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Adaptations of A Christmas Carol

2008-12-04T01:16:03Z

68.195.90.204: /* Parodies */

''[[A Christmas Carol]]'' is a novella by [[Charles Dickens]]. Since its first publication in 1843, it has been adapted for theatre, film, television, radio, and opera countless times. The various adaptations have included straightforward retellings, modernizations, parodies and sequels.

== Adaptations ==
The novel was the subject of Dickens' first public reading, given in Birmingham Town Hall to the Industrial and Literary Institute on [[27 December]] [[1852]]. This was repeated three days later to an audience of 'working people', and was a great success by his own account and that of newspapers of the time. Over the years Dickens edited the piece down and adapted it for a listening, rather than reading, audience. Excerpts from 'A Christmas Carol' remained part of Dickens' public readings until his death.

=== Theatre ===
*''A Christmas Carol'' (1974), original musical-comedy stage adaptation written and directed by, and starring, Ira David Wood III, performed for the last 33 years on stage at Raleigh's Memorial Auditorium. Theatre In The Park, in [[Raleigh, North Carolina]], has produced the show since its premiere. Wood's "A Christmas Carol" is the longest running indoor show in North Carolina theatre history.
*''A Christmas Carol'' (1981), a [[musical theatre|musical]] adaptation which premiered in 1982 at the Hartman Theater, Stamford, Conn. The show was workshopped as a tour in 1981, with [[Richard Kiley]] as Scrooge. Book and lyrics by [[Sheldon Harnick]], Music by [[Michel Legrand]].
*''A Christmas Carol'' (1983), a theatrical adaptation by [[Jeffrey Sanzel]] has been performed annually at Theatre Three in Port Jefferson, New York for 25 years. In 2007, Sanzel reached 800 performances as Scrooge.
*''The Gospel According to Scrooge'' (1986), a stage [[musical theatre|musical]] that emphasizes the religious elements of the story, often performed by [[United States|American]] [[Christian]] churches.
*''Scrooge!: A Dickens of a One-Man Show'' (1991), a theatrical adaptation [[one person show]] written by and starring Kevin Norberg portraying all 40-plus characters in a solo performance.
*''A Christmas Carol'' (1991), [[Patrick Stewart]]'s one-man reading/acting of the story, on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]. On stage he would use a table, chair, stool, lectern, and a book with an over-sized print cover to enact the entire story. Revived in 1993, 1995, and 2001.
*''Scrooge: The Musical'' (1992), a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[musical theater|stage musical]] adapted from the 1970 film and starring [[Anthony Newley]].
*''A Christmas Carol'', written and performed by Greg Oliver Bodine, is a one-man stage adaptation enacted by Charles Dickens himself, and is based on a condensed version of the novel that he used while on the second of his historic reading tours of the United States. First performed in 2003. Published by Playscripts, Inc. in 2006.
*''[[Steve Nallon]]'s Christmas Carol'' (2003), theatrical adaptation starring impressionist Nallon, as a number of famous people.
*''A Christmas Carol'' (2003), theatrical adaptation by Karen Louise Hebden produced by and performed at [[Derby Playhouse]] in 2003 and revived in 2006. On both occasions, Scrooge was played by [[Ben Roberts (actor)| Ben Roberts]].
*''A Christmas Carol 1941'' (2007) a remake set during [[World War II]].
*''A Christmas Carol'' adapted by Tom Haas, has been performed each year at the [[Indiana Repertory Theatre]] for more than 25 years. Set on a minimalist stage covered in snow, this adapation features the characters narrating their own actions to the audience and intersperses carols and dance along with the visits of the ghosts.
*''A Christmas Carol'' a new adaptation by Adam Graham, first performed on 6th December 2007 by Performing Arts Winchester, part of [[Winchester Student Union]]. A one hour version featuring all the major characters and well loved carols, it was performed twice a night for the holiday season.
*''A Christmas Carol'' an adaptation by Ron Severdia, premiered on 6th December 2006 at the [[Barn Theatre]] in Ross, CA. In 2007, he toured Europe with a new adaptation of the show.

=== Film ===
* ''Scrooge; or Marley's Ghost'' (1901), a short [[United Kingdom|British]] film that was the first screen adaptation.
* ''[[A Christmas Carol (1908 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (1908), with Thomas Ricketts as Scrooge.
* ''[[A Christmas Carol (1910 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (1910) is a 15-minute silent version of the film starring [[Marc McDermott]] as Scrooge and Charles Ogle as Cratchit.
* ''Scrooge'' (1913), starring Seymour Hicks and retitled ''Old Scrooge'' for its U.S. release in 1926.
* ''The Right to Be Happy'' (1916), the first [[feature film|feature-length]] adaptation, directed by and starring [[Rupert Julian]] as Scrooge.
* ''A Christmas Carol'' (1923), produced in the U.K. and starring Russell Thorndike, Nina Vanna, Jack Denton, and Forbes Dawson.
* ''Scrooge'' (1935), a British movie starring [[Seymour Hicks|Sir Seymour Hicks]] as Scrooge.<ref>{{imdb title|0026972|Scrooge|(1935)}}</ref>
* ''[[A Christmas Carol (1938 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (1938), starring [[Reginald Owen]] as Scrooge and [[Gene Lockhart]] and [[Kathleen Lockhart]] as the Cratchits.
* ''[[Scrooge (1951 film)|Scrooge]]'' (1951), starring [[Alastair Sim]] as Scrooge and [[Mervyn Johns]] and [[Hermione Baddeley]] as the Cratchits.
* ''[[Scrooge (1970 film)|Scrooge]]'' (1970), a [[musical film]] adaptation starring [[Albert Finney]] as Scrooge and [[Alec Guinness]] as Marley's Ghost.
* ''[[A Christmas Carol (1971 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (1971), an [[Academy Awards|Oscar]]-winning animated short film by [[Richard Williams (animator)|Richard Williams]], with Alastair Sim reprising the role of Scrooge.
* ''[[Mickey's Christmas Carol]]'' (1983), an animated short film featuring the various [[The Walt Disney Company|Walt Disney]] characters (including characters from ''Wind in the Willows, Robin Hood'' and ''The Three Little Pigs),'' with [[Scrooge McDuck]] fittingly playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. This version was based on the 1972 audio musical entitled ''Disney's A Christmas Carol''. Most of the cast remained unchanged; however, in the audio version, Merlin (from ''[[The Sword in the Stone (film)|The Sword in the Stone]]'') and the [[Queen (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)|Queen]] (from ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White]]'', in her hag guise) portrayed the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Future, respectively (the Ghost of Christmas Present was portrayed by Willie the Giant, as in the film version), whereas in the movie they were played by [[Jiminy Cricket]] and [[Pete (Disney character)|Pete]].
* ''[[Scrooged]]'' (1988), a remake in a contemporary setting with [[Bill Murray]] being a misanthropic TV producer who is haunted by the ghosts of [[Christmas]]. Directed by [[Richard Donner]].
* ''[[The Muppet Christmas Carol]]'' (1992), featuring the various [[Muppet]] characters, with [[Michael Caine]] as Scrooge. This adaption also adds a character named Robert Marley, who is Jacob's brother and was a second partner in Scrooge's business. He appears with Jacob as a ghost. Also with Gonzo as Charles Dickens, with Rizzo the Rat tagging along, being "just here for the food."
* ''[[A Christmas Carol (1997 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (1997), an animated production featuring the voice of [[Tim Curry]] as Scrooge as well as the voices of [[Whoopi Goldberg]], [[Michael York (actor)|Michael York]] and [[Ed Asner]].
* ''[[Christmas Carol: The Movie]]'' (2001), an animated version produced by Illuminated Films (Christmas Carol), Ltd/The Film Consortium/MBP; screenplay by Robert Llewellyn & Piet Kroon; with the voices of [[Simon Callow]], [[Kate Winslet]], [[Nicolas Cage]], Jane Horrocks, Rhys Ifans, Michael Gambon, and Juliet Stevenson.
* ''[[A Christmas Carol (2006 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (2006), a computer animated adaptation featuring anthropomorphic animals in the lead roles.
* ''[[Barbie in a Christmas Carol]] (2008), is a computer animated adaptation featuring [[Barbie]].

