Drippy Crested Geckos
A crested gecko's genetics are decided by the base morph underneath because Drippy never appears alone. This white or lighter pattern, known as Drippy, spills down from the spine onto the sides of the animal and is most often found on top of a Tricolour or Harlequin base.
About the Drippy gene
A crested gecko is known as a Drippy when a lighter stripe along the spine spills onto the upper sides to make the pattern look like it is dripping down the back. This pattern never stands alone. Every Drippy animal carries a base pattern underneath, which is most often Harlequin or Tricolour, and the drip is the extra selling point on top of that base.
Appearance
The tail, belly and head are unaffected. This effect only affects the upper laterals and dorsal, where a lighter colour runs down the sides and breaks off the spine rather than staying in a neat stripe. It is seen most often on Lily White, Pinstripe, Extreme Tricolour, Tricolour, Extreme Harlequin and Harlequin animals. The drip colour follows the base underneath, such as cream and orange where Tangerine or Harlequin influence is present, or white spotting tied to the Snowflake gene. Because it always rides on another pattern, no two Drippy geckos carry it the same way. A listing names it as an extra descriptor rather than a look of its own.
Genetics
Whether Drippy is a standalone inherited trait remains undecided. It might just be a way to describe how the Snowflake gene white marking shows through over another pattern, including the cream and orange from Harlequin and Tangerine influence. In practice, it acts like a combination effect instead of one single gene. No one sells or breeds Drippy on its own, and the name is always used with the base pattern it carries. You can find it listed as Drippy and Pos Drippy. There is no record of a first-produced date or originator, it belongs to no complex, and it has no other name.