Genetics...Something all breeders should know

[PanTech]

I just happened upon a site that specializes in breeding Leopard Geckos today, and found some very interesting stuff that I thought must apply to Caudates. Understanding the genetics of herps has allowed breeders to create some of the most incredible specimens never before seen. Just the idea of breeding a new color variation of a newt as they have for leopard geckos is giving me butterflies. Anyway i just thought I would share an incredible site on genetics of herps with you all: http://www.vmsherp.com/LCGenetics101.htm

I was just wondering how many people around here have thought about or even tried breeding newts based on their genetics? Is there any species of Caudate that has been bred to a similar extend to that of Leopard Geckos???
As im sure most breeders have encounter some oddly colored larvae/tadpoles.

 

[NewtZoo]

Hey PanTech,
I have not heard of this tried before in Urodeles, but I have heard that some breeders exploiting phenotypes in anurans. One of the worries is that selective genetic engineering drives captive bred lines to crappy genepools. Another problem is weather the color you want is controlled by one or even several genetic factors, but lots of research seems to indicate that coloring can be caused by a blend of factors such as diet, enviornment, and genetics.

 

[Azhael]

Oh god please no.....no........no caudate morphs please. It´s enough there´s little left of what once was Ambystoma mexicanum....and the flavist carnifex....we reaaaaaally don´t need more....
I know morphs look cool...but they are a cancer for the species...Our goal is to preserve the species in captivity, no to play with their genetics and health to create money makers....

 

[Jennewt]

It will be some time until newts reach the level of popularity that drives the breeding of all those gecko morphs. The situation right now with newt captive breeding is that we already have more species than we have serious breeders. So there just isn't much room in our collective breeding capacity to breed a bunch of color morphs. While my own feelings are much the same as Rodrigo's, I have to admit that the attraction to color morphs is undeniable. If they are available, people will want them. And maybe color morphs will get more people interested in breeding newts. I hear there are leucistic Pleurodeles coming...

 

[blueberlin]

A museum here in Berlin is currently holding an exhibition on genetically selective breeding conducted in the past. Not of newts, of course, but to illustrate the point: I know that it is terribly tempting to apply knowledge of genetics to targeted breeding but I do think that one can take it too far.

Theoretiscally/rhetorically speaking, though, it seems to me that if one were to begin dabbling in genetically selective breeding endangered species, the time would be better spent in developing a hardier strain than a prettier one.

-Eva

 

[marco]

Things such as liver faliure, faliure of the nervous system and many other subtle genetic defects all pop up in morph colonies. The prized Enigma morph of the Leopard Gecko morphs is a good example of instability within morph colonies, It's got to the point where its a struggle to raise a Enigma to breeding age and get much more than a couple clutches of eggs before the animal simply dies.To produce a morph you breed animals for their defects (i.e much more yellow, melanistic ect.) as well as inbreeding them intentionally in most cases.

In my opinion i think that Leopard Gecko breeders are quite irresponsible in that they've messed up the captive population beyond redemption. My estimate is that Leopard gecko populations will be so unstable that within the next five years they will just become non existent but for the actual normal geckos (but their is still rumor that these are hyrbids of various sub species).

And my personal oppinion continued, Caudates are so varied and beautiful that I couldnt justify a reason to bother putting so much effort into trying to create news morphs.