=== Television ===
* An early television adaptation was broadcast live by [[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]]'s New York station [[WNYW|WABD]] on December 20, 1944.<ref>"Tiny Tim Comes to Television", ''New York Times'', Dec. 24, 1944, p. 35.</ref>
* A 1949 television adaption starred [[Taylor Holmes]] as Scrooge with [[Vincent Price]] as the on-screen narrator.
* [[Ralph Richardson]] as Scrooge in a 30-minute filmed episode of [[NBC]]'s ''[[Fireside Theatre]]'' in 1951.
*''A Christmas Carol'' (1954), a musical television adaptation starring [[Fredric March]] as Scrooge and [[Basil Rathbone]] as Marley. Adaptation and lyrics by [[Maxwell Anderson]], music by [[Bernard Herrmann]]. A filmed episode of the series ''Shower of Stars'', and the first version in color, March received an [[Emmy Award]] nomination for his performance.
*''The Stingiest Man in Town'' (1956), the second musical adaptation, starring [[Basil Rathbone]] and [[Vic Damone]] as the old and young Scrooge. A live episode of the dramatic anthology series ''[[The Alcoa Hour]]''.
*''[[Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol]]'' (1962), an [[animation|animated]] musical [[television special]] featuring the [[United Productions of America|UPA]] character voiced by [[Jim Backus]], with songs by [[Jule Styne]] and [[Bob Merrill]].
*''A Christmas Carol'' (1970), an [[animation|animated]] [[television special]] produced by Australia's Air Programs and aired on CBS. It was the first in a series called "Famous Classic Tales" and was sponsored by [[Kenner]].<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452599 IMDb link].</ref>
* "Scrooge Gets an Oscar" (1970), an episode of "[[The Odd Couple]]" had Oscar not being in the Christmas spirit while Felix tries to put together a play of [[Dicken's]] "[[A Christmas Carol]]" for some local children. Oscar falls asleep and dreams that he is [[Scrooge]] and is shown what [[Christmas]] is really about by a ghost played by Felix.
*''A Christmas Carol'' (1977), an adaption by the [[BBC]] with Sir [[Michael Horden]] as Scrooge. <ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0188504 IMDb link].</ref>
*''[[Rich Little's Christmas Carol]]'' (1978), a [[HBO]] television special in which impressionist [[Rich Little]] plays several celebrities and characters in the main roles.
*''The Stingiest Man in Town'' (1978), an animated made-for-TV musical produced by [[Rankin-Bass]]. Stars [[Walter Matthau]] as the voice of Scrooge and [[Tom Bosley]] as the narrator. This had originally been done as a live-action musical on television in 1956.<ref>{{imdb title|id=0227562|title=The Stingiest Man in Town}}</ref>
*''An American Christmas Carol'' (1979), an adaptation starring [[Henry Winkler]] at the height of his fame from the television series [[Happy Days]], where the story is set in Depression era New England, and the Scrooge character is named Benedict Slade.<ref>{{imdb title|id=0078764|title=An American Christmas Carol}}</ref>
*''[[Bugs Bunny's Christmas Carol]]'' (1979), an animated television special featuring the various [[Looney Tunes]] characters.
*''[[A Christmas Carol (1984 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (1984), starring [[George C. Scott]] as Ebenezer Scrooge, [[David Warner (actor)|David Warner]] and Susanna York as the Cratchitts, with [[Edward Woodward]] as The Ghost Of Christmas Present. Scott (who had played [[Fagin]] two years previously) received an [[Emmy Award]] nomination for his performance.
*"A Jetsons Christmas Carol" (1985), Christmas themed episode of ''[[The Jetsons]]'' in which Cosmo Spaceley is the "Scrooge" visited by three robotlike "ghosts".
*[[Alvin and the Chipmunks]] adapted the basic storyline in a 1983 TV Special on NBC, ''Alvin's Christmas Carol''. Alvin becomes a Scrooge-like chipmunk who only views Christmas as a time of getting. But Dave, Theodore and Simon show him that Christmas is a time of giving. Incidentally, Alvin's elderly neighbor on his paper route has a cat named Ebenezer.
*''A Flintstones Christmas Carol'' (1994), animated adaptation featuring [[Fred Flintstone]] as 'Eboneezer Scrooge', Barney as 'Bob Cragit' and Mr. Slate as 'Jacob Marbley'. <ref>{{imdb title|id=0193164|title=A Flintstones Christmas Carol}}</ref>
*[[Northern Exposure]] used ''A Christmas Carol'' as the basis for its episode ''Shofar, So Good'' (1994), which depicts the Ghosts of Yom Kippur Past, Present, and Future visiting Dr. Joel Fleischman to encourage him to truly atone for his sins.
*''Ebbie'' (1995), a television movie in which the role of Scrooge is played by a female with [[Susan Lucci]] as Elizabeth "Ebbie" Scrooge, the cold-hearted owner of a department store.<ref>{{imdb title|id=0112929|title=Ebbie}}</ref>
*''[[Ebenezer (TV film)|Ebenezer]]'' (1997), a Canadian TV production Western-themed version starring [[Jack Palance]] and [[Rick Schroder]].
*''Ms. Scrooge'' (1997), a television movie starring [[Cicely Tyson]] that aired on [[USA Network]]. <ref>{{imdb title|id=0130883|title=Ms. Scrooge}}</ref>
*''[[Disney's 101 Dalmatians: The Series]]'' (1997), in the Christmas episode, ''A Christmas Cruella'', the ghosts, Cadpig as [[Ghost of Christmas Past|Past]], Rolly as [[Ghost of Christmas Present|Present]] and Spot and [[Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come|Yet to Come]], shows how Cruella comes to hate Christmas in her early life, what will happen when Anita Dearly is fired, as well as Cruella's future.
*''[[An All Dogs Christmas Carol]]'' (1998), Charlie and his friends appear as the three ghosts to a Scrooge-like Carface in order to stop an evil plot.
*''[[A Christmas Carol (1999 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (1999), a [[television movie]] starring [[Patrick Stewart]], inspired by his one-man show, but featuring a full supporting cast. This was the first version of the story to make use of digital special effects.
*''[[A Christmas Carol (2000 film)|A Christmas Carol]]'' (2000) A modern-day version starring [[Ross Kemp]] as Eddie Scrooge, an unscrupulous loan shark.
*''A Diva's Christmas Carol'' (2000), a humorous adaptation starring [[Vanessa L. Williams|Vanessa Williams]] as bitchy [[diva]] Ebony Scrooge who is transformed into a kind-hearted soul.<ref>{{imdb title|id=0270317|title=A Diva's Christmas Carol}}</ref>
*''A Carol Christmas'' (2003) Made-for-TV adaptation on the [[Hallmark Channel]]. Stars [[Tori Spelling]] as "Scroogette." [[William Shatner]] makes a special appearance as the ghost of Christmas Present, and [[Gary Coleman]] as the ghost of Christmas Past.<ref>{{imdb title|id=0381942|title=A Carol Christmas}}</ref>
*''[[A Christmas Carol (2004 film)|A Christmas Carol: The Musical]]'' (2004), starring [[Kelsey Grammer]].
*''A Sesame Street Christmas Carol'' (2006), a direct to DVD special featuring [[Oscar the Grouch]] in the Scrooge role.<ref>{{imdb title|id=1018930|title=A Sesame Street Christmas Carol}}</ref>
*''[[Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas]]'' (2006) Looney Tunes adaptation featuring [[Daffy Duck]] as Scrooge.
* "Christmas Mikey" (2006 television episode) Final episode of Season 1 of ''[[Kappa Mikey]]'', pitting Ozu in the role of Scrooge, and three Ghosts who resemble Japanese samurai.<ref>{{imdb title|id=0915375|title=Christmas Mikey}}</ref>

=== Radio ===

*[[Lionel Barrymore]] starred as Scrooge in a dramatization on the [[CBS Radio Network]] on [[December 25]], [[1934]], beginning a tradition he would repeat on various network programs every Christmas through 1953, except due to his wife's death in 1936, when his brother [[John Barrymore]] filled in, and due to illness in 1938, when [[Orson Welles]] took the role.<ref>"On the Air Today", ''The Washington Post'', Dec. 25, 1934, p. 21. "Nash-LaFayette Radio Program" (advertisement), ''New York Times'', Dec. 25, 1934, p. 32.</ref><ref>Lionel Collapses, But a Barrymore Acts as 'Scrooge'", ''The Washington Post'', Dec. 26, 1936, p. X1.</ref><ref>"Listen! with Glyn" (advertisement), ''The Washington Post'', Dec. 20, 1940, p. 36.</ref><ref>"You Don't Play Scrooge You Just Ain't Workin'", ''The Washington Post'', Dec. 23, 1953, p. 46.</ref>
*A 1940s adaptation starring [[Basil Rathbone]] as Scrooge was subsequently issued as a 3-record set by [[Columbia Records]].<ref>[http://www.basilrathbone.net/recordings/ Basil Rathbone.net/Recordings]</ref>
* [[Alec Guinness]] as Scrooge in a [[BBC Radio|BBC]] production from 1951, also broadcast in America, and repeated for several years afterward.
*''Focus On The Family Radio Theatre'' adapted the story in a 1996 production hosted by [[David Suchet]], narrated by [[Timothy Bateson]], and with [[Tenniel Evans]] as Scrooge. This production credits [[Noel Langley]]'s screenplay for the [[Scrooge (1951 film)|1951 film]] as well as Dickens' original book.
* ''A Christmas Carol'' (2007), a theatrical audio version, written and directed by [[Arthur Yorinks]][http://www.nightkitchenradio.com/yorinksbio.html] from [[The Night Kitchen Radio Theater]][http://www.nightkitchenradio.com], starring Peter Gerety, noted stage and film actor, as Scrooge. This faithful adaptation features a score by Edward Barnes and carols sung by members of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts Concert Choir.

