# Understanding Fat Tail Gecko morphs



## keithb (Jan 29, 2009)

As above what morphs do you breed together for good results and what does het albino and other terms mean.


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## paulh (Sep 19, 2007)

It would take a book to fully answer these questions.

Short answers:

Breed like to like, and at least some of the babies will look like the parents.

The principles of genetics are the same for mice, maize, and geckos. Get a booklet named Genetics for Herpers. Do a search for it; it's on the web. Trying to learn genetics off the herper web sites is guaranteed to mess up your mind.

Genes come in pairs. All gene pairs are either homozygous or heterozygous.
Homozygous means that the two genes in a gene pair are the same.
Heterozygous means that the two genes in a gene pair are not the same. So het albino means that one gene is an albino mutant gene and the other gene is not an albino mutant gene. As the second gene is not specified, it must be a normal version of the albino gene.

For other definitions, see the stickies in the RFUK genetics forum.

Good luck.


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## GlasgowGecko (Feb 23, 2008)

paulh said:


> It would take a book to fully answer these questions.
> 
> Short answers:
> 
> ...


Otherwise it is at best confusing.

Andy


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## paulh (Sep 19, 2007)

GlasgowGecko said:


> A gene is made up of two alleles ....Andy


Sorry, this is not correct.

Alleles are different versions of a gene. For example, a mutant gene like the albino gene and the normal version of the gene are alleles. A gene pair (not a gene) may be made up of two copies of one allele or one copy each of two alleles.

Don't take my word for it. Consult a good biological dictionary.


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## GlasgowGecko (Feb 23, 2008)

paulh said:


> Sorry, this is not correct.
> 
> Alleles are different versions of a gene. For example, a mutant gene like the albino gene and the normal version of the gene are alleles. A gene pair (not a gene) may be made up of two copies of one allele or one copy each of two alleles.
> 
> Don't take my word for it. Consult a good biological dictionary.



It appears in my haste I have missed out the word pair. But perhaps the condesending comments were not required.


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