Top 12 Crested Gecko Morphs 2024, Part 1

A morph is any genetic mutation that changes how a gecko looks; it is where all the colors and patterns come from. This is the first half of my countdown, numbers 12 to 7.

12. Harlequin

A classic: a base color with pattern on top in some mix of yellow, cream, white and sometimes orange. I love the variations:

• Harlequin: pattern on the sides and a little on the back legs.
• Extreme harlequin: heavy pattern all the way up the sides, with high coverage over the back and front legs.
• Tricolor harlequin: the pattern comes in layers, such as cream with white on top, or orange with white.

11. Dalmatian

Any gecko with even a single spot counts as a Dalmatian, but I focus on two kinds of super Dalmatian:

• Ink spot super Dalmatians: big black spots, sometimes faded out, which people call oil spots. They are usually seen with the tiger gene on lighter yellow and orange geckos, and the contrast is amazing. Chunky Monkey is one of my favorite examples.
• Confetti Dalmatians: red spots, either alone or mixed with black ones.

10. Cappuccino

Somewhat controversial, but on pure looks I love them. The gene mostly changes color. It turns the cream at the base of the tail paper white, but otherwise limits white and cream on the gecko, while oranges and browns get richer and deeper. Cappuccino pinstripes and cappuccino extreme harlequins are beautiful.

The problem: breed two cappuccinos together and you can get a super cappuccino. These have genetic health issues: reduced or missing nostrils and, biggest of all, what seem to be calcium absorption issues, with spinal and bone problems. Producing them on purpose is considered very unethical. I have a few here living their best lives.

My favorite combination is the frappuccino, a cappuccino Lilly White. The cappuccino gene doesn't take out the Lilly White's white, but it does remove much of the harlequin pattern. The trademark is a dark head.

9. Pinstripe

One of the first morphs people really worked to improve. When I started, around 2008 and 2009, a full pinstripe was the dream that drove my passion.

A pinstripe has raised, spiky crest scales running from the back of the head all the way down the back, usually highlighted in white or cream. I love quad stripes, where the lateral striping has those raised scales too. Fifteen years on, they are still a favorite.

8. Tiger

I never liked tigers or set out to breed them, but over the past few years they have grown on me. A tiger is a solid-colored gecko with tiger bands, usually running vertically. Combined with pinstripe, the bands run lengthwise instead, sometimes called reverse pinning. Most of my tigers are mixed into my ink spot super Dalmatian projects, and a yellow gecko with red tiger markings and big black spots is a beautiful animal.

7. White spot

Also called drippy dorsal or blizzard. Long mistaken for a harlequin variation, it is a separate trait. On extreme harlequins, look for a line of white spots just below the pinstripe, and on the sides and back legs. On a patternless gecko the white spots really pop. Napalm is one of my favorite examples. The wider crested gecko community rejected this trait when it was first identified, and I'm glad most people now accept it.