Care Sheet for Geckos: LeopardAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 4.33 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 07/13/2004 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Geckos: Leopard |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Cbatusf |
Years Experience: | 1 to 2 Years |
Species: | Leopard Gecko |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | General Leopard Gecko care |
Sexing and Characteristics: | As juveniles, there is little difference between male and female leos. The sex of a leo can be predicted based on the temperature at which the egg was incubated. If the egg was incubated at 80 degrees farenheit then the gecko will be female, and if at 90 degrees farenheit then it will be male.
As adults (or at around one year of age), males have a V-shaped row of enlarged pre-anal pores along their inner thighs, while females have only small pre-anal pits. Males also have paired hemipenal swellings at the base of the tail, while females do not. Males are slightly more heavy-bodied and have larger heads and thicker necks than females. But both males and females make equally good pets. |
Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | The safest substrate to use is paper towels or newspaper. Paper towels also make it easy to monitor leo droppings for signs of sickness. Sand (any type, including calci-sand) can cause impaction which can kill your leo. Reptile carpet is a lot safer than a particle substrate, but some leos have gotten their nails stuck to it and have lost toes. Also avoid using corncob, bark, or walnut shells as substrate.
Include clean fresh water in a shallow container and change daily, especially if the leo has soiled it. |
Lighting and UVB: | A UV light bulb is not required. If you choose not to have one then you will have to dust their feeder insects with calcium more often. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | The temperature on the cool side should be approximately 78 degrees F to 84-88 degrees F on the warm side. |
Heating and Equipment: | Provide heat with a basking light or heating pad. Do not use hot rocks, and avoid direct contact with heating elements or light sources. |
Caging Provided: | The housing of your leopard gecko should be easy to clean with good ventilation. Be sure to provide a screen top. A ten gallon tank is acceptable for one leopard gecko. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Leos feed primarely on live, moving insect prey. The diet may consist of crickets, mealworms, superworms, or/and silkworms. Prey items should be gut-loaded for at least 24 hours before feeding them out. Approriate-sized prey items should be offered every one to two days for juveniles, and two to three times a week for adults. Feed crickets with a body length no greater than the length of the gecko’s head and about half the width of the head. They will usually eat 4-6 food items. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Dusting prey items with a calcium supplement, such as Fluker’s Repta-Calcium, is beneficial. Prey are dusted daily for juveniles, while dusted every 2-3 feedings for adults. Be careful not to oversupplement your leo with vitamins or calcium. |
Maintenance: | It is recommended to take a newly purchased leo to an exotic animal veterinarian for an examination and fecal test for parasites. Quarantine new geckos in a seperate tank for at least 30 days before introducing it to other geckos. When housing geckos together, have only one male in the tank to avoid fighting because they tend to be territorial. But females can be housed together with no problems. Do not house males and females together if you do not plan on breeding them. Contain a small bowl, such a bottle cap, of powdered calcium supplement. A humid hide should be available to aide in the shedding process, but do not alow too much humidity in the tank because it can cause your leo to become ill. Include a rough stone or bark for the leo to rub on during shedding periods. Do not pick up or hold your leo by it’s tail because it can fall off. When a leo looses its tail it can grow back but will not look as nice as its original tail. Leopards lifespan is between 20-30 years of age. |
Some Words on this Species: | Leopard geckos make a great beginner reptile. I would recommend leopard geckos to anyone. |
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