RAPTOR
Ruby-Eye Albino,
Patternless, Tremper, ORange
The most notable feature of the Raptor
morph is that it includes the Eclipse gene, which gives the leopard gecko solid
eyes. When the Eclipse gene is combined with the Tremper albino gene, we
get solid red eyes. Add to that, a brightly colored body and a strong
carrot tail and you have an awesome looking leopard gecko. Due to the
variety of desirable traits that make up this morph, it will be much like the
SHTCT in that quality specimens will be in great demand for years to come, as
breeders strive to produce nicer and nicer specimens.
Carrot-Tail
There are several things to look for in a quality Raptor, but at the top of my
list is carrot-tail. The more orange on the tail, the better.
Carrot-tail typically develops as a gecko matures and is usually fully developed
by the time the gecko weighs 30 grams or so. The carrot-tail has proven to
be a relatively predictable trait to reproduce, provided you start with adults
that exhibit the trait strongly.
Snake-Eyes vs.
Solid Red/Ruby Eye - What gives?
Some Raptors have solid red or ruby
eyes, while others have snake-eyes, where the iris and pupil are plainly
visible. And of course, most fall somewhere in between with partial
snake-eyes, where the iris and pupil are visible in part of the eye and the
other part of the eye is solid red. In my experience, this is completely
random and is not something that can be selectively bred for. In other
words, two solid ruby-eyed parents won't necessarily produce more solid
ruby-eyed babies than a pair of snake-eyed adults.
Pattern Variants
By definition, a Raptor is supposed to
be a patternless gecko. However, it's hard to ignore the Striped, Jungle
and White Sided Raptors that have started to surface in the last year or so.
We're working with "classic" patternless Raptor, Striped, White Sided and a
small group of Jungle Giant Raptors.
