Albino Bearded Dragons

[Miss B]

Just curious... are there many of these floating around? And if so has anyone got pics?

They seem pretty hard to come by, the only pic I could find was this one on Repticzone forums:

 

[da_donkey]

Bigguy on here has some

 

[Miss B]

Are there any pics? And does he ever sell them? I have heard that Albino beardies have numerous health problems and often don't live for very long. I don't know how true that is. They are certainly very interesting to look at.

 

[snakegal]

Do many ppl like albino beardeds? Curious how much demand there is for them.

 

[Horsy]

I personally think they are hideous. The normal beardies in that photo are much more appealing to me. But people will by the albinos simply because they are that; albinos.

 

[da_donkey]

Have you ever seen adult albino beardies? they look amazing.

 

[Horsy]

No I haven't. Care to share a photo to change my opinion?

 

[Miss B]

I've never seen a photo of an albino adult. Would love to see a pic.

 

[da_donkey]

No I haven't. Care to share a photo to change my opinion?

I dont have any pics, and i have never seen adults (just stiring)

 

[Miss B]

Do they actually survive to adulthood?

 

[Tristis]

i dont think they live to be adults, they are weak and die young

 

[snakegal]

Me too...show me the photo!

 

[Horsy]

But wouldn't two adult albinos produce so many hatchling albinos in one clutch? If they are so rare, wouldn't it be a very miniscule chance to have produced so many albinos from normal or even het parents?

 

[Hickson]

There seems to be some debate as to this topic. Certainly, some albino Beardies have shown to be weak and not survive to adulthood. Other lines, some claim, are stronger, which is entriely possible as there could be more than one mutation that produces albinism (or amelanism). The latter line appears to be currently kept quiet.

And Horsy - two albino adults would produce a clutch of 100% albinos - two hets would produce ~25% albinos, so I would presume the clutch in the photo above is from a pair of hets.



Hix

 

[Horsy]

I'm having some debate on msn about it but I'll still ask the question; don't hets come from albino lines though? So wouldn't an adult albino have to breed in order for a het to be made? Or is my whole understanding off?

 

[Miss B]

I'm pretty sure [albino x albino] would produce 100% albino hatchlings?

If albino beardies do not reach adulthood, perhaps the albino hatchings were produced by crossing two hets - I think that'd result in 25% albino babies?

I could be wrong though.

[EDIT] Hix beat me to it! Lol. I should learn to type faster.

 

[Hickson]

I'm having some debate on msn about it but I'll still ask the question; don't hets come from albino lines though? So wouldn't an adult albino have to breed in order for a het to be made? Or is my whole understanding off?

Your whole understanding is off.

Hets are derived from albinos, yes, but not all hets are derived from albinos. Hets can be derived from hets. And usually before you even see the first albino, a het has been created by a single mutated gene, and it's parents were both normals.

Usually, the het comes first.



Hix

 

[Horsy]

How do people know if it's a het or not? Just by breeding it and see what's produced?

 

[Miss B]

Pot luck I suppose, if you cross two normal looking beardies and get some albino babies you will then know you've got two hets.

 

[Hickson]

Usually, that's the only way.

Unless you have mapped the genome and sequenced the gene that mutates.

The other way, of course, is when you have a known het and cross it with an albino - then the offspring are either albino or het - no normals so you can guarantee they are hets.



Hix