We see that most people want their pets to look attractive. Lizards are beautiful pets but crested geckos have a lot of unique characteristics that make them more wanted.
Also, these creatures are present in a lot of colours and patterns. There are various kinds of crested geckos that are available and in various colours. Some are called flame while some are referred to as Dalmatian.
But in case you are a new owner of crested geckos then you will not be aware of these names and the types of crested geckos that are present.
Contents
Crested Gecko Morphs
The ones who are not aware of the fact should know that the crested geckos are polymorphic. This indicates that these creatures are available in various patterns and colour combinations.
A specific colour or pattern that the crested gecko has is referred to as morph.
The users will find that in the wild there are various morphs but due to breeding, there is more diversification.
Changing of colour in the crested geckos
The colour of the crested gecko depends on a lot of factors. When you bring home a new crested gecko it will have a different colour while when it grows old the colour varies.
But the colour that the crested gecko has in the earlier stages will not depict what sort of colour it ha when it grows into an adult. The crested geckos which are 6 to 7 months old will show the colour that they will have in the adult stage. And when these creatures are one year old then there will be no more changes. To be sure about the colour that it will have you need to wait. Also it depends if crested gecko is shedding.
Also, these creatures will change their colours when there is a change in their mood. When they react highly to the environment they show bright colours while they are sleeping they might showcase the dark colours. Some crested geckos are always in the fired upstage and this mainly depends on the personality.
Mostly the colour changes when
- There are unfavourable temperature conditions
- The crested geckos are breeding
- There are a lot of these in the same enclosure.
Mostly, they change colour if the conditions are not optimum and they might get stressed because of this.
Crested Gecko Various morphs
The morphs can be studied in two types that is colour morphs and pattern morphs. The name that the specific morph will have will contain both the pattern and the name of the colour. Like a red flame, and the yellow tiger.
One base colour
The buckskins are mostly brown in color or tan. This is the color that is mostly seen in the crested geckos found in the wild. The buckskins which are light in color are often seen in selective breeding.
The yellow-crested geckos have a yellow color and if their color is bright yellow then they are known as sulfur. The ones which are red in color are the most popular ones and they do not change the color as well. Also, there are some crested geckos that are light in red color and some are dark.
The crested geckos are not present in the green color but there are some that have an olive green color. The true green color us not found in the crested geckos because they do not have blue pigmentation in them. The color morphs are in darker shades as well as some are in the pastel shades.
Orange ones are also very popular. These are also present both in light and dark shades. The chocolate shade morph is not usually found but there are black ones and are very common among the breeders.
Bi-color
These crested geckos have two different colors. One shade is present on the head while the other shade is on the legs. Both the two shades can be completely different while there can be the same color present in varied tones. These are also called flames sometimes.
Tri-color
These crested geckos have three kinds of colors and these are usually cream, brown and yellow. These are often seen in pinstripe morphs.
Morphs and Their Traits
Below we will see the various morphs and the traits they exhibit. The crested geckos are polymorphic in nature and there is no easy way to know about these reptiles as there is for the other reptiles.
Patternless crested geckos
The crested geckos are also found without patterns. We see that they have a solid color on their body like olive, chocolate or shades of yellow and orange as well.
These are the best when there is breeding and a different type is created. Also, there are no animals that are present in black and white colourfully. There are ones that have a light yellow shade and are known as the moon glows but they are not completely white. Also, dark crested geckos exist but these are not fully black. These do not completely patternless and have some patterns like whiteheads and fringes etc. The ones which are bi-colour are also patterned less generally but these are a little dark and sometimes light as well. The bi colour traits are seen in colors of red, orange and olives. Some of these do have a hint or tint of a pattern.
Tiger crested geckos
Tiger crested geckos are also available in the colours mentioned. The red ones are rare and the yellow ones are the most common. The moon valley reptiles lead to yellow ones when they breed. The crested geckos which are extremely patterned with the tiger form are called the brindled. They are sometimes even referred to as super bindles or the super tigers.
Flame crested geckos
The flames can be there in any color, but they are usually found in the cream pattern. The whiter creams are considered more favourable and desirable. The remaining body is there is a solid color and there are chances of a minimal pattern. Moreover, the fire term is mostly used for these categories of crested geckos.
The Chevron crested geckos are the ones that have a v pattern on their backside. This is not so much valid today but is still used for description nowadays.
