Animal lovers usually engage with reptile petkeeping because it is enjoyable and offers new and thrilling experiences, especially if a leopard gecko morph is their choice of pet.
Leopard geckos are unique animals and popular to domesticate as pets at home.
We have observed that these reptiles are selected by pet owners who want a different experience.
These animal lovers have decided to move away from taking care of traditional animal home companions, such as dogs and cats.
We found it worthwhile to write this online guide about leopard gecko morphs because these lizards’ captivating nature makes them well-received as pet options. They are perfect for beginner reptile pet keepers as well.
Moreover, we want to enlighten reptile enthusiasts further about leopard geckos.
We aim to entertain and educate pet owners and prospective leopard gecko morph keepers who are curious about the diverse varieties of these reptiles.
Table of Contents
Understanding Leopard Gecko Morphs as One-of-a-kind Reptile Pets
Pet owners who are novices to leopard gecko morphs may feel intrigued by these eye-catching lizards’ names. Leopard geckos are small lizards that hail from several parts of the globe.
These foreign locations consist of the Middle East, including Afghanistan and Iran, and central and southwestern Asia, including northwest India and Pakistan.
The leopard gecko’s scientific name is Eublepharis macularius, and the word “leopard” is due to these reptile pets’ spots in their bodies that look like those of the big, wild, and powerful cats.
These lizards stand out among the rest because of their “morphs” features. When we say “morph,” this term pertains to the leopard geckos with different characteristics.
These reptiles come in amazing varieties and combinations, with different color mutations, patterns, sizes, and other physical attributes. These possibilities happen with the development of morphs in captivity.
There are presently more than 100 different leopard gecko morphs with various hues and combinations.
A large and increasing number of new species have been created through selective breeding, while random mutations cause some of them.
For reptile enthusiasts who want the fun and amusement in caring for leopard gecko morphs, we guarantee that they can get what they expect.
After all, plenty of new lizards of this type are being developed at the time of writing, and the potential for more new varieties and combinations are practically endless.
Reptile Pet Profile: Getting to Know the Leopard Gecko Morph
Leopard geckos are among the most beloved kinds of reptiles kept as home companions. They are especially enticing among lizard pets that even those who are not into keeping reptiles as companions at home often find them irresistibly cute.
For interested leopard gecko morph owners, we want to provide them with the following important information. We believe these key details can help these potential pet keepers learn more about what makes leopard geckos worthy of having as beloved pets:
1. SIZE
Leopard geckos grow fast. They usually reach their full size when they turn one year old. Then, after this stage, their rate of growth drastically gets modified.
Leopard gecko morphs’ dimensions differ between males and females. Male leopard geckos are typically 8 to 10 inches or 20 to 25 centimeters long.
Meanwhile, the females’ sizes range from 7 to 8 inches long or about 18 to 20 centimeters long. We want to emphasize that leopard gecko morphs are ideal for pet keepers who want to have small to medium-sized lizards as home companions.
Nevertheless, for those who are interested in keeping big lizards as pets, we want to confirm that there are giant and super-giant leopard gecko morphs. These reptiles are heavier and larger than the standard-sized lizards, weighing up to 150 grams or even more.
2. LIFESTYLE AND DIET
In captivity, owners typically keep leopard geckos in desert-type terrariums. However, we want to stress that these reptile pets are not desert dwellers, and sand is not a recommended substrate for them.
Nearly all available leopard geckos in the market are born in terrariums. Hence, they breed quite readily in captivity. Leopard gecko morphs are nocturnal and crepuscular animals.
They are most active at night and in the twilight. Additionally, these lizards cannot climb vertical surfaces because they lack the adhesive lamellae, which are the microscopic hooks on their feet that most other geckos feature.
The absence of these sticky toe pads makes leopard geckos incapable of climbing walls. As for their food, leopard gecko morphs eat live insects.
They are not fussy consumers. Therefore, we advise owners not to give a highly specialized diet to their reptile pets.
3. DEMEANOR
We understand that reptile pet owners keep domesticated animals as companions that can help them keep a good mood and feel relaxed. We guarantee that if they choose leopard gecko morphs as pets, they will feel amazing.
After all, these reptile pets are docile, friendly, and stress-relieving. Additionally, leopard gecko morphs are charming because of their different colors that complement their seemingly smiling faces and perky personalities.
Thus, their owners can feel better at home after a long and hard day at work. Gazing at their easygoing and squeaky mini-dinosaurs as home companions will make them feel amused with the latter’s interesting movements as well.
4. COMMUNICATION
Leopard gecko morphs communicate with members of their species and their surroundings. They possess specific body language.
