Vivariums;reptiles;Crested Gecko 4

Eleven-Eleven has dark black spots all over her body. Since she has at least 50 spots in total, she is considered to be a Dalmatian.

London Fog is displaying 3 distinct colors – lavender, orange, and cream. He is a nice example of a tri-color crested gecko

Tri Color – Also labeled as a “Calico”, this is a Harlequin gecko who displays 3 distinct colors – a base color (usually lavender or red) & two pattern colors (usually orange or yellow in combination with white or cream). The abundance of the white or cream coloration in the pattern is what separates a Tri Color from a standard Harlequin. The best examples of this morph display their two pattern colors in fairly equal distribution.

White Wall – This is a Harlequin gecko whose pattern appears as a solid block of color covering the lower half of the belly, and said pattern is strictly white in color. The gecko may display only two colors (Base color & the white coloration of the walls), or it may be similar to a tri color, in that other pattern colors may be present on the body, but the lower half of the belly must be fully covered in white, and there must be a distinct lateral line midway across the belly. If this line is not present, the gecko would be described as simply a Harlequin (or Extreme Harlequin, depending on the abundance of pattern).

Many people would consider Teller to be White Walled, however, to truly qualify he should have solid white coloration underneath that bright white stripe across his belly.

Betelguese is well covered in large spots all over his body. Because he has well over 100 spots in total, he is considered to be a Super Dalmatian.

Seymore would be considered a Mocha – a gecko with a chocolatey brown base color and cream-colored pattern.

Mocha – Also called a “Mocha & Cream”, this is a harlequin gecko who displays a base pattern that is brown when fired up. Many geckos will display brownish tones when unfired, so it is important to note here that the biggest factor in defining a “Mocha” is that the fired color must be brown, typically the darker & richer the brown, the better – like a fine quality chocolate! This brown base color is almost always in combination with a cream-colored pattern.

The great amount of pattern present on Pahuenga Cass makes her an excellent example of an Extreme Harlequin.

Extreme Harlequin – An Extreme Harlequin can display any color combination. The abundance of pattern is what separates this gecko from a standard harlequin. While standard harlequins display pattern on the sides of the belly (typically within the lower lateral region) and legs, an Extreme Harlequin will display pattern all over the body, including the upper lateral region of the belly, neck, head, and sometimes even the underside of the belly. An Extreme Harlequin will display pattern color & base color in a somewhat equal distribution. In the best examples of this morph, there will be more pattern color than base color present.

Maka only has a few highlighted elongated scales along his dorsal. This makes him a Pin Dashed crested gecko.

Pinstripes – There is some debate as to whether Pinstripes should be considered a “morph” or a “structural trait”. We really have no position on this. We are including “Pinstripes” in this Morph Guide because, since a “Pinstripe” gecko is often described as simply a “Pinstripe” gecko, and not, for example, a “Pinstripe Harlequin”, we felt a proper definition in this section made sense. A pinstripe is a gecko who displays notably elongated scales running from the base of the neck (where the crests end) all the way to the base of the tail. These scales are usually highlighted in either a white or cream color, however there is a classification of Pinstripe gecko who do not display this highlighting. A pinstripe is also classified into different categories depending on what percentage of the dorsal scales are elongated. Pinstripe geckos have a dorsal stripe similar to that of a Flame gecko. The difference between these two are those elongated scales that form a line on either side of the dorsal stripe. Without the elongated scales, this would be classified as a Flame gecko, not a Pinstripe. Pinstripe geckos may also display other pattern on the body, so it is possible to have a “Harlequin Pinstripe,” for example, although usually this would be labeled simply as a “Pinstripe”. To make things a little easier, we are breaking the Pinstripe definition in sub-categories:

Pin-Dashed – This is a gecko who has a very low percentage of elongated pin scales along the dorsum. These scales are highlighted in either a white or cream color, and appear as “dashes” along the back of the gecko. It is possible for other pattern to be present on a Pin-Dashed gecko, and definition may be given to this pattern when the gecko is described. So, a gecko who displays Pin-Dashing in combination with contrasting pattern along the dorsal, belly, and legs, may be labeled as a “Pin-Dashed Harlequin”.

