Care Sheet for Geckos: LeopardAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.50 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 02/08/2007 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Geckos: Leopard |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Mikael |
Years Experience: | N/A |
Species: | Leopard Gecko |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Leopard Gecko |
Sexing and Characteristics: | In A Male: You can see that the bulge behind the vent is quite noticeable. That is where the hemipenes are located. You can also readily see the row of femoral pores shaped like a "V" in front of the vent. Also the males will be broader throughout the body.
In A Female:. As you can see, she has neither the bulge nor a noticeable row of pores. There is a row there, but it is really not that noticeable.
Also: You will have to wait til the Gecko is old enough, over 6 months at least to really be sure. Juvenile male Leopard Geckos look very much like females.
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Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | NEVER USE Sand under 5 inches, and most including me do not use sand AT ALL!!! for juveniles(under 5 inches) you can safely use paper towels or butcher paper. |
Lighting and UVB: | No UVB required. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Daytime temperatures should be around 90 and the nighttime temps can go down in the low 70s. When I say 90 degrees I mean this should be the temperature directly under the spotlight. This will allow the rest of the cage to remain from anywhere to the 80’s to room temperature. I feel that it’s best to provide any reptile with a temperature gradient and let them regulate their temperature. |
Heating and Equipment: | I have problems with under tank heating pads and hot rocks as they don’t raise the ambient air temperature in the tank and their surfaces often produce extremely high temperatures.
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Caging Provided: | I think that the minimum cage size for one adult Leopard Gecko is 10 gallons. But bigger the better!! |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Leopard geckos are relatively easy to feed because they will thrive on insects. A staple of crickets along with occasional wax-worms and meal-worms make a good diet. Adult geckos can also be fed an occasional pinkie mouse. Juveniles can be feed every day and adults every other day. Supplementation is a must for leopard geckos. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Supplementation is a must for leopard geckos. Two supplements should be used: one that is just calcium/D3 and another that is a reptile multivitamin. Juveniles should be supplemented at every feeding and adults at every other feeding. Gravid females should also be supplemented at every feeding to make up for the large nutritional depletion caused by egg laying. Insects can be coated with these supplements and it’s always a good idea to feed the insects a high quality diet so as to "gut-load" them and increase their nutritional value.
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Maintenance: | Leopard geckos only require minimal routine cage maintenance. They are fairly clean and usually poop in only one corner of the cage. A sand substrate allows for simple spot cleaning of feces and dead crickets, and this should typically be conducted at least once a week. The sand substrate should be dumped and the entire cage (including water dishes, cage furniture, etc.) washed and sterilized with a mild bleach solution (1 part bleach: 9 parts water) or Nolvasan (diluted to robin’s egg blue) at least once every four months. You should be able to order Nolvasan through your vet or a local feed store. If you see many small bits of feces mixed throughout the sand it is definitely time to clean the entire cage. |
Some Words on this Species: | Leopard Geckos Can be a lot of fun!!! and can be handled, Leopard Geckos are also one of the best beginner reptile!!! they are extremely fun and easy to take care of !!
Have Fun!!! |
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