Care Sheet for Geckos: LeopardAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 2.00 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 06/08/2007 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Geckos: Leopard |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Shadow_LeoGuy |
Years Experience: | 3 to 5 Years |
Species: | Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularius) |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | N/A |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Males have 12-8 tiny pores behind the vent in a "V" shape. They also have small swellings at the base of the tail. Females lack both. Leopard Geckos can be sexed at around 10 months or at incubation. 78-82 degrees Fahrenheit will produce females. 83-87 degrees Fahrenheit for a mix of both male and female. 88-90 degrees Fahrenheit will produce males or "Hot Females" who may lay few or no fertile eggs in her lifetime. |
Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Use Paper Towels, ReptiCarpet, AstroTurf, or tile. Never use sand, coconut shavings, forest bark or anything loose as your gecko could die of impaction. Always keep a water dish about 1/2 an inch or an inch deep in the cage. Change daily. |
Lighting and UVB: | No UV light is required. You can use a low wattage (50-75 watts depending on where you live) nocturnal basking bulb for lighting |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Keep the temperature around 80-87 degrees Fahrenheit on the warm half and 79-84 degrees Fahrenheit on the cool half. Never let the temperatures fall under 65 degrees Fahrenheit or over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the humidity around 30-45% by spraying water from a spray bottle. |
Heating and Equipment: | Use a heating pad, low wattage bulb, "Combo Lamp," or a combo of these. Never use a "Hot Rock" as these have been known to cause stomach burns on reptiles that sit on them. |
Caging Provided: | A 20 gallon long tank will be good enough for up to 2 geckos. Keep a screen on top of your tank to prevent your gecko(s) from escaping. Always use the "Gecko-per-10 Gallon rule (i.e. 4 geckos should be housed in a 40 gallon tank). Always provide hides as your gecko(s) could die of stress without them. Caves, logs, "ReptiDens," or anything to hide behind. You can make your own from tupperware containers with holes cut out of the side. Add leaves, twigs, and pebbles for nature looks. Don’t use "Heat-Caves as they cause burns just like hot-rocks. Always provide a humid hide (hide with sphagnum moss in them or similar) and a dry hide for each gecko. Don’t place anything in your tank that may shift as they may injure or kill your gecko. You can use silicone to seal together loose objects to make hides and climbing objects. Provide shallow water and food dishes for your gecko(s). Fake plants may be added. If you use anything from outside, boil it a 350 degrees Fahrenheit for half an hour. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Crickets and mealworms are the main part of the gecko diet. Waxworms and pinkies should only be used as treats as they are high on fat. When feeding crickets, never feed crickets bigger than the space between your gecko’s (geckos’) eyes or half the head length. Feed about 10-15 crickets everyday for juveniles and every other day for adults. 3-5 mealworms a week will be sufficient. Waxworms should be fed once a month and pinkies about once every 3-4 months. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Dust your feeding crickets with reptile vitamins and/or calcium. Gutload your crickets before feeding (over a 48 hour process) them to your gecko(s) to ensure a healthier meal. |
Maintenance: | Remove the droppings every week. Clean the entire tank every 3 months. DO NOT USE BLEACH WHEN CLEANING! Wash hides, decorations, and bowls every 2 weeks with warm water. Remove any uneaten or dead food items after 5 minutes of feeding. Change water everyday. Mist tank with water once everyday |
Some Words on this Species: | Leopard Geckos are one of the best geckos you can own. They can be handled for short amounts of time. They are REALLY (and I mean REALLY) hardy and great pets until the end. With the new color morphs, your gecko could be unique with all sorts of colors. Please enjoy your Leopard Geckos! |
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