Leopard Geckos Care Sheet
88
Leopard Gecko Books
|
The Herpetoculture of Leopard Geckos
Price: $18.89
List Price: $19.99 |
|
Leopard Geckos (Complete Herp Care)
Price: $5.48
List Price: $10.95 |
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
|
The Leopard Gecko: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet
Price: $0.01
List Price: $12.95 |
|
The Leopard Gecko Manual: Includes African Fat-Tailed Geckos (Herpetocultural Library)
Price: $4.34
List Price: $8.95 |
|
Leopard Geckos For Dummies (For Dummies (Pets))
Price: $0.19
List Price: $9.99 |
|
The Guide to Owning a Leopard Gecko/ Leopard Geckos: Identification, Care, & Breeding
Price: $3.83
List Price: $9.95 |
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
|
Flukers Hygrometer Thermometer Digital Reptile NEW
Current Bid: $6.99
|
|
DIGITAL EGG INCUBATOR THERMOMETER HYGROMET Reptile Bird
Current Bid: $12.99
|
|
Digital LCD Pet Reptile Zoo Vivarium Thermometer-AQ37
Current Bid: $5.98
|
|
NEW! ZILLA Digital INFRARED Reptile Thermometer LCD
Current Bid: $14.99
|
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
|
Jurassical Dry Source Of Calcium For Reptile & Amphibians, 75 Gm
Price: $2.44
List Price: $4.19 |
|
Tetra Terrafauna Reptocal Reptile Supplement 2.12 oz.
Price: $2.00
List Price: $7.18 |
|
Fluker's 4 oz Repta Calcium
Price: $3.37
List Price: $5.99 |
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.
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down [flag this hub]
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.
i have a quiestion about giving leopard geckos there food a size biggger than the length between there head?? wat happens if you do??
If you continue to give food that is too large, the gecko can suffer impaction.
i would just like to think you cause im geting a gecko and this really helped me out a whole lot but when my gecko becomes older would it be ok to put sand in there??
I would never put sand in an enclosure
how often should i mist my tank?
i do not have a under tank heater right now but my heat lamp puts off a great amount of heat probably around about 90 degrees would that be ok for a while?
Ben/cole you should not mist the tank. And the fact that you said probably heats around 90 is not ok. You need to know for sure 100% without a doubt that the temps are 90F. You need an undertank heater as soon as possible, like tomorrow at the latest, and while you're purchasing one you need to purchase a digital thermometer with a probe.
I am getting some reptiles for my classroom and found your post very informative. Thank you. I am also interested in how you build that rock formation. I think have my students make it can be quit rewarding.
Reptiles are great in the class room. Hopefully you have found this easy to understand. As for the fack rock, here's an instructional:
hiya i have a lepard geko and i know they are nockturnal i would like to see it out and about at knight rather then disturb it during the day what sort of light shud i use that would be best that won't use much enrgy LED's? or just normal 1's or???
hope you some1 can help thnx
you can try the reptile red lights or blue lights.
hey i inherited a female leopard how often do leopard geckos need toeat? ive benn feeding mine everyday but some days she wont eat is that normal? and how will i know when she is trying to shed
Typically every other day should be fine if it's an adult. Sometimes they may only eat every few days. Try every other day to start and see what's up with that. But the gecko should be fine. She will turn a blue gray color right before a shed.
cool thanks
Hi, im totally Newb at looking afta a Gecko for just 3 days and i culd be just Stressing about a few things but i figured i shuld ask first:
1, When i bought my Gecko, (Not very young butnot young enough his span is approx. 5 inches more or less) He was living in a miniature Box.... span about 3 - 4 times his length and now into a tank that is around 960 mm long... Was that a bad move as the crickets only stay next to him, the ground is also Sifted and non contamintaed earth (supposidly) The Tank isnt complete yet as it only has one light were i change the bulbs, and one log for him to hide under at this time.
2, Im not sure if hes eating but he seems full of life when he wants to move and walks around a fair bit to get comfortable and so on... but theres a fair amount of crickets hiding in his log.
3, Is handling him Every afternoon for around 30 - mins to an hour already a bad move as hes still adjusting? and just recently from holding him before he hissed at me because he kind of struggles to get a foot hold in my hand...
Sorry for these wat are probally very easy questions... but i just need the stress takin off my shoulders.. any help to these would be greatly appreciated as the guy at the pet store told me that the reason his tail looked "so different" was because he was still growing :S i know for a fact it doesnt look the same when it drops off and grows back....
1. huh? the tank should be at minimum a 10 gallon take with paper towels, reptile carpet, or tile as the substrate not dirt or earth or whatever.
2. he's probably not happy if he's in a teeny tiny cage that's just 3-4 times his length. More than likely that's why he's not moving around much. You should remove any uneaten crickets after 15 minutes.
3. if you just got him, then yes. you should give him at least 3-7 days of non handling adjustment period.
It probably dropped and is growing back. a tail of a young gecko looks the same as that of an adult gecko. is it bulbous or smooth in appearance? or does it have little bumps and is long? either way, don't depend on what the pet store told you about care as most pet store employees have no clue what they're really talking about. and if the guy told you to get a small tank, then he has no clue what he's talking about.
i stay in hot country. do i need a heat lamp or something??
you'll need an undertank heater with a digital thermometer with a probe to monitor the temps so that they are 90F. That is if you're speaking from the voice of the gecko.. Otherwise, then please don't spam.
sorry. im not spamming. im jus asking. because i stay in south east asia. so im jus wan to check wif u. my country temperatures is already 32 degree celsiius, so i still need a undertank heater for my gecko?
Ok. It's just hard to tell sometimes. Your country's temperatures have no affect on what temperatures that you gecko is receiving. You want to make sure that the temps within the enclosure are accurate. You can use a digital thermometer with a probe to measure the floor temps that your gecko is receiving. You won't know what temps your gecko is getting without proper thermometer reading.
oh jeez i have been using repti sand for about a year or two and i have never noticed anything on her feces, could you reccomend a good place to buy a good substrate for my gecko? I live in chicago but i am only able to find about 5 petco stores yet they all only have sand.
P.S i live by the lake do you think being in one of the windiest locations of chicago could affect her health even if i always heat and cool her cage to 90-92 degress in day and about 70 degrees at night?
Use paper towels, reptile carpet, or tile. Paper towels can be purchased at the grocery store; reptile carpet the pet store; tile at a home department store.
As long as the temperatures of the cage are accurate, then there shouldn't be any problems with the wind or the degree outside.
i have 4 geckos and the first 1 i got it died of stress and the other 1 i got from petco i think it has a compaction its tail is extremley skinny and his ribs are showing and on his stomach there is a big black circle i dont know if its because we got him and he was sick but hes still alive
The blue circle on the belly is more than likely just the liver. Never get geckos with skinny tails, as that is typically one of the first signs of illness that is noticeable. Depending on when you purchased the gecko, you can tell petco to take the gecko to the vet and have it checked out free of charge to you. But that's all within the 14 day guarantee. Otherwise, my suggestion is that you make sure that you're providing proper temps and separate enclosures for all geckos that you do currently have. Also, consider purchasing geckos from breeders and not pet store chains, as they are more commonly sick.
thank u
Hello! I'm going to be getting a pair of Leopard Geckos to breed and I've been doing hours and hours of research before I get them next week and a lot of the research has been from your stuff - thank you! :) I was contemplating whether to use paper towels or sand when I started reading about how bad sand is for geckos because of impaction so I immediately decided on paper towels. Then I came across a post on a gecko forum about it and read many different peoples' views on the matter - coming from those who have raised reptiles for 10+ years saying that the reptiles ingest the sand when they aren't receiving enough calcium and minerals. They say death by impaction is a secondary thing due to poor husbandry. The link to the discussion is here - http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/leopard-g - and I thought you should take a look. I still think I should go with paper towels since I'm *more or less* a beginner. I don't want to take the chance when I'm starting out. Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your awesome posts on caring for these animals. I'll be referring to them a lot in the coming months! :)
I have heard that argument before as well, but it's still not safe, and you are right in going paper towels since you are a beginner. You just don't need to breed as a beginner because book research is nothign compared to hands on research. If you opt to breed anyway without any experience, you want to make sure that you have all the necessary equipment, housing, and whatnots.
Why don't you wait until you have the proper experience caring for the geckos before you decide to breed? If it's for money, trust me, you're not going to make any.... I've been breeding for over 3 years and I'm still in debt to my geckos. I have not made anywhere near what I should have been making because as a newer, smaller breeder I cannot sell for the higher prices as the older, more known breeders. IE I can breed and sell a very tangerine high carrot tail hatchling for $50, whereas a more known breed would be able to sell the same gecko for at least $150-$250. Same with my enigmas... Popular breeders can sell for over $500, whereas I've seen newer breeders have to sell for $100.
