Color Help?

[Chelsea]

I really want to know other people's opinions on my girl of what color morph she is. Her parents are a Tiger and a High or Super Citrus and they are both Italian Leatherbacks which makes her a leatherback as well. The breeder told me she was a High Citrus Tiger Leatherback. Is that what she looks like? I am new to bearded dragons and their morphs and since they change so much from hatchling to adult I'm confused because she kind of just looks like a normal leatherback baby to me haha.

 

[jsnsan]

I don't know... But she sure is pretty!

 

[Chelsea]

Thank you

 

[AHBD]

Hi Chelsea....she is a cutie pie for sure ! One thing about beardies, they can take a long while before they look like their parents. They can change alot as they grow, and can gain color [ or sometimes lose it ] as they shed. Some start out with patterns, then lose them. Yours looks like it will keep it's pattern, but that will change to a certain extent, too. To get an idea of what your baby will look like, ask the breeder for pics of the parents.

 

[aussiefreak101]

Citrus babies tend to take longer than others to come into their colors. Another thing I've noticed is that Italian Leatherbacks differ a bit from regular leatherbacks, I don't know why but this is what I've observed, in that they look a bit more mute in their colors. Could be just the breeders I've seen. Again, it takes time for babies to color up, about 6-8months is closer to what they'll be as adults. So your baby is guessed to turn out to be smooth(leatherback) with some yellow(citrus) and side bar stripes(tiger) is what your breeder labeled her as.

 

[Chelsea]

Oh you know what, I didn't know there was a difference. I thought Leatherback was Italian haha. Sorry if I sound dumb, I'm a noob right now. I can't remember if he said Italian or just leatherback, but her back is super smooth. He told me she is going to have nice color on her when she grows, and he was going to hold her back to breed. So hopefully he's right! I love her to death either way, I just wanted an idea of what she might look like

 

[JCuratola]

If both parents were leatherback doesnt that mean she is a silkback?

 

[Chelsea]

What's the difference?

 

[aussiefreak101]

A silkback looks more like a salamander, they have no scales. And no, leatherback to leatherback doesn't mean silkback. There has to be that genetic mutation in their genes for a silkback. One of the parents has to have been a silkback.

 

[Chelsea]

Yeah I don't think she's a silkback.

 

[AHBD]

I know it's all a little confusing. Like Aussie said, your baby is a leatherback. Silkies have no scales, just smooth skin. But to produce a silkback you can breed 2 leatherbacks ....you will get about 25% regular scaled, 25% silkbacks and %50 leatherbacks. A silkback to a leather will produce about 50- 50 silks + leathers.

 

[Chelsea]

Oh okay. So how do you know if she's an Italian or a regular?