Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everyone!
I have made this post on two other forums with minimal responses, so I'm hoping somebody will be able to help me here.

I am wondering if anybody can tell me whether there is a site, or any recommended book I can read that can tell me more about Pogona vitticeps genetic colour morphology. I have a pretty solid understanding of basic mendelian genetics as pertaining to snake and leopard gecko morph breeds, but I am unsure if these pertain to a bearded dragon. Is it the same for beardies? It seems too simple. How many alleles are involved beardie colouration? I just find it hard to believe it is this simple, and I am certainly interested in knowing all I can.

I have a normal phase beardie, that shows incredible yellow colouration, does this mean she is actually normal phase? How are colour phases dtermined and created - just by visual phenotype assessment? - and at what stage of growth, as beardie colour changes so much with growth.

Hope some will informed breeders and enthusiasts can clarify this for me, I'm so confused!

Thanks in advance!

Confused??? lol, yep you and everyone else including me. Mendelin genetics cubes don't work with beardies with a few exceptions: Hypo, Leucistic, Translucent, and Clear Nails are all simple recessive. The rest are called codominant (but by genetics definitions they're not really). Basically if you breed say 2 bloods you should get mostly bloods but breed a blood and a yellow and you'll get a mix of some bloods, some yellows, some combos, and probably some that look like neither. Morphs/Phases are based on phenotype more than genotype but babies are sold as what the parents are so I guess they're on genotype kind of. I have no idea how many alleles or which ones control what and I've never heard anybody mention that they knew. If you find out anything please share, I would be very interested in knowing also.

Sean

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Heart Mountain Herps