The leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) is a lizard that belongs to the gecko group, specifically to the Eublepharidae family and the Eublepharis genus. They are native to eastern regions, having desert, semi-desert and arid ecosystems as natural habitats in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Nepal and parts of India. They are animals that behave quite docile and are close to humans, which has meant that this exotic species has long been used frequently as a pet.
However, aside from its behavior and relative ease of breeding, the main trait that attracts people to this gecko as a pet is the presence of agreat diversity of quite striking patterns and colors , which have been generated from mutations in the species or by the control of certain environmental factors that can affect the coloration of the body. In this article on our site, we want to offer you detailed information about the different variations or phases of the leopard gecko , an aspect that has given it various particular names based on its color.
What are the stages of the leopard gecko and how do they occur?
The types of leopard gecko that we can find are known as phase, that is, their variety of colors and patterns. However, how do these variations occur?
It is important to mention that some types of animals, such as those belonging to the class Reptilia, have various types of chromatophores or pigment cells, which gives them the ability to express various types of colors in their bodies. Thus, xanthophores produce yellow coloration; erythrophores, red and orange; and melanophores (equivalent of melanocytes in mammals) produce melanin and are responsible for black and brown pigments. For their part, the iridophores do not produce a particular pigmentation, but rather have the property of reflecting light, so it is possible to visualize the green and blue coloration in some cases.
In the case of the leopard gecko, this entire process of expression of colors in the body is coordinated by the genetic action, that is, it is determined by genes specialized in the coloration of the animal. This can happen in two ways:
Mutations
There is a process known as mutation, which consists of the alteration or modification of the genetic material of the species, and in some cases when it occurs, visible changes may or may not appear in individuals. Thus, some mutations will be harmful, others could be beneficial and others may not even affect the species.
In the case of the leopard gecko, the manifestation of different color patterns on their bodies can also occur as a result of some mutations that have modified the phenotypeof this species. A clear example is the case of animals that are born albino , due to congenital failure to produce a particular type of pigment. However, thanks to the presence in these animals of various types of chromatophores, the others can function correctly, giving rise to albino individuals but with colored patches or stripes.
This type of mutation has given rise to three types of individuals known in the trade of the species as albino Tremper, albino Rainwater and Bell albino. Studies have also revealed that several of the color and pattern mutations in the leopard gecko are heritable. However, it is important to note that these names mentioned are only used by commercial breeders of this animal. In no case do they have a taxonomic distinction, since 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 variants in their colors, either more intense tones and other combinations different from those of the nominal individual, but that in no case has had to do with mutations, but rather respond to different expressions of the same gene
Environmental temperature
But genes are not the only ones responsible for determining the body color of leopard geckos. If there are variations in the environmental temperature while the development of the embryos in the eggs occurs, this can affect the production of melanin, which will result in a variation in the coloration of the animal.
Also other variants, such as the temperature of the adult animal, substrate, food and stress can influence in the intensity of the colors they show in captivity. These changes in the intensity of the coloration, as well as the variations of melanin due to thermal changes, are not inherited in any case.
Leopard Gecko Phase Calculator
The leopard gecko genetic or phase calculator is a tool that can be found on various websites and its main purpose is to know what the results will be in the offspringby crossing two of these individuals with phases or different color patterns.
However, to use this tool you must know some basic principles of genetics and keep in mind that the genetic calculator only it will be reliable if the data entered is done with the appropriate knowledge.
On the other hand, the leopard gecko phase calculator is only effective in knowing the results in case of monogenic or single gene mutations, which are based on Mendelian laws.
Leopard Gecko Types
Although there are many phases or types of leopard gecko, we could say that the main or best known are the following:
- Normal or nominal: they do not present mutations and can express diverse variations in the basic colorations.
- Aberrant: the pattern of the spots is modified in these specimens when compared to the nominal one. There are different types that express different patterns.
- Albinos: present mutations that prevent the production of melanin, resulting in various lines of albinos with different patterns.
- Blizzard: In this case, all the chromatophores are affected due to a failure in the formation of the embryo, so these Individuals completely lack skin coloration, however, as the chromatophores of the eyes are formed differently, they are not affected and do express coloration.
- Patternless: is a mutation that causes the absence of a pattern in the formation of the black spots characteristic of the species. As in the previous cases, there are several variants.
- Mack snow: they present a dominant mutation that causes a white and yellow background coloration. In variations, this coloring can be pure white.
- Giant: this mutation causes individuals much larger than normal, so a male can weigh up to 150 g, vs. 80-100g for a normal leopard gecko.
- Eclipse: In these cases, the mutation produces completely black eyes but without affecting the pattern of the body.
- Enigma: the mutation in this case causes circular spots on the body. In addition, individuals with this change present in many cases the so-called Enigma syndrome, a disorder that is associated with the modified gene.
- Hyper and hypo: these individuals show variations in melanin production. The former can cause higher amounts than normal, which causes an intensification of the color patterns in the spots. The latter, on the other hand, produce less of this compound, resulting in the absence of stains on the body.
As we have been able to show, captive breeding of the leopard gecko has resulted in the manipulation of its genes, in order to selectively or controlledly originate a wide variety of phenotypic expressions. However, it is worth asking to what extent this is convenient, since the natural development of these animals is being modified On the other hand, we must not lose sight of Since 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 kept as pets.
Examples of leopard gecko phases
Let's see below some examples with photos of the stages of the leopard gecko:
Rated Leopard Gecko
The nominal leopard gecko refers to the non-mutated phase, that is, the normal or original leopard gecko. In this phase, a body color pattern can be seen that resembles a leopard, hence the name given to this species.
The nominal leopard gecko has a yellow background coloration, which is present on the head, upper body, and legs. legs, while the entire ventral area, as well as the tail, are white. The pattern of black spots, on the other hand, goes from the head to the tail, including the legs. Additionally, it has some lavender stripes of a faint intensity that cross the body and tail.
Leopard Gecko Riddle Phase
The enigma phase refers to a dominant mutation in this species and the individuals that have it, instead of presenting stripes, have black spots in the form of circlesin the body. The coloration of the eyes is coppery, the tail is gray and the background color of the body is pastel yellow.
There may be various variants of the enigma phase, which will depend on the selective crosses that are made, so that they may present other colorations.
One 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, display tremors, and even be unable to hunt for food.
Leopard gecko high yellow phase
This variant of the nominal leopard gecko has as a distinctive characteristic a quite intense yellow coloration, which gave rise to the name of the phase. They can exhibit an orange pigmentation in the tail, presenting in the body the peculiar black spots.
Some external effects during incubation, such as temperature or stress, can affect the intensity of coloration.
Leopard gecko RAPTOR phase
Also known as a tangerine leopard gecko. The name of this specimen comes from the initials of the English words Ruby-eyed Albino Patternless Tremper Orange, so it is an acronym and denotes the characteristics that they present individuals in this phase.
The eyes are deep red or ruby (Ruby-eyed), the coloration of the body is a combination that comes from the albino linetremper (albino), does not have the typical body patterns or spots (patternless), but they do have an orange color (orange).
