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Leopard Gecko
(Eublepharis Macularius)
Range
Leopard Geckos are
found in Afghanistan, India, Iran and Pakistan.
Appearance
Leopard Geckos are
one of the largest
geckos with adults reaching a size ranging from 8 to 9 inches. The normal
phase (there are multiple phases) adult Leopard Gecko is mainly yellow with
brown/black spots covering its entire body. Hatchings and juveniles are normally
yellow with black/brown stripes that change to spots with age.
Leopard Geckos
differ from other geckos
as they have eyelids, and lack adhesive lamellae (which prohibits them from
climbing vertical surfaces) such as the viper
gecko for example.
Selection
Leopard Gecko for a
pet make sure that it is a captive bred specimen (cb) rather then wild caught (wc).
Be sure and choose a
gecko that is active and alert with a nice plump belly and tail. Do not
select a gecko that is too thin or has a skinny tail, these are signs of
possible illness. If possible you can ask to see seller to offer the gecko food
so you can observe it eating, this way you can be sure that the
gecko
is healthy enough to eat. There are many places to purchase
Leopard Geckos
ranging from local pet stores to individual breeders. Personally I would rather
purchase a gecko
from a breeder then a pet store. Pet stores are often not familiar with the
animals they sell and don’t properly care for them.
Housing
Housing may vary from
small/medium sized glass aquariums to plastic storage boxes. And ideal setup for
a single adult Leopard Gecko would be a 10 gallon glass aquarium or a similar
sized plastic storage box. An adult pair (1 Male, 1 Female) can be housed in a
10 gallon glass aquarium as where a 20 gallon ‘long’ aquarium could house up to
1 Male and 3 Females. Males are territorial so never house more than one in the
same enclosure, as they will fight to a possible death. At least 2 hides are
needed to keep your
gecko happy.
Preferably one hide on the warm side and one hide on the cool side are needed.
Hides can be anything from wooden/plastic decorations to plastic Tupper ware
containers. A “humid hide” is also needed for
Leopard Geckos to
thrive in captivity. This is a hide that is completely enclosed except for an
access hole for the geckos, where you would add sphagum moss or vermiculite in
the bottom. You keep this substrate moist by misting, especially when you notice
the gecko(s)
shedding. The Leopard
Geckos will use this to aid them during the shedding process. The last thing
required in a Leopard
Gecko enclosure is a shallow water dish.
Substrate
There is lots of debate over
this topic but
Leopard Geckos can
be kept on anything from paper towels to repti-carpet with paper towel being the
cheapest and easiest to clean.
Leopard Geckos
should never be kept on any type of sand, as the risks of impaction are too high
in this species.
Lighting and Temperature
Leopard Geckos, even
though nocturnal, still require a day/night cycle. A good starting schedule
would be 14 hours day, 10 hours night. The do not however require a UV light as
many other reptiles do. Daytime temperatures should
consist of an 88-90 degree warm side and a cool side of around 75 degrees. This
can be accomplished a few different ways. Some people us under tank heaters
(uth) and others use overhead lighting such as an incandescent bulb. I
personally use both, I use an undersized under tank heater on the warm side with
a rheostat to help control temperatures as needed, and a over head light
directly above that which has a white bulb for the first 8 to 10 hours of the
day and a red bulb for the remaining 13 hour day cycle. Temperatures can drop to
a minimum of 70 degrees at night. I accomplish this by turning all lights off
and leaving the under tank heater on 24 hours a day.
Food and Water
Leopard Geckos can
be fed a staple of crickets or mealworms. The most important thing is that you
feed the insects that you choose a high quality diet referred to as “gut
loading” them to increase their nutritional value. It is also very important
Leopard Geckos get
lots of calcium. This can be achieved by supplementing their insects with a
calcium powder, preferably one with vitamin D3 added as well. Hatchlings should
be fed calcium supplemented insects every day. Adults don’t eat quite as much
and can be fed every other day. About 5 prey items per feeding should suffice
your gecko. As
mentioned in “Housing”, a shallow water dish should be provided at all times.
Your
gecko(s) may defecate in this water dish, and bacteria and fungus could
possible grow, so daily changing of this water is advised.
Breeding Leopard Geckos
Section coming soon. Thank You for your patience...
Copyright © 2005 Jayr &
Mandy Robinson
J&M Herp Shack
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