Bang-Bang’s elongated pin scales only make up about half of the total dorsal stripe. This means she is a Low % Pinstripe.

Low % Pinstripe – Also known as a “Partial Pinstripe”, this is a gecko who displays elongated pin scales, highlighted in either white or cream, that constitute less than 50% of the “stripe” area on either side of the dorsum. Again, other pattern may be present on this gecko, and definition may be given to this pattern in its description. A gecko who displays Low % Pinstriping in combination with contrasting pattern along the dorsum, belly, and legs, may also be labeled as a “Low % Pinstripe Harlequin”, although it is more likely that this gecko would simply be called a “Low % or Partial Pinstripe”.

On the lower lefthand side of Snider’s dorsal stripe (just above his tail), you can see that there is a small break in the line. Even if the pinning is very thick & full like Snider’s, if even just one or two scales along the dorsum are not elongated, the gecko is considered a High % Pinstripe.

High % Pinstripe – This is a gecko who, again, displays elongated pin scales, highlighted in either white or cream. To be considered a High% Pinstripe, these elongated scales must constitute 50% or greater of the “stripe” area on either side of the dorsum, up to 99% coverage. A High % Pinstripe may also be classified as a “Partial Pinstripe”. As with the Pin-Dashed & Low % Pinstripes detailed above, the High % Pinstripe gecko may display other pattern, and definition may or may not be given to this pattern in its description.

All of the scales along this baby’s dorsal stripe are elongated and highlighted, so the stripes appear as two complete unbroken lines extending from the neck all the way to the tail. Only when every single scale along the dorsum is displayed in this manner can we call the gecko a 100% Pinstripe.

100% Pinstripe – Once again, this is a gecko who displays elongated pin scales, highlighted in either white or cream. To be considered a 100% Pinstripe, the elongated scales must form a full & unbroken line on both sides of the dorsum, extending from the neck all the way to the base of the tail. If even one scale is not elongated/highlighted, this would be considered a high % pinstripe, and the 100% Pinstripe label could not be applied. Again, as we described with the other classifications of Pinstripes above, a 100% pinstripe may also display other pattern, and definition may or may not be given to said pattern in its description.

This gecko’s dorsum scales are clearly elongated and are displayed in the same color as the rest of his body. This is a Phantom B Pinstripe.

Phantom Pinstripe – There seem to be multiple classifications of Phantom Pinstripe geckos, so we will break these down further into 3 sub-sub-categories!!! We will call these “Phantom A”, “Phantom B”, and “Phantom C”, just to show a clear separation between all of them in terms of this guide, but it should be noted that the Crested Gecko community as a whole does NOT recognize these as “A”, “B”, and “C”. These all would be described as “Phantom Pinstripes”, with no additional letter assignment. You will never see someone selling their “Phantom A Pinstripe” or showing off a picture of their “Phantom B Pinstripe”…and if you were to label your own Phantom Pinstripe as an “A”, “B”, or “C” classification, folks may look at you sideways over it!!! We are only labeling them this way in order to clearly give each their own detailed definition for this guide.

Phantom A – This is a gecko who displays elongated pin scales highlighted in either white or cream. The difference between this gecko & a standard pinstripe lies in the dorsal stripe that is between these two rows of elongated scales. In a standard Pinstripe, the dorsal area is usually filled in with a color which contrasts the base color of the gecko, much like you see with a Flame gecko. With a Phantom A, this dorsal stripe is not filled in with a contrasting color, but rather is displayed as the same color as the base of the gecko. The best examples of this morph are completely patternless, and display only one solid color EXCEPT for the highlighted pin scales. Phantom A Pinstripes can display 100%, High %, Low% pinstriping, or Pin-Dashing.

(At this time we do not have a picture of a Phantom A Pinstripe. We will add this in later once we are able to capture some good examples on film.)

Phantom B – This is a gecko, typically one who is patternless, who displays elongated pin scales along the dorsal stripe which are not highlighted in white or cream. These elongated scales are notably elongated, forming an easy-to-recognize stripe, and they are displayed in the same color as the “base” color of the gecko. Phantom B Pinstripes can display 100%, High %, or Low % pinstriping, but no recognition is really given to those displaying only Pin-Dashing.

