Encyclopaedia
ReptileTerrestrialEasy
©AI Generated·Proprietary
Leopard Gecko (Mack Snow / Super Snow)
Eublepharis macularius "Mack Snow / Super Snow"
The Mack Snow and Super Snow morphs. Incomplete dominant mutations that suppress yellow pigment, yielding gorgeous, high-contrast black and white geckos.
Class:Squamata
Order:Squamata
Family:Eublepharidae
Genus:Eublepharis
Species:Eublepharis macularius "Mack Snow / Super Snow"
Share
Check out Leopard Gecko (Mack Snow / Super Snow) on Atlarium
Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
30 - 40 %
Day temperature
24 - 32 °C
Night temperature
20 - 24 °C
Adult size
17 cm
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Inhabits dry desert plateaus, steppes, and rocky zones of Southern Asia, ranging from northern Pakistan and northwestern India to Afghanistan. A terrestrial and burrowing reptile, it shelters during the hot day in damp underground crevices, emerging at dusk to hunt.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belonging to the family Eublepharidae. The 'Mack Snow' line is an incomplete dominant mutation that suppresses yellow pigmentation. Heterozygous individuals (Mack Snow) display light yellow coloration as adults, while homozygous individuals (Super Snow) feature a pure black-and-white pattern with solid black Eclipse eyes.
Behavior and Habits: Crepuscular and nocturnal species, widely celebrated for its docile temperament and ease of handling. They navigate their environment using keen vision and smell, assisted by their tongue. The thick tail serves as a primary fat reserve to survive periods of food scarcity.
Morphology: Robust body reaching 20-25 cm in length. Unlike most geckos, they possess functional eyelids and lack adhesive toe pads, having claws instead for burrowing. Males feature a broader head, a distinct V-shape row of preanal pores, and visible hemipenal bulges at the tail base.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a horizontal terrarium (minimum 80x45x45 cm). A dry clay-sand-soil mix is the ideal substrate. Furnish with at least three hides: one on the warm side, one on the cool side, and a mandatory humid hide filled with damp sphagnum moss.
Lighting and Heating: Provide a thermal gradient with a basking spot at 30-32°C using a thermostat-controlled heat mat or cable, and a cool side of 24°C. Allow a night drop to 20-22°C. A low-output (2-5%) UVB source is highly recommended to support natural cycles.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain low ambient humidity (30-40%). Provide a shallow water dish. Keeping the humid hide moist is essential to facilitate shedding and prevent stuck shed on toes, which can lead to constriction and necrosis.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly insectivorous. Feed gut-loaded crickets, roaches, and mealworms. Dust prey with pure calcium at every feeding, and include calcium with D3 and multivitamins once or twice a week to prevent bone diseases.
Compatibility: Strictly solitary. Never house males together as they will fight to the death. Avoid keeping mixed groups due to reproduction-induced stress; single housing is strongly recommended.
Health and Common Diseases: A thinning tail (known as 'stick tail') is a severe symptom of internal parasites or malnutrition. Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) occurs due to lack of calcium/UVB, causing deformed limbs. Handle gently to avoid tail autotomy.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Inhabits dry desert plateaus, steppes, and rocky zones of Southern Asia, ranging from northern Pakistan and northwestern India to Afghanistan. A terrestrial and burrowing reptile, it shelters during the hot day in damp underground crevices, emerging at dusk to hunt.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsEurope, Mediterranean, and West AsiaSouth and Southeast Asia
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.
Related species
Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