For instance, these reptile pets vocalize, especially when they are hungry. They usually squeak or chirp.
Moreover, leopard gecko morphs use their tail to express what they feel or desire. If the lizard rattles its tail’s tip fast, similar to rattlesnakes, we want to inform pet keepers that their reptile pet is excited to mate or eat.
Meanwhile, if the leopard gecko is waving its tail, which is a slow and back-and-forth movement, it is telling the species surrounding it that it feels threatened. We want to emphasize that when this lizard pet performs tail-waving, it also means it is about to attack another specie.
5. LIFE SPAN
Pet keepers can experience a long time filled with enjoyment if they choose leopard gecko morphs as animal home companions. After all, these relaxing lizards are known for their long life.
The oldest leopard gecko lived up to 32 years old. We want to point out that the life spans of these reptile pets depend on breeding and care. Therefore, leopard geckos can live from 8 to 20 years old.
6. BITING INCIDENT
Leopard geckos are not overly fast and are absolutely non-aggressive. We understand that potential owners may wonder if these reptiles bite.
But we want to highlight the fact that leopard gecko morphs possess small teeth that are dangerous only for insects. Furthermore, they possess strong jaws.
Nonetheless, leopard gecko morphs do not bite, and if they do, it is usually accidental. These reptile pets can mistake their owner or keeper’s fingers for food.
Therefore, during hand-feeding, reptile pet keepers’ fingers can get inadvertently bitten. But this scenario should not cause worry to the owners.
After all, when a leopard gecko morph accidentally bites its owner’s hand, it would merely feel like a hard pinch and not actually a painful bite. In most cases, this reptile pet’s bite would merely scratch the upper layer of its keeper’s skin.
10 Examples of Leopard Gecko Morphs
For novice leopard gecko morph owners or potential keepers of these reptile pets, the most common examples of these lizards are the species with yellowish-brown with dark spots or black dots all over their bodies. Another natural color of the leopard gecko is white.
However, we want to inform reptile enthusiasts that the list of leopard gecko morphs and morph combinations is ever-expanding. This reality is because breeders carry on developing new variations on these reptiles’ genetic characteristics.
Furthermore, we want to advise buyers that prices of leopard gecko morphs will vary wildly, depending on the lizard’s traits, such as its color.
Since these reptile pets in their natural hues can be boring for morph aficionados, we recommend having a look at the following ten examples of leopard gecko morphs from which buyers can select:
1) Tremper or Texas Albino
This leopard gecko morph is among the first albino strains discovered. It mostly displays silver eyes with visible red veins. Additionally, the Texas or Tremper Albino comes in various hues, including orange, brown, pink, and yellow.
2) Normal or Wild Type
This reptile is the most common leopard gecko morph. It is readily available in pet stores and is affordable. Normal or wild leopard geckos have the basic yellow hue with black spots.
3) Blizzard
The Blizzard is a completely patternless morph. It can be all yellow, white, or even purple with darker hues, referred to as Midnight Blizzards. This leopard gecko morph is one of the three that have eclipsed or have completely black eyes.
4) Raining Red Stripe
This leopard gecko morph is the outcome of cross-breeding Red Stripe and Bold Stripe varieties with Rainwater Albinos. It looks much like the Rainwater Albino with red stripes. This leopard gecko morph can be expensive, with its price reaching more than US$600.
5) Godzilla Super Giant
We recommend this “true monster” to prospective reptile pet keepers who want the biggest giant leopard gecko morph variety. The Godzilla Super Giant leopard gecko morph can weigh in at 142 grams.
It is certainly fascinating to keep as a home companion. Nevertheless, the Godzilla Super Giant leopard gecko morph is limited in availability and is often difficult to find. Additionally, the Godzilla Super Giant leopard gecko morph is expensive, and it can cost more than US$1,200.
6) Baldies
Baldies do not have spots on their heads. Their price can generally start at approximately US$150, and they can get pricier, depending on how much reddish tone they have. The Blood Super Hypes can cost over US$750.
7) RAPTOR
RAPTOR is the acronym for “Red-eye Albino Patternless Tremper ORange.” This example of a leopard gecko morph features an orange body and red eyes.
Furthermore, RAPTOR is the result of combining Tremper Albino, Eclipse, and Patternless Stripe leopard gecko morphs. The APTOR, Carrot Head, and Reverse Stripe morphs were all created during attempts to produce the RAPTOR variant.
8) Aberrant
This lizard morph has inconsistent or broken patterns. The disrupted pattern is visible on either its tail or body. Aberrants are most commonly found among Mack Snow and Normal leopard gecko morphs.