Exclamation Kid’s dorsum scales are elongated & dark orange. This color is quite different than the light & bright orange displayed on the rest of his body. He would be considered a Phantom C Pinstripe.

Phantom C – This is a gecko who displays elongated pin scales along the dorsal stripe that are darker than the base color of the gecko. We actually haven’t seen too many Phantom Pinstripes with this type of display, but those that we have come across are most often seen as dark orange stripes on a light orange or yellow base color. It is possible for Phantom C geckos to display other pattern, such as harlequin markings, and the elongated scales can be displayed as 100%, High %, or Low%. No recognition is really given to those displaying only Pin-Dashing.

There is a dark line on either side of the dorsal stripe which border this boy’s elongated dorsum scales. This is what is referred to as Reverse Pinstriping.

Reverse Pinstripe – These are geckos who display a dark line running alongside of the elongated dorsum scales, on the outermost edge of the dorsal stripe. This is typically only seen on geckos with a fairly light base color, as the line would not be visible on darker based geckos.

Dalmatian – This refers to a gecko who has a fair amount of spotting covering the entire body. These spots can be displayed in any color, although most commonly they will be black. There is some debate as to exactly how many spots a gecko must have in order to be classified as a “Dalmatian”, but the community seems to generally agree that at least 50 spots must be present for the classification.

Luca has just a few dalmatian spots. She would be considered a Speckled Dalmatian.

Dalmatians – Dalmatian spotting is actually a trait, not a morph, but we are including Dalmatians in this guide because many people use this term to describe their geckos & we wanted to give some clear definition to the different types of Dalmatians out there. A dalmatian gecko is simply a gecko with spots. These spots can exist on any morph, so it is possible to have a patternless dalmatian, bi-color dalmatian, harlequin dalmatian, tiger dalmatian, etc. One interesting fact about the Dalmatian crested gecko is that it might not necessarily hatch out with spots. Spotting can develop over time, which is why you will see many people using the phrase “More spots popping up with each shed” to describe their developing dalmatian. This simply means that as the gecko has grown, more spots have continued to appear on the animal. This is also why people may say their young crested gecko has “Super Dalmatian Potential” – it’s very rare that a gecko would hatch out with enough spotting to qualify as a Super Dalmatian (that term explained below), but based on the increase of visible spots over a period of growth, one may assume that this particular animal could potentially reach Super Dalmatian status by the time it reaches adulthood. A Dalmatian gecko may continue to gain spots until they reach their adult size. Typically, by the time they reach 20 grams in weight, additional spots will no longer form…but there are exceptions to every rule. I have never experienced a gecko gaining additional spots after they reached adult age/weight (2yrs/30g). The quality of a dalmatian is based on the number and size of its spots, with more spots/larger spots being the most desirable. The most common spot color is black, however spots may also form in red, orange, white, green/gray, and yellow (although, not all of these are truly spots….we will explain below). We have created sub-categories below to describe each “grade” of dalmatian and to describe the different types of spotting that exisit in the crested gecko world.

Speckled Dalmatian – The term “speckled” refers to a gecko who has very few spots. They will most commonly appear as black spots, however any color of spotting is acceptable for this classification.

Super Dalmatian – This refers to a gecko with a significant amount of spotting covering the entire body. Again, there is some debate as to the exact number of spots required to meet this classification. The quantity also seems to depend on the spot size. For a gecko with very large spots, it seems like more than 50 spots would qualify as a Super Dalmatian. If the gecko’s spots are quite small, 100+ would qualify it as a Super Dalmatian. There are many different schools of thought on this topic, and the qualifications for labeling as a Super Dalmatian will vary from one breeder to the next. Here at The Gecko Geek, we choose to use common sense…if you have to ask if its a Super Dalmatian, you can be pretty sure that it isn’t! Super Dalmatians are “Super”…you know one when you see one!

