Hi Lance,

Chances are if you didn't pay a higher ammount for the geckos that they are probably Tremper amels.

Usually the typical dark coloration of snakes that are found in certain environments is as much a factor having to do with their cryptic coloration of their environment as it is with temp regulation. Some of the P.m.deserticola that I used to catch out in my travels in parts of Mojave have almost a mint green background which matches the soil conditions in the area. Others were almost completely black due to the soils in their environment.

Migration of the pigment cells is not as often seen in (or at least not as dramatically) in snakes as it is in lizards. I can only think of a few snake species that have morphological control over this trait Hog Island boas being an example. Chameleons are the extreme in Lizards, but I have watched my Blizzard leopard Geckos (true leucistics in my opionion) go light and dark according to stress and temp.

If you want to maintain the lightness, keep the hatchlings up in the mid 80's for a month or so.If you want to keep those hatched from getting darker, warm them up. You are currently on the low end of the temp scale for them.

As I also mentioned, it seems to be more apparent with certain strains of amelanisim in the Leopards than in others.

Hope that helps. Feel free to get in touch if there is anything else I can do.

Ian

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