A look at the recessive "Hypomelanistic" morph in bearded dragons.

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The recessive Hypomelanism (aka "Hypo") gene in bearded dragons causes a reduction in melanin (the same pigment that gives us a suntan) in their skin. This gives them a much lighter colour.

 

The effects of this are two-fold: firstly the dragon appears lighter overall, with a larger proportion of white areas. Secondly other colours are less masked by the brown pigments. This means that although other colours aren't directly affected, dragons will often appear brighter or more colourful than usual.

 

Hypos are very pale and often almost white on hatching - these dragons are around a week old; the two on the left are Hypos, and the one on the right is a normally-coloured sibling:

 

 

Hypos are also characterised by their totally clear nails - if a "Hypo" doesn't have clear nails, chances are it's not a Hypo at all, just a pale normal dragon. These are clear nails:

 

 

As adults, Hypos keep their paleness and many develop lavendar tones, especially on their shoulders and sides. Like the other "simple" traits, it's compatible with other morphs. When combined with strong patterns and colours, the Hypo gene can create some stunning animals, such as this juvenile:

 

 

We regularly produce Hypo and het Hypo beardies - check our For Sale and Future Plans pages for more details!