Leopard Gecko

Introduction

Leopard Geckos or, “leos” are one the most commonly kept reptiles. They are native to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India where the environment is dry and rocky. Adults are very tame which makes them such a good pet for families with children. Baby leopard geckos are more skittish and will need to be tamed before they will be good with handling.

Size & Longevity

Female Leopard Geckos grow up to 8 inches. Male Leopard Geckos are larger and will grow up to 10 inches. Leos can live for 20 years with proper care.

Temperature & Heating

A Leopard Gecko will need a under tank heat mat (UTH) or deep heat projector (DHP) for proper heat and digestion. The hot spot should reach 90-92 degrees Fahrenheit if you go with a simple substrate (paper towels, tile, shelf liner, etc.) or 93-95 degrees Fahrenheit if you go with a loose substrate (organic topsoil, reptisoil, bioactive, etc.). The rest of the tank should be at 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. If the tank gets too cold, a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) can be used to raise the temperature a few degrees.

Make sure any and all heat sources are connected to a thermostat & checked with a digital thermometer.

Tank

The absolute minimum tank size for a Leopard Gecko is a 20 gallon long tank or a 24x18x12" exo terra tank. However, bigger is always better! I know of a keeper that has her Leopard Gecko in a 95 gallon tank!

The suggested tank size is currently 40 gallons.

Aside from tank size, you need to have three hides: a warm hide, cool hide, and a humid hide. The warm hide will go over the UTH or under the DHP. The cool hide will go on the opposite side of the tank. The humid hide will go in the middle of the tank. The humid hide will need a substrate that holds humidity in well. The best substrates you can use are eco earth, reptisoil, organic topsoil, pillow moss, or sheet moss. The choice is up to you. Try to avoid loose mosses like sphagnum moss as this is difficult for the leopard gecko to digest and can cause impaction or even death. Paper towels should also be avoided in the humid hide as Leopard Geckos will easily ingest it because it tears easily when wet however it will not be able to digest it. The humid hide is necessary for your leo to be able to shed their skin.

A calcium dish should be provided if your leopard gecko has metabolic bone disease (MBD) or is a female that is ovulating. If your gecko has neither than a calcium dish is unnecessary and can cause a calcium overdose.

You can however provide a 5.0 UVB striplight which will give your gecko some natural lighting and help prevent MBD.

*NOTE*- If using a UVB striplight do not supplement with D3.

Water & Humidity

A Leopard Gecko will need a small, shallow water dish. The leopard gecko will also need a humidity of 20-40%. It should be a little higher in the humid hide.

Food

Leopard Geckos are carnivores. Although they primarily eat insects. Leopard Geckos will eat feeder roaches, silkworms, and crickets as a main diet. Superworms, black soldier fly larva, and mealworms should be fed occasionally to give variety into the diet. Waxworms, hornworms, and other insects should be offered as a treat only.

*NOTE*- All food should be dusted with a calcium and vitamin supplement to help prevent any illnesses.

Adult Leopard Geckos can also have, as a rare treat, pinkie or fuzzie mice or feeder lizards.

*NOTE*- These treats should only be offered to healthy, adult, Leopard Geckos. These treats should only be fed 2-3 times a year MAX and after giving these treats, the Leopard Gecko should not be fed for at least 1-2 weeks to allow proper digestion.

*NOTE*- These treats are optional and do not have to fed to any Leopard Gecko, it is completely up to the owner.

*NOTE*- These treats should have been raised in a clean environment and should not have any illnesses or have passed from any illnesses.

Taming

Leopard Geckos can be very skittish but when tamed they will sit and relax with you!

Taming a leopard gecko can take awhile but the key to taming is patience. When taming, start by putting your hand in the tank and letting your leopard gecko investigate. Do not force your leopard gecko to come to you, this can end up in a bad relationship with your leopard gecko! You can also try hand feeding(holding a food item in your hand and letting the leopard gecko take it out of your hand), or reading by the tank. Yes! Reading by the tank will help your leopard gecko get used to your voice and you being around.

Lights?

Regular heat lights should never be used for leopard geckos as these are improper ways to give heat to a leopard gecko. UVB striplights can be used with leopard geckos. Albino leopard geckos (specifically ones with red eyes) are the only leopard geckos that are sensitive to light and can be bothered by some bright lights. Other leopard geckos will be fine with light. You can also include a LED light if you have live plants in your tank.

If your tank was too cold and you needed a second form of heat then a ceramic heat emitter can be used if connected to a thermostat. 8

Cohabbing?

Leopard Geckos are completely solitary and should not be kept with any other leopard geckos or even come in contact with other leopard geckos. When leopard geckos are cohabbed it puts stress on each leopard gecko. Leopard geckos have lost limbs and even their lives to cohabbing. Many say you can keep to females together, no. Females are also solitary and will fight just as much as if you put to males together. Some will say you can keep a male and female together, again, no. The male would breed with the female constantly, causing unnecessary stress on her and it can cause her to become injured from the male biting her, females also have killed males during breeding before so it is just not a good idea to keep leopard geckos together. Constant breeding can lead to the female having problem with pregnancy, most commonly, becoming egg-bound meaning she can not push her eggs out, this ill result in death if not helped by an exotic veterinarian immediately.

Morphs

Leopard Geckos come in many different morphs. The original morph is called a Wild Type or a normal.

Another popular morph is a hypo baldy tangerine. They are found in many Petsmarts and Petcos.

*NOTE* Buying from these stores supports how they treat them. Many animals bought from "chain pet stores" end up sick due to how employees have to house these animals. Also remember that the employees aren't bad, the store's outdated care guidelines are. If you'd like to try an change this you can email the company and try giving them factual evidence that the way they care for them is outdated and incorrect.

Another interesting morph is a tremper snow.