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Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularius)

The leopard gecko is one of the most popular reptiles out there. It gets its fame for various reasons. It is a very personable animal. Leopard geckos become very tame and enjoyable to handle.

Climate:

Leopards come from a semi-arid climate found in Pakistan and India. The enclosure should mimic this with low humidity, and a heat source.

Description:

The normal leopard gecko attains a max length of 10 inches for both male and female. It has a defined large head, a fat body, stout legs and a tail that effectively stores fat. They generally have a yellow background with black spots, and often dull lavender bands. Younger geckos start with black bands that break up into spots over several months. Since they are exclusively captive breed, many color morphs have been developed. Everything from blotched bands, called "jungle", to albinos can be found. Usually the rarer morphs will have a much higher price tag that can reach 1000 US dollars. But fortunately the normal gecko, which is still very attractive, price varies with season from $20 to $65.

An ideal, healthy gecko:

Here are some things to check for when purchasing a gecko. A health gecko should have no visible parasites, wounds or lumps. But all leopards do have small bumps on their skin. Leos that have been well cared for should not have any excess, dead skin hanging from them. An ideal gecko should have never lost its tail. A bulb like tail, with no pointed end, is a sign that it regenerated its tail. Older, and well feed leos should have a thick tail that is three fourths the diameter of its body. Geckos that did not receive enough calcium can develop the reptile form of rickets. They may be stunted in growth, have a bent spine, soft bones, missing digits, deformed limbs, ect... A healthy gecko should have a good appetite. Leopards are notorious for being good eaters. It is common to have a pet shop owner through in a few crickets, or mealworms, so that a buyer may check to see if they eat. Sunken eyes, or a white tongue eyes is a sign of ill health, or dehydration. Leopard geckos should be alert, and attentive, but it is normal for it to hide during the day. It should not be hard to find a gecko that passes this examination.

Equipment and setup:

A tank to house a lone leopard gecko should be at minimum 15 gallons. Either a fish tank, or a plastic, clear, sweater box can be used. Multiple leos can live together, but only one male can be housed in a tank. 2 males will fight relentlessly, since the less dominant has no where to run in an enclosure. A twenty gallon "long" tank is a very nice size for 3 leopard geckos. A 30 long, or 40 breeder can keep 4 or 5 adults. Leopard geckos are not aboreal, and lack pads on their toes to alow them to climb verticle, smoth surfaces. So, no top is required. But don't give them a ladder out of the tank with a piece of wood that goes out the top. If a top must be used due to other pets such as cats, or dogs, a screen top is good.

The substrate (flooring) should be something that the gecko cannot ingest. Granual or chipped substrates can easily cause intestinal blockages that can result in death. I recommend paper towel. It is easy to replace, it is cost effective, and it looks okay too. There are many different opinions on calcium carbonate based sands as substrate. The theory is that they can be digested, and are a good source of calcium. I have heard from two reputable sources that it has caused impaction with geckos that ate too much of it.

Hiding places are very important for all small creatures, but especially nocturnal ones such as the leopard gecko. Half logs, rock caves, drift wood, the list goes on for hiding spots. A lone leopard should have at least 2, but preferable several hiding spots. In nature, leopard geckos often have a burrow that is humid. You should provide a tupperware type container with a hole in the lid, and moiste vermiculite linning the bottom for your gecko. Hidding spots should be spread out from warm end of the tank to the cool end.

Leopard geckos are "cold-blooded", like all reptiles, so they need a heat source. There are quite a few options to choose from. Some are better than others. Please, please don't use a hot rock, or heat cave. They have the possibility of burning your leo as they age, and they don't heat up the air temp in the tank. Under-tank heat pads are an okay solution for many people. They will not burn the gecko, unless it digs through the substrate, which is very easy with paper towel. My personal preference is the heat lamp. You can find the same heat lamp from the pet shop at a hardware store for much cheaper. You should look for a ceramic fixture, with a metal reflector. Check to see how many watts it can handle. The temperature can be adjusted by changing bulb wattages, and by moving it higher, and lower. Depending on room temp, 25 to 75 watts should do it. The best way to check is with a dial thermometer. A good temp to shoot for is 92 in the hot spot. What ever the heat source, it should be place on one end, so that the gecko can move to the other if it needs to cool off. Geckos also may need heat at night. A temperature of 72 degrees should be maintained at minimum. Red lights, or ceramic heaters can accomplish this. Many people use red lights or ceramic heaters all the time. If you decide to use a regular incandescent during the daytime, there is no benefit to buy one at the pet shop. One from the hardware store is fine. No UVA or UVB lighting is required, for leopard geckos are nocturnal, and get little in nature anyway.

Don't forget a small, shallow water dish.

Feeding

Leopard geckos eat mainly insects, with occasional pinky mice. Crickets or mealworms are a good staple. These can be bought at most pet stores, or ordered online. Wax worms are also another good gecko food, but they are not quite as nutritionally balanced as crickets. You should be sure to "gut-load" the crickets with foods such as carrots, oranges, lettuce or fish food. This way your gecko will be eating those too. Crickets can easily be kept in a bucket with a towel over the top, or a screen. Ventilation is important for crickets. It is also a good idea to give them somewhere to climb such as toilette paper tubes. For some reason, they live a lot longer with them.

Every other time you feed, you should dust the crickets in a vitamin/mineral powder. Cricket Dust brand is the best for crickets, since crickets are already loaded in phosphorus, and this brand adjusted it's mix for that. Young geckos, and breeding females should be supplemented more often.

Pinky mice are sometimes used to fatten up geckos. But only older geckos can handle them.

You should always keep a small, shallow water dish in with your geckos. Some leopard geckos will drink right from it, but not all.

Many people also like to keep a shallow soda cap full of calcium powder in the tank at all times. Although it is not necessary if you are supplementing at other times, it still is a good idea.

Check out the articles for more detailed info on breeding, handling and others.