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Leopard Gecko - Rainwater Albino
Eublepharis macularius
The palest and physically smallest of the albino strains, characterized by extensive pink tones, highly washed-out mottling, and surprisingly dark eyes.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Eublepharidae
Genus:Eublepharis
Species:Eublepharis macularius*
* Rainwater
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
30 - 40 %
Day temperature
30 - 32 °C
Ambient temperature
25 °C
Night temperature
20 - 22 °C
Basking spot
30 - 32 °C
Adult size
17 cm
Minimum enclosure
>= 60 L
UVB
Non necessario / Basso
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Eublepharis macularius is native to the semi-arid regions of Southern Asia, distributed across Pakistan, Afghanistan, northwestern India, and parts of Iran. It inhabits rocky deserts, dry grasslands, and clay foothills. The 'Black Night' morph is an ultra-rare hypermelanistic line bred exclusively in captivity through years of selective line-breeding to enhance black pigmentation, and does not exist in the wild.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the family Eublepharidae, genus Eublepharis. Originally described by Blyth in 1854. The 'Black Night' morph is a polygenic hypermelanistic trait; this means the intensity of the black coloration varies depending on the parents' lineage and requires careful genetic management to avoid inbreeding depression.
Behavior and Habits: Primarily nocturnal and crepuscular. During the day, it remains hidden inside cool, damp caves to avoid the heat, becoming active at dusk to hunt. It is a terrestrial gecko known for its docile, slow-moving nature and ease of handling. It communicates through tail-waving gestures and soft squeaks when startled.
Morphology: Features the typical robust body shape of leopard geckos, with a thick tail that stores fat reserves. Adults measure around 20-25 centimeters in length. Unlike many other geckos, it possesses moveable eyelids and lacks adhesive toe pads, instead having small claws suited for traversing rocky terrain. The 'Black Night' morph has a solid jet-black or dark slate-grey coloration.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a dry rocky terrarium measuring at least 60x40x40 cm (24x16x16 inches) for a single gecko. The substrate should not be loose sand to prevent accidental impaction; use slate tiles, clay mats, or paper towels. Provide at least three hides: one warm hide, one cool hide, and one humid hide filled with damp moss or coco fiber to aid shedding.
Lighting and Heating: Being nocturnal, they do not require intense light, but a low-level (2.0% or 5.0%) UVB bulb is recommended to support calcium absorption. Heating must be provided via an under-tank heating mat or heat cable connected to a thermostat, creating a warm spot of 30-32°C (86°F - 89.6°F) and a cool side of 24-26°C (75.2°F - 78.8°F). Turn off heating at night (20-22°C).
Humidity and Hydration: Overall humidity should be kept low (30-40%), but the humid hide must be kept damp (70-80% internal humidity) at all times. Provide a shallow dish of fresh water on the cool side, replaced daily. Lightly mist the enclosure once a week to simulate dew and support indirect hydration.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly insectivorous. Feeds on live crickets, roaches (Dubia or Lateralis), mealworms, and occasionally waxworms. Insects must be gut-loaded. Dust prey with pure calcium at every feeding, and with calcium plus Vitamin D3 twice a week. Leave a small bottle cap filled with pure calcium in the terrarium at all times.
Compatibility: Strictly solitary. Males must never be housed together as they will fight to the death. Females should only be cohabitated in very large enclosures under close supervision, though solitary housing is highly recommended to avoid stress. Introduce males only for controlled breeding purposes.
Health and Common Diseases: Susceptible to metabolic bone disease (MBD) from lack of calcium/D3, retained sheds on toes (which can cause necrosis and toe loss), and intestinal impaction from loose sand. The highly selected 'Black Night' lineage requires careful husbandry and monitoring to ensure health and vigor.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Eublepharis macularius is native to the semi-arid regions of Southern Asia, distributed across Pakistan, Afghanistan, northwestern India, and parts of Iran. It inhabits rocky deserts, dry grasslands, and clay foothills. The 'Black Night' morph is an ultra-rare hypermelanistic line bred exclusively in captivity through years of selective line-breeding to enhance black pigmentation, and does not exist in the wild.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsEurope, Mediterranean, and West AsiaSouth and Southeast AsiaCosmopolitan or introduced
Reptile profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 17 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 17 cm. The ReptTraits v1.2 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 17 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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