Ghost Leopard Geckos

Ghost strips the bright yellows and oranges out of a leopard gecko and leaves a muted green that shifts with the seasons and the animal's mood. It is one of the harder looks to place with confidence, so a buyer relies on the seller's breeding history as much as on the animal in front of them.

Appearance

A Ghost adult never shows a hypo's bright oranges and yellows. These animals have colours ranging from a light sea-green to a deep, almost military green. The same animal might look several shades darker or lighter based on its mood, the time of year, and temperature. Most hatchlings do not show the finished look. They are often mistaken for a young Mack Snow or a plain hypo. The true colouring only settles once the gecko reaches five to six inches. A Mack Snow Ghost hatchling comes out coffee-and-cream instead of a Mack Snow's usual black and white. Because this washed-out look is easy to put on the wrong animal, ask what breeding history stands behind the label before paying a premium for the name.

Genetics

Because Ghost is dominant, a single copy gives the full look. This means there is no invisible Het Ghost like what a recessive gene has. Super Ghost and Ghost are both in the family, but breeders using the gene have found no Super Ghost that looks visually distinct. A two-copy animal is not expected to look any different from a one-copy one, unlike the clear jump from Mack Snow to Super Mack Snow. True Ghost is an older name for the same line, and Ghost has no known allelic partner or complex. Its origin is disputed, and no single breeder holds the credit. Ron Tremper described it as genetic in 2005, and Alex Hue circulated a hypo-line Ghost through the hobby in the 1990s. It has produced Ghost Eclipse and Mack Snow Ghost when crossed into other lines.