=== Opera ===
* ''Mister Scrooge'' (1958-1959); alternative name: ''Shadows'' (''Tiene''), an opera by Slovak composer [[Ján Cikker]].

* "A Christmas Carol" (1978-1979), an opera by Thea Musgrave. (http://www.theamusgrave.com/html/christmas_carol.html)

== Parodies ==

{{Unreferencedsection|date=August 2008}}

*In 1960, beatnik monologist [[Lord Buckley]] condensed the tale into a ten-minute spoof in hipster slang titled "Digital Scrooge".

*''[[Blackadder's Christmas Carol]]'' (1988): a [[parody]]. In contrast to the typical Blackadder archetype — a conniving, selfish blackguard, the Victorian era [[Ebenezer Blackadder]] is a rather wet character, exploited by the other Christmas Carol characters who persistently take advantage of his good nature, reducing him to poverty. He is visited by a (single) Ghost of Christmas who shows him his ancestors (Lord Blackadder and Mr. E. Blackadder, butler to the Prince Regent), and two possible futures. One follows from Ebenezer emulating his "clever, charming . . . but disgraceful" ancestors and becoming "a complete b*****d" and sees his (eventual) descendant ruling the Universe. The other shows Ebenezer continuing as a doormat and leads to a future much less desirable. Convinced that he needs to change his ways he reclaims all that was taken from him the previous day and establishes himself as "the nastiest man in the world".

*''I'm Sorry I Haven't A Christmas Carol'' (2003) a [[BBC Radio 4]] [[parody]] in which the curmudgeonly Ebeneezer Scrumph (played by the curmudgeonly chairman of ''[[I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue]]'', [[Humphrey Lyttelton]]) is visited by three ghosts played by the regular panelists.

*''[[Beavis and Butt-head]]'' has a parody adaptation of the story where Beavis played as a cruel manager at Burger World, and went through the revelations of the three ghosts, that came out of the TV while he was trying to watch a porno. Although the story ended up being a dream and Beavis is still the same as ever.

* In 1991, the [[Focus on the Family]] children's radio program ''Adventures In Odyssey'' produced an episode entitled "A Thanksgiving Carol", in which the gang at [[Whit's End]] produces the show for Kid's Radio. Bernard Walton ([[Dave Madden]]) becomes Ebenezer Stooge, Eugene Meltsner ([[Will Ryan]]) becomes Bob Wretched, Connie Kendall (Katie Leigh Pavalovich) takes on the roles of Cheerful Lady (the portly gentlemen rolled into one), Mrs. Wretched, and Teeny Tom. Officer David Harley (also voiced by Will Ryan) becomes Jacob Arley, and Whit (the late [[Hal Smith]]) becomes Terence Clodbody, all three Spirits of Christmas rolled into one.

*''[[Bah, Humduck! A Looney Tunes Christmas|Bah, Humduck!]]'' (2006), a Looney Tunes spoof of the classic with Daffy as Scrooge.

*''[[Weebl and Bob]]'' (2006) A Bob cartoon parodies ''A Christmas Carol''.

*''[[Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends]]'' - In part of the episode "A Lost Claus", [[Bloo]] parodies this in order to squeeze more presents out of [[Mr. Herriman]]. Bloo, essentially, gets the ghosts wrong: [[Bob Marley]] instead of Jacob Marley; the Ghost of a Christmas present instead of the Ghost of Christmas Present; and as the Ghost of Christmas Future, he dresses up as a deadly robot. Bloo completely skips over the Ghost of Christmas Past.

*[[VeggieTales]] released a parody entitled "[[An Easter Carol]]" in 2004, with the zucchini Nebby K. Nezzar in the Scrooge role.

*[[Stan Freberg]] had a sort-of spoof talking about the commercialization of Christmas called ''"Green Chri$tma$"''.

*A [[Happy Tree Friends]] called "We're Scrooged" has recently been released, the story is based on A Christmas Carol.

*''[[Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge]]'' (2002) is a satire by [[Christopher Durang]], blending ''A Christmas Carol'' with [[O. Henry]]'s ''[[Gift of the Magi]]'' and [[Frank Capra]]'s ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]''.

*"X-mas Marks The Spot" (1987) was an episode of the animated series, ''[[The Real Ghostbusters]]'' that spoofed the Dickens classic, depicting the heroes accidentally capturing the three Christmas spirits (Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come) and ruining Christmas for the future.<ref>{{imdb title|id=0804864|title=X-mas Marks The Spot}}</ref> Jacob Marley was seen briefly, but left before the Ghostbusters reached Scrooge's place. In the episode it is said that Scrooge encountered the spirits in 1837, six years before the book was written. In an alternate timeline created when the Ghostbusters trapped the spirits, Scrooge wrote a book titled A Christmas Humbug detailing how he alone defeated the spirits and eliminated the celebration of Christmas.

*In December 2005, ''A Smtihmas Carol'' was a set of strips in the webcomic [[Piled Higher and Deeper]]. It featured Pr. Smith instead of Scrooge.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive.php?comicid=658 |title=A Smithmas Carol |accessdate=2008-11-28 |last=Cham |first=Jorge |date=2005-12-06 |publisher=Piled Higher and Deeper }}</ref>
hey matt c.

==Pastiche sequels==
Dickens wraps up the story with two short paragraphs telling us that sickly Tiny Tim survives and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge becomes renowned for his new-found goodness—basically a "happily ever after" ending—but he provides no detail on what happens to any of the characters. Following the every-good-story-deserves-a-sequel idea, a number of authors have crafted their own versions of what befell Scrooge and company. Several different works have picked up the characters and events of Dickens' classic to spin new tales for the story's aftermath.

* ''A Christmas Carol II'', (1985), an episode of the TV series ''[[George Burns Comedy Week]]'' in which it's revealed that Scrooge is good-natured to a fault, and all of Camden Town takes advantage of his generosity. Scrooge is so giving of his fortune that the townspeople end up taking all his money. This prompts the spirits to return and make sure Scrooge reaches a median between his past and current behavior. (In the second alternate future, Scrooge has been buried in a pauper's grave, under a headstone marked "Ebenoozer Screege.")
* ''God Bless Us Every One'' (Methuen, 1985) by Andrew Angus Dalrymple. An ''Imagined Sequel to 'A Christmas Carol'" featuring all the major characters of the original, expanding upon the Cratchit children Tim and Belinda.
* ''Timothy Cratchit's Christmas Carol, 1917: A Sequel to the Charles Dickens Classic'' (Dickens World, 1998) by Dale Powell. In this version, an elderly Tiny Tim is a wealthy immigrant living in America who experiences his own spiritual visitations on Christmas Eve.
* ''Marley's Ghost'', (2000), by Mark Hazard Osmun: The prequel to ''A Christmas Carol''. A novel imagining the life and afterlife of Scrooge's partner, Jacob Marley and how Marley came to arrange Scrooge's chance at redemption.
* ''The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge'' (Ohio State University Press, 2001) by Bruce Bueno De Mesquita. A uniquely philosophical take on the Scrooge mythology set in the afterlife with Scrooge on trial to determine if he merits entry into Paradise.
* ''Scrooge & Cratchit'' (scrooge-and-cratchit.com, 2002) by Matt McHugh. Bob Cratchit is now Scrooge's partner in business as they both face the wrath of bankers every bit as ruthless as Scrooge in his prime. The story was reprinted in 2007 as a holiday insert in ''The Index-Journal'' of Greenwood, South Carolina.
* ''The Haunting Refrain to Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"'' (2004 revised 2007) This short novel details the lives of the original characters, plus a few new introductions, 21 years later. It is posted exclusively to the web at his time and is out of print from its original printing run. It is available for free viewing at www.dickensworks.com
* ''The Last Christmas of Ebenezer Scrooge: The Sequel to A Christmas Carol'' (Wildside Press, 2003) by Marvin Kaye. This sequel picks up right where the original left off, with Scrooge trying to right an unresolved wrong. This version was also adapted for the stage.
* ''Mr. Timothy'' (HarperCollins, 2003) by Louis Bayard. Here again is an adult Tiny Tim, only this time as a 23-year-old resident of a London brothel who becomes embroiled in a murder mystery. ''Mr. Timothy'' was included in the ''[[New York Times]]'''s list of Notable Fiction for 2003.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Fred Guida, ''A Christmas Carol and Its Adaptations: Dickens's Story on Screen and Television'', McFarland & Company, 2000. ISBN 0-786-40738-7.

