Red Stripe Leopard Geckos
A paler stripe runs down the spine of Red Stripe leopard geckos, bordered by two bold orange or red stripes. This look was built up over generations of selective breeding. Because hatchlings only show brown where the colour will come in, you should ask for recent photos of a grown sibling before buying young stock.
About the Red Stripe gene
A buyer pays for a well-coloured animal from a good line rather than a guaranteed genotype because no single gene is behind the look of a Red Stripe. This leopard gecko is bred for a paler central line framed by two bold stripes of orange or red running the length of the back.
Appearance
Two stripes run down each side of the spine to border a lighter dorsal band on a Red Stripe, which has a body of yellow or orange. These stripes are often tangerine, rusty orange or red. The coverage varies because some animals have a broken stripe or a fainter one, while others have an intense, unbroken outline the length of the body. Because it can take any length of time from six months to a year for full colour to come in, judge a well-grown juvenile or an adult instead of a young hatchling. Hatchlings are brown where the stripe will develop.
Genetics
Red Stripe is polygenic. It is built up by selecting parents for their own striping instead of being inherited from one proven gene, which means there is no super form and no het. It is listed as Red Stripe and Pos Red Stripe, with no complex and no allelic partner. The line was established by High Quality Reptiles, a Canadian breeder, who first called it the Red Racing Stripe. Crossed onto Rainwater Albino, it gives the combination known as Raining Red Stripe.