The tiger flames are also there but they are regarded to be very rare. And the tiger stripes of these categories also disappear when they get older.
Harlequin crested geckos
These crested geckos are regarded as highly patterned and flames. It has a base color which is solid like red or mostly black. It also has the colors along like yellow, orange and somewhat fashionable cream. There are a lot of color combinations that are found in this kind of crested geckos.
These also have patterns along with their limbs and in case the patterning is minimal then it is regarded as a flame.
The crested geckos that have a cream pattern or white and their body patterns break into the dorsal area then they are referred to as the extreme harlequins. There is a dividing line if the gecko has a base color in more than 60% of the area and the pattern is there in the dorsum areas.
There is usually confusion between the geckos that are light in colour and are regarded to have tiger patterning and also in the dark geckos which are regarded to have extreme harlequins.
Pinstripe crested geckos
These geckos are considered to be single as well as have independent traits. The morphs on the other hand have a group of traits or characteristics which are like the flame or the tiger and even the harlequins. But these all are regarded to be as morphs.
The classic one has a cream color and the pattern is around the dorsal. The back has a flame pattern. Also, a pinstripe is more desirable of it full rather than a partial one. In case the pinstripe is broken and does not cover 80% of the body then it is regarded to have a pin dashing. It would then not be regarded as a pinstripe.
Most of the pinstripe ones are harlequins or the flames. The tiger pinstripe is usually rare but there is some present.
There are variations in the pinstripe category as well. These are the phantom pinstripe and the reverse pinstripe. The reverse one has a dark like beneath the dorsal area whereas the classic pinstripe has a peculiar effect that is striking.
The phantom pinstripe is a crested gecko that has colors in the dorsal area which are mostly mute. The flame back is mostly present in the back of the body. The muted colors are also seen in the rest of the body and their appearance is not high in contrast. And this feature is not defining enough.
One of the most demanded features would be the one where the dorsal area has muted colors and also retains the white pinstriping. This effect is very striking and bright. It can also be present in combination with the reverse pinstripe.
In some cases the users will also see that there is a reverse effect. There are dark lines on the inside of the dorsum and these are there throughout the areas. There are also some people who regard the term as inverse pinstripe but there is nothing of that sort and those who prefer this will have unique and catchy traits.
Lateral stripes
These are the stripes that are seen along the sides of the crested geckos. These are regarded as the classic pinstripe. There is a category of stripes that is becoming very common.
This is the four stripe or the quad stripe. It has faint or very light dashes all along the body and full stripes too. Some also refer to this trait as the super stripe but some regard the super stripe to be one that has a black stripe that runs through the middle of the dorsum.
The ultimate one would be the one that has a solid back with a cream color. These are usually very stunning crested geckos and have a thick cream color near the dorsal.
Dalmatian
The crested gecko having the Dalmatian trait are regarded to be very independent. These spits are varied and may be in various colors and sizes.
The most common ones have black spots, or res, and even green. The ones that have large spots or in abundance are regarded to be super Dalmatian. Usually, 100+ spots must be there to be regarded as a super one.
These can be there in any color, also some also say the Dalmatians to be patternless. The crested geckos which do not have spots are referred to as clean.
White spots
The crested geckos with the white spots are also very common and are seen since the captive breeding is seen. These white spots are tiny and are seen on the toes or belly, these are even there on the nose or chest. This trait is regarded to be there because if unfinished pigmentation.
Some crested geckos have larger spots and these are present bear the dorsal area. This makes the dorsum appear as if it is dripping down the body. Also, the white spots develop as a morph.
Special morphs
Due to selective breeding, there are a lot of special morphs. These are usually expensive than the others. These are also called designer morphs and these have resulted through the combination of multiple morphs.
Creamsicle
These crested geckos usually have the cream color near their dorsal and the flame pattern. The colors can also be orange, yellow and orange or red and orange.
Halloween
This is a harlequin morph and it is present in the chocolate and orange color combination.
Cream
This one is similar to the flame morph and also has a pattern at the back.
Moonglow
This is the one that is mostly discussed. It is fully white. They are also somewhat bright yellow with cream. A lot of breeders try to create these but it is not easy.
Conclusion:
We see that there are various kinds of patterns and colors in which the crested geckos are available. The readers can go through the details above and check out which one they prefer to have.
Learn More:
