Leopard Gecko Phases - What They Are and Examples

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 18 February 2021
Update Date: 3 November 2024
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LEOPARD GECKO BASE MORPHS: Beginner’s Guide to Leopard Gecko Genetics!! (2020)
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The leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) is a lizard that belongs to the group of geckos, specifically the family Eublepharidae and the genus Eublepharis. They originate from eastern regions, having desert, semi-desert and arid ecosystems as their natural habitat in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Nepal and parts of India. They are animals that have a quite docile behavior and proximity to humans, which has made this exotic species often seen as a pet for a long time.

However, in addition to its behavior and the relative ease of raising it, the main feature that attracts people to have this gecko as a pet is the presence of a wide variety of patterns and colors very striking, which were generated from mutations in the species or by the control of certain environmental factors that can affect the color of the body. In this PeritoAnimal article, we want to provide you with detailed information about the different variations or phases of the leopard gecko, an aspect that gave him several particular names based on his coloration.


What are the stages of the leopard gecko and how are they produced?

The different types of leopard gecko that we can find are known as "phases". variety of colors and patterns. But how do these variations occur?

It is important to mention that some types of animals, such as those belonging to the Reptilia class, have different types of chromatophores or pigment cells, which gives them the ability to express different types of colors in their bodies. Thus, xanthophores produce a yellow coloration; the erythrophores, red and orange; and melanophores (mammalian equivalents of melanocytes) produce melanin and are responsible for the black and brown pigments. The iridophores, in turn, do not produce a specific pigmentation, but have the property of reflecting light, so in some cases it is possible to visualize the green and blue coloration.


Check out our article on animals that change color.

In the case of the leopard gecko, this entire process of color expression in the body is coordinated by genetic action, that is, determined by genes specialized in the color of the animal. This can happen in two ways:

mutations

There is a process known as mutation, which consists of alteration or modification of genetic material of the species. In some cases, when this occurs, visible changes may or may not appear in individuals. So some mutations will be harmful, others may be beneficial, and others may not even affect the species.

In the case of leopard geckos, the manifestation of different color patterns in their bodies can also occur as a result of some mutations that modified the phenotype of that species. A clear example is the case of animals that are born albino due to congenital failures in the production of a particular type of pigment. However, thanks to the presence of several types of chromatophores in these animals, the others can function correctly, which gives rise to albino individuals, but with colored spots or stripes.


This type of mutation gave rise to three types of individuals, which in the species trade are known as Tremper albino, Rainwater albino and Bell albino. Studies have also revealed that several of the color and pattern mutations in the leopard gecko are hereditary. However, it is important to note that the names mentioned are used only by commercial breeders of this animal. In no way do they have any taxonomic distinction, as the species is always Eublepharis macularius.

Expressions of the same gene

In the case of the leopard gecko, there are also some individuals that present variations in their colors, may be of more intense tones and other combinations different from those of the nominal individual, but which in no case have to do with mutations, since they correspond to different expressions of the same gene.

ambient temperature

But genes aren't the only ones responsible for determining the body color of leopard geckos. If there are variations in ambient temperature as embryos develop inside the eggs, this can affect the melanin production, which will result in a variation in the animal's color.

Other variants, such as the temperature at which the adult animal is, the substrate, food and stress they can also affect the intensity of colors that these geckos display in captivity. These changes in color intensity, as well as variations in melanin due to thermal changes, are by no means heritable.

Leopard Gecko Phase Calculator

The leopard gecko genetic or phase calculator is a tool that is available on several websites and has as its main purpose know what will be the results of the offspring when crossing two individuals with different phases or color patterns.

However, to use this tool it is necessary to know some basic principles of genetics and keep in mind that the genetic calculator will only be reliable if the data is entered with the proper knowledge.

On the other hand, the leopard gecko phase calculator is only effective in knowing the results in case of single gene or single gene mutations, which are based on Mendel's laws.

