A RAPTOR Leopard gecko is a popular and rare kind of Leopard gecko. They are quite hard to breed and need extra care. They are also believed to be one of the most exotic Leopard gecko types.
They are well known for the vibrant orange color and patternless nature of their skin. Their eyes are also very unique with a mixture of Ruby eye and Eclipse AKA Snake eye traits.
They also have a rich origin history which makes them even more interesting. Everything from their diet to their breeding is a thing of wonder.
In this article, I’ll cover what RAPTOR Leopard geckos are, their origin, appearance, Diet, How to care for them, Cost, Breeding Etc. So, without further ado let’s dive in.
What is a RAPTOR Leopard Gecko?
A RAPTOR leopard gecko is a Ruby-eyed (with some traits of eclipse) Tremper Albino leopard gecko that has patternless stripes & is orange in color.
It is a rare breed of leopard gecko that has both recessive and polygenic traits. It has a combination of three traits 2 recessive and 1 polygenic.
The two recessive traits are Tremper Albino & Eclipse and the polygenic trait is the patternless stripe. But it’s also believed that the patternless stripes are a different type of recessive patternless trait which is not the same as blizzards or murphy geckos
The term “RAPTOR” is an abbreviation. This term RAPTOR leopard gecko stands for Ruby-eyed Albino Patternless Tremper Orange leopard gecko.
In short, It’s an orange-colored patternless leopard gecko that has the Tremper Albino genes and ruby eyes with eclipse traits.
Origins of RAPTOR Leopard Gecko
The Raptor Leopard geckos have originated from the Albino Leopard geckos. In September 1996 the first Albino Leopard gecko was bred from a wild imported female Eublepharis macularius AKA Leopard Gecko.
According to Reptiles Magazine, in the spring of 1998, Ron Trempra was able to breed 20 of his designer breeds of geckos. After that in late 1998, he was able to complete the breeding of the female geckos born from his designed geckos with their father “Bubba” and completed the bloodline.
In April 1999, Ron Tremper a world-renowned herpetologist and founder of LepardGecko.com successfully completed breeding of the Albino Leopard geckos that created the bloodline of Tremper Albino leopard geckos.
After that, the Tremper Albino Leopard Geckos kept on breeding and got the genes of Patternless and some ruby eye genes with some eclipse.
At first, the baby geckos from the Tremper Leopard gecko looked like normal leopard geckos but they had the genes in them. After that when they started breeding, new leopard geckos with the RAPTOR traits started to show up.
Nowadays there are many of them that can be collected from gecko breeders Such as Leopard Gecko shop, GKB Geckos, Morph Market Etc. around the world
Appearance of RAPTOR Leopard gecko
RAPTOR leopard geckos are different from ordinary leopard geckos. The exomorphic differences are easily noticeable and can be identified easily.
The more Exotic your pet is, the harder it’s to take care of!!!
– Mohaiminil Sharif
There are some differences in size, color patterns, and weight. The appearance of RAPTOR leopard geckos are given below:
Size
An adult RAPTOR Leopard gecko can be anywhere between 7 to 10 inches long in size. Some larger ones can grow up to 12 inches too. It’s also common to see that Females grow much bigger in size compared to male RAPTOR.
Eye
They have Ruby eyes. However, they have an eclipse trait that makes them look like they are back.
Weight
Smaller RAPTOR leopard geckos can weigh as low as 24 grams while large adults can be around 70 grams. Female RAPTOR tends to be on the heavier side compared to males.
Patterns
Thanks to the Eclipse Gene It has a Patternless stripe on its body. It doesn’t create any specific pattern with the stripes. It is believed that they were created by crossing reverse stripes with stripe patterns.
Color
The color of their skin is orange. Their color can be a bit dark orange or light orange depending on the temperature they were bred in.
Diet of RAPTOR Leopard Gecko
A RAPTOR Leopard Gecko’s diet has few similarities to their diet to an ordinary leopard gecko. As they are reptile animals they like to have a natural protein-rich diet. Their diet consists of worms, crickets, and different species of Arthropods.
Smaller RAPTOR Lepard geckos eat more frequently compared to adults. Adults eat once in 2-3 days whereas younger ones eat every day until they are a few months old.
Depending on their age their diets can be divided into two sections. Below are the different diets for the different age groups of RAPTOR Leopard geckos.
Small Raptor Leopard gecko
Small Raptor Leopard geckos have small mouths and can’t eat large prey. So, they have to eat more frequently. Their teeth are not developed properly at a younger age so they try to avoid insects with hard outer shells. Small Geckos bites are not too hard. Here are some Worms and insects that a small RAPTOR Leopard gecko can eat until it grows to become an adult.
Earthworm
Earthworms are one of their favorite foods. They are rich in protein and are very soft. They can easily eat them. It provides them with a lot of protein which helps in their growth.
Small Crickets
They are one of the best options for your Geckos. In fact, they are the best option for all of your reptile, amphibian, or arachnid. It’s a great source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Waxworm
Waxworms are just the larvae of wax moths that have a high-fat content and are so sought after by insect-eating RAPTOR Geckos! They are small and easy to feed. Due to the high-fat content, it provides a lot of energy to the geckos.
