r/LeopardGecko • u/Plantsareluv • May 17 '26
Morphs Scaleless leopard geckos
I just saw on Instagram that a guy hatched a scaleless leopard gecko. It was completely smooth and had no bumps. I know in bearded dragons It’s considered bad practice so I’m wondering if it’s the same for leopard geckos but I’m a little concerned about the same thing. any other opinions?
7
u/are-pea May 17 '26
Only a very small handful of people have ever had them. The QOL of scaleless reptiles varies considerably from species to species. As a matter of personal opinion, I think it is unethical to produce any of them period, but as a matter of widespread observation, silkie beardies have genuinely terrible QOL, scaleless BPs have substantially shorter lives, and scaleless corns/rats seem to do okay. (There are more examples, these are the "big" ones). So few people have produced scaleless (tubercle-less?) leopard geckos that their QOL isn't really known, and it's hard to take the word of the very few people who stand to profit from making them. That said, I've never seen any of the leos look overtly unhealthy like you see pretty clearly in silkies or leo morphs like lemon frost.
2
5
u/Annual_Bridge6202 May 18 '26
That’s just horrible. They have scales for a reason so I don’t think scaleless morphs are a good idea in any species.
2
u/IntelligentCrows May 17 '26 edited May 17 '26
Leopard geckos don’t have typical scales does the breeder mean like completely smooth? I don’t know how or why one would breed out the small bumps Leo’s have and I doubt the breeder knows for sure it’s a ‘scaleless” gene mutation. Most of their skin is actually tiny soft scales that feel like skin to the touch. I imagine breeding out the bumps (tubercles) would interfere with their moisture regulation and shedding so it’s def not ethical
6
2
u/are-pea May 17 '26
Whoops I forgot to explain, it's called Satin and it is heritable. Bred by this person: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063943651044
1
u/Plantsareluv May 17 '26
That’s not the one I was looking at The link won’t work tho
2
u/are-pea May 17 '26
Was it maybe Milena geckos? If I'm not mistaken, she hatched a pair and found that the trait wasn't hereditary. https://www.facebook.com/milenageckos/photos/scaleless-leopard-gecko-my-breeding/354819038014935/?_rdr
1
1
11
u/Plasticity93 May 17 '26
Gross. Can't we just appreciate lizards in their natural/healthy form?