Leopard Gecko Types

Although there are many phases or types of leopard gecko, we can say that the main or best known are the following:

  • Normal or nominal: do not show mutations and can express several variations in basic colorations.
  • aberrant: the pattern of the spots in these specimens is modified, compared to the nominal. There are several types that express different patterns.
  • albinos: have mutations that prevent the production of melanin, resulting in different lines of albinos with different patterns.
  • blizzard: in this case yes, all the chromatophores are affected due to a failure in the formation of the embryo, therefore, the individuals totally lack coloration in the skin. However, because the chromatophores in the eyes form differently, they are unaffected and express color normally.
  • patternless: it is a mutation that causes the absence of a pattern in the formation of black spots characteristic of the species. As in the previous cases, there are several variants.
  • Mack snow: have a dominant mutation giving a white and yellow background coloration. In variations, this coloration can be purely white.
  • giant: this mutation gives rise to much larger than normal individuals, so that a male can weigh up to 150 g, while the weight of a normal leopard gecko is between 80 and 100 g.
  • Eclipse: in these cases, the mutation produces completely black eyes, but without affecting the body pattern.
  • Puzzle: the mutation in this case gives rise to circular spots on the body. In addition, individuals with this disorder often have the so-called Enigma syndrome, a disorder associated with the modified gene.
  • hyper and hypo: these individuals show variations in melanin production. The former can lead to higher than normal amounts of this pigment, which causes an intensification of the color patterns in the spots. The second, on the contrary, produce less of this compound, resulting in the absence of blemishes on the body.

As we have been able to evidence, the captive breeding of the leopard gecko resulted in the manipulation of its genes in order to selectively or controlled originate a wide variety of phenotypic expressions. However, it is worth asking yourself how desirable this is, as the natural development of these organisms is being modified. On the other hand, it should not be forgotten that the leopard gecko is an exotic species and this type of animal will always be better off in its natural habitat, which is why many people consider that these animals should not be pets.

Examples of leopard gecko stages

We will see below some examples with photos of the phases of the leopard gecko:

leopard gecko rated

The nominal leopard gecko refers to the mutation-free phase, ie a normal or original leopard gecko. At this stage, it is possible to appreciate a body color pattern that resembles a leopard, hence the name this species receives.

The nominal leopard gecko has a yellow background coloring which is present on the head, upper body and legs, while the entire ventral region, as well as the tail, is white. The black spot pattern, however, runs from head to tail, including the legs. Additionally, it features lavender stripes of light intensity that cross the body and the tail.

leopard gecko puzzle stage

The puzzle phase refers to a dominant mutation of this species, and individuals who have it, instead of having stripes, present black spots in the form of circles on body. The eye color is coppery, the tail is gray and the bottom of the body is pastel yellow.

may exist several variants of the puzzle phase, which will depend on the selective crossings that are made, so that they can present other colors.

An aspect of great importance in animals that have this mutation is that they suffer from a disorder, the so-called Enigma syndrome, which makes it impossible for them to make coordinated movements, so they can walk in circles, stare without moving, have tremors and even inability to hunt for food.

Leopard gecko's high yellow phase

This variant of the nominal leopard gecko is characterized by its very intense yellow color, which gave rise to the name of the phase. They may exhibit orange pigmentation on the tail, ​​with peculiar black spots on the body.

Some external effects during incubation, such as temperature or stress, can affect the color intensity.

RAPTOR stage of the leopard gecko

Also known as tangerine leopard gecko. The name of this specimen comes from the initials of the English words Ruby-eyed Albino Patternless Tremper Orange, therefore, it is an acronym and denotes the characteristics that the individuals of this phase present.

The eyes are an intense red or ruby ​​(Ruby-eyed) tone, the body color is a combination that comes from the albino line tremper (albino), does not have the typical body patterns or spots (patternless), but has a orange color (orange).

Now that you know all about leopard gecko stages, be sure to check out this other article on lizard types - examples and characteristics.

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