[[Category:Charles Dickens| ]]

Columbian exchange

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{{citations needed}}

[[Image:Intikawan Amantani.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Inca Empire|Inca]]-era [[Terrace (agriculture)|terraces]] on [[Taquile]] are used to grow traditional [[Andes|Andean]] [[Staple food|staples]], such as [[quinua]] and [[potato]]es, alongside [[wheat]], a European import.]]

The '''Columbian Exchange''' has been one of the most significant events in the history of world [[ecology]], [[agriculture]], and [[culture]]. The term is used to describe the enormous widespread exchange of plants, animals, foods, human populations (including [[slave labor|slaves]]), [[communicable disease]]s, and ideas between the [[Eastern Hemisphere|Eastern]] and [[Western Hemisphere|Western]] hemispheres that occurred after 1492. Many new and different goods were exchanged between the two hemispheres of the Earth, and it began a new revolution in the Americas and in Europe. In 1492, [[Christopher Columbus]]' first voyage launched an era of large-scale contact between the [[Old World|Old]] and the [[New World]]s that resulted in this ecological revolution: hence the name "Columbian" Exchange.

The Columbian Exchange greatly affected almost every society on earth, bringing destructive diseases that depopulated many cultures, and also circulating a wide variety of new crops and livestock that, in the long term, increased rather than diminished the world human population(Needs citation). Maize and potatoes became very important crops in Eurasia by the 18th century. [[Manioc]] and the [[peanut]] flourished in tropical Southeast Asian and West African soils that otherwise would not produce large yields or support large populations.

==Examples==

This exchange of plants and animals transformed European, American, African, and Asian ways of life. Of the world's top 26 crops, measured by weight of production, eight originated in the Americas. One third of the crop value within the United States depends on foods that were first grown in the Americas.

New foods became staples of human diets and new [[growing region]]s opened up for crops. For example, before [[1000|AD 1000]], potatoes were not grown outside of South America. By the 1840s, [[Ireland]] was so dependent on the potato that a diseased crop led to the devastating [[Irish Potato Famine]]. One of the first European imports, the [[horse]], changed the lives of many [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes on the [[Great Plains]], allowing them to shift to a [[nomadic]] lifestyle based on hunting [[bison]] on horseback. [[Tomato]] sauce, made from New World tomatoes, became an [[Italy|Italian]] trademark, while coffee from Africa and sugar cane from Asia became the main crops of extensive [[Latin America]]n [[plantation]]s. Also the [[chili pepper|chili]] / [[paprika]] from South America was introduced in [[India]] by the Portuguese and it is today an inseparable part of [[Indian cuisine]].

Before the Columbian Exchange, there were no [[orange (fruit)|orange]]s in [[Florida]], no [[banana]]s in [[Ecuador]], no [[paprika]] in [[Hungary]], no [[tomatoes]] in [[Italy]], no [[pineapples]] in [[Hawaii]], no [[rubber]] trees in Africa, no [[cattle]] in [[Texas]], no [[burro]]s in [[Mexico]], no [[chili pepper]]s in [[Thailand]] and [[India]], no [[cigarette]]s in [[France]] and no [[chocolate]] in [[Switzerland]]. Even the [[dandelion]] was brought to America by [[European ethnic groups|European]]s for use as an [[herb]].

Before regular communication had been established between the two hemispheres, the varieties of domesticated animals and infectious diseases, such as smallpox, were strikingly larger in the Old World than in the New. This led, in part, to the devastating effects of Old World diseases on Native American populations. The [[smallpox]] epidemics probably resulted in the largest death toll for Native Americans.
Scarcely any society on earth remained unaffected by this global ecological exchange.

== Table of comparison ==

<table border=1 align="center">
<tr><td colspan="3" align="center">'''Pre-Columbian Distribution of Native Organisms with Close Ties to Humans'''</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">'''Type of organism'''</td><td align="center">'''Old World to New World'''</td><td align="center">'''New World to Old World'''</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">Domesticated animals</td>
<td valign="top">

* [[Western honey bee|bee]]
* [[cat]]
* [[camel]]
* [[chicken]]
* [[cow]]
* [[dog]]
* [[goat]]
* [[goose]]
* [[horse]]
* [[Domestic rabbit|rabbit (domestic)]]
* [[pig]]
* [[rock pigeon]]
* [[sheep]]
* [[Bombyx mori|silkworm]]
* [[Domestic buffalo|water buffalo]]

</td>
<td valign="top">

* [[alpaca]]
* [[dog]]
* [[guinea pig]]
* [[llama]]
* [[Turkey (bird)|turkey]]
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">Domesticated plants</td>
<td valign="top">

* [[almond]]
* [[apple]]
* [[apricot]]
* [[artichoke]]
* [[asparagus]]
* [[banana]]
* [[barley]]
* [[beet]]
* [[black pepper]]
* [[cabbage]]
* [[cantaloupe]]
* [[carrot]]
* [[coffee]]
* [[cotton]]
* [[citrus]]
* [[cucumber]]
* [[eggplant]]
* [[flax]]
* [[garlic]]
* [[hemp]]
* [[kiwifruit]]
* [[kola nut]]
* [[lettuce]]
* [[mango]]
* [[millet]]
* [[oat]]
* [[okra]]
* [[olive]]
* [[onion]]
* [[opium]]
* [[peach]]
* [[pea]]
* [[pear]]
* [[pistachio]]
* [[radish]]
* [[rhubarb]]
* [[rice]]
* [[rye]]
* [[soybean]]
* [[sugarcane]]
* [[taro]]
* [[tea]]
* [[turnip]]
* [[wheat]]
* [[Juglans regia|walnut]]
* [[watermelon]]
* [[haley rox]]
</td>
<td valign="top">

* [[amaranth]]
* [[avocado]]
* [[bean]]
* [[bell pepper]]
* [[blueberry]]
* [[cashew]]
* [[chia]]
* [[chicle]]
* [[chili pepper]]
* [[coca]]
* [[cocoa]]
* [[huckleberry]]
* [[maize]] (corn)
* [[manioc]] (cassava, yuca)
* [[papaya]]
* [[peanut]]
* [[pecan]]
* [[pineapple]]
* [[potato]]
* [[pumpkin]]
* [[quinoa]]
* [[rubber]]
* [[squash (fruit)|squash]]
* [[sunflower]]
* [[Garden strawberry|strawberry]]
* [[sweet potato]]
* [[tobacco]]
* [[tomato]]
* [[vanilla]]

</td></tr>

<tr><td align="center">Infectious diseases</td>
<td valign="top">
* [[chicken pox]]
* [[bubonic plague]]
* [[cholera]]
* [[influenza]]
* [[malaria]]
* [[measles]]
* [[scarlet fever]]
* [[sleeping sickness]]
* [[smallpox]]
* [[tuberculosis]] (possibly)
* [[typhoid]]
* [[yellow fever]]

</td>
<td valign="top">

* [[syphilis]]
* [[Great Pox]]
* [[yaws]]
* [[yellow fever]]

</td></tr>

</table>

== Unintentional introductions ==

In addition to the diseases mentioned above, many species of organisms were introduced to new habitats on the other side of the world accidentally or incidentally. These include such animals as [[brown rat]]s, [[earthworms]] (apparently absent from parts of the pre-Columbian New World), and [[zebra mussels]]. Plants thus introduced include many weeds, such as [[tumbleweed]]s, [[Avena fatua|wild oats]], and [[kudzu]]. Even fungi were transported, such as the one responsible for [[Dutch elm disease]]. Some of these species became serious nuisances upon being established.
Plants that were introduced to Europe after 1492 are so-called [[Neophyte]]s, whereas plants that made it over the sea before that date are called [[Archaeophyte]]s.

== See also ==
* [[Alfred Crosby]]
* [[Domestication]]
* ''[[Guns, Germs, and Steel]]''
* [[Population history of American indigenous peoples]]
* [[Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact]]
* [[Transformation of culture]]

== Sources ==
* [http://www.eoearth.org/article/Columbian_exchange~_plants,_animals,_and_disease_between_the_Old_and_New_World The Columbian Exchange: Plants, Animals, and Disease between the Old and New Worlds] in the Encyclopedia of Earth by [[Alfred Crosby|Alfred W. Crosby]]
* [http://www.wwnorton.com/worlds/index/ Worlds Together, Worlds Apart] by Jeremy Adelman, Stephen Aron, Stephen Kotkin, et al.
* [http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUKN1443055520080115 New study blames Columbus for syphilis spread] from Reuters Jan 15, 2008

== External links ==
* [http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/Ethnobotany/page5.html Foods that Changed the World]
* [http://www.shmoop.com/intro/history/us/the-columbian-exchange.html Shmoop History: The Columbian Exchange]

[[Category:Age of Discovery]]
[[Category:Farming history]]

[[de:Columbian Exchange]]
[[fr:Échange colombien]]
[[nl:Columbiaanse uitwisseling]]
[[no:Den colombianske utveksling]]
[[ja:コロンブス交換]]
[[simple:Columbian Exchange]]

Columbian exchange

2008-11-20T02:02:46Z

68.195.90.204: /* Table of comparison */

{{citations needed}}

[[Image:Intikawan Amantani.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Inca Empire|Inca]]-era [[Terrace (agriculture)|terraces]] on [[Taquile]] are used to grow traditional [[Andes|Andean]] [[Staple food|staples]], such as [[quinua]] and [[potato]]es, alongside [[wheat]], a European import.]]

