Black Pearl Leopard Gecko, a New Successful Breed of Leopard Gecko Morphs

If you are looking for the latest unique result of gecko breeding, The Black Pearl gecko seems to be the right one. This is a very special breed emerged as a result of the hard work of Konrad Wlodarczyk and friends who is a leading leopard gecko breeder from Poland, Europe.
Konrad started his so called Black Pearl Project silently with a few friends of his. The black gecko is in contrast with the albino gecko which has been one of the popular geckos on sale. Breeding a totally black gecko seems to be very challenging. This is typical the trait of a true breeder, who always seek and try to breed new morphs. If many breeders try to breed albinos, why not try to breed a black one. This was maybe what Konrad had in his mind.
Black leopard geckos are indeed the rarest morph that has been recently developed. It was in early 2008 when information about a successful breeding of black geckos spread over the leopard gecko community and enthusiasts. In spite of his successful work, Konrad moved to Australia and handed over the rights to further develop this project to The Urban Gecko a well known gecko breeder in Canada owned and operated by Craig and Lori Stewart.
Well, why are black geckos so special? Mainly of course, their totally black color which has never been seen and imagined by leopard gecko lovers. When many of newly breed offspring possess lighter and lighter color combination, this goes to the opposite direction, the creation of a darker version, even an extremely dark gecko.
Starting from its hatched egg, the baby gecko emerged in a totally black color without any pattern. The mature black gecko appears as an extremely black and silky skin. This hyper-melanistic color gives a deep and mystifying beauty that has never been seen before. It is truly an exclusive breed at this moment.
The majority of the Black Pearl babies are born extremely black and during their maturation they become a bit lighter in color which can be mistaken for a Mack Snow but with a difference of its blurry dark gray color pattern. When they become sexually mature their color could change again significantly to a velvet black color.
Another full melanistic breed is the Midnight Blizzard and was the only full melanistic morph in the past. Its melanine pigments appear as a brownish skin rather than black color which is unlike the Black Pearl with its extreme black color.
Since the introduction of the Black Pearl some years ago, many breeders tried to hatch dark melanistic geckos but failed to arrive at satisfactorily results. The reason of failure could be the absence of a gene that can produce such full dark melanistic pigments which should definitely be the trait of a real black leopard gecko. In such successful unique breeding cases, knowledge and experience plays a very important role.

Snow Leopard Gecko - Evolution and Art of Morphing

The Snow leopard gecko is a new morph from the original leopard gecko that we have come to know about. Interestingly, more and more enthusiasts have taken interests and join the move to cultivate other varieties and produce new types. There have been several of these morphed geckos that are out there in the market. And they continue to produce and come up with more interesting and remarkable pieces. So, how did snow leopard gecko came to be? And aside from the snows, how are other morphs of gecko came about?
The history of leopard gecko reveals that during the animal trade in the 1700s, many exotic animals from Asia, Africa and other continents were shipped to the United States. Because there were no international rules and regulations on how these animals were imported and shipped, they were not segregated from each other. Such is the case that most of these animals inadvertently cross-bred resulting to the creation of new morphs. "Morphing" or "morph" is the act of breeding two different or the same breed of geckos in the hope of arriving at a new kind of breed. However, people have seen the opportunity over the idea of gecko morphing that through continuous trial and error, new breeds emerged in the market. These breeds do not only satisfy the visual hunger of gecko-lovers elsewhere. It has intensified interest on how to go about with morphing to get your desired gecko look.
Snow leopard geckos are one of the new morphs that have been introduced in the market today. The snows were line-bred low color geckos, wherein two low-color geckos were bred together. From their babies, the best low-colored babies were selected and so on until they reach a point where the skin achieved the color desired, which is white and black, while the eyes are also black. There will still be taint of yellow on various parts of the white skin. It was in 2004 when a breeder named John Mack made the first successful breed of the snows, thus the reptile gained popularity and had been known as Mack Snow.
The morph was a co-dominant trait. When you breed a white to a colored gecko, it is possible that the half of the offspring will be whites and the other half will be normal. The offspring from this breeding will carry one copy of the snow gene. Furthermore, when you breed two whites together, it is possible that they will have a Super Snow. These types are totally white and black (no yellow pigmentation) and their eyes are jet black. There are other types of morphing that are being done to further promote the different varieties of geckos. From the basic feature of normal geckos, breeders are slowly trying to outdo each other by creating new strands of these lizards for the market.
Snow leopard geckos are results of the evolution from the desert-loving nocturnal creatures from Southern Central Asia to the new and unique breeds of geckos that are being sold in the market today. In the natural world, evolution happens when an organism, trying to cope with the demands of his environment, transforms to something different from its original state. However, in this case, the deliberate morphing being done by breeders to geckos are not because of their inability to cope, but rather superficial and decorative. Regardless of the reason, the deliberate cross breeding to morph present varieties to how we'd like their products to be should be done carefully; elevating the physiology of the new breeds rather than making them suffer in the end.

Top Tips of Leopard Gecko Information

If you're looking for an exotic reptile that's quickly growing in popularity, then you've succeeded in your search with the leopard gecko. A mere search for leopard gecko information plainly shows that these lizards are rising fast in desirability among geckos in general.
A primary reason for this type of lizard being so sought after is the fact that it is easy to keep. Being easy to maintain, folks who are just beginning their gecko care experience are more comfortable with them. Moreover, feeling like you can competently handle your gecko is half the battle in having it be an enjoyable process.
Aside from being a low maintenance reptile pet, leopard geckos offer up some of the most exciting and dramatic color patterns available. So your second tip is to shop patiently for the look you want. Leopard gecko breeders have spent years systematically breeding them for precise outcomes. A basic internet search for leopard gecko information as it relates to color or patterns will churn out a remarkable list of descriptions like Rainwater Albino, Patternless, Mack Snow, Tangerine, Carrot-Tail, eclipse, Bell Albino, Red Stripe, and Blizzards. The many variations that are possible, coupled with those yet to be created, make these one of the most aggressively-bred geckos in captivity.
Your third tip will help you plan the size of your habitat. Apart from captivity, leopards in the wild populate the Middle and Far East, including places like Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. These can become large lizards, measuring up to a foot long when mature. They can weigh around 100 grams as well. These sizes are most typical in captivity when well cared for. They are a fun size when newly born, generally measuring about three inches long and weighing only about 3 grams.
Leopard geckos are terrestrial, land-based reptiles that tend to be nocturnal. Accordingly, you'll generally find them on the ground. However, finding them in the wild is unlikely, as they tend to come out at night. They have the unique ability to store fat in their tail. For this reason, if you notice that your lizard has a fat tail, your fourth tip is that that is actually a sign of health.
Fifth, if you care for them well, your leopard can live for a couple of decades. And improving the quality of care is actually rather easy to do. For one, keep in mind that they will shed their skin, like a snake, on a regular basis. If they live in a more humid environment, this actually helps the shedding event. In addition to moist air, you can actually get a shed box. A second tip is to be sure you have a quality light and heater. A localized heater will allow for a "temperature gradient," meaning you can have warmer and cooler parts of the habitat, so the lizard can help regulate its own temperature.
Sometimes you'll find leopard gecko information warning about the hazards of salmonella. These lizards, like turtles, can carry salmonella, but it's really not difficult to prevent. Simply be sure to wash your hands after handling your gecko. Do the same if you touch the habitat. So, your sixth tip is that basic hygiene should help you avoid any health issues.