Leopard geckos are a popular pet reptile known for their docile nature, easy care requirements, and wide range of morphs and colors. Tangerine leopard geckos are one of the most common and well-known morphs, characterized by their orange and yellow coloration. But are tangerine leopard geckos actually rare compared to other morphs?
The rarity of a leopard gecko morph is dependent on several factors, including how long it has been available in the pet trade, how many breeders work with the morph, and how easy or difficult it is to produce. Tangerine leopard geckos have been around for decades and are bred prolifically around the world, making them one of the most widely available morphs. However, some niche color and pattern variations of the tangerine morph can be quite rare.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the origins of the tangerine leopard gecko, how common or rare certain tangerine variations are, and what factors contribute to morph rarity overall. This will help shed light on whether tangerine leopard geckos are indeed rare or commonplace in the reptile trade.
History of the Tangerine Leopard Gecko
The first tangerine leopard geckos appeared in the pet trade in the 1960s and originated from the native wild populations in Pakistan and northern India. These geckos displayed more orange and yellow tones than the typical yellow and white leopard geckos found in the wild. Tangerine geckos quickly became popular for their bright coloration and were selectively bred to enhance the orange and yellow hues.
Over the next few decades, tangerine leopard geckos became well established in breeding programs around the world. Their striking appearance and hardiness made them ideal for commercial breeding and the pet trade. Tangerine was one of the first recessive trait morphs isolated in leopard geckos, paving the way for an explosion in new designer morphs over the coming years.
While the original tangerine geckos had a fairly simple color palette, focused on saturating the yellow and orange tones, breeders eventually created new variations by combining tangerine with other traits. Today, there is a wide range of tangerine-based morphs that feature elaborate patterns, vivid color combinations, and high contrast markings.
Availability of Tangerine Leopard Geckos
Tangerine leopard geckos remain one of the most common and widely available morphs. Most reptile breeders work with tangerine geckos in some form, either as part of their breeding stock or to produce new morphs. Major reptile expos and trade shows around the world feature dozens of vendors offering various tangerine geckos for sale.
They are also frequently sold in chain pet stores and by online breeders and retailers. Prices typically range from $30 to $60 for common variations. Some specialty tangerine combos can cost $100 to $200.
According to MorphMarket, one of the largest online reptile marketplaces, tangerine leopard geckos accounted for over 8% of all leopard geckos listed for sale in 2022. Only a few other popular morphs like albino and super hypo eclipse had higher market availability.
The table below shows the percentage of leopard gecko morphs available on MorphMarket in 2022:
| Morph | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Albino | 11% |
| Super Hypo Eclipse | 10% |
| Tangerine | 8% |
| Mack Snow | 7% |
| Patternless | 5% |
This level of steady, widespread availability indicates that common forms of the tangerine morph remain highly popular and abundantly bred. They are far from rare or hard to obtain.
Rarity of Tangerine Variations
While basic tangerine leopard geckos are common, some unique variations of the tangerine morph are quite rare. Many of these originated as spontaneous genetic mutations resulting in novel colors or patterns. If the traits prove popular, breeders will work to stabilize and reproduce them.
Here are some examples of rare tangerine leopard gecko variants:
– Blood tangerine – Features a bright reddish-orange color lacking yellow pigments. Very few bloodline specimens exist.
– Tangerine tornado – Has a bold circular pattern resembling a tropical storm. Less than a hundred exist worldwide.
– Tangerine whiteouts – Lack most orange pigments resulting in a pale peach color. Only bred by a couple breeders.
– Tangerine enigma – Combines tangerine with the rare enigma mutation. Displays intricate dotted patterns. Less than 50 produced so far.
– Zero tangerine – The complete lack of orange/yellow pigments. Extremely rare.
While exciting for collectors and breeders, these ultra-rare morphs can cost thousands of dollars due to low supply and high demand. They remain scarce even decades after being first produced.
In contrast, common tangerine traits like hypo, carrot tail, and red stripe are abundantly bred each year. So tangerine leopard geckos exhibit a spectrum of rarity depending on the exact traits and combinations present.
Determining Morph Rarity in Leopard Geckos
When evaluating the rarity of any leopard gecko morph, there are a few key factors to consider:
– **Age of the morph** – How long has the morph been established in the reptile trade? Older morphs have had more time to proliferate.
– **Number of breeders** – Widespread availability across many different breeders makes a morph more common.
– **Difficulty of reproduction** – Some morphs are harder to reproduce consistently compared to others.
– **Specialty traits** – Unique colors, patterns, or trait combinations tend to be rarer.
– **Demand and pricing** – High demand and premium pricing often indicates a newer or recently discovered mutation.
– **Recessive or co-dominant traits** – Recessive morphs generally become common faster since they can be hidden and widely spread in breeding populations.
– **Wild-type appearances** – Some mutations resemble the wild type appearance more than others, which influences popularity.
Considering these key factors provides a methodology for determining morph rarity in leopard geckos. Rarity exists on a sliding scale, with some common variations and some highly rare variations possible even within the same genetic mutation.
Conclusion
The tangerine morph represents one of the most popular and widely bred color variants seen in leopard geckos. Basic tangerine traits are abundantly produced by breeders year after year to meet market demand. Yet some unique tangerine combinations remain scarce due to novelty, difficulty of reproduction, or limited breeder interest. Factors like age, availability, and specialty genetics contribute to how rare or commonplace a particular leopard gecko morph becomes. While original tangerine specimens are not truly rare, exciting rare variations continue to emerge for collectors to seek out and admire.