The '''Columbian Exchange''' has been one of the most significant events in the history of world [[ecology]], [[agriculture]], and [[culture]]. The term is used to describe the enormous widespread exchange of plants, animals, foods, human populations (including [[slave labor|slaves]]), [[communicable disease]]s, and ideas between the [[Eastern Hemisphere|Eastern]] and [[Western Hemisphere|Western]] hemispheres that occurred after 1492. Many new and different goods were exchanged between the two hemispheres of the Earth, and it began a new revolution in the Americas and in Europe. In 1492, [[Christopher Columbus]]' first voyage launched an era of large-scale contact between the [[Old World|Old]] and the [[New World]]s that resulted in this ecological revolution: hence the name "Columbian" Exchange.

The Columbian Exchange greatly affected almost every society on earth, bringing destructive diseases that depopulated many cultures, and also circulating a wide variety of new crops and livestock that, in the long term, increased rather than diminished the world human population(Needs citation). Maize and potatoes became very important crops in Eurasia by the 18th century. [[Manioc]] and the [[peanut]] flourished in tropical Southeast Asian and West African soils that otherwise would not produce large yields or support large populations.

==Examples==

This exchange of plants and animals transformed European, American, African, and Asian ways of life. Of the world's top 26 crops, measured by weight of production, eight originated in the Americas. One third of the crop value within the United States depends on foods that were first grown in the Americas.

New foods became staples of human diets and new [[growing region]]s opened up for crops. For example, before [[1000|AD 1000]], potatoes were not grown outside of South America. By the 1840s, [[Ireland]] was so dependent on the potato that a diseased crop led to the devastating [[Irish Potato Famine]]. One of the first European imports, the [[horse]], changed the lives of many [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribes on the [[Great Plains]], allowing them to shift to a [[nomadic]] lifestyle based on hunting [[bison]] on horseback. [[Tomato]] sauce, made from New World tomatoes, became an [[Italy|Italian]] trademark, while coffee from Africa and sugar cane from Asia became the main crops of extensive [[Latin America]]n [[plantation]]s. Also the [[chili pepper|chili]] / [[paprika]] from South America was introduced in [[India]] by the Portuguese and it is today an inseparable part of [[Indian cuisine]].

Before the Columbian Exchange, there were no [[orange (fruit)|orange]]s in [[Florida]], no [[banana]]s in [[Ecuador]], no [[paprika]] in [[Hungary]], no [[tomatoes]] in [[Italy]], no [[pineapples]] in [[Hawaii]], no [[rubber]] trees in Africa, no [[cattle]] in [[Texas]], no [[burro]]s in [[Mexico]], no [[chili pepper]]s in [[Thailand]] and [[India]], no [[cigarette]]s in [[France]] and no [[chocolate]] in [[Switzerland]]. Even the [[dandelion]] was brought to America by [[European ethnic groups|European]]s for use as an [[herb]].

Before regular communication had been established between the two hemispheres, the varieties of domesticated animals and infectious diseases, such as smallpox, were strikingly larger in the Old World than in the New. This led, in part, to the devastating effects of Old World diseases on Native American populations. The [[smallpox]] epidemics probably resulted in the largest death toll for Native Americans.
Scarcely any society on earth remained unaffected by this global ecological exchange.

== Table of comparison ==

<table border=1 align="center">
<tr><td colspan="3" align="center">'''Pre-Columbian Distribution of Native Organisms with Close Ties to Humans'''</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">'''Type of organism'''</td><td align="center">'''Old World to New World'''</td><td align="center">'''New World to Old World'''</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">Domesticated animals</td>
<td valign="top">

* [[Western honey bee|bee]]
* [[cat]]
* [[camel]]
* [[chicken]]
* [[cow]]
* [[dog]]
* [[goat]]
* [[goose]]
* [[horse]]
* [[Domestic rabbit|rabbit (domestic)]]
* [[pig]]
* [[rock pigeon]]
* [[sheep]]
* [[Bombyx mori|silkworm]]
* [[Domestic buffalo|water buffalo]]

</td>
<td valign="top">

* [[alpaca]]
* [[dog]]
* [[guinea pig]]
* [[llama]]
* [[Turkey (bird)|turkey]]
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="center">Domesticated plants</td>
<td valign="top">

* [[almond]]
* [[apple]]
* [[apricot]]
* [[artichoke]]
* [[asparagus]]
* [[banana]]
* [[barley]]
* [[beet]]
* [[black pepper]]
* [[cabbage]]
* [[cantaloupe]]
* [[carrot]]
* [[coffee]]
* [[cotton]]
* [[citrus]]
* [[cucumber]]
* [[eggplant]]
* [[flax]]
* [[garlic]]
* [[hemp]]
* [[kiwifruit]]
* [[kola nut]]
* [[lettuce]]
* [[mango]]
* [[millet]]
* [[oat]]
* [[okra]]
* [[olive]]
* [[onion]]
* [[opium]]
* [[peach]]
* [[pea]]
* [[pear]]
* [[pistachio]]
* [[radish]]
* [[rhubarb]]
* [[rice]]
* [[rye]]
* [[soybean]]
* [[sugarcane]]
* [[taro]]
* [[tea]]
* [[turnip]]
* [[wheat]]
* [[Juglans regia|walnut]]
* [[watermelon]]

</td>
<td valign="top">

* [[amaranth]]
* [[avocado]]
* [[bean]]
* [[bell pepper]]
* [[blueberry]]
* [[cashew]]
* [[chia]]
* [[chicle]]
* [[chili pepper]]
* [[coca]]
* [[cocoa]]
* [[huckleberry]]
* [[maize]] (corn)
* [[manioc]] (cassava, yuca)
* [[papaya]]
* [[peanut]]
* [[pecan]]
* [[pineapple]]
* [[potato]]
* [[pumpkin]]
* [[quinoa]]
* [[rubber]]
* [[squash (fruit)|squash]]
* [[sunflower]]
* [[Garden strawberry|strawberry]]
* [[sweet potato]]
* [[tobacco]]
* [[tomato]]
* [[vanilla]]

</td></tr>

<tr><td align="center">Infectious diseases</td>
<td valign="top">
* [[chicken pox]]
* [[bubonic plague]]
* [[cholera]]
* [[influenza]]
* [[malaria]]
* [[measles]]
* [[scarlet fever]]
* [[sleeping sickness]]
* [[smallpox]]
* [[tuberculosis]] (possibly)
* [[typhoid]]
* [[yellow fever]]

</td>
<td valign="top">

* [[syphilis]]
* [[Great Pox]]
* [[yaws]]
* [[yellow fever]]

</td></tr>

</table>

== Unintentional introductions ==

In addition to the diseases mentioned above, many species of organisms were introduced to new habitats on the other side of the world accidentally or incidentally. These include such animals as [[brown rat]]s, [[earthworms]] (apparently absent from parts of the pre-Columbian New World), and [[zebra mussels]]. Plants thus introduced include many weeds, such as [[tumbleweed]]s, [[Avena fatua|wild oats]], and [[kudzu]]. Even fungi were transported, such as the one responsible for [[Dutch elm disease]]. Some of these species became serious nuisances upon being established.
Plants that were introduced to Europe after 1492 are so-called [[Neophyte]]s, whereas plants that made it over the sea before that date are called [[Archaeophyte]]s.

