Red Base Crested Geckos

The red crested gecko is produced by the Red Base gene. This is one of the three primary base colours, which also include yellow and black. This gene produces shades ranging from bright red to neon and pink, as well as blood reds and dark brick. In the hobby, some of the most sought-after crested geckos are red harlequins and red extreme harlequins.

Appearance

A red base can appear in many shades including dark blood red, pink, fire-truck red, pale cotton-candy pink, or dirty or brick red. The other traits the animal carries decide the final shade. Because hypo on a red base cuts the black and brown melanin, it turns a dirty or dark red into pink or neon red. The hue shifts again due to phantom and the pattern colours. Both orange patterning and white patterning can be carried by red animals. Orange, which sometimes reads as yellow, has proven hard to breed out of red lines. On a red harlequin, the pattern is white, cream or yellow against the red and the best animals are bought for that contrast. Since every crested gecko goes duller and paler when fired down, judge colour on a fired-up gecko. A young red can look quite different by its first year because it takes months to settle and hatchlings do not carry their adult colour.

Genetics

Because Red Base is a recessive on its own locus, parents that are not red can produce red offspring. You will see Red Base, Het Red Base, 50% Het Red Base, 66% Het Red Base and Pos Het Red Base in listings. Most hets look like any other crested gecko. One of the few carrier markers known in the species is blushing, which is a rosy or red flush under the chin and on the cheeks. Red is non-allelic with yellow base and black base. It sits alongside them instead of replacing them. One proven red line is the Harry Red Line.