9) Snake Eyes
This leopard gecko morph’s eyes resemble those of the snake. They are seen in Blizzards and Tremper Eclipses.
10) Enigmas
These morphs feature speckled patterns and mostly white tails. They tend to have blotches rather than defined bands and often become more spotted as they get older.
Apparently, these ten leopard gecko morphs are merely a few of the over 100 types of these reptiles.
We can confirm that every prospective keeper or owner will surely find the variation they love, which features the amazing colors, patterns, and other exciting reptile genetic traits they prefer.
4 Tips to Promote Leopard Gecko Morphs’ Wellness
Leopard gecko morphs can certainly make their owners feel laid back. Besides their docile and friendly natures, these popular reptile pets are undemanding.
Leopard gecko morphs are easy to breed and handle. It is fairly effortless to take care of them because they require minimal care, unlike the other lizards kept as pets.
If an owner wonders if their leopard gecko morph feels lonely and needs a companion, we suggest that they not put another lizard in the same space to keep their reptile pet company.
After all, leopard geckos are solitary animals. They actually cannot get lonely because they are not very social creatures, unlike the majority of reptiles.
The following four pieces of advice can facilitate leopard gecko morphs’ sound health:
1. Make sure that the reptile pet’s home is comfortable.
Leopard gecko morphs can thrive in a tank, and its minimum size should be 10 gallons or about 40 liters for a single lizard and 15 gallons or about 60 liters for a pair. Plus, the living space should have a climbing and hiding space.
We recommend putting half logs, commercial reptile caves, such as hangout decor or hideout decor big rock, simple cardboard boxes, or a hide hole for bearded dragons. A damp hide box can assist with shedding actions.
Owners should spot clean their reptile pet’s living space once daily to remove their lizard pets’ feces. They should also take out all the accessories from the tank once a month and throw out the substrate for disinfection.
Leopard gecko morphs’ good health is assured if their keepers scrub and cleanse the terrarium and all items inside it using a reptile cleaner. Hence, bacteria buildup is prevented.
2. Supply the reptile pet with nutritious food, fresh water, and vitamins and mineral supplements.
Leopard gecko morphs are insectivores. They thrive on a moderate diet of mealworms and a variety of waxworms and crickets.
We also recommend feeding these reptile pets pinky mice occasionally. Pet keepers can facilitate the overall wellness of their lizards by always coating the insects with calcium powder with vitamin D supplements, specifically vitamin D3.
A water bowl or shallow dish should be filled with fresh water at all times. The leopard gecko will then stay hydrated, and the liquid helps add some humidity to the reptile pet’s living space.
3. Make sure that a leopard gecko morph’s body temperature is regulated.
Pet keepers can follow this tip by providing a daytime basking spot of 88 degrees Fahrenheit or 31 degrees Celsius with a thermal gradient down to about 75 degrees Fahrenheit around 24 degrees Celsius.
Furthermore, a regular white light incandescent heat bulb can deliver a basking spot during the day. Ceramic heat emitter or ceramic lighting and blue, red, or purple heat bulb can provide the cold-blooded lizards supplemental heat during the evenings.
During the nighttime, the temperature can plummet to a range of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 21 to 24 degrees Celsius. We recommend owners ensure their leopard gecko morphs are not exposed to any drafts and not place the tank next to a door or window.
4. Always seek a veterinarian’s assistance when the lizard gets ill or hurt.
Proper care can prevent leopard gecko morphs from getting sick. However, there are times when these domesticated animals’ health condition is not in a sound state.
Among the most severe health condition that can affect leopard geckos is the metabolic bone disease. This ailment can strike if the reptile pet does not get sufficient liquid vitamins, especially vitamin D and calcium.
Thus, leopard gecko morphs can get inconvenienced by limb deformities and painful spines.
Besides metabolic bone disease, these reptile pets can also struggle with other health problems such as vitamin and mineral deficiency, intestinal impaction, egg retention or dystocia, and parasite infections.
Additionally, pneumonia, wounds, burns, abscesses, and incomplete shedding can trouble leopard gecko morphs. We highly recommend owners consult their veterinarians to provide immediate treatment to their reptile pets.
This online discussion helped enlighten prospective leopard gecko morph owners about these exciting and de-stressing lizards. Leopard gecko morphs are, indeed, extraordinary, and they can provide totally new reptile petkeeping encounters to their owners.
We recommend interested owners study and learn more about leopard gecko morphs via the numerous informative online discussions. We guarantee that they will relish their experience of having these animals as companions in their residences if they are familiar with these reptile pets’ lifestyles.
