We Will Have A Very Limited Amount Of Offspring Available This Year.
Care Sheet
Background
Leopard geckos are an insectivourus noctural ground-dwelling gecko found in the deserts of Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, and Iran. They have eyelids, unlike most geckos. Leopard geckos are well established in captivity and have become one of the most popular reptiles in the pet industry. Eublepharis macularius translated means ‘spotted true eyelid’ due to their natural spotted pattern.
There are five subspecies of leopard geckos: E. m. macularius, E. m. afghanicus, E. m. fasciolatus, E. m. montanus, and E. m. smithi- each have their own looks and characteristics. E. m. macularius is the common leopard gecko, although recently the other subspecies have been incorporated into the captive bred geckos.
Leopard geckos are generally mild mannered and on average grow to about 7-9 inches in length and weigh about 50-70 grams. The largest leopard gecko appropriately named Godzilla, from Steve Syke’s collection at Geckos Etc, currently weighs 170 grams and measures 11 5/8 inches long. He is only 20 months old and is still growing. Under good care leopard geckos have been known to live over 10 years. One of the oldest geckos around is owned by Ron Tremper. He hatched in 1981 and is almost 28 years old. It's name is simply 1981.
There are five subspecies of leopard geckos: E. m. macularius, E. m. afghanicus, E. m. fasciolatus, E. m. montanus, and E. m. smithi- each have their own looks and characteristics. E. m. macularius is the common leopard gecko, although recently the other subspecies have been incorporated into the captive bred geckos.
Leopard geckos are generally mild mannered and on average grow to about 7-9 inches in length and weigh about 50-70 grams. The largest leopard gecko appropriately named Godzilla, from Steve Syke’s collection at Geckos Etc, currently weighs 170 grams and measures 11 5/8 inches long. He is only 20 months old and is still growing. Under good care leopard geckos have been known to live over 10 years. One of the oldest geckos around is owned by Ron Tremper. He hatched in 1981 and is almost 28 years old. It's name is simply 1981.
Housing
Leopard geckos are pretty small so one gecko in a 10 gallon tank is fine. Two can he housed fine in a 20 gallon, and so on- rule of thumb is one gecko per 10 gallons. It is ok to keep more than one female together, but you should never house more than one male in the same tank. They will fight and could even kill each other. Since leopard geckos are ground dwellers the height of the tank does not really matter, although you could create multiple levels for them.
Substrate- Sand should never be used because the geckos could swallow too much when eating and become impacted, which could lead to their death. The most recommended substrate is paper towels. This way the substrate can be switched out and replaced easily. Other suitable substrates are reptile carpets, shelf liner, and tiles. All these make good substrates and are relatively cheap to buy and easy to clean.
Heating / Lighting- Leopard geckos are cold blooded animals and need heat to help digest their food, allow them to develop and regulate their temperature. The best way to offer heating is have an under tank heater. These can be found at any pet store. The ground temperature at the hot end should be around 92-94 and the cold end should be at around room temperature 78-80. You can adjust the temperature by having the UTH on a dimmer switch or having a thermostat. You should verify the temperatures but have a digital thermometer. This allows the geckos to regulate their temperature. Since leopard geckos are nocturnal, there is no need for special lighting.
Hides- Leopard geckos need places to hide and should have at least two hides in their tank: a cold hide and a dry hide. One is simply put at the cold end and the other at the hot end. In addition to these they should also have a humid hide. Humid hides are used to aid in shedding. Many people combine the hot and humid hides but simply setting up the humid hide at the hot end. The humid hide is made by putting moistened peat moss, coconut fiber or paper towels in an enclosed container. For this container many people use empty butter containers; however you could buy more realistic ones at a pet shop. It all depends on your personal preference.
Feeding
Leopard geckos are insectivores so they enjoy eating crickets, mealworms, superworms, and roaches among many other things. Any of these can be used as their staple food source. Wax worms can be given as treats but should not be the basis of the gecko’s diet. Pinkies can also be fed to larger individuals and adults, when needed to help them gain weight. Clean, fresh water should be available in the tank at all times.
