Albino (Rainwater) Leopard Geckos
A leopard gecko with a Rainwater albino gene loses its black tones to become a pale, pink-toned animal that keeps its pattern in soft brown. This is one of three separate albino genes. Because it will not make albinos with a Tremper or a Bell, you should know which line your animal comes from before you pair it.
About the Albino (Rainwater) gene
The Rainwater albino strain is the least common of the three albino strains in the hobby. It leaves the yellows, oranges and browns of a leopard gecko alone while stripping the black pigment, so the pattern stays on a pale, pink-washed ground in soft brown. Keepers work it for the lighter, pinker look and for the Rainwater-based combos it anchors.
Appearance
Rainwater albinos are usually the smallest of the three strains and tend to be the pinkest and lightest. While hatchlings have pink bands across yellow bodies, the normal leopard gecko pattern remains visible as an adult in brown rather than black. The eyes are the best known cue as they are usually grey and the darkest of the three albino types. It is a tendency, and it will not settle the strain on its own. Because Tremper, Bell and Rainwater albinos overlap so much in eye tone and colour, none can be told from the others by eye with certainty. Polygenic line breeding shifts the look further.
Genetics
The Rainwater albino is a recessive trait, meaning any individual without the visual look appears as a normal leopard gecko. You can buy carriers as Het Albino (Rainwater), 50% Het Albino (Rainwater), 66% Het Albino (Rainwater) and Pos Het Albino (Rainwater). This is a different gene from Bell albino and Tremper albino. These three are incompatible. If you cross a Rainwater with a Tremper or a Bell, the young will look normal and carry both genes, but no albinos will appear. Because you cannot tell the strains apart by eye, you must use line records to reliably know what an albino carries. Some named combos built on it are Typhoon (Rainwater with Eclipse), Super Typhoon (Super Snow with Rainwater and Eclipse), Cyclone (Rainwater, Eclipse and Murphy Patternless), Rainwater Blazing Blizzard (Rainwater with Blizzard) and Firewater, which is the tangerine Rainwater line. This is also sold as Las Vegas albino. The first one was produced by Tim Rainwater in 1998.
Known issues
Because of its lack of iris pigment, a Rainwater has poor filtering of bright light. This means that, like other albino leopard geckos, it handles strong lighting less well than animals with normal pigmentation. Keep the lighting for its owner gentle.