Witblits bearded dragons FAQ

Where does the name Witblits come from?

After a discussion on our local reptile forum (www.sareptiles.co.za) it was decided that we should give this new morph a proudly South African name.

The name Witblits bearded dragons was born.

Witblits (Afrikaans: wit = white, blits = lightning) is a locally produced spirit with a very high alcohol content. Known as ‘aqua vitae’ or ‘drink of the gods’ in ancient Greece. As the name implies, it is potent! It is normally a transparent whitish colour.

These dragons are just like witblits; they are the ‘dragons of the gods’ and will also take your breath away…

We chose the name Witblits because our first patternless dragon (Blits) was almost blizzard white in colour! He took my breath away...

Are all Witblits dragons white in colour?

No. When Witblits beardies hatch the are ash-grey in colour. Within a week or so they change colour and most of them turn a pearl-white colour. Others remain grey but acquire a silver tinge as they grow. They mature as silver dragons. Some of the pearl-white babies become a golden-yellow colour as they mature. We only have one paper white dragon. His name is Blits. Pure white Witblits dragons are extremely rare! One of our projects are to breed blizzard white patternless bearded dragons.

Breeding males have the potential to turn their beards black. The contrast of a stark white dragons with a pitch black beard is amazing!

Are all Witblits dragons patternless?

Yes. Witblits beardies hatch completely patternless. They have no pattern at all.

Normal bearded dragons have a dark coloured sub-orbital stripe, running from the eye to the ear. They also have black shoulder pads. A lot of so called patternless dragons (like marketed leucistics) still have faint markings on them, especially the sub-orbital stripe and shoulders.

Witblits beardies have no markings!

Are adult witblits dragons patternless?

Yes. Witblits bearded dragons stay patternless. None of our adult dragons have any sign of pattern. They hatch patternless and remain patternless through life.

Where did you acquire the animals that produced these Witblits babies?

We have been working on a ‘light line’ of dragons for 6 years. It all started off with a very light coloured female called Savanah. We did some selective breeding. The result was Witblits babies in the 5th generation. We never expected it though. It was a combination of selection and a lot of luck… The parent animals of the Witblits babies are phenotypically normal. They might well be related. See original breeding pair for more info.

What bloodline did you use to produce them?

We basically started of with normal dragons from no specific bloodline. We chose light animals to breed with and so created a line of dargons, our ‘light line’. We didn't use any “special” morphs to create Witblits patternless bearded dragons. The ‘parent stock’ are normal dragons with a lighter than average colour. Some of the very light animals could almost be called marketed leucistics or ‘dark-nailed hypos’, although none of these were used in Witblits dragons.

What is the genetics of these dragons?

Witblits is a simple recessive trait.

Previous breedings from the original pair constantly hatched around 25% patternless dragons. Pairing Blits (patternless) with Kahlua (100% het.) resulted in half the offspring being patternles. This proves that Witblits is a simple recessive gene.

In January 2012 our first Witblits x Witblits pairing hatched and all the offspring were Witblits… This proves Witblits patternless to be a recessive gene.

Do you have any references?

Yes we do. We have sold Witblits bearded dragons to respected breeders both in America and Europe.

Can you ship Witblits bearded dragons to me?

Yes we can ship our dragons to almost anywhere in the world. We have already sent some to Europe and to USA. Call us for more information.

How long does shipping take from South Africa?

Well it depends on where you are. The actual shipping/flight can take up to 2 days, for example to LAX. The whole export process from reservation to shipping usually takes about one month. This is dependant on the speed they process the export permits etc. We are able to hold animals longer if need be.

Will a small Witblits bearded dragon survive a long flight?

Yes they will. We would not ship any dragon that weighs under 10 grams. If you have reserved a dragon under 10 grams we will then grow it up to size. We ensure that all dragons shipped are healthy and in good condition. We have a reptile vet who checks on animals prior to export. All animals must be declared ‘fit for travel’ before export.

Do these Witblits dragons need any special care?

No. These dragons are healthy and strong just like any other normal bearded dragon. We rear them exactly like we do normal dragons. There is the possibility that they might be more prone to UV damage due to their lighter coloured skin, but we have not experienced any problems with this under artificial UV lighting.

Are Witblits patternless dragons the same as Japanese Silverbacks?

No. Although the two morphs are phenotypically similar, they are genetically different. This has recently (May 2011) been proven by Josh Dovenbarger from Phantom dragons when he bred a Silverback het. to a Witblits het. and produced no patternless babies. This proves that the two morphs are not the same mutation (or at least the same mutation at the same locus on the DNA. But lets not get to scientific…) Japanase Silverbacks also do not hatch completely patternless as the Witblits do.

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This page was last updated 20 Feb 2012

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