Leopard geckos are small, ground-dwelling reptiles native to the arid regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and parts of India. They thrive in rocky deserts and dry grasslands where they can hide under stones and burrow into the sand to escape the heat. Their natural camouflage, featuring yellow and brown spotted patterns, helps them blend perfectly into their surroundings.
These geckos are well-known for their gentle and docile temperament, which makes them popular pets among reptile enthusiasts. Unlike many lizards, leopard geckos are easy to handle and rarely bite, especially when properly socialized. They also tend to be quite curious and alert, often recognizing their owners through scent or routine.
The most fascinating traits of leopard geckos is their ability to regenerate their tails. When threatened, they can detach the tail to distract predators, later growing a new one. Their tails also serve as fat storage, which sustains them during periods of food scarcity — an adaptation to their harsh, desert environments.
Leopard geckos are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night. During the day, they prefer to stay hidden in cool shelters to avoid the sun’s heat. At night, they come out to hunt insects such as crickets, mealworms, and roaches, relying on their excellent vision and hearing to detect movement in the dark.
In captivity, these reptiles require a warm and dry habitat that mimics their natural environment. Proper heating, substrate, and hiding spots are essential for their comfort and health. With good care, a leopard gecko can live for over 15 years, making it a long-term companion for reptile keepers.
Types of Leopard Geckos
Normal (Wild Type) Leopard Gecko
The normal or wild type leopard gecko is the original form found in nature. It features a yellow or tan body with black spots and bands, perfectly adapted for camouflage in desert environments. This type represents the genetic foundation for most other morphs bred in captivity.
High Yellow Leopard Gecko
High Yellow geckos are a selectively bred variation of the wild type, known for their brighter yellow coloration and fewer black spots. They were among the first morphs developed by breeders and remain popular for their vibrant, sunny appearance.
Albino Leopard Gecko
Albino leopard geckos lack dark pigmentation, giving them light-colored bodies with pinkish eyes and soft tones of yellow or lavender. There are three main albino strains — Tremper, Bell, and Rainwater — each with slight differences in color and eye hue.
Tangerine Leopard Gecko
Tangerine morphs are easily recognized by their rich orange or reddish-orange coloring. The intensity of the orange varies, with some showing deeper shades that glow under light. Selective breeding has produced several subtypes like Super Tangerine and Blood Tangerine.
Blizzard Leopard Gecko
Blizzard geckos are solid-colored and completely patternless, appearing in shades from white to gray or even pale lavender. Their simple, clean look contrasts strongly with the spotted varieties, giving them a striking, minimalist beauty.
Patternless (Murphy’s Patternless) Leopard Gecko
Unlike the Blizzard morph, Murphy’s Patternless geckos usually have a soft lavender or yellow base without any spots or bands. As they mature, their color often becomes more uniform, creating a smooth, elegant appearance.
Mack Snow Leopard Gecko
Mack Snow morphs have a unique black-and-white coloration when young, resembling a snowy pattern. As they age, their colors may warm slightly, but they still maintain a cooler tone compared to standard geckos. Super Snow variants show even more intense contrast.
Hypo and Super Hypo Leopard Gecko
Hypo morphs have very few black spots on their bodies, while Super Hypos are completely spotless except for their heads and tails. Their bright yellow or orange tones make them stand out and are often used to create vivid hybrid morphs.
Carrot Tail Leopard Gecko
This morph is named for its tail, which features a bright orange section resembling a carrot. Carrot Tail traits are often combined with other morphs, such as Hypos or Tangerines, to enhance the orange coloration throughout the body.
Raptor Leopard Gecko
Raptors (short for Red-Eyed Albino Patternless Tremper Orange) are a complex morph combining multiple traits. They typically have orange bodies, no pattern, and striking solid red eyes. Raptors are among the most visually dramatic morphs available.
Enigma Leopard Gecko
The Enigma morph is known for its unusual, swirling patterns and unpredictable markings. Some may have neurological quirks called “Enigma Syndrome,” but visually, they are some of the most unique and beautiful geckos in the hobby.
Black Night Leopard Gecko
The Black Night is one of the rarest and most sought-after morphs. It has deep, velvet-black skin with little to no pattern, creating a dark, mysterious appearance. This morph is a product of years of selective breeding and remains highly prized by collectors.
Giant Leopard Gecko
Giant leopard geckos are bred for their impressive size rather than color. They can grow significantly larger than standard geckos, often reaching up to 11 inches in length. Despite their size, they retain the same gentle temperament and are easy to handle, making them a favorite among collectors.
Super Giant Leopard Gecko
The Super Giant is a genetic upgrade of the Giant morph, representing the largest known variety of leopard geckos. Some individuals can exceed 12 inches and weigh over 150 grams. Their calm nature and imposing size make them one of the most impressive morphs in existence.
