Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here's the info, the pics, but not all the answers. If anyone has seen this before I would really like to hear from you and see some pics.
I bred a male 100% het for VPI axanthic from TW International to an SK normal/blackback purchased directly from Dan and Colette. She had 7 eggs, 5 fertile, 4 that hatched. Both parents are reduced pattern.
On day 50 I lost one egg that was trouble through the entire incubation period at 88-90 degrees. That egg would not stay hydrated. When it got moldy I cut that egg open and found a reduced pattern gold colored hatchling.
On day 60 I cut open the remaing eggs. I couldn't believe what I was seeing in one egg, especially since all I was expecting was 50%ers. Also, how could the VPI axanthic gene show up in an SK female?
The head is completely black and white, NO yellow and the body sides are grayish tan colored.

Day 61 through day 65. Bummer, there is some pale yellow developing. I could see it but couldn't get a decent picture.
This is about an hour after coming out of the egg. That's a sibling next to it and they are both on a Kodak gray card.
Check out the color of its head and overall body color. The sibling next to it was the one that had the pinkish red shed.

I took these pics this morning, outdoors, in the shade, on a Kodak gray card.

This is the same sibling from the previous pic.


Out of the 5 eggs, 4 hatchlings including the one lost are reduced pattern. Not definite proof of it being genetic but I'll be keeping this clutch as yet another project. The hatchling is a female but there is a male with similar coloring and a better reduced pattern. If I can get him up to size for next year, I'll breed him to mom. If not, I'll breed the same adults.
Thanks for looking
John Q

np