The home of Bearded Dragons - Pogona Vitticeps
General Information | Translucent Bearded Dragons
What is a Translucent Bearded Dragon?
Translucent red leatherback
Translucent bearded dragons are again a result of genetic disorder. In fact they were available years ago, but the genetic strength of this line was very week. However, after years of out crossing and increasing the strength of the bloodline, translucent's today are one of the most visually stunning breaded dragons you can buy, especially translucent leatherbacks. Translucent dragons carry large pieces of translucent (transparent) skin. It's most extreme in young animals where you can hold them up to a light and see the results for yourself, with age however, the skin will thicken, but the translucent appearance will reduce and remains to some extent (especially evident on the spikes).
Why are they translucent? The genetic disorder implies the lack of white pigments. In this case for translucents the iridophores and leucophores are missing.... in otherwords they lack white pigments. Therefore light is able to pass through, giving a clear translucent effect.
Translucent red female
Also, the other visual trait of this line and one which I find most fascinating is the visual "black" eyes. This almost gives them an alien like appearence and can watch them for hours and never get bored. A good quality translucent's will have 100% black eyes and almost look glossy, but you can get translucent bearded dragons with normal looking or partial black eyes... aka Partial translucents. However, they will have the ressesive gene for creating heterozygous or homozygous translucent offspring (depending on pairing).
Translucent Bearded Dragon
Unlike the skin, which will reduce with age a translucent will never lose the black eyes.
As with all the various available bearded dragon morphs, the traits can be bred together so you can in theory get high red hypo translucent silkback/leatherback bearded dragon. They are available, but very rare and extremely expensive. I have heard that one such silkback had been sold for over £2500. Personnally I would never pay this amount for a reptile, like with all things new... wait a few months and get it for a fraction of the price!
Breeding | Colour Morphs | Leatherbacks | Silkbacks | Translucents | Hypos | Genetics
