General Information
If you’re looking for the most recent and unique leopard gecko morph, the Black Pearl gecko is the ideal choice. The tireless efforts of Konrad Wlodarczyk and his associates, among the most successful leopard gecko breeders in Poland and Europe, resulted in the creation of this unique gecko breed.
The black leopard gecko is, without a doubt, the rarest morph to emerge in recent times.
The question is, what makes black geckos so unique? The primary reason is their completely black hue, which leopard gecko fans have never seen and can only envision.
This morph is the opposite of other popular geckos. While many newly bred offspring have lighter color combinations, this morph hatches as an exceptionally dark gecko.
Want to learn everything about the Black Pearl leopard gecko, including its appearance, care, diet, housing, price, and more? Keep reading!
Black Pearl Leopard Gecko Appearance & Morphs
The Black Pearl gecko is a melanistic black morph distinguished by its all-black appearance. However, they have a pattern on their body that is interwoven with white pearl-like marks. One of their most intriguing characteristics is that black pearl leopard geckos undergo a slight color shift during the breeding season.
Typically, newborn Black Pearls are very dark in color, but as they age, they lighten up and may be confused for Mack Snows if not for the latter’s smudged dark gray coloring.
Once they reach sexual maturity, they may undergo a dramatic color change to a velvety black. Usually, they go from a very dark black to a softer, velvety black hue. Because of this trait, this morph is also referred to as the “black velvet leopard gecko”.
Due to high demand and a scarcity of supply, these geckos now fetch upwards of $3,000, making them significantly more expensive than nearly all leopard gecko morphs.
Typically, the Black Pearl gecko is an inverted albino leopard gecko, except that they are all black instead of having color pigments.
Additionally, this morph is related to other single-color (hypermelanistic) morphs, especially the Midnight Blizzard morph, which is a single dark brown, almost black color.
Many breeders have attempted to breed melanistic geckos since the release of the Black Pearl a few years ago, but most have been successful so far. For this reason, there are currently no known variations of the Black Pearl leopard gecko.
How Big Do Black Pearl Geckos Get?
Adult Black Pearl leopard geckos grow to reach up to 7-11 inches. However, like in typical geckos, the male geckos are usually more enormous, measuring between 8-10 inches compared to females, that typically reach between 7 and 8 inches. They are relatively small and lightweight, making them easy to handle and care for.
Black Pearl Leopard Gecko Lifespan
Black Pearl geckos in captivity have an average lifespan of 10-20 years. This varies based on factors like heredity, food, and general care. Even with the best care, not all leopard geckos live to see their tenth year.
Factors like improper care, substandard living conditions, and undiagnosed health problems can lower a leopard gecko’s life expectancy.
Caring For a Black Pearl Leopard Gecko
Like the standard leopard gecko, the Black Pearl needs ultimate care to live happily. You must provide them with a terrarium of the right size, food, and water, maintain regular vet appointments, and keep their environment clean.
As for the cage, it should be bigger than 20 gallons and should have the right temperature, humidity, and lighting.
Being insectivorous, Black Pearl geckos must be put on a diet of live feeder insects such as crickets and mealworms, among others. Please don’t feed your gecko fruits or plant-based food, as their systems are not adapted to synthesizing plant nutrients. Ensuring that your gecko gets enough water is also essential.
You also need to ensure that these reptile friends live in a hygienic and dirt-free environment to prevent the build-up of illnesses and parasites. It’s crucial to take your gecko for regular vet checkups.
Another vital part of caring for your Black Pearl is handling it. Interacting with your gecko will help it get comfortable around people.
Check the section below for a comprehensive understanding of how to care for your Black Pearl leopard gecko.
Shedding in Black Pearl Leopard Geckos
The process of shedding, known as ecdysis, is a normal part of the growth of leopard geckos. The gecko’s old skin peels away during shedding, allowing new skin to grow.
Signs of shedding in geckos include:
• Dull or pale skin
• Loss of appetite
• Reduced activity aggressiveness
• Rubbing themselves on surfaces
During the shedding process, giving the gecko a humid or wet place to hide may help it shed its skin more quickly and avoid problems like stuck sheds.
In addition, it is essential to observe your gecko throughout the shedding process to ensure that everything takes place as expected.
If stuck sheds are around the eyes or toes, you’ll need to do a few things to help the gecko shed. First, you need to mist the leopard gecko’s cage.
You also need to ensure a wide water bowl in their cage. Lastly, you’ll need to consult a vet to remove the stuck skin safely.
Since shedding can cause geckos a lot of discomforts, it’s crucial that you leave them alone and don’t try to handle them at all.
Additionally, remember to give them a diversified range of insects to help provide the nutrients necessary for strong and healthy skin growth.
Hibernation in Black Pearl Leopard Geckos
During the winter, several animals, including amphibians and reptiles, enter a semi-dormancy state where they slow their metabolism, consume less food, or become less active.
In other animals, it’s known as hibernation. However, the process is known as brumation when it comes to reptiles such as geckos.
