Albino Leopard Gecko Morphs And Special Care Needs

What is an Albino Leopard Gecko?

Leopard geckos are native to areas like India and Vietnam and are a popular choice as domestic pets. Their relatively easy maintenance and tolerance to handling make them a popular choice for new pet owners. As with other leopard gecko morphs, albino is a variation that comes in various morphs.

Albinism in leopard geckos refers to their inability to create normal melatonin levels, which affects their coloration. Albinism in mammals often manifests as white fur or skin, while in reptiles, it affects melanin levels, resulting in a lack of brown and black coloring, replaced instead by yellow and orange tones. The specific appearance of an albino leopard gecko will, therefore, depend on the morph type.

What Do Albino Leopard Geckos Look Like?

Leopard geckos are small reptiles known for their spotted appearance, with dark spots on a lighter background. They typically grow up to six to eleven inches in length, have scaled bodies, four legs, and a thick tail. The distinct coloring of their scales varies, depending on the morph type. There are three main albino leopard gecko morphs:

Tremper Albino Leopard Gecko

Tremper albinos are the most common albino leopard gecko morphs and were the first to be discovered in the 1990s. These geckos have scales that typically range from light brown, yellow, orange, to pink, with silver eyes and red veins.

Rainwater Albino Leopard Gecko

The rainwater albino morph was discovered after Tremper albinos, and named after Tim Rainwater, who discovered them. These geckos are usually lighter overall than other albino morphs, smaller in size, have yellow bands or spots, some pink coloring, and darker eyes than other albino morphs.

Bell Albino Leopard Gecko

Mark Bell discovered bell albinos, the most recent of the three albino morphs in this guide. These geckos are known for their shades of lavender and yellow scales with brown spots and light pink eyes.

Do Albino Leopard Geckos Need Special Care?

Albino leopard geckos have the same care needs as any other leopard gecko. Although they are relatively easy to care for, their care needs are still quite complex if you’re new to keeping reptiles. Ensure that your gecko has plenty of space, especially when housing multiple geckos together. Two male albino leopard geckos should not be housed together as it could cause fights. Ensure that their enclosure is well-ventilated, and avoid using tanks made for fish.

The enclosure should have gecko-safe substrate, such as shredded kitchen paper. The substrate choice could be hazardous if ingested. The geckos will also love lying on ventral heat sources, but not too much of it. Ensure that it occupies less than half of the floor space, so they can cool down when necessary. Their temperature range should be between 79 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, and at night, it should not drop below 68 degrees.

Diet and Shedding

As with other leopard gecko morphs, albino morphs have the same dietary and shedding needs. Their diet consists of insects, such as mealworms, crickets, silkworms, and locusts. Veterinarians often recommend calcium and multivitamin supplements in powder form.

Young leopard geckos shed every ten days, while adults can shed as frequently as every six to eight weeks. If your gecko needs assistance removing shed skin, help them by soaking the skin and gently removing any remaining bits using a damp cotton bud. The geckos often eat their old skin.

Albino Leopard Gecko Health

While there is much debate on whether albino leopard gecko morphs are more sensitive to light than other morphs, most leopard geckos do not like extremely bright light. They are more active at dawn and dusk and typically avoid direct sunlight. Their ventral heat sources should mimic this, such as rocks that have absorbed sunlight instead of basking in the sun.

As with other gecko morphs, albino leopard geckos are susceptible to health issues such as parasites, Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), shedding problems, Hemipene infections, burns, and autotomy.

Are Albino Leopard Geckos Blind?

While some albino leopard gecko morphs may be blind, not all will be. If you own a blind gecko or your albino leopard gecko develops sight problems, they will need specialist care. You may need to hand-feed them, as they’ll struggle to hunt and catch live prey around their enclosure. Also, ensure to maintain things in the same place as much as possible, as moving things around could lead to confusion and increased stress.

How Much Do Albino Leopard Geckos Cost?

The price of albino leopard gecko morphs varies depending on demand, the numbers of breeders in your area, and the specific coloring of the gecko for sale. Typically, albino leopard geckos will cost between $150 and $700. Bell leopard geckos tend