns out this way
Here I am, with my hand

This ain't no holiday
But it always turns out this way
Here I am, with my hand

if you have AIM, IM me at chichandoCONrosa

Its a common practice with some carnivorous fishes, feeding lots of carrots to feeder insects before feeding. It was my first thought, but I got the story finally from the store owner. They're the real thing but there just isnt any demand in our area. There arent many breeders in my area (except gorumet rodent) and the general public isnt going to fork over $300 for a leo when they can buy a perfectly good normal as a pet for $35. It was a one shot deal or the two of us would get together to sell them online. I guess the herp gods were smiling on me I got some nice breeders for cheap.
-----
1.0.0 Sandfire Tiger Bearded Dragon
0.1.0 Ball Python (nice yellowish normal)
0.0.1 Sinaloan Milksnake
1.0.0 Patternless Leo
0.1.0 High Yellow Leo
0.1.0 (Super?) Hypo Tangerine Carrot-tail Baldy Leo

these orange tangerine geckos came from them... gormet is one of the largest producers of wholesale leopard geckos... so they might have some straight from them or the pet shop might have bought them from a distributor that buy from gormet
-----
-robin struck
Geckoheads And Geeks