Color-changing leo?

[lizardlove]

So many a time I have taken my gecko out of her tank to see that she has turned a dark mustardy, yellow-brown color. Upon holding her for five to ten minutes she'll go back to her regular yellow. I'm thinking that for some reason the heat from her warm hide makes her darker, but I'm just wondering if this is common? She's not unhealthy, it's just weird. Anyone else experience this?

 

[Mel&Keith]

It's just a normal response to the heat. It's more noticeable in certain morphs, like Patternless. Here's what heat from the sun did to one of ours - 2 faced Patty

 

[Haligren]

My Tiamat does the same thing. Her colors will darken when she's in her cool hide for a long time, but once she's in the heat, they go back to normal.

 

[BettaDragon]

Remmy changes color from time to time. Seems to be more based on his mood though. He gets darker when annoyed. Like the way he is now because I just finished removing skin off his toes, lol.

 

[leoman5654]

I also have a patternless and have noticed that when it is day time and warmer he is darker than at night when the temps in his cage drop a little.

 

[lizardlove]

Interesting! I've got a bold stripe, but it seems to be more common among the patternless group. Of course, today she's dead white, but that's shed related. I'll be spending an hour peeling skin off today too, it seems...

 

[BettaDragon]

I'm guess she doesn't shed her toe skin well? I know your pain...I know your pain...

 

[houseape57]

Funny, I was looking at my pattenless the other day wondering why she looked dark green instead of brown:main_robin:. When I took her out of her tank to play in the play area her color went back to normal....all makes sense now.

Kathy

 

[lizardlove]

She actually did a pretty good job! Her back feet came off like gloves, and her front feet were easy. It's not always the case, but it was good today. Of course, when I'm holding her in my hand we're both trying to get her foot skin off at the same time, which is difficult. She won't just let me do it. Then she's not too bright, so she'll be licking and gnawing on my finger and I'll be like, 'Sweetie, that's not your foot...' And she'll blink and click at me.

 

[e_cupcake26]

My little arabesque is prone to changing colors too. He'll get darker, and then lighten up. I don't know what causes it. I'll have to pay more attention to his color changing. Just as long as it isn't stressed related. :main_yes:

 

[Geck-O]

It's just a normal response to the heat. It's more noticeable in certain morphs, like Patternless. Here's what heat from the sun did to one of ours - 2 faced Patty

Lol! the patty looks really funny.

 

[Gregg M]

When your gecko is darkening, this means it is getting too cool in my opinion... It can be environmental as well... Geckos kept in dark bins or on a dark substrate tend to be darker... Once they heat up or are exposed to brighter conditions they will color back up...

 

[BettaDragon]

Come to think of it, every time I've seen Darcie's leo when she's dark like that she just came out from her hide and she has dark gray cage carpet in there. It might be environmental. I don't think it's coolness because she keeps her warm side pretty warm. Sorry for answering for you, Darcie. Just stating a possibility.

 

[Geek]

Dexter is a superhypo, and he gets darker when he's on darker substrate. But it happens gradually, over a few days. He also gets slightly darker when he's cool.

 

[lizardlove]

Hm... She is on gray repticarpet, but she does it on white paper towel, too. She gets darker when she's spending time in her warm hide, and lightens up within minutes when I take her out. It's weird, some people's geckos get darker when it's warmer, and some when it's cooler! She's a bold stripe, if that makes any difference. I'm not sure which morphs are more likely to darken in response to heat, other than the patternless, obviously! And her warm hide is pretty warm, usually in the 97-98 range so she doesn't have to hang out in there 24/7 to get her body at the right temperature.

 

[lizardlove]

I actually just took these yesterday. The lighting is the same in both instances, and I timed it, the pictures were taken two minutes apart.

Right after I took her out of her hide:

And two minutes later: