Leopard Geckos Care Sheet
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Leopard Gecko Books
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The Herpetoculture of Leopard Geckos
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Leopard Geckos (Complete Herp Care)
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Eublepharis macularius
Leopard geckos are naturally found in Iran, Afghanistan, Western India and Pakistan. India sent leopard geckos to the United States from 1960- 1973 for legal protection. Pakistan began exporting their leopard geckos worldwide later on; many captive-bred leopard geckos are the descendants from Pakistan ancestors.
They reside in deserts and arid grasslands with dry and rocky landscapes, and because they are nocturnal animals, they spend the day beneath rocks and in burrows. Leopard geckos are terrestrial animals, spending much of their time on the ground; they rarely climb, and when they do, they can become clumsy
Handling: Leopard geckos are relatively docile animals, so when it comes to handling them, they are usually at ease. You must be careful when it come to picking them up. NEVER pick them up by the tail, because they will drop it, and it will not grow back as pretty but more a rounded bulge.
Temperament: They rarely bite and are tamed easily with regular handling. However, be careful how you hold the gecko. Never by its tail! Gecko tails break off rather easily as a defense mechanism. Although they will grow back, they never look as nice as the original. Baby leopard geckos are so small and, to them, you seem huge; handling young leopard geckos must be done carefully. If spooked, the baby may drop its tail, and as mentioned earlier, it will not grow back as visually appealing. Overall, the leopard gecko is one of the most docile of the reptile species in the pet trade today.
Lifespan: With proper care, leopard geckos can live anywhere from 15-20 years.
Size: Usually leopard geckos will grow between 8-10 inches in length, but many individuals only reach the about 8 inches in length. Many times, breeders will breed geckos as to achieve specific lengths and sizes that are beyond the normal, average size.
Books About Leopard Geckos
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The Leopard Gecko: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet
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The Leopard Gecko Manual: Includes African Fat-Tailed Geckos (Advanced Vivarium Systems)
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Leopard Geckos For Dummies (For Dummies (Pets))
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The Guide to Owning a Leopard Gecko
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Housing Leopard Geckos
Enclosure size: A 10 gallon aquarium is the minimum size for one leopard gecko, and a 20-gallon, long aquarium will house up to three geckos. NEVER house more than one male together because they are very territorial and will fight! With adequate housing, several females can live with one male for life, but this is not recommended.
Substrate: Leopard geckos should never be housed on loose substrates, to include, play sand, Calci-sand, or wood shavings, as they can cause impaction. There are several different things that can be used as substrate, to include paper towels, reptile carpet, and tile.
Décor: When landscaping, include shelters for the geckos to hide in. Remember, they are nocturnal animals. Putting at least two shelters in the terrarium: one on the hot side and one on the cool side. Make sure to have plenty of room so the gecko can maneuver around the terrarium with ease; not having enough room to walk comfortably can cause stress on the gecko.
A humid hide is also recommended to have in the tank; this creates higher humidity for easier shedding.
Reptile Digital Thermometer with Probe
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Flukers Digital Thermometer Hygrometer Reptile Lizard
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ESU Digital Thermometer Aquarium Saltwater Reptile NEW!
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Wholesale ZILLA Digital Infrared Reptile Thermometers
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Lighting, Heating, Humidity of a Leopard Gecko Enclosure
Lighting: As leopard geckos are nocturnal, UV lightning is not necessary nor is a regular cage light. However, having a light helps create a 12 hour day and 12 hour night scenario. Because leopard geckos are terrestrial, they get their heat through their bellies. A light will only add heat to the air temperatures in the enclosure.
Tip: If you decide to use a light for you enclosure, regular light bulbs from a grocery store can be used. They are cheaper than reptile bulbs, yet serve the same purpose.
Heating: Because they cannot produce body heat, leopard geckos need a warm spot and cooler spot from which to choose. Daytime temperature should range between 85F-90F, and night temperatures can go into the low 70's. Under Tank Heating Pads, which attach to the bottom of the tank, work well to provide the proper temperatures necessary. Follow the directions for the heat pad carefully so that injury to your leopard gecko is limited and cracks to your terrarium is prevented.
Use a digital thermometer to gauge the temperature. DO NOT estimate the temperature because temperatures that are too high or too low can harm your gecko.
DO NOT USE HOT ROCKS! They develop hot spots and many lizards have been badly burnt by them!
Humidity: Leopard geckos require a low humidity level that doesn't exceed 40%. When the humidity levels are too high, respiratory, bacterial, and fungal infections can occur. A humid hide can be provided to aid in shedding. Use a hygrometer to gauge the humidity levels.
Reptile Supplements
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JurassiPet JURASSI-CAL Dry Calcium Powder 75GM
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Tetra Terrafauna Reptocal Reptile Supplement
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Fluker's 4 oz Repta Calcium
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Leopard Gecko Diet
Leopard geckos are insectivores, meaning they eat insects. The diet of a leopard gecko can be based mainly on crickets, but a varied diet will insure optimum health. Leopard geckos can eat roaches, mealworms, waxworms, butterworms, silkworms, and pheonix worms. No matter what is fed to your leopard gecko, it needs to be size appropriate; insects must be at least ½ the width of the gecko's head and no longer than the length of the gecko's head.
Do not get insects from your backyard because insects travel and can carry pesticides and chemicals used by either you or your neighbors, which can be detrimental to the gecko's health.
Although leopard geckos do not drink very much, water should be provided at all times. When keeping a baby leopard gecko, do make sure that the bowl is not so large that the baby can drown.
Leopard Gecko Information
- Best Beginner Reptiles
Leopard geckos are one of a handful of the better beginner reptiles. - Breeding Leopard Geckos
If you think that you are ready to attempt breeding your leopard geckos, you need to check this out. - My Leopard Gecko Quit Eating
Leopard geckos from time to time can stop eating for one reason or another, and to prevent the gecko from wasting away, you may want to check this out. - goReptiles
My personal website, which contains caresheets, FAQs, helpful tips, feeder insect care, and more! - Leopard Gecko Morphs
Here's a semi-complete guide to leopard gecko morphs. - Best Leopard Gecko Care Books
Find my choice leopard gecko reference books. - Native Habitat of the Leopard Gecko & Setting up a Natural Enclosure
Set up a natural habitat for a leopard gecko. - How to Set Up a Leopard Gecko Enclosure
Find tips to setting up your leopard gecko enclosure the right way.
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Comments
You're welcome. I'm glad it helped you. :-)
How was the background of the first tank pic done? I'd really like to replicate it in my tank. Is it made of styrofoam, or clay? What kind of paint was used?
That is a fake rock back ground. I will post a hub on how to make fake rock soon. So, keep watch for that, but basically, it's styrofoam, can foam, grout, and sealer. No paint was involved; if you choose to use paint you need an acrylic paint. You should watch products you buy as some are more harmful than others. I will try to get the hub up soon, but it will probably be up towards the beginning of October; it's a little extensive.
omg i love animals they rock my sox!!!!! teheheeheh
Thx, I'd really apprciate instrucions on how to do that. It looks waaay better than those exo terra backgrounds. They don't even come in a 30 gallon sq. size. sry if my typing is a bit, erm, crude. I've got a gecko sitting in one hand, determined to reach the keyboard, and my shoulder.
Don't worry, it's well on its way to being published. The fake rock has a little work that must be put into it, but the outcome is only as gorgeous as you make it. It leaves it all up to you and your imagination. You can make it as big or small as your aquarium and you preferences.
I love this hub! My mom has been raising reptiles (and birds and fish and chickens and horses) her whole life. She recently bought 2 female and 1 male leopard geckos, and I just adore them. I'm perfectly happy watching them chase crickets around their enclosure :)
you can use sand.
i have been using reptisand for 7 years and my leopard is fine
Sand is NEVER good option for housing any reptile. Loose substrates can cause impaction, which is fatal if not recognized early. I would seriously rethink housing you leopard geckos on sand. They may injest some of the sand while catching crickets or mealworms, which will build up in their intestines creating a blockage. If you notice that the fecal matter is covered in sand, then your gecko has the beginnings of impaction.
So, no, you cannot use sand in a reptile's enclosure...
You can risk it, but I certainly won't... Most responsible pet owners wouldn't.
I am 9 I got a Leo (leopard gecko) for Chritstmas. He was eating really good until my dad put a black cricket in his cage and he ate him. It was a really big cricket. i think it either scared him or maybe hurt him cuz he is not eating since. I thought he might need to digest him first, but it has been like 8 or 9 days. He won't eat crickets anymore. I put a couple of meal worms in and cut their heads off. He wont eat them either. Is he going to die now? We are checking the tempreture. It is only at 75 during the day so i asked my mom for a bigger than 45* light bulb.
What advise can you give to me?
Steven Halama
Steven- you say that the cricket was large? It may have been too big for the gecko to eat. You should watch the size of the crickets your feed- never any larger than the width between the gecko's eyes.
Also, I've never seen any black crickets for sale as feeders. Make sure not to feed the gecko anything you've found outside, as pesticides can travel with the cricket; even if you don't use pesticides, your neighbor may or his neighbor may. And your gecko eating a cricket with even the slightest amount of pesticide on it, may be detrimental and fatal.
You don't have to cut the heads off of mealworms; the myth that you may have heard isn't true. Mealworms cannot eat through the stomach of a leopard gecko or any animal, as the acid in the digestive track will kill it if the gecko didn't.
Definately raise the temps!!! They should be at 90F. I would invest in a digital thermometer with a probe, as it will best read your temperatures; the probe will tell you what the temps are on the bottom of the tank which are the temperatures that are most important for your leopard gecko to digest food. The low temps could cause the lack of eating as well as other health problems.
If you don't have an under tank heater, I'd suggest one of those as well, as you NEED one. Leopard geckos are terrestrial reptiles, and they get most of their heat from the surface, so UTH's work BEST. One will also help you with your temperatures. But still get a digital thermometer with a probe.
Is the gecko loosing weight in its tail? If yes, find a vet ASAP! Otherwise, you're gecko will be fine for a few days without food.
Where did you get it? I would try to find a reptile vet to rule out any parasites, which can cause lack of appetite. Many petstores are bad for having reptiles with parasites and other health concerns, which is the reason I asked about where it was purchased.
Should I use an under the tank heater AND one of those light bulb thingies (don't know what they're called) in the tank or is the UTH enough?
It depends on the size of your enclosure and the size of the UTH. You should purchase a digital thermometer with a probe so that you don't have to guess the temperatures. the stick on thermometers only measure the wall temps. The probe will measure the temps on the surface of the enclosure, which are the ones that are essential to the gecko.
So after reading your page and "Hubs," I think I love you, lol.
But anyways, I have a few questions reguarding several different aspects of keeping my little buddy. It's kind of a long "comment," so I apologize, but I'm trying to gather as much info. from a more experienced keeper as possible. You may want to grab a snack or something before you dive in.
1.) I'm currently using cage carpet as a substrate for my 4-year-old male leopard gecko, Bruce. I've read through a lot of the questions other people had on here, and found some answers to my question, but just to make sure I'm clear in my understanding, you DO think that using tile is probably the most suitable substrate for leopard geckos?
Should I use something under the tile, like sand, to make a uniform floor for even heating, or is it okay as is? I'm just going on the assumption that the tiling may not be of a uniform size already.
And what kinds of tile would you recommend? I read slate, but is that the only type suitable, or is it best for any particular reason?
2.) Being in Alaska in the end of January, the constant chill in my home is making it difficult to successfully provide the proper heat gradiant in Bruce's tank; the daytime high today was -5F outside, for example, and I've been fighting to keep my home at 75F with several space heaters ALONG with my normal home heating. Bruce's tank is a 15gallon with an UTH and a 75w incandesant "spot bulb." Now with the heating pad alone I can get the warm end up to about 82F, and 90-95F with both it and the light, while the cool end pretty much stays at 76F either way. Though I'm using the generic thermometers, not a digital one like I've read that you recommend, so I'm worried that those temperatures aren't accurate for the floor of Bruce's home. I mean, I feel the floor of the warm end and it's barely warm to the touch.
Now here's the question that goes with all that mess:
Would switching to tile, and possibly upgrading to a larger heating pad and getting a lower wattage light to balance out the temp., help get the ground-level heat up to where Bruce needs it? I guess I would probably need to get an accurate reading of the ground temp. before I could fix it, but theoretically do you think that that is going in the right direction? Any other ideas, heh?
Now for the last one... for now.
3.) Diet. I've been feeding Bruce 4-5 "super mealworms" with a non-phosphorus calcium supplement 3 times a week, and a mutivitamin supplement mixed in once a week. I was told that mealworms as a staple was good, but the more I've been reading, the more I'm having doubts about it. IS it okay? I've been looking into roaches and silkworms, but I'm not sure about them. I could really use some help coming up a diet "menu" for him.
Thanks in advance! :D
Jamberry- for your questions:
1. The reptile cage carpet is fine for the substrate. You never want to use sand of any basis, as impaction is a serious concern. I like tile, as well, you can use the roll out shelf liner, which is easy to fit to size as you can cut it. But, you can use slate tiles as well, which is what I prefer. Slate tiles are a great heat conductor, so it helps to spread the heat from you UTH. And, as the surface heat is the most important for the species, it can be useful to have a good conductor; as long as you have a digital thermometer with a probe to monitor your temperatures, it should be fine as to not getting overly hot (maintain a temperature on the hot side of 90-92F). For 10 gallon tanks, the tile tends to be a pefect fit, although the tiles may not match up evenly together, but this isn't that big of a concern as long as it's not a huge difference from one tile to the next, so I wouldn't worry about using sand or anything underneath to even them out.
2. As long as your heating pad is size appropriate for a 15 gallon tank, you should be fine with that. I would reccommend a digital thermometer with a probe to accurately gauge your temps, though. With the tile, as I mentioned, is a heat conductor, so it wouldn't affect the size of the UTH. But, if you do decide to purchase a larger one, yes do get a smaller watt bulb. The digital thermometer with a probe, like I have listed in the ebay auctions above, are perfect for you gecko. Improper temps can cause health concerns that are preventable.
3. Diet. I'm a big fan of proper diet whether it be in my reptiles, my dogs, or my pet rats. So, mealworms are a great staple for reptiles. You just want to watch the exoskeletons, as it is rather hard, so can be hardto digest. This is more of a concern with superworms, and feeding baby geckos larger mealworms. Crickets are a great staple, but if you don't like crickets (which I don't), small discoid roaches are wonderful! I keep a small colony of discoids on hand for my bearded dragons and one of my leopard geckos. Roaches are high in meat content and low in outter shell content, which means thay can eat fewer of them when comparedto crickets and get full faster. Silkworms are a great feeder, but costly, so if you choose that route you may want to consider breeding them. I would also like to add that as per the smell factor- which is a big thing in my house- crickets and silkworms have a stronger smell, whereas mealworms and roaches are virtually smell-less.
I have caresheets/how to breed hubs on crickets, mealworms, superworms, silkworms, discoid roaches, and pheonix worms, as well as waxworms and butterworms (If you're interesting in learning about those guys- although they make better treats). You may want to check those out- you can do a quick search on HubPages for them. Or I can link you to them via comments. Just let me know
Awesome. Thank you very much for replying in length so quickly! :D
I realized I left out a detail about the heating pad. I have the tank elevated about 1/8" from the heating pad by having small pieces of cardboard at each corner. I do this for my snakes because they burrow, and if the pad is right on the glass it makes the glass dangerously hot. But since I havn't really got to worry about Bruce being in direct contact with the glass, would it be alright to just take away the cardboard and let the tank rest on the pad? Do you know if it could cause issues with the weight of the tank damaging it? It just seems like a good way to up the floor heat.
I'm not a cricket fan either, so I'm going to go search for those caresheets now and undoubtablly leave you more drawn out questions.
Thank you again! :)
P.S- Are there many difficulties you've experienced with keeping so many leopard geckos?
When it comes to using UTHs, I recommend raising the tank at least a little bit. I wouldn't worry about the tank damaging the UTH, but you do need to raise the tank from the UTH. Leaving a glass tank to sit on top of a heat source, such as an UTH, the heat will build up and cause stress cracks in the glass of the aquarium.
Oh, that's not good. Okay, thank you. :D
My leo stoped eating for about 2 weeks and i was surprised that she was still alive, and she lost a lot of wait and looked lke skin and bones, then she stated to gain wait so i figurd she was ok.What do you think could have been wronge, i mean i read alot about leos here and there so i did every thing right so i dont really get what was wronge.You think you can help?
Parasites. Improper temperatures. Sand impaction. Bored with the food item.
I need more details to further help you- floor temps, substrate, age, how long you've had it, where you bought it, what are you feeding, etc.
If its an older leo it could have gotten bored with the insect you feed. I've had geckos who ate nothing but mealworms for years, decide not to eat them anymore. So, I had to switch to crickets, and wean them back to mealworms.
But, it could be a number of things.
hey i agree that sand is a big NO-NO because it is really thick and if it digests it, it can have some major problems.If you still like sand, its still ok but if you wanna put in sand, atleast put in some fine sand/play sand or reptile sand.reptile carpet is a GOOD substrate but for some reason i like that better than slate tiles....but thats what i prefer. ASubstrate to me is the most important thing to put in the tank. Paper towels aren't really that great because its not natural-looking
my boyfriend and i got an albino gecko a while back but he did not take very much care of him and i just got him and im trying to figure out what is best for him. i have a 20 long tank and he has shelters and everything with a water bowl, but weve been using the reptile carpet but i went to the pet store and got some wood chip things, and lined the back of the cage so there is only a little bit along the back of the tank, but i was reading all the comments on not to use it, and he is a young lizard, so i wasnt sure if i should take it out or not since the entire cage wasnt lined with it. please help!
Moo
I'd remove all loose substrates. Just stick with the reptile carpet and you'll be better off. Make sure to have 1 hide on the hot side, 1 on the cool side, and 1 humid hide (I'd use moist paper towels). Make sure to include a small calcium dish, as well. Make sure to use a digital thermometer with a probe to accurately monitor the temperatures in the enclosure. Use an under tank heater for belly heat. You should be good. If you have any questions or need help, just ask.
ok i have one hide on the hot and one on the cool side, but what do you mean by a humid hide and moist towels? and also what about the calcium dish? i was told to just use calcium powder and put in on his crickets and let him eat it that way, is that correct? haha im so new at this, your site really helps! thanks a lot for taking your time to do this.
Moo
Moo- A humid hide will help the gecko shed. It will prevent stuck shed on toes which can cause the gecko to lose the toes if left on there long term. You can take a glad tuperware container and cut a hole on one side and put moist paper towels in it. I would jsut recommend misting the inside of the humide hide when the gecko's going in shed. Some people mist it daily. That's up to you.
A calcium dish is basically just a small bowl, such as a coke botle top, filled with calcium powder. left in the tank all the time alows the gecko to lick at it when he wants.
working
cat says:
10 months ago
thank you! this helped me out with my new gecko a ton!