INtroducing the "Enigma", a Brand New Leopard Gecko Morph!

Originally Posted by Milwaukee Reptiles

Definitly call them Diablos! Damn that would be one sick looking leo... all black with fire engine red eyes...

I agree. That would be the BEST looking gecko EVER.

I know I dont post much, but I had to say,
WOW those are some amazing geckos!! Congrats!

I forgot to mention that she doesn't react to light like other albinos and is 90% maroon with the jungle pattern being yellow. I wish I could show a pic!!

The eye color of the Hets just blow me away...

And just when I was all excited about the enigma, you just HAD to pop the Diablo into my head.... yesh lady.... you're gonna make me want to border jump and have me a Texas roadtrip! lol...

Awesome Kelli.... can't wait to see how this plays out!

Now this is interesting! Sheesh, seems that these little lizards have no limits (mutation wise anywho).

HERPETOLOGICAL FARCE...

The current pattern im seeing in the trade is the equivalent to herpetological rape as everyone claims to represent and care for as well as serve in their animals best interests while not for the money yet this is an almost comidic farce filled with a cast of many that will gripe over a markets dropping prices be-little the next joe while professing not to be in it for the money or while bickering over how any given drop may or may not affect a certain morphs value or status which is none-the-less just as comidic, when last i checked NOT one single breeder was made god or grandmaster over all reptiles on this earth let alone responsible over deciding in who's hands the latest morphs should best be in and yet every single breeder whom produces a new morph will in turn sell these morphs often times to another big breeder and/or person whom can afford the astronomical price tag tacked on while the rest of the herpetological community or the average joes of the community whom are often equally as proficient & genuinely interested in breeding and working with these newer morphs and which also have every right to be able to access them have to in turn wait until their over-inflated prices are dropped which is an often outrageous price for any morph especially when considering that the first or original imported strains were dirt cheap by comparison and especially when everyone knows that such morphs many a times are hatched out either out of sheer luck while others granted are selectively bred for certain traits and surprizes in between which also do happen but which by no means should command the type of prices which one see's nowadays which translates into mass marketing while coming in at prices that can only be translated as greed and herpetological exploitation regardless of how any other person tries to professionally justify it.
The trade has now become a cottage cheese industry of supposed big names whom we often see mass producing morphs and especially the newest one's so as to rake in not only their initial investments but as well and at the commanding prices nowadays for newer morphs are also taking some substantial profits which some of those in the know and whom cleverly work their newer morph(s) production levels up do make like bandits crying themselves all the way to the bank or whom when criticized will readily turn to the cost of livings grand shelf of excuses while their herpetological scamming of others is akin to raping their own animals which they profess to care for so much but also yet will readily hold as a 'Hostage' to the highest bidder who can or is able to afford their price range in order to obtain their newer morphs.
In that grand shelf theres also a section where one can see through the muck quite clearly when one hears across the boards similar statements along the lines of "I'd rather keep my animals and not sell them" or "The drop shouldn't affect their over all value" (Keyword VALUE $$) and many other similar statements which equally resonate across the fields of herpetology which speak volumes of how small and how petty in those raking the most can be which beckons one to wonder in amazement whether all these statements and actions which are now the norm really represent the best traditions of herpetology as a whole and if your answer is NO then you know that something is terribly wrong with the scene.
This is by no means something new that many others haven't already thought of/about or voiced to some degree or even felt as is again evidenced throughout the online reptile trade or scene when one only has but to find comments while searching throughout forum boards which often times will be the work of the average person/breeder whom will often voice their disgust with the muck that now is prevalent in the reptile scene as you'll often hear "Nope i'd rather wait then shell out a grand or two" or "At those prices i'd rather wait because paying that much is ridiculous" and the sad fact is that voiced quite often across many boards and apparently those that know this seem to care less as many of the breeders will do exactly just that by basically selling them only to those that can afford the initial investment until the cat is out of the bag and many have already bought them and sales start lagging so there is no alternative but for the prices to finally start to go down while the rest of the herpetological community is not really considered nor given any measure of justice as they will get to eventually work with these select morphs much after the fact because now they can finally afford them at the lower dropped price ranges but again one must ask is this not deplorable when breeding or captive breeding is very much a part of the field of herpetology which is mean't to serve educate and be a part of the mainstream public as a whole rather than as a select program controlled