Lavender Leopard Gecko
Lavender geckos are admired for the soft purple or lavender hue that overlays their bodies. The coloration can appear as bands or patches depending on genetics. Although delicate and hard to breed consistently, they are prized for their subtle, pastel beauty.
Jungle Leopard Gecko
Jungle morphs feature broken patterns and irregular banding across their bodies and tails. No two Jungle geckos look exactly the same, giving each a one-of-a-kind appearance. Their unpredictable designs make them exciting for breeders and collectors alike.
Bold Stripe Leopard Gecko
The Bold Stripe morph showcases strong, dark stripes running from the head to the tail along the sides of the body. These stripes replace the usual spotted or banded patterns, creating a sleek, symmetrical look that emphasizes contrast and definition.
Reverse Stripe Leopard Gecko
As the name suggests, the Reverse Stripe morph has a single dark stripe running along the middle of its back rather than along the sides. This unique pattern creates a striking dorsal line that stands out sharply against the gecko’s lighter base color.
Halloween Mask Leopard Gecko
The Halloween Mask morph is distinguished by dark, bold facial markings that resemble a mask or Halloween pattern. These geckos often have vibrant body colors combined with expressive head designs, giving them a dramatic and spooky charm.
Eclipse Leopard Gecko
Eclipse morphs are instantly recognizable by their completely black or solid-colored eyes. The rest of their bodies may vary in color and pattern, but the deep, uniform eyes make them especially mesmerizing and unique among gecko types.
Snow Glow Leopard Gecko
The Snow Glow morph blends the cool tones of Mack Snow with the warm orange of a Tremper Albino. The result is a beautifully soft pastel gecko that displays shades of yellow, pink, and white — a delicate balance between two popular traits.
Super Hypo Tangerine Carrot Tail (SHTCT)
This morph combines three genetic features: spotless skin (Super Hypo), bright orange color (Tangerine), and an orange tail tip (Carrot Tail). The combination produces one of the most vibrantly colored leopard geckos available, often glowing with fiery shades.
Ghost Leopard Gecko
Ghost geckos have muted, faded colors that seem to lack saturation. Their subtle tones of gray, beige, and light yellow give them an almost ethereal look. This morph is often used in breeding to soften the intensity of other bright morphs.
White and Yellow Leopard Gecko
The White and Yellow morph is admired for its clean, high-contrast pattern. It often has a bright white or pale yellow body with bold markings, giving it a fresh and vibrant look. This morph is genetically dominant and adds brightness to any breeding project.
Inferno Leopard Gecko
The Inferno morph is a fiery combination of red, orange, and yellow tones that seem to glow with heat. It’s created through careful selective breeding of Tangerine and Bloodline geckos, resulting in intense coloration and strong pattern contrast. Infernos are among the most vibrant geckos in existence.
Electric Tangerine Leopard Gecko
Electric Tangerines are bred for exceptionally bright and uniform orange coloring. Their saturation and richness make them look almost neon under light. This morph is popular for enhancing the orange genes in other morphs through crossbreeding.
Blood Leopard Gecko
The Blood morph is known for its deep, reddish-orange pigmentation that gives it a “blood-red” appearance. It’s a result of generations of selective breeding for intense red hues. These geckos stand out vividly among orange-toned varieties and are prized for their fiery depth of color.
Diablo Blanco Leopard Gecko
The Diablo Blanco (Spanish for “White Devil”) is an all-white morph with solid red eyes. It combines several traits — primarily from the Blizzard and Tremper Albino lines — resulting in a pure, ghostly appearance. Its rare red eyes make it especially striking and unique.
Dreamsicle Leopard Gecko
Dreamsicles are soft-hued morphs that blend white, yellow, and orange with a faint, creamy undertone — resembling the frozen treat they’re named after. They often have bright eyes and smooth coloration, making them favorites for their pastel and dreamy aesthetic.
Nova Leopard Gecko
The Nova morph is a mix of Enigma, Tremper Albino, and Eclipse genetics. It usually has bright orange or yellow tones with a distinctive eye color ranging from solid red to dark. Novas are bold and visually complex, reflecting the combination of three powerful genetic traits.
Ember Leopard Gecko
The Ember morph merges the Murphy’s Patternless and Tremper Albino traits. It results in a pale yellow or pink gecko with minimal markings and gentle, glowing tones. Embers have calm appearances and are often used to develop soft-colored breeding lines.
Firewater Leopard Gecko
Firewater geckos are high-end morphs that showcase deep orange bodies contrasted by lavender or purple highlights. They’re among the most visually dynamic morphs, blending heat and cool tones beautifully. This balance makes them both rare and highly valued.