Small roaches
Small roaches or cockroaches cover several species such as German cockroaches, Asian cockroaches, brown-banded cockroaches, and Pennsylvania wood cockroaches. Small cockroaches are 1/4″ to 1/2″ long and prefer to conceal throughout the day. Small RAPTOR geckos love to eat them on a daily basis
Adult Raptor leopard gecko
Adult RAPTOR leopard geckos have a bigger energy demand than small ones. They can eat bigger insects. Their teeth are fully grown which helps them eat insects with hard shells. They usually like to eat bigger worms and roaches but can also eat small insects. Here are some of the insects they like to eat:
Crickets
Crickets are Orthopteran insects related to bush crickets and, to a lesser extent, grasshoppers. Their bodies are mostly cylindrical, with spherical heads and lengthy antennae. Geckos require additional minerals, such as calcium, to maintain a healthy diet.
Mealworms
Mealworms are the larvae of the mealworm beetle, Tenebrio Molitor, a darkling beetle species. They go through four life cycle stages, as do all holometabolic insects: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Larvae are typically 2.5 cm or above in length, and adults are around 1.25 and 1.8 cm long. It provides them with a lot of proteins.
Dubia roach
One little 1/2″ Dubia roach or nymph is roughly the size and weight of an adult cricket. Lizards should not be given Dubia roaches larger than the area between their eyes to avoid choking. They have high protein (23.4%) and fat (7.2%).
Hornworm
Hornworms (Manduca sexta) are a favorite food of bearded dragons, leopard geckos, chameleons, and other reptiles and pets. Their vivid green hue attracts finicky diners, and they require very little upkeep.
How to take care of RAPTOR Leopard Gecko?
RAPTOR Leopard Geckos need extra care. They require some maintenance and are considered to be medium to high maintenance pets. Here are some of the things you need to do in order to take proper care of them:
Maintaining a Regular nutrient-packed diet
Having a proper diet is a must for RAPTOR Leopard Geckos. They need to be fed regularly to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Depending on the diet needs they should be provided with their favorite foods of choice including worms, roaches, and other insects.
A small RAPTOR Leopard gecko should be given as much food as it can eat. However, adult geckos need to have a more controlled diet to avoid obesity.
Small leopard geckos should be allowed to eat every day. Whereas adults should be given food after 24-48 hours.
By Providing Proper Shelter
RAPTOR geckos need a proper shelter that resembles their natural habitat in order to thrive. There needs to be a lot of hiding place along with some rocks and small tree branches.
The tank for the leopard gecko needs to be at least 20 Gallons in size. There needs to be enough substrate such as paper towels, reptile mats, newspaper, etc. There shouldn’t be loose substrates as they can lead to infections.
Constantly Monitoring Temperature and humidity
Geckos are sensitive to temperature & humidity. It’s even more true for RAPTOR Leopard geckos. Their humidity and temperature need to monitor and kept at an optimal level for them to have a healthy life.
A hygrometer needs to be in the tanks to know the humidity level. Humidity should be kept around 30% to 40% at all times.
As for the temperature, 90°F to 75°F works best for them.
Proper Lighting and Ventilation
To ensure heat and light for your RAPTOR leopard gecko a 13-25 watt UAV light should be added to the tank. You need to make sure that the UAV bulb is below 6% of total power. You need to make sure that the light is powered for only 10 hours each day.
If you follow those steps then your RAPTOR Leopard gecko will stay in good shape.
How much does a RAPTOR Leopard gecko cost?
Raptor Leopard geckos are more expensive than ordinary Leopard geckos. Because of their rare gene combination and hard-to-breed nature, they tend to be more on the expensive side.
A RAPTOR Leopard gecko can cost somewhere between $99 to $500 depending on factors such as size, gene, age, gender, etc. but the average price is around $150.
Smaller RAPTOR has a lower price tag compared to bigger ones. Also if it’s a Het or Heterozygous RAPTOR (one whose parent was RAPTOR) then it’ll be less expensive compared to a RAPTOR.
Also Depending on the gender, the price seems to vary. Female RAPTOR costs are significantly more than male RAPTOR. An adult Female RAPTOR Leopard gecko will cost you a minimum of $125. Whereas an adult male RAPTOR leopard geckos can be bought at as low as $99.
Adult RAPTOR leopard geckos are much more expensive than smaller ones. A big adult RAPTOR gecko costs up to $500. Younger RAPTOR Leopard geckos that are less than 12 months of age can be purchased at around $125.
RAPTOR Leopard Gecko Breeding
RAPTOR Leopard geckos are bred almost the same way as normal leopard geckos. They need to have a suitable condition for breeding. When one male and female decide to mate together, they give birth to new geckos.
Raptor Leopard geckos can be bred with other RAPTOR Leopard geckos or any other leopard geckos. If both the Parents are pure RAPTOR then the newborns will be RAPTOR too.
However, If your geckos are Het RAPTOR then their child will have a 50 % chance of becoming RAPTOR Leopard geckos.
If Both the parents are Het RAPTORS then their offsprings have a 25% chance of becoming a RAPTOR. Because both parents have other genes that reduce the chance by half.
Conclusion
RAPTOR Leopard geckos are indeed a unique and rare kind of geckos. If you take care of them properly they can be your exotic reptile friend. Just be sure to keep a close look at them. Their personality and beauty are surely things to be impressed by.
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