in such a way so as to pimp certain animals at exhorbitant prices which in turn only a select number of consumers can afford? This is the dark side of herpetology which basically is a byproduct of greed which only stifles not only the market but also retards true progress as so much more could be accomplished in a relatively shorter span of time if it weren't for the greed of others yet thankfully even with such idiots in our mist progress always prevails even if unfortunately most of the time in the very hands of those who priorities are to their own pockets rather than true herpetology as their actions so eloquently prove.. so now i say to myself, damn i might like one of those new latest multi polka dotted checkered geckos but can i actually afford what they'll cost and/or do these people producing em even give a damn?, well now imagine that times millions across the internet that are equally into herps asking themselves something similar only to be confronted with the same situation which on hindsight isn't very funny at all as everyone deserves to work with all the newer morphs, not just another big breeder who's stuffed his coffers that can afford to, everyone deserves to love and have them not just the sly ones or lucky ones or the selective breeders whom managed to create a new morph out of a once standard leopard gecko that is still no less a leopard gecko regardless of how nice or colorful it is, everyone deserves to a chance to have, work with learn from and be able to obtain them only thats not whats happening in the circles until the corrupt have made their profits (or in laymans terms stuffed their pockets) and so many have been sold that they can no longer control the spiraling plummet as suddenly with so many around and no one else buying the prices must drop and only then does the rest of the herpetological community get access to them or is finally able to afford them now in all due fairness does this sound like it represents fair business practices to you let alone is done in the best interests or traditions of entire herpetological community out there & everyone else in between? Sometimes i wonder at the amount of naivety out there and all those whom perhaps think fondly of the big named breeder they are dealing with and how reputable (a contradiction in itself... haa ha) these new morph producers are as they really seem like great caring folk out on the net representing your best interests and that of the reptiles which they 'BREED' (Keyword BREED/SELL) which perhaps might seem larger than life and may seem reputable enough until they've gotten paid and once paid do you honestly ever hear from most of them again... LOL
Does a reputable breeder criticize or downplay another breeders tactics or methods seem reputable to you? Does a reputable breeder say okay well i know you can't afford $1,400.00 so don't worry about it i'll charge you $200.00 the answer is 'NO' they take you for what you've got knowing they bagged you and tagged you, they make their profit and once too many are suddenly out on the market first among most of the breeders and folk who can afford them and sales are no longer strong as the inevitable occurs their price drops and they'll blame they next guy instead of having sold you the animals for an affordable price right from the beginning.
Does a reputable breeder stand for the rest of the herpetological community doing WITHOUT the select or newer morphs which have been produced or go ahead and make their own profits first basically saying "F%^# you when they very well could have sold you one out of so many produced for a normal rate?
Hmmm i could go on and on so lets not even talk about their etiquette which all know to many degrees is quite varying in itself so think twice folks.
It would be nice for a change to see everyone go back to 100 to 200 price range if they really cared for anything other than themselves or their own pocket and in some cases even thats alot but we can't win em all and i know many out there are going to read this and many will highly applaud this while others who are so far up some new morph or their breeders crevices that they will literally play to the tune of their fiddle while in reality deep down even they know that these animals belong to everyone and that they're being raped just as much as everyone else has been and all over a combination which led to a new or different genetic color variation but of the same animal so now.. whom exactly is the fool?
The reptile community as a whole should band together and refuse these kind of practices and then let these breeders selfishly either keep them or comply with the best traditions of herpetology and bring all prices down on everything so that everyone can truly be educated by them, work with them, share and be able to obtain them providing the prices are within reason so that the general public and/or herpetological communities as a whole can be able to afford them in the first place rather than being placed last and on the back-burner by the price-jacking and inflated amounts which we're seeing nowadays and is about SELFISHNESS BUSINESS and plain and simple GREED rather than herpetology.
The same way you don't want anyone raping you or anyone else is the same way you should not let anyone and i mean ANYONE do the same to our (the worlds) herps so i would encourage all to no longer encourage or play to the fiddle to these yo's yo's and in fact band together if need be to pitch in money and get whomever to make an initial purchase and then take those prices and DROP EM LIKE ITS HOT!!
This way from the very first few sold they'll KNOW the message is loud and CLEAR and that people are tired of their playing games with herps that belong to everyone and not just those that can afford them... MAKE A STAND!

