The Effects of Light on the Different Morphs

[KellyTCS]

I am almost done reading "The Herpetoculture of Leopard Geckos," and I wanted to find out what everybody's thoughts were on the effects of lighting. The book clearly reveals that leo's that are kept in habitats with lighting and hotter temps end up being brighter and vice versa.

The thing is, I'm working on plans for a rack system, and I"m wondering if it would be a great asset to me to install lights. Do any of the large breeders use lights?

I know Tremper/de Vosjoli say that the darkening or lightening can change, but I just think it would be better to install lights anyway. :main_laugh:

 

[nevinm]

from my own expreance, in one of my normals that i had kept in a tank for show, i would have to say, yes light does have something to do with it. over all, if your going to say something about habitat changing color....again in my own expreance(i dont want to step on any ones toes, i havent been around long enough to know how some of you react to oppinion, and expreance) i think the color of the ground has more to do with it then the light it self(not counting heat lights, only UV). the one i had for show was on calci sand for a long time(blue and white mixed making a super light turquise color). he was a natural color, not the high yellow.on the light sand his brown almost looked like a pastel brown. or the browns that you would see on some of the snows. i dicided to stop using sand, and switched to the coconut fibers, and he darkend quite a bit. not to an ugly brown, but more then enough to see a diff.

 

[Brian O]

Just from my personal experience I have had no difference with or without lights. I have all my hatchlings on racks from birth and their colors seem to develop just fine. I do however see how heat will effect them. They will grow darker even adding spots with cooler temps.

 

[KellyTCS]

It sounds like it's more of a heat thing than lighting. Anybody else have any comments?

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I have not seen any difference in lighting and gecko coloring, either. Since geckos are nocturnal, their skin and eyes are not adapted for UV rays so it shouldn't make much difference. What I have found is, that warmer temps (92-94) and lighter substrate color (white paper towel) does make a BIG difference in the gecko's color. I have posted this before, but here is an example of what temps and substrate color can do to a leo's color:

On paper towel at 92-94 degrees:

same gecko after 5 days on brown carpet at 92-94 degrees:

back on paper towel for 10 days at 92-94 degrees:

back on brown carpet for 10 days at 90 degrees:

Do I get to write a book now? :main_evilgrin:

 

[KellyTCS]

Yep! :main_laugh:

 

[sportbike_rob]

i have no experiance with leo's, however i can say that my AFT did this too, when i had him on the moss, his colors and especially his white stripe wasnt near as bold and bright as they are now, his colors are alot bolder and brighter since the switch to paper towels.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

Marcia...you go girl! That's awesome.

Hummm, anymore outdated phrases I can use?

 

[Scott&Nikki]

Do I get to write a book now? :main_evilgrin:

You should

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

That's really neat, Marcia!

Though I will say it's a tad bit disappointing because I'd love to get those chocolate looking geckos (like the Urban Gecko) into my collection, which look a lot like your little leo example there, but I guess it would be pointless if in fact substrate was a factor in there coloring.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I'd love to get those chocolate looking geckos (like the Urban Gecko) into my collection, which look a lot like your little leo example there, but I guess it would be pointless if in fact substrate was a factor in there coloring.

You got it. Had I been a better 'marketeer' I could be rich on geckos kept on dark substrates at cooler temperatures, too!

 

[ByRandom]

Marcia...you go girl! That's awesome.

Hummm, anymore outdated phrases I can use?

You're all that and a bag of chips!

You're the Bomb!

... that's all I can think of for now, oh well! lol

 

[nevinm]

wow, aint that something. i had no idea there was that big of a diff.

ps... i deff think you should right a book. i think someone really needs to right a book...then the "other" guy...