Morphs or Phases

A Guide to the Ever Growing Collection Morphs or Phases

By Michael Johnson

Note - The definitions listed below are derived from our knowledge and experience, along with input received by reputable breeders; however, they are open to individual interpretation and you may find other opinions throughout the leopard gecko community.

Definitions

Baldy - Any color or pattern variation (excluding Blizzards and Patternless) that has no spotting on the head.

Blizzard - This gecko has a greyish pewter color generally but there are many variations. Hatchlings have a light gray head, almost a translucent body with a faint yellow overcast.

Banana Blizzard - The blizzard with a yellow body, white head, brilliant blue eye shadow, and white tail. (Blizzard X Patternless morph) These are another debated Morph because the original Blizzard creations were greyish white and had some yellow to them. Many people feel that these are simply yellow blizzards and that Banana is a marketing strategy to make them seem more rare and put a higher price tag on them.

Blazing Blizzard - The blizzard phase is a pure white body, often with a pinkish coloration near the head and tail. Many are completely white and can have either pure black eyes or what is knowns as, "snake eye". Snake eyes are the rarest of the two. (Blizzard X Albino) Several generations of line breeding to produce originally.

Blazing Banana Blizzard - The blizzard with a yellow body, white head, brilliant blue eye shadow, and white tail. (Blizzard X Patternless morph X Albino) This is also is a debate on whether these animals truly are homozygous for both patternless and blizzard genes. We've actually never seen one.

Carrot Tail - Geckos with a very large amount of orange at the base of the tail. Most beleive that the animal must have at least 15-30% orange to be considered a Carrot Tail, but many use their own discretions. We strive for 50 -75% at the least.

Eclipse – express the gene for completely black eyes throughout their entire lives, not including Blizzards.

Ghost - A gecko of any pattern phase with extremely faded colors and dark pigmentation. These leo's look as though they are about to shed, permanently. Often called, "Washed Out

Golden - This phase represents the geckos with a more "golden" colored background color.

High Yellow - These leopard geckos have reduced spotting on a bright yellow body. The first of the designer morphs created

Hypo - The word "Hypo", or Hypo Melanistic, before any phase generally means little to no spotting on the body.

Hypo Tangerine - This morph can have varying degrees of orange all over the body, with little or no spotting on the body. Some believe the limit is 12 spots total on the body.

Hypoxanthic - This phase is a generally lower in yellow pigment, meaning they bear a very dull yellow ground color and usually display a reduced dark pattern everywhere except on the head and tail.

Jungle - A gecko of any pattern, although usually not banded. This phase is only true when the tail ring patterns are broken.

Lavender - The dark bands and spots are broad, prominent, and of a purplish hue. These geckos seem to have more purple than any other color. Our friend Paul with Bright Albino has some amazing lavenders.

Mack Pastel - The Mack Pastel is a mutation of the Mack Snow Gene with a coloration similar to those of a Mack snow with muted yellows and lavenders, but upon reaching maturity, they seem to almost go through an overnight change as the colors intensify.

Mack Snow – Incomplete-Dominate - Black / white / and grey in coloration, while normal clutch mates will have typical leopard gecko colors of yellow.

Mack Super Snow - the result of breeding 2 Mack Snows together – often little or no yellow color, and darker blacks with more of a pure white contrast.

Melanistic - A predominately black gecko of any pattern phase. Hatchlings and Juveniles have white lips and all black hind limbs. The spaces between the body markings turn a dark yellow as they mature.

Melanism is an increased amount of black or nearly black pigmentation (as of skin, feathers, or hair) of an individual or kind of organism. More technically, it refers to a phenotype in which the pigmentation of an organism is entirely, or nearly entirely, expressed. These are very rare and we've never seen one referred to as this morph.

Normal\Wild Type - Boldly patterned with black spots and yellowish background.

Patternless - Any color of yellow with no spotting or banding as adults. As hatchlings they do have some spotting. They have white to gray heads and tails with normal colored eyes. These are often referred to as Leucistic, which many argue to be incorrect.

Leucism is a general term for the phenotype resulting from defects in pigment cell differentiation and/or migration from the neural crest to skin, hair, or feathers during development. This results in either the entire surface (if all pigment cells fail to develop) or patches of body surface (if only a subset are defective) having a lack of cells capable of making pigment.

