Genetics & Lineage Info

Home/Genetics & Lineage Info/C2 Lineages

The C2 Lineages

Text & Photos by Anthony Caponetto

C2/Citrus/Tangerine Line Hatchling
(Super Soft Scale + Whitewall + Het Empty Back + Tangerine)

About C2 Line Geckos
These geckos universally have cleaner than normal color, which can help brighten an intensely pigmented gecko, along with reduced dark pigments. Tiger markings are, without exception, thinner than normal and highly contrasting or sometimes virtually non-existent, only expressed as shading along the pinstripe and lateral patterns.

To my eyes, the C2 line produces the best and most consistent color quality that exists in the hobby - I may be biased, but I really haven't seen anything that produces such clean colored geckos on a consistent basis, often even in first generation outcrosses, where only one parent is descended from the C2 line. Some specimens are so clean and devoid of dark pigment that they have a hypomelanistic look to them, which is a term I've largely avoided using to describe them, but others have called them hypo and I understand why - technically speaking, it's hard to argue with. When combined with intense yellow or orange pigment, it gives an effect I've referred to as the "C2 glow". Super Soft Scale just puts it over the top.

The History of C2

C2 himself, photographed as a young adult in 2007 or so. His name refers to his cream on cream paint job, as in "Cream Squared". This guy has been instrumental in literally all of our cream, yellow and orange projects. A true OG (original gecko). His structure wasn't great, but did improve as he filled out by age 3-4. Not many geckos had even decent structure back then, so I was more than willing to work on that for a gecko I believed brought something valuable to the table.

The C2 lineage, as a whole, goes back to 2006 (first offspring produced that spring) and is now comprised of many individual lines that are now virtually unrelated - C2 himself is just a common ancestor now.

I've outcrossed these geckos into multiple other lines, in order to tweak colors and add other pattern genes. We now have a wide assortment of geckos that all have the same look, but are genetically diverse as anything else we have. This allows me a lot of freedom to play with different lines without compromising that consistently clean/bright quality you most often get with these geckos.

This entire line started with a cream-on-cream male named "C2" (think "Cream squared") that I decided should be bred into my existing Citrus line - he wasn't particularly nice, except for the fact he was about as cleanly colored as anything I've ever seen. My Citrus line at the time was a mash up of orange and yellow based geckos, as they're genetically the same base type. Those geckos had darker, thicker Tiger markings and no shortage of dark pigment - and I saw an opportunity to clean them up. I just had no idea how easily this would happen and how consistent they would be.

Those initial pairings were game changers and resulted in the cleanest, brightest, and nicest cream, yellow and orange base colors I've still ever laid eyes on. Without the male who I started the C2 lineage around, I wouldn't likely have cared to develop nearly as many projects with yellow/orange base color over the past couple of decades.

I went from not really being a fan of yellow or orange crested geckos, to liking them better than I like reds. That's saying something, as reds are what put us on the map. Not only are the C2/Citrus geckos great looking, but they breed very consistently in terms of color, their structure is top notch, and they are our largest-growing lineage, with some specimens reaching 90+ grams.

Photo Gallery 1:
First Generation C2 Line Geckos

C2 First Generation Offspring - This photo was taken probably around 2007, at around a year of age. This guy was one of those offspring I used to breed uniquely clean color and reduced Tiger pattern into my Citrus and Tangerine projects.

C2 First Generation Offspring - Phantom Dalmatian - 2006 Hatch
This young adult male looks good by today's standards - he had my attention early on. Much to my surprise, this appearance was easy to reproduce and became a personal favorite project.

C2 First Generation Offspring - Young Adult Female Phantom Dalmatian - 2007 Hatch

C2 First Generation Offspring - Young Adult Male Phantom Dalmatian - 2007 Hatch

Photo Gallery 2:
Modern C2 Lineage Geckos

Great example of a C2/Citrus line Super Soft Scale with outstanding Tangerine pigment.
This gecko is also het for Empty Back as well. Though technically a Tiger, genetically speaking, C2 genetics and Super Soft Scale have nearly wiped the Tiger markings clean.

C2 x Citrus Line Super Soft Scale - The Tiger markings are nearly gone on this example.