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"Pet Leopard Gecko Care & Information (Eublepharis macularius)"

Leopard Gecko Care Sheet

Leopard Gecko Care Guide Introduction

Leopard geckos are nocturnal lizards belonging to the Eublepharinae subfamily of the family Gekkonidae. They are robust geckos with relative large heads and a thick, fat-filled tail. The belly is white while the natural upper part is pale yellow to brown with black leopard-like spots. Babies have broad black and white bands instead of spots. The skin is covered with numerous tiny wart-like tubercles, giving it a rough feeling. Their natural habitat includes the desert and dry savannah areas of Southern Central Asia.

Leopard geckos make interesting pets. Right around the world thousands of these geckos are kept and bred and are available at various pet shops. When their basic husbandry requirements are met, these geckos are extremely hardy and a pleasure to keep.

Leopard Gecko Development

Hatchling / baby (day 1 to 4 months), juvenile (4 to 18 months), adult (18 months and older).
The average lifespan of a Leopard gecko is approximately 25 years.

Leopard Gecko Housing

Vivarium Size
A single Leopard gecko can be housed in an area as small as 30 x 30 cm / 12 x 12 ". One or two Leopards can be housed together in an ADDIS® (35 x 25 x 15) cm / (13.7 x 10 x 10) " container with the correct setup. A 10 gallon / 30 -50 ℓ / (61 x 23 x 33) cm / (24 x 9 x 13) " tank or aquarium, a small reptile cabinet or cage "Pal pens™ "or "Desert dens™ " can also be used to house one to a few geckos. The floor space should increase with at least 25% for every gecko added after that.

Leopard Gecko Substrate
Good bedding substrates include newspaper, butcher / brown paper, astroturf and carpet. Inappropriate substrates such as sand, egg shells, corn cob and any sized gravel or pebbles can give problems with ingestion and subsequent impaction. Pieces of driftwood, bark or rocks can be used for terrarium decoration. It is essential to supply adequate hiding, such as a closed hide box, for geckos to stay and sleep during the day. Moist peat moss or moist vermiculite should be used as substrates in these sleeping areas for the gecko to stay cool during the day and for normal shedding to take place.

Leopard Gecko Maintenance

Daily
Feeding, cleaning food containers, replacing water, poop scooping and removing old food residues.

Monthly
Vivarium cleaning and substrate replacement. Cleaning and sterilization of cage decorations and equipment.

Yearly
Inspection of all electrical equipment, plugs & switches should be done twice a year.

Leopard Gecko Environment

Leopard Gecko Temperature
Leopard geckos are ectothermic (relying on external heat sources to keep their body temperature at a suitable level) and poikilothermic (having a variable body temperature). Under tank heating such as a commercially available heat pads / heat strips or heat lamps should be used as external heat source. This equipment should be placed in such as way to only emit about a third of the floor surface of the terrarium and should be separated by the (secured) substrate to prevent direct contact with the lizard.

Leopard geckos will then thermoregulate by moving towards or away from the heat. The temperature should be in the range of 25 - 32 ºC / 77 - 90 ºF during the day where the heated end is the warmest. The temperature can be allowed to naturally cool down room temperature at night. Temperatures should be measured by using a thermometer directly on top of the substrate.

Leopard Gecko Lighting
Leopard geckos are nocturnal (night living), meaning they hide away during most part of the day. When terrariums are used for displaying purposed, any non-heat transmitting light source like energy saving light bulbs or fluorescent tubes, that will not affect the environmental temperature, should be adequate during the day. Some people go as far as installing a night light that would not affect the normal behavioral patterns of these geckos. These lights are quite expensive, but will enable you to observe and appreciate these animals during the darker periods as well.

Leopard Gecko Day Length / Photoperiod
All lights should be on for about fourteen hours per day. Commercially available Leopard gecko electric timers can be used to automate the light cycle.

Leopard Gecko Feeding

Crickets and mealworms should be the main foodstuff fed to Leopard geckos in captivity. Other foods include include Dubia roaches and other feeder cockroaches, Phoenix worms, waxworms, silkworms, Trevo worms and sometimes pinkies / nestling mice. Baby Leopard geckos need small to medium sized insects to start off. Food should be gradually increased to adults. If the gecko is shy, leave the insects until the next morning. Grasshoppers should generally not be fed because of their hard exoskeleton. Fly ants can be collected annually and be fed. Feeding should preferably take place within the terrarium where the animal is used to its immediate temperature.

Feeder insects should always be gut loaded with appropriate mineral / vitamin supplements and should be dusted two to three times a week with a calcium / vitamin D3 combination powder. Mealworms, waxworms and pinkies are good sources of fat. Because of their fat tails, Leopard geckos can consume a lot of fat and store it for future emergency use. An ad lib supply of powdered calcium / vitamin D3 supplement as lick, should be supplied in a small shallow dish or lid for additional calcium needs.

Although Leopard geckos are desert reptiles, a shallow water container with clean fresh water should always be available.

Leopard Gecko Handling

A Leopard gecko can be picked up by gently scooping your hand under its belly while supporting the body with the other. Let them rest in your palm with your fingers gently curled over the back.

Leopard Gecko Health

Regular health inspections with a reptile friendly veterinarian are vital in the continual health of your pet. Try to bring a fresh faecal sample, sealed in an airtight ziplock bag, with your reptile to the consult room.

Leopard geckos are certainly one of the hardier gecko species in the pet trade today, but as with any captive kept lizard they are very dependent on the correct husbandry and diet to thrive. Because their basic terrarium setup is extremely simple, the most common husbandry related problems are incorrect temperatures and calcium deficiency with or without subsequent substrate impaction. Too low temperatures will cause a decrease in appetite, stunted growth and may lead to morbidity and even mortality. The most important dietary problem is inadequate feeder insect preparation and incorrect Leopard gecko supplementation. Incorrect calcium / vitamin D3 supplementation will almost always end up as metabolic bone disease (MBD) or “hypocalcaemia”.

Other Leopard gecko health problems include gut parasites and physical injuries. Consult your reptile friendly veterinarian or herpetologist if any of the abovementioned problems occur.

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