Introducing the............ BLUE AMBER EYE "An impressive new eye gene combined with an equally impressive morph!!" Click here for an enlarged view This new recessive gene is named after the gemstone Blue Amber, which represents the transparent nature of this eye mutation that reveals blue and amber colored pigments from hatching to adult. History.......In 2014 my wife, Helene, embarked on a project to make Striped Blood Rainwater Albinos. She combined top Blood and Striped genetics by using geckos, that took several years to prove out to be het free (no recessives), coupled with some rather plain looking Rainwater Albinos that were also het free. Then the unexspected happened. In 2018 this new gene revealed itself !! We were astonished to find that three Rainwater project males were produced that had significantly different eyes compared to Eclipse, Marble, Noir Desir and Cipher types. For our in-house purposed we came up with the name Blue Amber Eye (B.A.E.) pending testing. Such random mutations must be thoroughly tested before declaring a new gene, and so in 2019 we gathered the essential females, representing the known eye genetics, and bred one of the 2018 Blue Amber Eye Rainwater males to each of the three other eye traits. Simultaneously, we began breeding the two other BAE males to their mothers, aunts and sisters. The result has been a number of visual Blue Amber Eyes, which have the same impressive eye color of their fathers. Our 2019 Test Breeding Results....... 1) Blue Amber Eye x Eclipse Eye = All offspring hatched with normal colored eyes proving the mutation is not Eclipse. 2) Blue Amber Eye x Marble Eye = All offspring hatched with normal colored eyes proving the mutation is not Marble Eye. 3) Blue Amber Eye x Noir Desir Black Eye (NDBE) = All offspring hatched with normal colored eyes proving the mutation is not NDBE. Genetics.......The Blue Amber Eye (B.A.E.) is a separate recessive gene unto itself and may over time manifest itself in the Bell & Tremper albino lines, as well as, other morphs. (Please be aware that the soonest this gene could be expressed in the Bell & Tremper albinos by anyone making a purchase in 2019 would be 2023 due to the long process of proving geckos to be het free as part of such combining.) To date, we have not discovered any markers for this gene. This year we have already bred Blue Amber Eye to top quality, no het, Tangerines. When their offspring are bred together in 2020 we will see what the non-albino version looks like for the very first time. In 2021, we will then test breed the non-albino BAEs to determine, which geckos are het free. These het free BAEs will then be used to combine with the Tremper and Bell Albino lines. Affect on Color........Unlike the Eclipse gene, the BAE does not degrade color. In fact, there is some evidence here that it may enhance colors. Helene's project is producing geckos with extremely vivid red/orange and high contrast. After 5 years of line-breeding, her goal of producing Striped Blood Rainwaters (photo below) has not only been realized, but surpassed by the emergence of the BAE. She has decided to call her line "Burning Blood Rainwaters". A name suggested by Marco Struck of Germany. Burning Blood Rainwater het Blue Amber Eye Health........To date, all our BAEs have perfectly formed and normal shaped eyes. No issues whatsoever like that of the NDBE. The body conformation and vigor has been superb in all our visuals and hets. Eye Color Variability......Given that every gecko eye is unique, the adult BAEs so far have shown a normal range of variation (see photos below). Hatchlings have a very dark eye that becomes more transparent with age. There seems to be a common color characteristic of blue edging on each side of the pupil. It's to be expected that more will be learned as the population of BAEs increases over time. Adults One day old BAE   3 month old BAE Eye Identification........The BAE is easily identifiable from the other eye genes, thus eliminating any confusion (see photos below). Although appearing dark at hatching, the transparent nature of the BAE can seen upon close examination, and hence, ruling out the Eclipse (Typhoon) and Cipher genes, which are opaque. With a good sample size in hand, every BAE itself has been virtually identical, fully colored and devoid of any snake-eyed or partially colored examples. Blue Amber Eye - Rainwater Albino Eclipse Eye - Rainwater Albino           Eclipse Snake Eye - Rainwater Albino Typhoon photos by Steve Sykes - GeckosEtc.com Marble Eye - Tremper Albino Noir Desir Black Eye variations - Tremper Albinos NDBE photos by Fran Lhotka - CoolLizard.com The Marketplace......Given the qualities of the B.A.E., and the fact that recessives hold their value much longer than a co-dominant, we feel that this new genetic will be a major boost to the leopard gecko industry for years to come as it reveals itself in other lines and combination morphs. Imagine BAE Tremper Enigmas or BAE Murphy Patternless Albinos or BAE Blizzards or BAE White & Yellow Blood Bell Albinos. BLUE AMBER EYE SALES GALLERY Blue Amber Eye Burning Blood Rainwater (not for sale). (top)   copyright © 2017. www.leopardgecko.com