Banana Blizzard Leopard Gecko
Banana Blizzards are a warm-toned version of the Blizzard morph, featuring solid yellow or golden bodies with no pattern. Their bright banana color and clean appearance make them stand out in collections focused on uniform, solid hues.
Super Snow Albino Leopard Gecko
This morph combines the Super Snow and Albino traits, producing a light-colored gecko with soft pinkish or white tones and faint patterning. Its red or pink eyes and creamy skin make it appear delicate and elegant, appealing to enthusiasts of subtle beauty.
Mack Snow Enigma Leopard Gecko
A Mack Snow Enigma combines the snowy black-and-white pattern with the swirling irregular markings of the Enigma gene. The result is a striking, unpredictable blend of colors and designs, making every individual look different and distinctive.
Galaxy Leopard Gecko
The Galaxy morph is the outcome of mixing the Super Snow and Eclipse traits. It typically has a dark, star-speckled pattern with solid black eyes — giving it an appearance reminiscent of a night sky. This morph is both rare and visually captivating, living up to its cosmic name.
Nova Eclipse Leopard Gecko
The Nova Eclipse morph is a stunning combination of the Enigma, Tremper Albino, and Eclipse traits. It features solid-colored eyes and bright orange or yellow bodies with swirling, irregular patterns. Each individual has a distinctive appearance, often glowing under warm light with red or ruby eyes that enhance its exotic charm.
Lemon Frost Leopard Gecko
Lemon Frost geckos are instantly recognizable for their bright, lemon-yellow color and shimmering, frosty sheen. Their unique genetic mutation gives them a glossy skin texture that appears almost reflective. Though admired for their beauty, careful breeding is necessary due to potential health sensitivities associated with the morph.
Snow Eclipse Leopard Gecko
This morph combines the Mack Snow’s black-and-white pattern with the Eclipse’s solid eyes, creating a captivating contrast. The resulting gecko has cool-toned skin and dark, featureless eyes that give it a mysterious, elegant look. Snow Eclipses are popular for their clean, monochromatic appearance.
Tremper Albino Eclipse Leopard Gecko
Tremper Albino Eclipses, sometimes called “Aptors” (Albino Patternless Tremper Orange), have creamy orange or pinkish bodies with solid red eyes. The lack of dark pigment combined with rich warmth in their coloration gives them a soft yet striking look, making them a favorite among collectors.
Bold Jungle Leopard Gecko
The Bold Jungle morph is a more intense version of the regular Jungle type. It has chaotic, irregular bands and heavy black markings that create a strong contrast against its yellow base. Each gecko’s pattern is unique, giving them a wild and unpredictable aesthetic reminiscent of their natural cousins.
Tremper Sunglow Leopard Gecko
The Tremper Sunglow morph merges the Tremper Albino and Super Hypo traits, producing a bright, glowing orange gecko with minimal spotting. Their radiant color and pinkish undertones make them look as if they’re illuminated from within, hence the name “Sunglow.”
Bell Albino Leopard Gecko
The Bell Albino strain has light brown or pinkish eyes and soft pastel coloration ranging from yellow to light lavender. Compared to other albino lines, Bell Albinos have a warmer tone and are often used to create morphs with unique eye colors and creamy skin textures.
Rainwater Albino Leopard Gecko
Rainwater Albinos, also known as Las Vegas Albinos, are typically smaller and exhibit a softer, more muted palette than other albino strains. Their gentle pink and yellow shades, along with translucent eyes, give them a delicate and refined look that appeals to breeders focused on subtle beauty.
Super Hypo Baldy Leopard Gecko
This morph combines the spotless body of a Super Hypo with a clean, patternless head — hence the name “Baldy.” It displays an even yellow or orange tone throughout the body, creating a smooth and uniform appearance that emphasizes simplicity and balance.
Black Pearl Leopard Gecko
The Black Pearl morph is a darker relative of the Black Night. It boasts deep charcoal or jet-black tones with minimal or no visible patterning. Its intense color saturation and glossy finish make it one of the rarest and most visually stunning morphs in the leopard gecko world.
Paradox Leopard Gecko
Paradox geckos display irregular patches of unexpected color — for example, dark spots on albino skin or bright patches on muted tones. These anomalies occur due to spontaneous genetic mutations, making each Paradox gecko entirely unique and impossible to replicate exactly.
Mandarin Tangerine Leopard Gecko
Mandarin Tangerines are bred for a bold, uniform orange with red undertones, resembling the color of a ripe mandarin fruit. Their bright pigmentation and smooth gradient make them one of the most eye-catching orange morphs, and they’re often used to intensify color in future breeding lines.