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NOTE: Please find other gecko species' husbandry sheets above.
So, you've purchased or been given your first leopard gecko. Well, there are a few things you need to know to get started.
In the pages that follow, I hope to provide the basic information you need to maintain a healthy pet leopard gecko.
Additional, more in-depth information can be found later in this chapter.
- If You Have Not Made The Purchase Yet....
Leopard geckos have a few requirements you should know about before purchasing them as a pet.
Your new pet will require heat to their enclosure. They will feed on live foods.
Also, while they are one of the easiest handled reptiles, the time should be limited to a few minutes per day and should exclude small children.
When you are ready to purchase your first leopard gecko, look for healthy animal.
Large tails and perky disposition (not constantly sleeping) are two things to look for. If you are purchasing on-line, ask specific questions.
Your experience and the animal's will be more enjoyable if you start with a healthy gecko.
Finally, you should be prepared to care for your gecko before purchasing the animal. The best way to do that is to continue reading.
- Did you know this about leopard geckos?
- Leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) live in dry, rocky areas in Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan.
- They are nocturnal, sleeping during the day in rock crevices and coming out at night to eat.
- Leopard geckos are terrestrial. They wander around on the ground, crawling on rocks. They do not climb the glass of an aquarium and they do not jump- well, like me, they will try to jump but won't get that far.
- They can grow up to 12 inches (full length) and can live up to 15 years!
- Leopards may drop their tails. If roughly handled by the tail, it may come off.
This is a defensive behavior, where a bird or even larger lizard get a tail for a meal and the leopard gets to live another day.
However, over a short amount of time, the tail will grow back, albeit shorter in length.
- Male leopards are very intolerant of other males. 2 males should never be housed together.
- Enclosures, What Do I Keep Them In?
Now that you have your first gecko, what do you do with it? Your gecko needs a home. There are several options available.
One of the easiest and least expensive methods of housing leopard geckos involves using a 10 gallon aquarium (dry of course).
Two to three leopards (1 male and 2 females) should be kept in minimally a 20 long tank.
A screen top is optional as leos (leopard geckos) cannot leap more then their body length.
Another inexpensive option is to use a plastic sweater boxes with holes drilled in the top. These are used primarily by those breeding large numbers of leopard geckos.
If you are using a glass enclosure, select a permanent place away from the sun as the glass tank can heat up very quickly.
- Heating and Lighting
Lighting is required to view your new pet. However, leopard geckos do not require the same high UVB lighting many other lizards do such as bearded dragons and chameleons.
This is because they are nocturnal. A standard florescent is sufficient to light the enclosure and allow for viewing. A timer to control turning the light on and off is very useful.
A "red" light can be used if you wish to enjoy your reptile's night time activity.
Heating the leopard's enclosure comes in many forms.
The most important information to remember is their requirement for a temperature gradient in their enclosure.
They should have access to cooler spots (low 80 F minimum) and warmer spots in the day (up to 90 degrees).
In nature, they may come out to soak up some sun but generally sleep all day and become active at night.
Night time temperatures can be allowed to drop to the high 70s.
Heating the "warm" side of the enclosure can be accomplished using a incandescent light bulb, heat lamp, or heating pad (specifically designed for lizards).
The incandescent light must be sized appropriately so it doesn't over or under heat the enclosure. Heat lamps can be a bit more difficult to use.
The "Under The Tank" heating pads work well as they are designed specifically for the reptile enclosure. Another option that is offered is called Heat Rocks.
These can be very dangerous for your leopards as the gecko may come into direct contact with high temperatures emitted from these rocks, and are not recommended.
Note that temperatures that are too high probably kills more geckos than temperatures that are too cool.
- Bottoms Up!
As important as other elements of your gecko's enclosure is the substrate they will spend all their time on.
There are many options such as children's sand, a reptile product called Calci-sand, Slate or Tile, Repti-carpet,
coco fibers, and even paper towels and a bare bottom setup.
A decision you must make is how much maintenance you anticipate putting into the gecko enclosure. Once established, leopards will find one certain spot in the setup to defecate.
This will need to be cleaned up at least once a week. Carpets will need to be removed and washed. Slate, tile, or a bare bottom tank can be mopped over with a wet paper towel.
A paper towel can be replaced. Piles can be removed from the sand.
While the most aesthetic of substrates, some leopard gecko owners have moved away from sand over concerns of the gecko taking in sand when they feed and it causing problems with the gecko's digestive system.
If you consider using sand (the calcium sands are not needed and are of minimal benefit, see dishes below), it should only be used for adult geckos.
Finally, not mentioned in the above list are products such as orchid bark that, when ingested, can cause severe impaction problem with your gecko.
- Other Furnishing
Hides
Your leopard gecko needs a place to hide in the daytime. This is usually called a humid hide but may be referred to as a lay box.
Most often used are plastic sandwich boxes or margarine containers.
By cutting a hole in the top or side and filling with a medium that can be moisten, a hiding place can be made.
The box can be filled with vermiculite, peat moss, paper towels, or coco
fibers.
See this link for instructions on making a humid hide.
Once filled and moistened, the box should be checked each week for moisture.
Dishes
One small dish should be provided for water. Leopard geckos will use this for drinking. The water must be fresh, so replacement should be done every other day or so.
The water in the dish should be accessible to the gecko and the dish not so large and deep that the gecko could drown.
Another dish can be provided for food (other than crickets). It can also be used to provided calcium and vitamins (more details here).
Rocks and Driftwood
Rocks or driftwood add a nice naturalistic look to the gecko's enclosure.
Make sure any rocks or driftwood added to your leopard's enclosure are both washed thoroughly and do not contain any sharp edges.
Also, when adding the new furnishings, they should be firmly placed and cannot topple onto your new pet.
next topic- Breeding and Genetics
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Copyright Walter Kern, Supreme Gecko ©2007
All images and text Copyright Supreme Gecko ©2007 unless otherwise noted
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