Morph Personality

[brsisko]

Does the morph of a gecko add to its personality. I realize it cant be a set in stone rule but could it have something to do with it. Sort of like a pit bull has potential to be more mean than say a weiner dog. In my limited experience i found that my tangerines and carrot tails are more friendly and willing to be handled compared to my albinos. Does anyone else share this experience?

 

[dim&shell]

Oooo interesting topic... like it

Although I don't have much too add... apart from my tangerine is the friendlist lil guy although think its because he's been quite ill and I've had to handle him a lot more than my other 2 (normals)...

 

[gothra]

My gecko's "Human Friendliness Scale" lol:

Raptor > high yellows > albinos > tangerines > patternless albino
(I don't have other morphs to add)

The Raptor is extremely friendly, he wants to be held all the time!

 

[efx*]

My raptor has the greatest personality lol .. I heard blazing blizzards were mean..

You can kinda see her personality

 

[JayLeo57]

i heard about blizzards being nasty tempered

 

[brad.a.c]

This is an interesting topic. I think overall the actual morph doesn't have anything really to do with it. I think it's just the Leo's personality, not the morph. But, I don't really know.

 

[Melissa Nagel]

Personality & Morphs

Hello,
I've been involved with Italian Greyhounds for many years, and in
that breed of dog, there is a saying that red I Gs are more active,
and "wild" than some of the other colors. It may go back to when
the breed was near depletion and some breeders infused Min Pin
blood.
As for the Leopard Geckos, I'm guessing there could be a trend
in personality that goes along with color, but don't you think so much
depends on how much interaction they have with humans?
As with other reptiles, though there is personality variation, much
depends on amt. of handling and at a young age.
I have a sub adult Tremper Albino male that begs to be picked up, and a
SHCTB adult male that is docile, though a bit shy and doesn't mind
being held in an open hand, but isn't crazy about it. Also a SHT female
who was handled a lot as a youngster, and seems to like being held.

Interesting discussion. Thanks.

Melissa N.

 

[Stitchex]

Dusty, Hypo Tangerine Carrot Tail(HTCT)= Very friendly and loooves to be handled lol. It also could be because I've had him for the longest, but *shrug*

Amber, supposedly RW albino= Dislikes being handled and would rather stay in her cage(if it isn't picture time, then she usually get's her way )

Lyra, Blazing Blizzard = Sweet and loves to be handled, I've only had her for about three weeks and already she's tied with Dusty in the handling district lol. This BB is anything but mean and short tempered.

 

[gage]

i think it is just the personality of the gecko because i have 2 tangerine jungle albino het raptor the male loves being handled where the female hates it

 

[2.1SRR.YYC]

I used to think that genetics had nothing to do with the aggressive nature of the gecko until this year when I purchased a group of hatchlings for resale. I had a variety of different breeds of hatchlings including a set of five mack snow blizzards. The mack snow blizzards were all very high strung and aggressive when I reached into their tubs. A few of the other hatchlings were aggressive as well but nothing like the snow blizzards. They would always scream, run around and try to nip my hand while the other breeds would just give a short scream and maybe move to the back of the tub or the moist hide. I have a number of blazing blizzard hatchings here as well and they don't exhibit near the aggressive nature of the snow blizzards. The snow blizzards have settled down a lot since I got them and I would say, after two months of equal handling, their behavior is almost the same as my other hatchlings.

Maybe there is something to the blizzard theory? I don't have any straight up blizzards to compare...

 

[thegeckoguy]

all my geckos, except my hatchlings, are all very docile. I heard that giants and super giants are usually more tame and docile then others. Thats definitely the case with my tremper giant as she is one of the tamest of my 8. I also have an aptor female, that whenever some one is near the rack, or even in the room, she will try and try to get out of her tub until somebody picks her up.

 

[godzillizard]

YES YES YES! very good observation! I love it when people get it! Genes affect more than just the appearance of a creature. I don't believe that there are genes that only control one thing/trait--I visualize it as a super intertangled web of possibility. The gene that causes say tremper albino for example might very well also control other physiological processes or traits, or even behavior. We know nothing yet--this is all an emerging science. We are just beginning to understand how genes work--but it's extraordinarily complex, and exponential--and humans find it difficult to wrap their minds around such concepts, but we are slowly trudging forward, untangling the mysteries of today with the dreams of tommorrow

blizzards are volatile because they have to be--they have lost the relative safety of their natural camoflage. And giants are super chill because no one messes with the big guy but these are just propensities--they are more likely to be nasty if they are a blizzard, but some blizzards are/become teddy bears. Just like with the giants, most are teddy bears, but some become/are just as vicious as blizzards. it's a product of both nature and nuture plus incubation temp, divided by handling/exposure

 

[JayLeo57]

i agree with justan about the giants i heard that 2

 

[Kristi23]

My two sweetest are my mack snow female and my one enigma female. I have one blizzard and 2 sunglows that are the least friendly. My mack blizzard hatchling is also very fiesty. But her mom is a blizzard and is pretty mellow.

 

[brsisko]

Wow its really cool to hear from other people. the post godzilla made makes alot of sense. I never thought of that

 

[Ccrashca069]

I think it is more of how much you handle them then the morph its self. I have Bells, normals, Tangs, stripes, Mack Snows , Hypo Snows and a few in between morphs and hatchlings hiss/make noises and don't want to be held more then any of my leopard geckos. As I handle them they get used to being handled and stop it. I have around 40 leopard geckos.

 

[fallen_angel]

YES YES YES! very good observation! I love it when people get it! Genes affect more than just the appearance of a creature. I don't believe that there are genes that only control one thing/trait--I visualize it as a super intertangled web of possibility. The gene that causes say tremper albino for example might very well also control other physiological processes or traits, or even behavior. We know nothing yet--this is all an emerging science. We are just beginning to understand how genes work--but it's extraordinarily complex, and exponential--and humans find it difficult to wrap their minds around such concepts, but we are slowly trudging forward, untangling the mysteries of today with the dreams of tommorrow

blizzards are volatile because they have to be--they have lost the relative safety of their natural camoflage. And giants are super chill because no one messes with the big guy but these are just propensities--they are more likely to be nasty if they are a blizzard, but some blizzards are/become teddy bears. Just like with the giants, most are teddy bears, but some become/are just as vicious as blizzards. it's a product of both nature and nuture plus incubation temp, divided by handling/exposure

This has got to be the best thing I've ever read, couldn't have said it any better myself.. we were just talking about why the blizzards would be more aggressive (yesterday) and came up with the very same reason :main_thumbsup:

Of course, I also agree with John in that the more handling the gecko receives as a baby, the more tame it will be as an adult.. nature and nurture baby!

 

[gothra]

I want to add that, somehow, my tangerines seem to be more "intelligent" than the other morphs too. When I added a background to their tanks, both of my tangerine looked at and checked out the new rainforest background, whilst all the others just act as if nothing has changed. Also, I had many gecko pictures on a pin board, one day, when I held Bambi (tangerine), she stared at those pictures and started waving her tail (like how a male would do). I thought that was interesting and worth mentioning here.

 

[thekooliest]

By the sounds of people it sounds like it just depends on how much you hold it and the overall personality of the gecko...
But everyone seems to agree with aggressive blizzards...and nice giants...
Every other one is different xD

 

[Stitchex]

My BB is the most curious gecko I have ever seen. This morning I was making little "windows" on the side of her tank for light(I put paper on three sides), and when I got one done she ran right over to it and just stared at me . Whenever I put my hand in her tank she'll walk right up also. I guess mine is an oddball, there always has to be a few ^^