NUFF SAID!!

P.S. Do not delete this post or account i will repost it a billion times under a zillion names because its something that needs to said..This will be posted on many forums across the net because its time someone did.
PLEASE NOTE...
This has nothing to do with ENIGMAs nor any other specific morph and is posted here solely as FOOD FOR THOUGHT which is not meant to point a finger at anyone specifically as this is a generalization of many wrongs within the herp scene and not meant to point a finger at any specific morph(s) as those the rest of the world automatically KNOWs and its time someone SPOKEUP and that its not the animal(s) fault but the practices currently abounding which stink in a not so reputable way.

Well... that hurt my eyes to read, especially since you seem to have forgotten how to use proper punctuation.

You have made some decent points, however many of the things you said are incorrect and just show your lack of knowledge regarding herpetoculture and the reptile trade.

There are plenty of $100 - $200 leopard geckos available on the market, and if you are truly interested in the animals as you seem to indicate, then it should not matter to you what "morph" the animal is, a leopard gecko is a leopard gecko to you, no matter the color or pattern, right? Some of us love Eublepharis sp. and at the same time we are interested in new color and pattern morphs and will pay more money for them because of their rarity. If that's not your thing then don't buy an Enigma (or whatever), buy a more common morph that you can afford.

Get out much?

Well... that hurt my eyes to read, especially since you seem to have forgotten how to use proper punctuation.

(TS) Yes thats because im human and like all no one is perfect.

You have made some decent points, however many of the things you said are incorrect and just show your lack of knowledge regarding herpetoculture and the reptile trade.

(TS) In fact i have quite a decent amount of knowledge and your accessment is definitely off but your entitled to your own opinion as am i.

There are plenty of $100 - $200 leopard geckos available on the market, and if you are truly interested in the animals as you seem to indicate, then it should not matter to you what "morph" the animal is, a leopard gecko is a leopard gecko to you, no matter the color or pattern, right?

(TS) I am perfectly aware of the reptile scene and animals within the 100 to 200 price range as i am of the fact that a Tangerine say is not the same as Diablo Blanco or Enigma or Snow ect ect .... Nice use of words but we're talking what the general herp community out there would like to see someday as far as the price monoply ending so all can afford whatever they choose as opposed to just whats out there thats is low priced or already affordable thanks to the same tactic and them finally having gone down enough? I used a hypothetical morph which is not in existence by name and 'YES' and am also sharp enough to realize that there are many forms of leopard gecko's such as the SP. but when last i checked the whole premises was about whats wrong with todays practices on the scene as its limits availability to only those that pay the ransom and the greed nowadays in the selling scene and the farceness in general. And yes a leopard gecko is a leopard gecko if we are talking Eublepharis Macularius so lets not misrepresent add or take from what was said as im perfectly aware of what i said and the differences in species, localities and /or their differences despite some typos which in case you missed the point isn't what the entire eye popper was about

Some of us love Eublepharis sp. and at the same time we are interested in new color and pattern morphs and will pay more money for them because of their rarity.

(TS) Yes some do love Eublepharis sp. and yes many are interested in new color morphs and yes they will obviously pay or have to for the term new morph or lets call it rarity as you said since they've no other choice as these newer morphs awill more than likely end up being sold for a 'PROFIT' unless your actually considering to put them in the hands of at a much cheaper rate which would be a major breakthrough for a change and most wouldn't take this novel and altruistic approach... Okay anyway if you decide to say sell the enigmas for $150.00 to $200.00 that way everyone alike will truly have a champion on the scene offering them a different option it would truly be a change from your sounding almost as if people want them for their expensive price since these are considered a 'RARITY' but you see im equally just as sure as are you that everyone out there wants all the latest morphs whether yours or anothers period but especially and even more so and appealingly so if all were much more easily affordable which is why only a select number of candidates will make the initial investment again leaving everyone else out of the loop until such time as the price eventually drops someday and then the rest can have a chance or crack at them unless im wrong and you'll be different setting fighting for everyone which would be truly be a breath of fresh air but from your reply im not so sure thats case so please enlighten me on the actual price of adults versus young and im sure they'll be reasonable right?


If that's not your thing then don't buy an Enigma (or whatever), buy a more common morph that you can afford.

(TS) If whats not my thing? The newer morphs and/or their prices? I thought i'd made it quite clear that we all know everyone out there would love every morph me being no different but okay i expected this type of a response and the original ending punch line or sentence "then don't buy" ... How typical.
... Um exactly how much will the youngsters go for?,... something reasonable right that should be no prob for everyone to be able to afford in general right?


__________________
Kelli Hammack
H.I.S.S.

You know what? I really tried reading that big mess you posted and just can't. It's like one large run on sentence and it is hard to follow. If someone cares to translate it for me I would be happy to comment further, otherwise I am not going to give myself a headache trying to read it.

Okay anyway if you decide to say sell the enigmas for $150.00 to $200.00 that way everyone alike will truly have a champion on the scene offering them a different option it would truly be a change from your sounding almost as if people want them for their expensive price since these are considered a 'RARITY' but you see im equally just as sure as are you that everyone out there wants all the latest morphs whether yours or anothers period but especially and even more so and appealingly so if all were much more easily affordable which is why only a select number of candidates will make the initial investment again leaving everyone else out of the loop until such time as the price eventually drops someday and then the rest can have a chance or crack at them unless im wrong and you'll be different setting fighting for everyone which would be truly be a breath of fresh air but from your reply im not so sure thats case so please enlighten me on the actual price of adults versus young and im sure they'll be reasonable right?

I'm not exactly sure what it means, but that has got to be the longest run-on sentence I've ever seen, lol.