Albinos are a popular morph of any pet reptile. And this is the case with leopard geckos too. Within leopard gecko genetics there are three recognised albino strains, the Tremper, Bell, and Rainwater. The Tremper Albino Leopard Gecko is one of the most popular, and in this article, we look at this morph and the potential for the gene.
What is a Tremper Albino Leopard Gecko?
The Tremper Albino leopard gecko has many distinct features that make it unique. The first aspect is eye colour. As an adult, it is clearer, but even as hatchlings, a close examination can see that the eye is more silver with red veins. This is different from other strains that we’ve noticed have a more pinkish iris.
Other breeders believe that some tempers will be born with normal-looking eyes and this could be related to the incubation temperature. But we’ve not experienced this and other breeders think this is caused by another hidden genetic trait.
Some breeders think that some Trempers will be born with a red iris that will disappear as the leopard gecko ages.
The body of the Tremper albino leopard gecko can have a varied appearance. They are generally lighter than the leopard gecko would be without the gene. For instance, an albino Mack Snow leopard gecko has lighter colour bands instead of black bands. A pure Tremper albino with no other morphs will have light chocolate bands instead of black.
The tail usually keeps the colours going.
Breeding of Tremper Albino Leopard Gecko
The morph was hatched out of a couple of hobby breeders who had a wild-caught individual and another captive-bred individual. This is interesting because the Tremper albino gene is recessive. This means that both parents must pass on a copy of the gene for it to display.
The Tremper is well bred out, with the original group being outbred to other lines and then re-introduced in a way that limited inbreeding.
In addition, Tremper Albinos have been mixed with many other genes to create new combinations.
A highly valued combo is the RAPTOR leopard gecko produced from parents with eclipse and Tremper Albino. These leopard geckos are a pale colour with full red eyes.
There are also Mack Snow Tremper Albinos and the Sunglow. The Sunglow is a Super Hypo Tangerine Tremper Albino, so it has no bands, spots and is more orange. These are beautiful geckos.
Eye Issues with Tremper Albinos
One of the common problems that people report with any albino is photophobia. This means a ‘fear of light’ but is not completely accurate. It is more related to the fact that albino strains reduce the pigment of the iris which reduces the filter that protects the eye from light.
While this is possible, it is usually seen in leopard geckos not kept in natural light conditions, for example, have additional UV lighting. Considering that leopard geckos don’t have to be kept with UV, then this isn’t a major problem, as long as supplements are provided. Another option is to use low UV light within the enclosure.
Final Word
The Tremper albino leopard gecko is a popular and common morph. With a good breeder, there are no problems and the morph can be combined with many other individuals to create amazing-looking leopard geckos.