I have two geckos ushi and kashi . Kashi being the youngest i want to breed but i dot no if kashi is a guy or a girl. Ushi the oldest has bite marks on his/her tail. I was wondering if ushi is a male and if ushi and kashi are both males should i get anothoer cage
If you don't have all the proper breeding supplies, and you dont even know how to tell male or females apart, then you don't need to be breeding. You need to separate them.
Hi I've just got my leopard geko today and god hes cute hes a bit shy at the moment but I'm sure hell settle soon I have two hides 1 in the hot side and 1 in the cool side and a humid hide half on the heat mat and half off, reptile carpit and a water bowl a basking light I fake plant and a auto controller for the heat mat and a dual zone thermomiter have I missed anything I dont think so but I think its best to ask if not sure
Thanks
digital thermometer, water bowl, calcium dish. Do you have those items? If so, then you are all set.
Leave the gecko alone for a few days so that it can acclimate.
hi im not sure if my gecko is eatin or not i have a mealworm bowl but i havent seen her go 2 it , i threw some mealworms inside near her mouth n she didnt eat them either ?
How long have you had the gecko? What are the temps? What is it used to eating? Have you tried crickets instead?
and also can i feed her fruit or vegitables ??? some1 said i could but wanted to double check
No, you cannot feed leopard geckos fruits or vegetables.
Hey i just bought a leopard gecko today and this is my setup.
10 gallon tank with screen top,white play sand,2 heat lamps with 75watt bulbs in each,waterbowl,1 hides,calcium dish, baby leopard gecko,and two bottles of calcium. i feed him out of his tank he has eaten one adult cricket so far and in the morning is gonna be his next and in 24 hours if gonna be his third. i also put papertowels in the bottom of his hide just incase if he feels sleepy he can go inside his hide and sleep without licking the substrate. am i doing everything fine?
No, you should alter a few things.
1) You need to remove the sand, even if you feed outside the cage. 2) You need to use 1 light, as 2 can cause electrical problems. 3) Add an under tank heater and a digital thermometer with a probe. 4) If you have a baby leopard gecko, you do not want to feed adult sized crickets, purchase small crickets that are sized appropriately for the gecko. Also, let the gecko eat as many sized appropriate crickets as it will eat within a 10 minute period.
If you're worried about potential impaction, just remove the sand. The gecko can lick the sand anywhere it is, not just in the hide.
ok so i have 2 baby leopard geckos and one hasnt eaten in about 3 weeks but it's still alive. My other one was doing fine but it stopped eating like 2 days ago. What should i do?
If purchased from a pet store, it's probably parasites. I'd make sure to remove any lose substrate (sand, wood chips, etc), make sure the under tank heater is working properly, and make sure that your temps are accurate. Other than that all I can se is seek assistance from a reptile vet.
ya i did get them from the pet store, and i have paper towels layered on the bottom so the sand and stuff isn't the problem but thanks for your help.
Could be parasites. Could be stress. Make sure that the heat is at 90F measuring with a digital thermometer with a probe. And consider a vet if they are losing weight.
can i put a 75 watt lightbulb in a 60 watt lamp?
and it seems like you like these thermometers with probes..... why?
I can't tell you what watt to use because I don't know the temperatures in the enclosure; each enclosure is different, and you didn't give me any specs about the size of the enclosure or other heating methods you are using.
I HIGHLY recommend the digital thermometers with probs for enclosures that aren't monitored by thermostats (Helix or Herpstat) because they are the only other accurate thermometer to measure the temperatures on the surface of the enclosure. If you have the stick on thermometers, you're measuring the air temps or the wall temps, which is not what your gecko needs to get optimum heat. Leopard geckos absorb heat through their bellies, so it's vital that the surface temps be as close to 90F as possible, which you can only truly monitor with a digital thermometer with a probe.
this has been a good use to me thanks
i put a bunch of large crickets in my tank for my geckos to eat. the geckos wouldn't eat them so i took them out. ever since then my smaller gecko has lost a lot of weight and won't eat and sheds alot more than usual (up to 5 or 6 times a month). Help?
How many geckos do you have in an enclosure? What size enclosure is it? Are the geckos the same size?
It's best to house one gecko per enclosure. If you have to house multiple geckos per enclosure they need to be the same size. There could be bullying which could be causing the smaller one not to eat. It could also be a temperature concern. If you are housing more than one gecko in the enclosure, I strongly suggest that you take out the smaller one that is not eating.
Thanks, This was realy helpful.
I found my cat broke through the tank to get to my gecko now my gecko is shaking and turning black what can i do? is he gonna die?
There's not that much you can do. I'm sorry. Consult a vet if you can.
cat says:
2 years ago
thank you! this helped me out with my new gecko a ton!