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Questions about Morphs?

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Questions about Morphs? Empty Questions about Morphs?

Post by evilsloth Fri Nov 25, 2011 8:54 am

I really want to get some sort of morph. Currently I have 2 (normal) female 9 year old Leo's in a 60x30 cm tank. First of all, do I even have enough room to put a third Leo in? For the last 5 years I had 3 Leo's in the same tank because that is how I bought them, but one died so... If I put another female in, will they fight with each other? Will the difference in ages matter? And finally, are morphs any harder to take care of than normal Leo's? Thanks.

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Post by kathstew Fri Nov 25, 2011 9:19 am

Normal is a morph. The morphs are all the same species of leopard geckos, just carrying different genes for different colors/patterns. Just like we are all humans, we just carry genes for different hair color, skin color, eye color etc.

The only morph that can be a bit more difficult to take care of is the enigmas. Enigmas can suffer from something called enigma syndrome, where they walk around in circles, are sensitive to the light, are prone to seizures, things like that. Not all enigmas have it though, its just something you should be aware of. It doesn't exactly lower their quality of life, but its more difficult for them to a few things like eat.

Other than the enigmas, there isn't really a difference in care for morphs.

If you added a third leo you would need to get another female that is around the same size as your other two. If its smaller than the other two, the other two may bully the young one. You would also need to quarantine the new leo for at LEAST a month after purchase before putting them together anyway. Quarantine is when you keep them in separate tanks, preferably in separate rooms, to ensure that the new leo doesn't carry any diseases that can be passed on to your other leos, as well as so you can learn the new leos eating, pooping and attitude habits.

If adding another leo, you should always have an extra tank laying around. It has been known for multiple leos who've been kept together for years to suddenly, "snap" and begin fighting. The two females you have now currently have an hierarchy setup, one being the alpha over the other. If you add another leo, this hierachy will be upset, and they will need to reestablish this hierachy with a new added member. This could cause problems with your other two. Especially if the new leo and the current alpha both want to be alphas. Just want to point out the possibility of fighting in that way.

I believe a 60x30cm tank is just under 20 gallons. I wouldn't add a third female to that tank. Its generally a 10 gallons per leo rule. I would upgrade to at least a 30 or 40 gallon tank before getting a third leo.
Another option is to just get another tank altogether and house a third leo alone, which is what I would do.

It generally isn't recommended to house multiple leos together because of the risks of fighting, illness passing on, and bullying (one leo eating all the food for example). But, as you've kept multiple leos housed together I don't think I need to warn you to keep an eye on your leos. Smile
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Post by evilsloth Fri Nov 25, 2011 9:29 am

Thanks, if I get a morph I have a tank that I can quarantine him/her in. Are there some morphs that would be more available/ cheaper then others? I live in Ottawa, and I wouldn't even know where to start looking!

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Post by kathstew Sat Nov 26, 2011 2:06 am

No problem.
Generally, it depends on where you get the leo. More well known breeders are going to charge more. Breeders who are just starting out, charge less. Also depends on the morph. Normal is the cheapest morph out there.
Are you looking for a local leo, or are you willing to ship a leo? If you want to ship, I'd just look up "leopard gecko breeders". Urban gecko has some amazing leos. Also the breeders we have advertised on the forum at the tops and sides have some amazing leos.

For local, I'd google Ottawa Leopard gecko breeders. There is also a classifieds website called Kijiji.ca. That is where I got my leo Nina, and my crested geckos hatchlings. You just look under the pet section, and you'll find tons of different animals for sale.

You can also look for local reptile shops in your area. Its better to support the smaller mom and pop shops rather than the chain stores like petsmart, as many chain stores don't care for their pets properly. ):
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Post by evilsloth Sat Nov 26, 2011 7:52 am

Ya, I checked Kijiji and Used Ottawa but there were no cool morphs on there, and I couldn't really find any breeders based in Ottawa where I could go and pick up the Leo. I didn't even know you could ship a leopard gecko! Shocked Will it effect them in any way, is it safe? Thanks

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Post by kathstew Sat Nov 26, 2011 8:20 am

I PMed you about kijiji Wink
Is there a certain morph you're looking for? I created a morph directory here. Take a look and see if any catch your eye, so you know what to look for.

Leos definitely can be shipped! If shipped properly its safe. I believe its all done in one night. I haven't had a leo shipped to me as of yet, but I know several members on here have had leos shipped to them, and they turn out perfectly fine. Kodie, a member on here, recorded himself opening 2 leos he had shipped to him. If you wanna watch the video, its here so you can see how they are packaged.

Definitely worth shipping if you find a leo you want that is far away.
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