== See also ==
* [[Alfred Crosby]]
* [[Domestication]]
* ''[[Guns, Germs, and Steel]]''
* [[Population history of American indigenous peoples]]
* [[Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact]]
* [[Transformation of culture]]

== Sources ==
* [http://www.eoearth.org/article/Columbian_exchange~_plants,_animals,_and_disease_between_the_Old_and_New_World The Columbian Exchange: Plants, Animals, and Disease between the Old and New Worlds] in the Encyclopedia of Earth by [[Alfred Crosby|Alfred W. Crosby]]
* [http://www.wwnorton.com/worlds/index/ Worlds Together, Worlds Apart] by Jeremy Adelman, Stephen Aron, Stephen Kotkin, et al.
* [http://uk.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUKN1443055520080115 New study blames Columbus for syphilis spread] from Reuters Jan 15, 2008

== External links ==
* [http://www.accessexcellence.org/RC/Ethnobotany/page5.html Foods that Changed the World]
* [http://www.shmoop.com/intro/history/us/the-columbian-exchange.html Shmoop History: The Columbian Exchange]

[[Category:Age of Discovery]]
[[Category:Farming history]]

[[de:Columbian Exchange]]
[[fr:Échange colombien]]
[[nl:Columbiaanse uitwisseling]]
[[no:Den colombianske utveksling]]
[[ja:コロンブス交換]]
[[simple:Columbian Exchange]]

Leopard gecko

2008-09-16T19:55:48Z

68.195.90.204:

{{Taxobox
| name = Leopard Gecko
| status = [[Least Concern]]
| image = Meka_003.jpg
| image_width = 200px
| image_caption = A young Leopard Gecko
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Reptile|Reptilia]]
| ordo = [[Squamata]]
| familia = [[Gekkonidae]]
| subfamilia = [[Eublepharinae]]
| genus = [[Eublepharis]]
| species = '''''E. macularius'''''
| binomial = ''Eublepharis macularius''
| binomial_authority = [[Edward Blyth|Blyth]], 1854
}}
The '''Leopard gecko''' (''Eublepharis macularius'') is a [[nocturnal]] ground-dwelling [[gecko]] found in the deserts of [[Pakistan]], Western [[India]], [[Afghanistan]], and parts of [[Iran]]. Unlike most geckos it possesses eyelids. Leopard geckos have become well established in captivity, particularly the pet industry. Prices usually range from 15 US Dollars to 2000+.

==Taxonomy==
Leopard geckos were first described as a species by British [[zoologist]] [[Edward Blyth]] in [[1854]] as ''Eublepharis macularis''.<ref name="Blyth"/> The [[genus|generic]] name ''[[Eublepharis]]'' is a combination of the [[Greek language|Greek]] words ''Eu'' (true), and ''blephar'' (eyelid), as having [[eyelid]]s is what distinguishes members of this subfamily from other geckos. The [[species|specific]] name, ''macularius'', derives from the [[Latin]] word ''macula'' meaning "spot" or "blemish", referring to the animal's natural spotted markings.

There are five subspecies including the nominative species:''Eublepharis macularius macularius'' ,<ref name="Blyth">Blyth,E. 1854. Proceedings of the Society. Report of the Curator, Zoological Department. J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 23 [1854]: 737-740</ref> ''E. m. afghanicus''(Börner 1976),<ref name="Borner">Borner A R 1976. Second contribution to the systematics of the southwest Asian lizards of the geckonid genus Eublepharis Gray 1827: materials from the Indian subcontinent. SAUROLOGICA (No. 2) 1976: 1-15</ref> ''E. m. fasciolatus'' ([[Albert C. L. G. Günther|Günther]] 1864),<ref name="gunther">Günther, A. 1864. Description of a new species of Eublepharis. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (3) 14:429-430</ref> ''E. m. montanus'' (Börner 1976),<ref name="Borner"/> and ''E. m. smithi'' (Börner 1981).<ref name="Borner"/>

== Distribution ==
Leopard Geckos are native to south-eastern [[Afghanistan]], throughout [[Pakistan]], north-west [[India]], and into [[Iran]] where it inhabits the rocky, dry grassland and desert regions of these countries. As [[nocturnal]] creatures, they spend the day hidden under rocks or in dry burrows to escape the daytime heat, emerging at dusk to hunt insects.<ref name="Rosenfeld">
- {{citation
- | last = Tallant
- | first = Shannon
- | title = Leopard Geckos
- | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]]
- | location= New York and NH
- | pages = 107
- | date= 1989 and 2008
- | isbn = 067147654
</ref>

==Care==
Leopard geckos are very low maintinence. The substrate in their tanks/vevariums should be changed monthly, but the water bowl needs to be cleaned weekly to keep the water clean from sand, skin, and dead crickets. They should shed just fine on their own but if they don't you should NOT pull the skin off because you risk pulling out their claws and leaving them handicapped, if the skin doesn't come all the way off their toes you should soak the feet in water and then try to gently roll it off with a que tip.

==Anatomy and morphology==
The leopard gecko is a cream to yellow colored [[lizard]] with black spots and/or stripes similar to the markings of a [[leopard]] attaining a total length of 6 to 11 inches. However, selective breeding in captivity has produced different color morphs, including high yellow, tangerine, striped, patternless (no spots or stripes), lavender, blizzard (which are solid white or gray), and [[albino]] (no black [[pigments]] in markings) in addition to some captive specimens measuring 11 or more inches in length.

A Leopard Gecko's markings at birth are different from those of an adult. The skin has no spots, instead large dark bands and intermittent light yellow bands cover the body from head to tail. These bands fade within one year.

[[Image:Leopard gecko adultfemale.jpg|thumb|left|Adult female Leopard Gecko|285px]]

The leopard gecko is one of only a few gecko [[species]] (all of them members of the subfamily Eublepharidae, a small family of tropical/subtropical species found in the Americas, Africa, and Asia) that have [[eyelid]]s.<ref name="Cogger">
{{citation
| last = Cogger
| first = Harold
| authorlink = Harold Cogger
| last2 = Zweifel
| first2 = Richard
| title = Reptiles & Amphibians
| publisher = Weldon Owen
| location = [[Sydney, Australia]]
| pages = 146
| date = 1992
| isbn = 0831727861 your all gay
}}
</ref> This helps the gecko keep its eyes clean and particle-free in its dusty environment. Like most other geckos, the leopard gecko can clean and moisten its [[eye]]s using its [[tongue]].

Unlike other species of gecko, leopard geckos have small claws instead of adhesive [[toe]] pads, which prevents them from climbing vertically. However, their claws give extra traction on the ground and are helpful in digging.<ref name="Cogger"/> These differences have been cited as a possible reason to name ''Eubelpharinae'' as a different family apart from geckoes.<ref name="Cogger"/>

Like most lizards, the leopard gecko can drop its tail, in a process called caudal [[autotomy]]. When frightened or disturbed, muscles at the base of the gecko's tail constrict and snap the vertebrae, severing most of the tail. The detached and wriggling and spasming tail distracts the predator as the gecko makes its escape. Although the leopard gecko will grow a new one in time, the regenerated tail will differ from the original, appearing bulbous and inferior. The new tail will have spots instead of lines. Some regenerated tails may still have a "carrot-tail." When a leopard gecko drops its tail, there will be a pinkish stump. When the tail starts to grow it will start out as a pink cone shape. When the tail gets fatter, it will turn a red-violet color. As it grows larger it will become lavender, eventually a very light gray color.

== Diet and longevity ==

Leopard geckos can be fed staple a diet consisting of crickets, mealworms, superworms, roaches, silkworms, phoenix worms, fruit flies, locust(outside of the U.S.) or horn worms. Waxworms are very fattening, and should rarely be offered to geckos as to avoid obesity, and/or fatty liver disease. Many people believe that Geckos are purely insectivores, however in the wild they will eat anything they can over power, including mice. Leopard Geckos will not eat vegetables however it can be a good idea to put some in there vivarium for the crickets to feed upon, this way they won't bite your leopard gecko. Another recommendation is feeding young leopard geckos mashed, raw egg yolks and egg whites for extra digestable protein.

Leopard geckos can easily live 10-15 years in captivity with proper care and have even been documented to live over 25 years.

==Reproduction==
Leopard Geckos become sexually mature at around 10-14 months of age. Males are larger than females and have a V-shaped row of spots in front of their [[cloaca]]l opening with a noticeable bulge at the base of the tail caused by the [[hemipenis]].

Leopard Geckos breed from March through September, although the season may begin as early as January and finish as late as October. When a male encounters a female he will shake his tail. In response, the female silently sways her tail from side to side along the ground. Following this action, the male will lick her to obtain her scent and will begin biting her from the lower body upwards. If the female does not wish to mate, she will bite back and the male will cease his activity. If she accepts, he will continue up to her neck,making his body parallel to hers and placing his hind leg over her tail, inserting one of his hemipenes into her cloaca.

Thirty days later, the female will lay one or two eggs with a leathery shell.<ref name="Cogger"/> Clutches of two eggs will then be laid every two weeks to monthly throughout the rest of the mating season varying from each gecko according to age, with older females gradually laying less eggs with each year. The eggs will need to be incubated.

Like many other egg-laying reptiles the sex of Leopard geckos are determined by [[temperature-dependent sex determination|incubation temperature]]. Eggs incubated at 79 F will result in a majority of female neonates, where as eggs incubated at 85 - 87 F will result in a more even sex ratio and eggs incubated at 89 - 90 F in the first four weeks will result in more males. Females hatched from these eggs are generally more aggressive than other females, and they tend to reach sexual maturity later if at all. An incubation temperature lower than 77 F or higher than 97 F will cause deformities and usually death of the neonates incubated at these temperatures.