Brumation can last from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the species and its surroundings. During the brumation phase, it is essential to give a colder temperature to simulate natural circumstances.
Geckos must be checked often for signs of illness or weight loss, and their water levels should be restricted to prevent dehydration.
It’s also worth noting that brumating is not a universal behavior among leopard geckos; instead, it’s highly dependent on the individual animal and its surrounding conditions. Some gecko owners don’t get to see their Black Pearl gecko brumating.
However, if your gecko is brumating, you must stop feeding it, avoid handling it, and provide the right conditions.
Black Pearl Housing and Terrarium Requirements
Initially, from hot Asia’s deserts, Black Pearl leopard geckos in captivity need living conditions similar to their original habitats.
When setting up a living tank for your gecko, you should consider the size, location, and indoor conditions. Check out some requirements when creating the perfect habitat for these reptiles.
· Tank Size
According to herpetologist experts and other professionals, the right size of terrarium for leos is a 20-gallon tank for a single gecko. However, if you’re looking towards having multiple geckos in the same cage, you’ll definitely need a larger tank.
When you decide to house multiple leos in the same terrarium, the rule is that every gecko should have at least 10 gallons of space.
The terrarium should have a secure glass lid to prevent other creatures from finding their way into the cage and prevent the gecko from escaping. Additionally, it should have proper ventilation to allow the free flow of air.
· Heating Requirement
Geckos are “ectothermic,” meaning they don’t make their body heat. This means that extra, and often artificial, heat sources have to be used. No matter what kind of leopard gecko morph you have, the tank temperature must be the same.
Usually, the daytime temperatures are generally between 80 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and the nighttime temperatures are around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep in mind, though, that the temperature in the basking area should be between 88 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Since geckos are native to arid and desert environments, these temperatures closely resemble such environments.
· Humidity Requirements
Another essential condition you need to consider when setting up a leopard gecko terrarium is humidity. For Black Pearl geckos, you should maintain the humidity level between 30% and 40% to keep them comfortable and healthy.
This humidity level permits healthy shedding and replicates the environment of your leopard gecko’s natural habitat.
If you discover the humidity level in your gecko’s tank is lower than this, spray it or add a bowl of water. However, open the tank’s door or any other openings if the humidity level is high. It’s imperative that you also place a humid hide in the terrarium.
Geckos will naturally burrow and move to a cooler, wetter area of their habitat if they become overheated, so providing them with a damp region helps them feel more at home.
Geckos need a damp place to shed their skin correctly. Without it, they are at serious risk of developing a skin impaction problem, especially on their toes.
· Lighting
Many people who have raised leopard geckos in the past didn’t bother to offer any special cage illumination. Leopard geckos are crepuscular and may go about their daily lives and eat with just the ambient light in their enclosure.
Essentially, providing standard light for 12-13 hours daily will be enough to keep the geckos happy. While leopards don’t necessarily need extra powerful light, they need standard lighting to discern between night and day.
Without light, the gecko’s circadian rhythm will be distorted, and they won’t know when to be active and when to retreat into their hiding spots and relax.
Some experts also claim that having UVB light inside your gecko’s terrarium is not bad. However, you’ll need a UVB bulb below 6% since too bright light can damage the eyes. Remember to use a D3 supplement once you use UVB light in your leopard gecko’s cage.
· Substrate and Décor
Another essential item that you need to choose with a lot of caution is the substrate. Being ground-dwelling animals, leos spend countless hours interacting with the substrate when walking, relaxing, or burrowing.
There’s the widespread notion that you should use sand in leopard gecko cages since they come from the desert. However, the truth is that sand is not the best substrate since it produces irritating dust and can cause impaction.
Luckily, there are several alternatives that you can use in your gecko’s terrarium. These include large stone pebbles, excavator clay, paper towels, reptile carpet, ceramic tiles, stone slate, and newspapers.
You’ll need to provide your leo with some enrichments for decor and accessories to keep them active. These include low branches for them to climb, logs and stones for hiding, and hiding spots where they can escape when they feel scared or want to sleep. Artificial plants can also create a natural appeal and create ideal hiding spots.
Black Pearl leopard Gecko Diet and Nutritional Requirement
Nutrition is very crucial when taking care of a leopard gecko. Like typical geckos, Black pearl leopard geckos survive and only relish live insects. Therefore, they should only eat live insects such as crickets, mealworms, and roaches.
However, these lizards can also be fed on other feeder insects as snacks, including dubia roaches, super worms, hornworms, phoenix worms, silkworms, butterworms, and black soldier fly larvae.
Still, experts and vets warn against feeding your gecko with specific insects. These include wild-caught insects that may have parasites or pesticides, fireflies that are toxic to geckos, and giant beetles and cockroaches, which have rough exoskeletons and can be challenging to digest.
The frequency of feeding your Black Pearl gecko will depend on its size and age. Young leos must be fed daily to keep up with the rapid growth. Adult Black Pearl leos should eat 2-3 times weekly since they don’t need a lot of nutrients.
