Care Sheet for Geckos: LeopardAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 2.00 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 06/29/2006 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Geckos: Leopard |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Anonymous |
Years Experience: | 3 to 5 Years |
Species: | Leopard Gecko |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | N/A |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Leopard geckos have many patterns of yellow and (occasionally)gray with black spots. New born leos will have 1-3 large black stripes on their back that will slowly break up into spots as they grow older and shed their skin. Before shedding skin, leos color will turn into a white cloudy tone all over its body and their skin will become very loose. They will eat up their own shedded skin when they pull it off their body, so don’t think you have a mental leo that is eating its own body. |
Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | You need a very good sized water dish for leos. You should clean it out and refill it 2-3 times a day. Carpet, towels, astroturf, etc. are suitable floors for a habitat. |
Lighting and UVB: | Lighting isn’t always necessary if you already have a UTH (under tank heater), but you can use a UVB light and a heat lamp that is on one side of the cage. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | There should be a warmer side and a cooler side of the leopard gecko’s habitat. The warmer side should be around the mid to high 80s F and the cool side around the mid to high 70s F. The night temp should be in the very low 70s. Leopard geckos have somewhat dry habitats, but you should put more moisture in to help it shed. |
Heating and Equipment: | HEAT ROCKS WILL BURN A LIZARD. A UTH or heat lamp should be used for the warm side of the cage. |
Caging Provided: | The smallest cage you should have for a single leo would be a normal 10 gallon tank, but that is somewhat cramped, so a 20-30 is the most comfortable for a leo. You should have some kind of dark moist hide for them on the warm side. You can have bed-a-beast soil in it for eggs. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Leos eat a main diet of crickets. Mealworms and waxworms can be like a small side dish for them. Mealworms’ exoskeletons are indigestible. Small leos eat small crix, but can eat a lot of them. Feed them many crix when you get it, but as it gets bigger and older, start feeding it bigger but much less crix. Feed leos at night. Juvies should eat as much as they can a night. This can range to 10-20 crix, but stop when they get closer to the sub-adult stage. Do not feed it the first day you get to let it get more used to the habitat. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Normal reptile calcium without vitamin A (because too much vitamin A can be harmful) for example, Rep-Cal brand, is suitable for being dusted on crickets that it eats or in a dish that the leo would need to get used to eating out of when in need of vitamin nutrients. |
Maintenance: | Leos are very neat because they only "drop the load" in one corner of the cage which should be cleaned out daily along with its water dish. |
Some Words on this Species: | Leos are nice, lazy lizards that like to nap a lot during the day. |
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