[[Image:DSC09467.JPG|thumb|right|Juvenile Leopard Gecko|285px]]
The eggs hatch 6-12 weeks after being laid depending on temperature. The gecko breaks the surface of the egg and pushes its head out, remaining in this position from 2 to 4 hours adapting to lung breathing and obtaining oxygen from the egg membranes as well as absorbing yolk from inside the egg.

===Number of eggs laid by age===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Eggs
|-
| 0

|-
| 1
| 6
|-
| 2
| 8
|-
| 3
| 12
|-
| 4
| 16
|-
| 5
| 25
|-
| 6
| 10
|-
| 7
| 10
|-
| 8
| 8
|-
| 9
| 6
|-
| 10
| 4
|-
| 11
| 4
|-
| 12
| 2
|-
| 13
| 0
|}

== Color morphs ==
[[Image:DSCF4298.JPG|thumb|left|Patternless and Hypo Leopard Geckos|285px]]

There are various leopard gecko mutations also known as 'morphs', each morph having its own specific genetics and traits. Multiple morphs can be 'mixed' or 'bred' together to make combination morphs and on occasion, a whole new morph will develop.

Some morphs include:
* Albanistic - half albino and half normal
* High Yellow - an animal with mostly yellow [[pigmentation]]
* Lavender - Like a normal, but with purple bands on back
* Patternless/Leucistic - a [[recessive gene]] where the animal has no spots
* Blizzard - Patternless and grey in colour
* Blazing Blizzard - Patternless and light pink in colour, an albino blizzard, also known for red "blazing" eyes
* Patternless Albino - Patternless X Albino
* Eclipse
* Sunglow
* Hypo - [[hypomelanistic]], submorphs include Hypo Snow/Super Hypo Snow
* Hypo Tangerine - an animal with strong presence of orange in its coloration, and reduction of spots
* Mack Snow - is a body coloration of white and yellow with reduced banding
* Super Snow - presence of the "Mack Snow" gene and one other trait
* Mack Snow and Super Snow Albinos
* Snowglows - Snow X Sunglow
* APTOR
* RAPTOR
* Tremper Albino (Texas) - Recessive Gene
* Bell Albino (Florida)- Recessive Gene
* Rainwater Albino (Las Vegas) - Recessive Gene
* Enigma - various submorphs ie. Tremper Enigma, Mack Enigma, Super Snow Enigma, Enigma RAPTOR
* Diablo Blanco - RAPTOR X Tremper Blazing Blizzard
* Emerald/Emerine
* Tremper Giant-recessive gene
* RADAR Bell
* Ember - Tremper Albino X Patternless X RAPTOR
* Pastel
* Phantom
* Tangerine Tornado - extreme orange colouration
* Normal- typical colouration, medium yellow with stripes or bands of grayish lavender, black spots.
*Tangerine albino-lavender stripes with orange bodies and white and brown tails (no black pigmentation)
*Tangerine Hybino-tangerine and Hypo and Albino mixed
* Abyssinian - A paradox leopard gecko that has red vein lines in the eyes and that can express every color on the body except for black pigment. Adults have a speckled tail and often a very faded look. Some people might classify this morph as a type of albino as seen in hooked-billed birds.
There are also a larger form of Leopard Gecko Morph:

* Giant- can be any morph
* Super Giant- Homozygous form of the Giant
These are determined by size and weight, often classfied at sub-adult/adult age and can be any morph

Impactions and Care

When a leopard gecko is kept in captivity it is important to avoid using substrates that it can eat that are not easily digested as eating certain substrates can lead to impaction which can lead to internal bleeding. A good way of noticing an impaction is to look at the leopard gecko's under-belly. If it seems like the specimen has unusual coloring or bulging get the gecko to a herpetology vet right away.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
Paternless Hybino

== External links ==
{{wikispecies}}
*[http://www.pet-care-portal.com/leopard-gecko.html Leopard Geckos as pets]
*[http://geckofile.top-site-list.com Gecko Support Forums and topsite list]
*[http://www.leopardgeckocare.net Leopard Gecko at leopardgeckocare.net]
*[http://www.leopard-gecko.eu Leopard Gecko Information Resource]
*[http://www.leopardgeckowiki.com Leopard Gecko Wiki]

[[Category:Geckos]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Asia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Animals kept as pets]]

[[de:Leopardgecko (Art)]]
[[es:Eublepharis macularius]]
[[fr:Gecko léopard]]
[[nl:Luipaardgekko]]
[[ja:ヒョウモントカゲモドキ]]
[[no:Leopardgekko]]
[[pl:Gekon lamparci]]
[[pt:Eublepharis macularius]]
[[fi:Leopardigekko]]
[[sv:Leopardgecko]]
[[uk:Леопардовий гекон]]
[[zh:豹紋壁虎]]

Leopard gecko

2008-09-16T19:54:13Z

68.195.90.204:

{{Taxobox
| name = Leopard Gecko
| status = [[Least Concern]]
| image = Meka_003.jpg
| image_width = 200px
| image_caption = A young Leopard Gecko
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Reptile|Reptilia]]
| ordo = [[Squamata]]
| familia = [[Gekkonidae]]
| subfamilia = [[Eublepharinae]]
| genus = [[Eublepharis]]
| species = '''''E. macularius'''''
| binomial = ''Eublepharis macularius''
| binomial_authority = [[Edward Blyth|Blyth]], 1854
}}
The '''Leopard gecko''' (''Eublepharis macularius'') is a [[nocturnal]] ground-dwelling [[gecko]] found in the deserts of [[Pakistan]], Western [[India]], [[Afghanistan]], and parts of [[Iran]]. Unlike most geckos it possesses eyelids. Leopard geckos have become well established in captivity, particularly the pet industry. Prices usually range from 15 US Dollars to 2000+.

==Taxonomy==
Leopard geckos were first described as a species by British [[zoologist]] [[Edward Blyth]] in [[1854]] as ''Eublepharis macularis''.<ref name="Blyth"/> The [[genus|generic]] name ''[[Eublepharis]]'' is a combination of the [[Greek language|Greek]] words ''Eu'' (true), and ''blephar'' (eyelid), as having [[eyelid]]s is what distinguishes members of this subfamily from other geckos. The [[species|specific]] name, ''macularius'', derives from the [[Latin]] word ''macula'' meaning "spot" or "blemish", referring to the animal's natural spotted markings.

There are five subspecies including the nominative species:''Eublepharis macularius macularius'' ,<ref name="Blyth">Blyth,E. 1854. Proceedings of the Society. Report of the Curator, Zoological Department. J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal 23 [1854]: 737-740</ref> ''E. m. afghanicus''(Börner 1976),<ref name="Borner">Borner A R 1976. Second contribution to the systematics of the southwest Asian lizards of the geckonid genus Eublepharis Gray 1827: materials from the Indian subcontinent. SAUROLOGICA (No. 2) 1976: 1-15</ref> ''E. m. fasciolatus'' ([[Albert C. L. G. Günther|Günther]] 1864),<ref name="gunther">Günther, A. 1864. Description of a new species of Eublepharis. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (3) 14:429-430</ref> ''E. m. montanus'' (Börner 1976),<ref name="Borner"/> and ''E. m. smithi'' (Börner 1981).<ref name="Borner"/>

== Distribution ==
Leopard Geckos are native to south-eastern [[Afghanistan]], throughout [[Pakistan]], north-west [[India]], and into [[Iran]] where it inhabits the rocky, dry grassland and desert regions of these countries. As [[nocturnal]] creatures, they spend the day hidden under rocks or in dry burrows to escape the daytime heat, emerging at dusk to hunt insects.<ref name="Rosenfeld">
- {{citation
- | last = Tallant
- | first = Shannon
- | title = Leopard Geckos
- | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]]
- | location= New York and NH
- | pages = 107
- | date= 1989 and 2008
- | isbn = 067147654
</ref>

==Care==
Leopard geckos are very low maintinence. The substrate in their tanks/vevariums should be changed monthly, but the water bowl needs to be cleaned weekly to keep the water clean from sand, skin, and dead crickets. They should shed just fine on their own but if they don't you should NOT pull the skin off because you risk pulling out their claws and leaving them handicapped, if the skin doesn't come all the way off their toes you should soak the feet in water and then try to gently roll it off with a que tip.

==Anatomy and morphology==
The leopard gecko is a cream to yellow colored [[lizard]] with black spots and/or stripes similar to the markings of a [[leopard]] attaining a total length of 6 to 11 inches. However, selective breeding in captivity has produced different color morphs, including high yellow, tangerine, striped, patternless (no spots or stripes), lavender, blizzard (which are solid white or gray), and [[albino]] (no black [[pigments]] in markings) in addition to some captive specimens measuring 11 or more inches in length.

