# Hypo (Hypomelanistic)

_Permalink: https://geckinspect.com/MorphGuide/hypo_

**Also called:** Hypomelanistic, Hypomelanism  
**Rarity:** Rare  
**Inheritance:** Line-bred  
**Category:** Color modifier  
**Typical adult price:** $500 to $1,500

**Definition.** Hypo, or hypomelanistic, describes reduced dark pigment; breeders differ in how they apply it to crested gecko lines and inheritance models.

Line-bred trait reducing black pigment, warmer, brighter animals with pale bellies and reduced dark markings.

A lighter animal is not automatically a proven Hypo. Assess natural firing states, age and lineage, and ask which model the breeder uses. Reduced apparent dark pigment may be a useful observation without establishing a gene.

**Key features:**
- Reduced apparent dark pigment
- Firing state and lineage matter
- Terminology and proposed inheritance vary

**Lookalikes and how to tell them apart:**
- Albino (https://geckinspect.com/MorphGuide/albino): Hypo only reduces black pigment and keeps dark eyes; an Albino has no black pigment at all and red or pink eyes.

**Often combined with:** Red Base, Orange Base, Yellow Base, Harlequin, Lilly White, Dalmatian

**Notes.** This is a visible-feature description. A sale label or photograph alone does not establish genotype. Breeders use some names and inheritance models differently.

**Sources:**
- https://lmreptiles.com/fg-pt2-1/

_Source: Geck Inspect Morph Guide. Updated 2026-10-13. Cite https://geckinspect.com/MorphGuide/hypo_