Trying to figure out and understand morphs

[dragonlover1990]

Hello, I'm a new bearded dragon mom and I'm trying to educate myself on the different morphs and color variations that are found in the dragons.

Can someone possibly help me identify the morphs and color of my baby girl Godzilla

 

[Sadie]

Hello, I'm a new bearded dragon mom and I'm trying to educate myself on the different morphs and color variations that are found in the dragons.

Can someone possibly help me identify the morphs and color of my baby girl Godzilla

Let me have someone help here w/ more experience than I

 

[xp29]

Hello, she is very pretty. As far as morphs she looks to be a standard/normal, with very nice colors.
The difference between a morph and a color is genetics.
Colors are a trait not a morph and can not be reproduced reliably. Color will usually be a blend of the visual colors of both parents but can vary wildly as well.
Morphs are genetically hardwired and can be reproduced with a large degree of accuracy. Take leatherbacks and Dunners for example (both are dominant genes so it just takes 1 parent to pass it along). If you breed either a predictable number of the off spring will carry the gene, because both are a dominant gene if the offspring carry it, it will be visual. If it isn't visual then the offspring do not carry the gene at all.
Other traits like hypo (hypomelanistic) or trans (translucent) are recessive and have to get the gene from both parents to be displayed visually. If those babies get it from just one parent they are called het (heterozygous) and will not displaythe trait visually. If bread with another that is het (or visual for the trait) they will produce babies that are visual for the trait and some that are het for the trait.
The only way to "prove out" a beardie for traits that are het is to breed it into a beardie that is know to carry the trait, hypo for instance, if you produce even one baby that is hypo then you've proven your beardie carries the trait also.
There are alot of beautiful morphs around now
Dunner, leatherback, hypo, trans, genetic stripe, witblits, zero, wero, red monsters, to name a few.
But to be honest morphs are genetic mutations and can compromise the health of the dragon (not that they always will but they can). A lot of morphs are created by heavy line breeding *coughs* red monster *coughs* and it takes many generations to make them healthy again if they ever are. As such there is something to be said for having a standard/normal. They are very beautiful also and will tend to be more robust and hardy then the other morphs. I hope this helps and wasn't to long winded and rambling

 

[dragonlover1990]

No, thank you, that goes along alot with what I have been researching. And it helps alot. I have been considering breeding her when she gets older but im trying to get as much information as i can before i fully make that commitment. From what I think, she seems to be a normal citrus, blue bar with a genetic stripe...am I right or does what I said make no sense at all...lol

 

[dragonlover1990]

No, thank you, that goes along alot with what I have been researching. And it helps alot. I have been considering breeding her when she gets older but im trying to get as much information as i can before i fully make that commitment. From what I think, she seems to be a normal citrus, blue bar with a genetic stripe...am I right or does what I said make no sense at all...lol

And also how come I can't seem to find anyone that is breeding normals...I don't think I want to get into all the morph genetics...because like you said they are prolly not as hardy as the normal/standard....I want a dragon friend that will be with me as long as possible not just have "good" mutations in their genes

 

[xp29]

She could be a citrus and maybe blue bar, it looks like I can see stripes on her sides. (I say could be because the pics lean to the yellowish side a little and it's kindda hard to see her actual colors) Not gentic stripe though, those run straight and continue on down the tail. As she gets older the stripes may even become a completely different pattern.
As far as breeding, I just posted a cautionary post in a different forum. Two of my girls have clutched since January. One of them 4 times. I've had 103 eggs since January. The one that clutched 4 times was mated, but it didn't take. If it had I would have had 85 babies to find homes for. Once bread they can hold the sperm for a year or so and lay multiple clutches.
I'm not saying don't do it, just to research and understand what your getting into. Also clutches layed at the back end of that year can have birth defects and genetic issues.

 

[dragonlover1990]

Thank you for the info...yea I understand that they can have alot of babies and each baby has to have specialized care as the parents do...that's why I'm getting all the info I need now while she is young to help me make the decision on whether or not to breed her.