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Phantom Crested Gecko
A Phantom crested gecko has two copies of the recessive Phantom gene, which mutes pattern color and darkens the animal; a gecko with one copy (a het) looks normal.
Phantom is recessive: a gecko needs two copies to show it, and a het Phantom looks like any other gecko. Foundation Genetics (LM Reptiles) and AC Reptiles both describe it as a simple recessive, and the Geck Inspect calculator treats it as proven. In the Foundation Genetics description it adds dark pigment and suppresses pattern, but its hold weakens near the tail base and on the sides, which is why pinstripes and lateral white can still show through. What a Phantom looks like depends on everything else it carries, so Phantoms can read as bicolor, patternless, buckskin, charcoal or cream animals. Because it hides in hets, Phantom explains many surprise quiet-backed hatchlings from two normal-looking parents.
The name began as part of the visual label Phantom Pinstripe. AC Reptiles and Foundation Genetics later described Phantom as a recessive gene, and the two uses are not interchangeable.
Recessive math: Phantom x Phantom gives all Phantoms; Phantom x het gives 50% Phantom and 50% het; het x het gives 25% Phantom, 50% het and 25% normal, and a normal-looking baby from that pairing has a 66% chance of being het. In Geck Inspect a bare Phantom tag means a visual Phantom.
Inheritance: Recessive. Category: Color modifier. Rarity: uncommon. Also called: Phantom gene, Visual Phantom.
Key features
- Recessive: two copies to show, and hets look normal
- Mutes pattern color and darkens the base
- Pinstripe and lateral white can still show near the tail base and on the sides
How to tell it apart
- Phantom Pinstripe: Phantom Pinstripe is an older visual label for crest rows without cream; the label alone does not prove the Phantom gene.
- Highway: Highway also leaves a clean back, but one copy shows; Phantom needs two, so lineage separates them.
- Patternless: Line-bred patternless animals can look the same without carrying Phantom at all.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Phantom crested gecko?
A Phantom crested gecko has two copies of the recessive Phantom gene, which mutes pattern color and darkens the animal; a gecko with one copy (a het) looks normal.
What does a Phantom crested gecko look like?
A typical Phantom crested gecko shows these features: recessive: two copies to show, and hets look normal; mutes pattern color and darkens the base; Pinstripe and lateral white can still show near the tail base and on the sides.
How do I identify a Phantom crested gecko?
To identify a Phantom crested gecko, check these points: look for muted pattern with base color showing through on the head and neck; confirm with lineage: two visual Phantom parents, or parents proven het by earlier clutches; do not read het status from a darker back or a head pattern; both are unreliable.
What is the difference between Phantom and Phantom Pinstripe?
Phantom Pinstripe is an older visual label for crest rows without cream; the label alone does not prove the Phantom gene.
How is Phantom inherited?
Phantom is classified as recessive. Two copies required for visual expression. A single copy produces a "het" (heterozygous) carrier that looks normal but can pass the gene to offspring.
What other morphs combine with Phantom?
Phantom is often combined with Phantom Pinstripe, Lilly White, Frappuccino, Axanthic and Harlequin.
Who discovered or first produced Phantom crested geckos?
The name began as part of the visual label Phantom Pinstripe. AC Reptiles and Foundation Genetics later described Phantom as a recessive gene, and the two uses are not interchangeable.
Canonical URL: https://geckinspect.com/MorphGuide/phantom
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