Leopard Gecko Morph Guide
Eublepharis macularius
This Leopard Gecko morph guide covers all 14 known alleles, 30 named morphs, and 19 documented combo morphs. Alleles are organised by gene locus and dominance pattern. Tap any allele to expand its full trait description, identification tips, and homozygous risk warnings. This species has 2 alleles with known homozygous health risks, highlighted in the alleles list below.
Trait Description
The Bell Albino locus is one of three independent albino loci in leopard geckos. Homozygous recessive (bell/bell) animals display reduced melanin with a distinctive appearance: ruby-red to deep pink eyes are the hallmark of Bell Albino and the most reliable way to distinguish it from the other two albino strains. Body coloration tends toward lavender, light brown, and soft orange with brown spotting. Bell Albinos often have a cleaner, more pastel appearance compared to Tremper Albinos. The ruby-red eye color makes Bell Albino highly sought after for combo morphs where eye color is a selling point.
Identification Tips
Bell Albino (bell/bell): Ruby-red to deep pink eyes are the KEY diagnostic feature. This is the most reliable way to identify Bell Albino vs the other strains. Body color is often softer and more pastel than Tremper Albino, with lavender and light brown tones. Spots are brown to light brown. Overall appearance can be lighter and more washed-out than Tremper. Hatchlings show banded pattern with softer brown bands. Heterozygous carriers (Bell/bell) appear phenotypically normal.
Notation
Evidence Notes
Confirmed as a separate locus from Tremper and Rainwater Albino through complementation testing. Crossing Bell x Tremper or Bell x Rainwater produces normal-appearing double-het offspring. The three albino loci are fully independent. Animals can be homozygous for one strain while heterozygous for another (e.g., visual Bell het Tremper). No molecular gene identification published as of 2026.
Trait Description
Enigma is a dominant trait that alters body pattern and coloration. Enigma geckos display a distinctive random, speckled, or blotched pattern that replaces the normal banded pattern. Spots tend to be randomly distributed rather than organized into bands. Tail is often mostly white or lightly marked. Body color can range from pale to vivid depending on other genetics present. CRITICAL HEALTH WARNING: Enigma carries a linked neurological condition called Enigma Syndrome (ES), an autosomal dominant vestibular disorder that causes star-gazing, head-tilting, circling, seizures, and in severe cases "death rolls" and inability to feed. Symptoms range from mild to debilitating and affect a high percentage of Enigma carriers. There is no cure. Enigma Syndrome is similar to Spider wobble in ball pythons. Enigma breeding is banned in Switzerland (since 2015, classified as "Qualzucht"/torture breeding) and banned from IHS events in Europe.
Identification Tips
Enigma: Random speckled or blotched pattern replacing normal bands. Spots appear "scattered" or "confetti-like" rather than organized. Tail is often predominantly white with scattered spots. Body coloration varies based on other genetics present. HEALTH: Watch for neurological signs. Star-gazing (head tilted upward), head tilting, circling behavior, loss of balance, difficulty tracking/striking prey. Symptoms may worsen with stress. Some individuals show severe seizures and death rolls.
Homozygous Risk
Enigma Syndrome (ES) is an autosomal dominant neurological/vestibular disorder. ALL carriers (heterozygous and homozygous) are affected. This is not a homozygous-only risk. Symptoms include: star-gazing (head tilted upward), head tilting, circling, difficulty tracking prey, seizures, and "death rolls" (uncontrolled rolling). Severity varies from mild to debilitating. Homozygous Enigma may show more severe symptoms than heterozygous, though data is limited because most breeders avoid producing homozygous. There is no cure. Management involves reducing stress, providing simple enclosure layouts, and hand-feeding if the gecko cannot track prey. Enigma breeding is banned in Switzerland (since 2015) as "Qualzucht" (torture breeding) and banned from IHS events in Europe. Similar to Spider wobble in ball pythons.
Notation
Evidence Notes
Enigma is an autosomal dominant trait. One copy of the gene produces the visual phenotype and the associated neurological syndrome. Homozygous Enigma has been reported but phenotypic distinction from heterozygous is debated. The neurological component (Enigma Syndrome) has been documented in multiple published and unpublished studies, most notably Krönke 2023 (SSRN) which formally assessed ES as a heritable defect. The syndrome appears to have very high penetrance. Most Enigma carriers show at least mild neurological symptoms, though severity varies significantly between individuals and lines. Some breeders have attempted to breed for reduced ES severity with limited success. The underlying molecular mechanism has not been published. The co-occurrence of pattern alteration and neurological dysfunction suggests the Enigma mutation may affect a gene involved in neural crest cell development.
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