Patternless Leopard Geckos do have pigment although greatly lightened, but do not have banding or spotting. Therefore, by definiton these animals are not truly exhbiting Leucism. Athough many will argue this point.

Patternless Albino - Any color of yellow with an almost pure white or pink tail with somewhat pink eyes.

Reverse Stripe - Much like the stripe but opposite. A dark line from the top of the head down to the tip of the tail. Two lighter colored stripes down the sides. This is a product of several generations of line breeding the jungle phase.

Snow - Any pattern phase on a grayscale hue ground color.

Sunglow – often referred to as Hybinos - Combining the Super Hypo Carrot-Tails with Tremper Albinos. Often the aim is to produce and striking bright orange animal.

Stripe - it has a light colored longitudinal dorsal stripe that must join the white neck ring. The stripe may run to the base of the tail or the tail tip. This is a product of several generations of line breeding the jungle phase.

Super Hypo (Carrot Tail) - This is a gecko of any color/pattern, but has no spotting on the body and a 15% orange tail.

Super Hypo Tangerine - This morph can have varying degrees of orange all over the body, with little or no spotting on the body.

Tangerine - The yellow ground color has an orange overtone. The orange may be present as blotches or rather general in scope. The orange may vary from pale to quite bright.

Tangerine Albino (Hybino)- This is a tangerine leopard gecko that genetically lacks melanin, the black pigments, and it has pink, golden, brown, orange or red eye coloring

A.P.T.O.R - a Carrot-head, Carrot-tail, Hypo Tangerine, Patternless, Tremper Albino in both normal and Giant size. A.P.T.O.R.s have the regularly pigmented albino eye.

R.A.P.T.O.R. – basically an A.P.T.O.R expressing the genes for bright Red Eyes throughout their lives.

Tangerine Tornado - introduced by Craig Stewart – intense red hue that carries throughout the head and body.

These are actually Hyper Tangerines - but notice the intense orange-red.

Urban – introduced in 2004 by Craig Stewart – these leopard geckos have been selectively bred to exhibit extremely bright colors - often with red eyes, no black pigment, a rich, solid body, intense orange coloration, and practically complete carrot tails.

Tremper Albinos (Texas Albino) -(Named after strain founder Ron Tremper)

These are the most common albinos in the market currently. While the name "albino" illicits the idea that they are white or pale, they are in fact, the complete opposite. Many are dark chocolate brown; often referred to as “Mocha” or "Chocolate". Incubation temperatures can be a main cause for light and dark variations. In fact, many Tremper Albinos are indeed very bright yellow, white, or even pink.

Las Vegas or Rainwater Albino – the 2nd most common of the three albino strains after Tremper albinos. Founded by Tim Rainwater. These albinos are often noticiably more pink than other strains

Bell (Florida Bell) – Somewhat rare in the past, generally high contrast, with numerous pink and yellow areas, often browns are much darker than other two strains. Reddest of the eyes of the three as well. One of our favorite strains.

Created by Mark and Kim Bell

Tremper Giants – Larger sized Leopard Geckos discovered in the summer of 1999 by Ron Tremper. Males can reach 80-110 grams and females can range from 60-90 grams. Any male over 110 grams or female over 90 grams is considered a, “Super Giant”. The largest known to date is, “Moose” who weighs 156 grams and is 11 and 1/8 inches long. Giants may also be classified by length, because many other morphs can get exceptionally large even though they do not carry giant genes. The original giant was actually created by two normal sized parents. The theory behind length being a better measure is sound: With extra surface area, more weight can be attained on the body frame than on something on a shorter frame. Similar to human beings in this regard.

Diablo Blanco - Raptor X Blazing Blizzard over several generations to produce a genetically patternless, solid procelain white gecko with all red eyes.

SUPER RAPTOR - A Super Raptor is a pure white gecko that has been derived by combining the Mack Super Snow bloodline with the Raptor bloodline (a Tremper albino). It must have two all red eyes, and must be 100% patternless throughtout its life.

SNOW RAPTOR - A Snow Raptor is a combination of the Mack Super Snow bloodline with the Raptor bloodline

More being added weekly.