Peppered/Freckled – This refers to a gecko with very tiny spots. This definition is only applied to describe the size of the spotting, not the quantity of spots present. A Peppered or Freckled gecko may have just a few spots, or it may be covered head to tail in them. These spots may also be present in any color.

This gecko has very small spots. She is a Peppered or Freckled Dalmatian.

Ink Spot – Also called Ink Blot or Ink Blotch, this term is used to describe a gecko who has very large spots. These spots will often be a bit mishapen, and somewhat resemble an ink stain, hence the name. Again, this definition is only applied to describe the size of the spotting, not the number of spots present. An Ink Spot gecko may have just a few spots, or it may be covered head to tail in them. These spots may be present in any color.

All those big blotchy spots on Butterworth are called Ink Spots.

Oil Spot – These are spots which are very light in tone, often displaying in a slightly gray or greenish hue. Tricky, tricky….these are not actually gray or green spots (and they never could be truly green because crested geckos do not carry that pigment!)! They are black spots which are not fully developed. Often, when these are seen on very young geckos, the Oil Spot will darken with each shed until it is completely black. Sometimes they just don’t darken up though & the spots remain quite light….kind of resembling an oil stain, hence the name “Oil Spot”.

All of those grayish-green spots on Puck are called Oil Spots. They are not truly gray (or green)…they are black spots that are not fully developed. Sometimes these spots darken as the gecko ages, and sometimes they keep their oily look as Puck’s have here.

Red Spot – No tricks here…this refers to a gecko who has red spotting. There are different classifications to the red spotting though. If the gecko displays mostly black spotting with just a bit of red, this gecko would be called a “Dalmatian with red spots”. If the gecko displays a greater number of red than black spots, the wording changes ever so slightly. Geckos who display spotting, where the majority are red are called “Red Spot Dalmatians”. Its a subtle difference in phrasing, but a huge difference in the appearance of the gecko!

While Mr. Krinkle does have a scant few black spots, the majority of his spots are displayed in red. This is a Red Spot Dalmatian.

White Spot – While there are a few people out there trying to work on true white spot projects, the great majority of geckos described as having white spots really actually don’t!! What these geckos have are elongated body scales, commonly refered to as “Portholes”. These elongated scales are often without pigment, which is why they appear as white rather than matching the body color of the gecko. Sometimes these elongated portholes are only ever so slighly elongated, which gives the illusion of white spotting on the gecko’s body.

Those white spots on Mordecai’s belly are not actually spots at all! They are elongated scales called Portholes. They appear white because these scales lack pigment.

Cluster Spotting – This refers to a gecko who displays a grouping of spots. It may have individual spots on other parts of the body as well. There is no set standard as to how many spots must be grouped together in order to qualify as a “Cluster”, but there must clearly be more than one spot…and the more spotting in the grouping, the higher the quality of the cluster spot. Several different clusters of spotting may be present on a single gecko, and these spots may be displayed in any color combination…so for example, the spots may be all black, or they may be all red, or they may be both black & red.

That grouping of spots on Jack Sparrow’s neck are called Cluster Spots. (Why oh why did we ever sell this boy?!?)

WHEW! I think we’re done! We will come back and update this guide as new morphs pop up in the crested gecko world (and they will keep popping up, as they have done year after year!). If we forgot to list a morph here, or if you think you have a better picture example that you would like to contribute, please Click Here to Contact Us! We hope you found this Morph Guide helpful & informative! Thanks for visiting The Gecko Geek!

Other and Recommended websites :

Below is a short list of Crested Gecko morphs .. Every Year more and more morphs established .. It is recommended to up date yourself by searching for the new morphs around the world .. Here Some good websites :

- www.moonvalleyreptiles.com/crested-geckos/morphs

- www.extremecresties.com/

- www.lillyexotics.co.uk/morphs

- kentgecko.weebly.com/crested-gecko-morphs.html

- www.acreptiles.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=166&Itemid=390

- www.pinterest.com/willowmoore34/gecko-morphs/

- www.pangeareptile.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?99-Crested-Gecko-Morph-Guide

- www.the-gex-files.nl/indexeng.php?pagina=pages/morph_eng

- www.theurbangecko.com/sale/crested-geckos

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