Gutloading- In order to increase the nutrition of the feeders they should be gutloaded fed and kept hydrated. The healthier the food is the healthier the geckos will be. You could use any type of cereals, granola, oatmeal, even other pet foods or specialized gutload formulas. For moisture they can be offered a variety of fruits and/or vegetable like melon and potato or water crystals. This should be done at least for a day before feeding them to the geckos.
Supplements- In addition to gutloading the feeders they should also be dusted with calcium and vitamins. This should be done at least every other feeding. Pet stores sell a variety of different products. A calcium dish should also be kept in the tank at all times.
Handling
Leopard geckos are calm animals and can be handled, but this should be done with great caution. Start by setting your hand down and allowing the gecko to come to you. It will lick you and possibly crawl up to your hand. Once you have established a relationship and the gecko is comfortable it will let you hold it. Never grab a gecko by the tail, as it can become alarmed and drop it. This can lead to an infection.
Quarantine
New animals should be quarantined in their own containers for at least 30 days, but 90 days is preferred. This is to ensure that if the new gecko has some illness of some kind that it does not spread to the other geckos.
Heating / Lighting- Leopard geckos are cold blooded animals and need heat to help digest their food, allow them to develop and regulate their temperature. The best way to offer heating is have an under tank heater. These can be found at any pet store. The ground temperature at the hot end should be around 92-94 and the cold end should be at around room temperature 78-80. You can adjust the temperature by having the UTH on a dimmer switch or having a thermostat. You should verify the temperatures but have a digital thermometer. This allows the geckos to regulate their temperature. Since leopard geckos are nocturnal, there is no need for special lighting.
Hides- Leopard geckos need places to hide and should have at least two hides in their tank: a cold hide and a dry hide. One is simply put at the cold end and the other at the hot end. In addition to these they should also have a humid hide. Humid hides are used to aid in shedding. Many people combine the hot and humid hides but simply setting up the humid hide at the hot end. The humid hide is made by putting moistened peat moss, coconut fiber or paper towels in an enclosed container. For this container many people use empty butter containers; however you could buy more realistic ones at a pet shop. It all depends on your personal preference.
Feeding
Leopard geckos are insectivores so they enjoy eating crickets, mealworms, superworms, and roaches among many other things. Any of these can be used as their staple food source. Wax worms can be given as treats but should not be the basis of the gecko’s diet. Pinkies can also be fed to larger individuals and adults, when needed to help them gain weight. Clean, fresh water should be available in the tank at all times.
Gutloading- In order to increase the nutrition of the feeders they should be gutloaded fed and kept hydrated. The healthier the food is the healthier the geckos will be. You could use any type of cereals, granola, oatmeal, even other pet foods or specialized gutload formulas. For moisture they can be offered a variety of fruits and/or vegetable like melon and potato or water crystals. This should be done at least for a day before feeding them to the geckos.
Supplements- In addition to gutloading the feeders they should also be dusted with calcium and vitamins. This should be done at least every other feeding. Pet stores sell a variety of different products. A calcium dish should also be kept in the tank at all times.
Handling
Leopard geckos are calm animals and can be handled, but this should be done with great caution. Start by setting your hand down and allowing the gecko to come to you. It will lick you and possibly crawl up to your hand. Once you have established a relationship and the gecko is comfortable it will let you hold it. Never grab a gecko by the tail, as it can become alarmed and drop it. This can lead to an infection.
Quarantine
New animals should be quarantined in their own containers for at least 30 days, but 90 days is preferred. This is to ensure that if the new gecko has some illness of some kind that it does not spread to the other geckos.
That’s all there is to it. You now know the basics to leopard geckos. Enjoy!
(Watch out with your Fingers- They're usually pretty calm, but man are they quick!)
Content copyright 2009. Black Diamond Geckos. All rights reserved.
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