We get a lot of questions about the Zero’s we are hatching lately. I collected some nice info about this morph and added some of our own experience in it. If you are interested to know more about the genetics of Zero’s and Stingers keep reading below.
Genetics explained: The African Geckogene Zero / Super Zero / Stinger / Super Stinger
Written by Jeff Galewood ( JMG Reptile )
Over the past years as we bred the Zero and Stinger trait we have come to the conclusion that these morphs are a definite recessive. The original Patternless and the Super Zero / Super Stinger is allelic with each other.
The Super Zero / Super Stinger is a separate line of recessive Patternless from the original Patternless that has another pattern changing gene close to the main recessive allele that is passed on when the Super Zero or Super Stinger is bred to a normal or other morph. This pattern changing gene close to the main recessive allele can give some of the heterozygous and possible heterozygous offspring connecting bands on the back. The crossing of Zeros or Stingers to Wildtype will also yield visibly different patterned offspring but may not be actual hets for the Super form. This lead to the confusion that these morphs were acting Co-Dominant since the other trait at work will give hets and non hets Stinger or Zero patterns.
It is possible to produce all normal looking offspring with a Super Zero or Super Stinger and the heterozygous babies when bred together will produce Super Zeros / Super Stingers and possibly Zeros or Stingers possible het for Super Zero or Super Stinger.
We have come to the conclusion as well that some Stingers and Zeros that were from het X het Super Zero or Stinger breedings may not be heterozygous for Super Zero or Super Stinger even though they display the connecting back pattern. With some pattern / color hereditary traits there are other genetics aside from the main mutation at work that can alter anything. With some morphs there can be a pattern mutating allele inseparable from the main mutation allele seen in some recessive pattern mutations such as the Super Zero.
Even though the Super Zero and Super Stinger are compatible with Patternless their ability to produce unique patterned offspring and the difference phenotypically between the homozygous morphs still makes them their own individual morph and they are not the same as a Patternless.
The future for these traits is very promising as seen when Zeros and Stingers are bred into hidden genes and the obvious differences between Super Zeros / Super Stingers and Patternless alone. The Zero and Stinger name will remain the same, the homozygous forms will still be referred to as Supers since they have been labeled this way for years.
We get a lot of questions about this morph. Because it was said they are co-dominant now simple recessive... it was confusing. To be honest when we bought them back in 2012 we were still thinking they were co-dominant. We proved our Zero females in Season 2013. We put a Super Zero male on the females and we made some nice Super Zeros so we know for sure our Zeros are 100% Het for Super Zero.
If we look at the first hatch result of 2013 we know there was something going on indeed. F.e. we bred Super Zero to a Whiteout. Only outcome, if Zero was co-dominant, could be a visible Zero Whiteout or a Zero. There have been Zero's ( Het Super Zero ) hatching which have the closed pattern, no banding, and geckos that have banding looking like a Wildtype. This totally fits into the explanation of Jeff the Zero gene not being co-dominant. This means, in the past, there were Het Super Zeros sold that looked like a Wildtype but also “Zero’s” that do not carry the Super Zero gene. By the way this goes the same for the Stingers of course.
If you buy a Zero ( Het Super Zero ) from us we guarantee it can produce a Super Zero when bred to a Super Zero or Zero ( Het Super Zero ) ! All of ours are bred from a Super Zero or Super Zero Whiteout male so all of our Zeros ( Het Super Zero ) are 100% Het for Super Zero.
Thank you for reading and if you have questions feel free to contact us.