Regarding how much food you should feed your gecko, experts recommend letting it eat as much as it can in 10-15 minutes. It’s also crucial to ensure feeder insects are gut-loaded and dusted with supplements before giving them to geckos.
Gut-loading is a technique of giving feeder insects a nutritious meal before serving them to leopard geckos. This asserts that they are nutrient-dense, providing the gecko with a plentiful supply of proteins, minerals, and vitamins when they are consumed.
Dusting the feeder insects with calcium supplements is crucial because leopard geckos require a consistent supply of calcium in their diet to maintain their growth and overall health.
Calcium is vital for building and keeping strong bones, and if your gecko doesn’t get enough, it could have serious health problems like metabolic bone disease.
· Water
Leopard geckos do require water to be hydrated and healthy. They can get water by drinking or eating moist food. You must provide your leopard gecko access to clean water by putting a shallow water bowl in its cage.
Leopard geckos can be picky about drinking water, so it’s best to put water in a shallow dish or mist the gecko’s cage a few times to get it to drink.
Although leopard geckos may survive for extended periods without water, it is still necessary to provide fresh water consistently.
In addition, Leopard geckos are prone to dehydration, and it’s vital to monitor their skin turgor to determine if they are dehydrated.
Health Issues
Black Pearl Leopard Geckos, like other leopard geckos, are often hardy and straightforward to care for with the correct husbandry. However, like other animals, they are susceptible to specific health problems. The following are frequent health problems that might be common in Black Pearl leos:
- Respiratory diseases: Leopard geckos are susceptible to catching respiratory illnesses, which can manifest through nasal and mouth discharge, wheezing, and frequent sneezing. Using a poor substrate, having incorrect tank humidity, low airflow, or a compromised immune system can all contribute to these infections.
- Metabolic bone disease (MBD): Often known as MBD, this is a condition brought about by a deficiency of calcium in one’s diet. This deficiency can result in deformities and brittle bones. Inadequate calcium intake in the diet or a lack of exposure to UVB rays may also contribute to its development.
- Dehydration: Leopard geckos are susceptible to dehydration if they do not access clean water or if the humidity level is too low. Dehydration can also occur if the temperature is too high. Skin that is wrinkled and eyes that are sunken in are both signs of dehydration.
- Impaction: Impaction is a disorder that causes the gecko to be unable to digest and pass its food in the gut in a usual manner. This may occur if the gecko consumes a significant quantity of substrate or indigestible items, such as small stones or sand. The substrate or other things geckos can’t eat can get stuck in their digestive system, making it hard for them to eat and causing waste to build up.
- Egg binding: Female leopard geckos can have difficulty laying eggs, which a lack of calcium in the diet or a genetic predisposition can cause.
It’s prudent to keep watching your gecko’s behavior, how it eats and poops, and looks. If you notice any changes or signs of illness, you should talk to an experienced reptile vet.
Behavior & Temperament
Like all other leopard geckos, Black Pearl leos are crepuscular, meaning they get active in the evenings and mornings. During the day, they retreat into the hideouts or under logs and rocks and sleep.
Leopard geckos are not the best pets for making friends. They prefer to explore their home independently by crawling and climbing around.
However, leopard geckos can be trained to interact with humans even though they might not like it. Luckily, even if they are not ready to be handled, leos don’t bite. And if they do, it’s not painful.
Your leopard gecko has distinct traits despite his lack of social skills and emotional depth. They may have many particular preferences and behavioral peculiarities that could be called “character” or “personality.” Some favor other insects for meals, others vocalize more, some like to hide, and some like to be handled
Handling Black Pearl Leopard Geckos
As mentioned in the section above, Black Pearl leos don’t enjoy being handled. However, they need to interact and bond with their owners.
While handling geckos seem like an easy feat, it requires you know to know a few things. Here are tips to help you handle and interact with your black gecko accordingly.
- Start early. Early handling makes leopard geckos more docile and peaceful. If you start handling your gecko when it’s young, you can make it friendly and provide excellent care from a tender age.
- Give it time to adjust to the new environment. Once you bring the Black Pearl gecko home, don’t start interacting with it immediately. You should wait for at least three weeks before making a move.
- Be gentle when handling your leopard gecko. Geckos can be easily stressed, so it’s essential to touch them calmly and carefully.
- Always support the entire body of the leopard gecko when you are holding them. This will help prevent them from getting injured or dropping from your hands.
- Don’t hold the tail. Avoid picking geckos from the tail, as this can cause injury or stress.
- Check for signs of stress. If the gecko takes flight, seems aggressive, or hides when you touch it, leave it alone and try another time.
How Much Does a Black Pearl Leopard Gecko Cost?
Being one of the latest and the most high-end leopard gecko morph in the market, the Black Pearl gecko is one of the most expensive lizards. The gecko fetches a price of more than $3000. Since not many breeders have produced this morph, it’s a rare gecko morph that’s always in high demand.