XXX Crested Geckos
The harlequin pattern and tiger bands of an XXX crested gecko run across the back so the two sides meet over the dorsum. Because the look sits at the far end of a range, judge one on the amount of pattern crossing the back rather than on the name.
About the XXX gene
XXX is the name for a crested gecko where the pattern goes over the back rather than stopping at the sides. This name started as a line name at Pangea Reptile. Keepers buy one because of the pattern coverage.
Appearance
The pattern on a harlequin moves from the belly up the sides towards the dorsum. This pattern goes past the mid-lateral line on an Extreme Harlequin. An XXX takes it even further because heavy pattern and heavy tiger are together. This means the bands saddle from the laterals across the dorsum and link the two sides. You should look for that banding over the back. While pinstripe would hold the pattern to the edges of the dorsum, the tiger bands on an XXX cross it. This happens even on an animal with broken pinning.
Genetics
XXX is a pattern name instead of a single proven gene, and it is listed as XXX and Pos XXX. Because it is the most extreme expression of that pattern, it sits in the same group as Harlequin and Extreme Harlequin. It is better read as a form of tiger than as a separate trait, being the tiger end of the balance between pinning and tiger. The names Tiger, Harlequin and Extreme Harlequin are listed separately. The name was coined by Matt Parks of Pangea Reptile.