A Leopard Gecko's markings at birth are different from those of an adult. The skin has no spots, instead large dark bands and intermittent light yellow bands cover the body from head to tail. These bands fade within one year.

[[Image:Leopard gecko adultfemale.jpg|thumb|left|Adult female Leopard Gecko|285px]]

The leopard gecko is one of only a few gecko [[species]] (all of them members of the subfamily Eublepharidae, a small family of tropical/subtropical species found in the Americas, Africa, and Asia) that have [[eyelid]]s.<ref name="Cogger">
{{citation
| last = Cogger
| first = Harold
| authorlink = Harold Cogger
| last2 = Zweifel
| first2 = Richard
| title = Reptiles & Amphibians
| publisher = Weldon Owen
| location = [[Sydney, Australia]]
| pages = 146
| date = 1992
| isbn = 0831727861 your all gay
}}
</ref> This helps the gecko keep its eyes clean and particle-free in its dusty environment. Like most other geckos, the leopard gecko can clean and moisten its [[eye]]s using its [[tongue]].

Unlike other species of gecko, leopard geckos have small claws instead of adhesive [[toe]] pads, which prevents them from climbing vertically. However, their claws give extra traction on the ground and are helpful in digging.<ref name="Cogger"/> These differences have been cited as a possible reason to name ''Eubelpharinae'' as a different family apart from geckoes.<ref name="Cogger"/>

Like most lizards, the leopard gecko can drop its tail, in a process called caudal [[autotomy]]. When frightened or disturbed, muscles at the base of the gecko's tail constrict and snap the vertebrae, severing most of the tail. The detached and wriggling and spasming tail distracts the predator as the gecko makes its escape. Although the leopard gecko will grow a new one in time, the regenerated tail will differ from the original, appearing bulbous and inferior. The new tail will have spots instead of lines. Some regenerated tails may still have a "carrot-tail." When a leopard gecko drops its tail, there will be a pinkish stump. When the tail starts to grow it will start out as a pink cone shape. When the tail gets fatter, it will turn a red-violet color. As it grows larger it will become lavender, eventually a very light gray color.

== Diet and longevity ==

Leopard geckos can be fed staple a diet consisting of crickets, mealworms, superworms, roaches, silkworms, phoenix worms, fruit flies, locust(outside of the U.S.) or horn worms. Waxworms are very fattening, and should rarely be offered to geckos as to avoid obesity, and/or fatty liver disease. Many people believe that Geckos are purely insectivores, however in the wild they will eat anything they can over power, including mice. Leopard Geckos will not eat vegetables however it can be a good idea to put some in there vivarium for the crickets to feed upon, this way they won't bite your leopard gecko. Another recommendation is feeding young leopard geckos mashed, raw egg yolks and egg whites for extra digestable protein.

Leopard geckos can easily live 10-15 years in captivity with proper care and have even been documented to live over 25 years.

==Reproduction==
Leopard Geckos become sexually mature at around 10-14 months of age. Males are larger than females and have a V-shaped row of spots in front of their [[cloaca]]l opening with a noticeable bulge at the base of the tail caused by the [[hemipenis]].

Leopard Geckos breed from March through September, although the season may begin as early as January and finish as late as October. When a male encounters a female he will shake his tail. In response, the female silently sways her tail from side to side along the ground. Following this action, the male will lick her to obtain her scent and will begin biting her from the lower body upwards. If the female does not wish to mate, she will bite back and the male will cease his activity. If she accepts, he will continue up to her neck,making his body parallel to hers and placing his hind leg over her tail, inserting one of his hemipenes into her cloaca.

Thirty days later, the female will lay one or two eggs with a leathery shell.<ref name="Cogger"/> Clutches of two eggs will then be laid every two weeks to monthly throughout the rest of the mating season varying from each gecko according to age, with older females gradually laying less eggs with each year. The eggs will need to be incubated.

Like many other egg-laying reptiles the sex of Leopard geckos are determined by [[temperature-dependent sex determination|incubation temperature]]. Eggs incubated at 79 F will result in a majority of female neonates, where as eggs incubated at 85 - 87 F will result in a more even sex ratio and eggs incubated at 89 - 90 F in the first four weeks will result in more males. Females hatched from these eggs are generally more aggressive than other females, and they tend to reach sexual maturity later if at all. An incubation temperature lower than 77 F or higher than 97 F will cause deformities and usually death of the neonates incubated at these temperatures.

[[Image:DSC09467.JPG|thumb|right|Juvenile Leopard Gecko|285px]]
The eggs hatch 6-12 weeks after being laid depending on temperature. The gecko breaks the surface of the egg and pushes its head out, remaining in this position from 2 to 4 hours adapting to lung breathing and obtaining oxygen from the egg membranes as well as absorbing yolk from inside the egg.

===Number of eggs laid by age===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Eggs
|-
| 0

|-
| 1
| 6
|-
| 2
| 8
|-
| 3
| 12
|-
| 4
| 16
|-
| 5
| 25
|-
| 6
| 10
|-
| 7
| 10
|-
| 8
| 8
|-
| 9
| 6
|-
| 10
| 4
|-
| 11
| 4
|-
| 12
| 2
|-
| 13
| 0
|}

== Color morphs ==
[[Image:DSCF4298.JPG|thumb|left|Patternless and Hypo Leopard Geckos|285px]]

There are various leopard gecko mutations also known as 'morphs', each morph having its own specific genetics and traits. Multiple morphs can be 'mixed' or 'bred' together to make combination morphs and on occasion, a whole new morph will develop.

Some morphs include:
* Albanistic - half albino and half normal
* High Yellow - an animal with mostly yellow [[pigmentation]]
* Lavender - Like a normal, but with purple bands on back
* Patternless/Leucistic - a [[recessive gene]] where the animal has no spots
* Blizzard - Patternless and grey in colour
* Blazing Blizzard - Patternless and light pink in colour, an albino blizzard, also known for red "blazing" eyes
* Patternless Albino - Patternless X Albino
* Eclipse
* Sunglow
* Hypo - [[hypomelanistic]], submorphs include Hypo Snow/Super Hypo Snow
* Hypo Tangerine - an animal with strong presence of orange in its coloration, and reduction of spots
* Mack Snow - is a body coloration of white and yellow with reduced banding
* Super Snow - presence of the "Mack Snow" gene and one other trait
* Mack Snow and Super Snow Albinos
* Snowglows - Snow X Sunglow
* APTOR
* RAPTOR
* Tremper Albino (Texas) - Recessive Gene
* Bell Albino (Florida)- Recessive Gene
* Rainwater Albino (Las Vegas) - Recessive Gene
* Enigma - various submorphs ie. Tremper Enigma, Mack Enigma, Super Snow Enigma, Enigma RAPTOR
* Diablo Blanco - RAPTOR X Tremper Blazing Blizzard
* Emerald/Emerine
* Tremper Giant-recessive gene
* RADAR Bell
* Ember - Tremper Albino X Patternless X RAPTOR
* Pastel
* Phantom
* Tangerine Tornado - extreme orange colouration
* Normal- typical colouration, medium yellow with stripes or bands of grayish lavender, black spots.
*Tangerine albino-lavender stripes with orange bodies and white and brown tails (no black pigmentation)
*Tangerine Hybino-tangerine and Hypo and Albino mixed
* Abyssinian - A paradox leopard gecko that has red vein lines in the eyes and that can express every color on the body except for black pigment. Adults have a speckled tail and often a very faded look. Some people might classify this morph as a type of albino as seen in hooked-billed birds.
There are also a larger form of Leopard Gecko Morph:

* Giant- can be any morph
* Super Giant- Homozygous form of the Giant
These are determined by size and weight, often classfied at sub-adult/adult age and can be any morph

Impactions and Care

When a leopard gecko is kept in captivity it is important to avoid using substrates that it can eat that are not easily digested as eating certain substrates can lead to impaction which can lead to internal bleeding. A good way of noticing an impaction is to look at the leopard gecko's under-belly. If it seems like the specimen has unusual coloring or bulging get the gecko to a herpetology vet right away.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
Paternless Hybino

== External links ==
{{wikispecies}}
*[http://www.pet-care-portal.com/leopard-gecko.html Leopard Geckos as pets]
*[http://geckofile.top-site-list.com Gecko Support Forums and topsite list]
*[http://www.leopardgeckocare.net Leopard Gecko at leopardgeckocare.net]
*[http://www.leopard-gecko.eu Leopard Gecko Information Resource]
*[http://www.leopardgeckowiki.com Leopard Gecko Wiki]

[[Category:Geckos]] HALEY ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[[Category:Reptiles of Asia]]
[[Category:Reptiles of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Animals kept as pets]]

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