Care Sheet for Geckos: LeopardAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.00 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 05/12/2006 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Geckos: Leopard |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Malissa |
Years Experience: | 3 to 5 Years |
Species: | Leopard gecko |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Any kind of leopard gecko |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Males tend to be bigger than females, but that is not a good way to sex them. Males have "V" shaped pores before the vent and bulges after the vent. Females doe have pores but they arent as pronounced as males are. |
Mostly Active During: | Night |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Repti-carpet, tiles, non-adhesive shelf liner, paper towels and most other things that are solid.
Do not use any type of loose substrate. Leos lick their enviroment and will get particles in their mouth when they are stricking at food items. Loose substrates can also cause impaction, this is were the particles get stuck in their stomachs becasue they are not digestable, no matter what the bag says!! This can altimetly lead to death if it is not found early and taken care of.
You should provide a shallow dish of fresh water at all times. Replace the water at least every other day. |
Lighting and UVB: | They don’t need any UVB. You can use them but they are not needed. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Leopard geckos need temps between 85-90F on the warms side, and 70-80F on the cool side. They need the heat gradient in the cage so they can chose what temp they are most comfortable at any time. You can acheve these temps by using an UTH or heat lamps. The UTHs can be left on 24/7. If you use a heat lamp that gives off light that will have to be turned off at night. For at night you can use a night glow bulb, that is either blue or red. You need to test the temps with a good digital thermometer or temp gun. Those dile/card board thermometers you get at pet stores can be 10-20 degrees off.
The humidity should be kept low in the cage. You should provide a humid hide, just a plastic tupperware container with a hole get in it with moist moss, paper towels or bed-a-beast in it, to help the gecko with its shedding. The hide should be misted daily to keep it moist. |
Heating and Equipment: | You can use a heat lamp, UTH, heat tape or a combination of them to get the correct temps in the cage. If you use a UTH it should only be attached to about 1/3 of the bottom of the cage. The other side of the cage needs to be cooler to provide the correct temp gradient. Heat tape will have to be attached to a reostat/light dimmer. They often get to hot and this will help you adjust the temps.
If you have to use a heat buld that gives of light. the room were the gecko is doesnt provide enough for a day/night cycle, then you will have to turn it off at night. The geckos should be put on a 12 hour day and 12 hour night cycle.
NEVER use a heat rock/heat cave. These will often have hot spots on them and can cause some nasty burns to any reptile. |
Caging Provided: | A 10 gallon tank is OK for ONE ADULT leo. More space is better though. Leos need more floor space than hieght in their cages. So a 20 gallon long would be better for 1-2 leos.
You can also use plastic sweater boxes to house them in, with holes drilled in the lid and sides of the container for good ventilation.
Hatchlings require a smaller cage. They are tiny and can feel lost in a big cage. They can also find it hard to find food. Hatchlings should be kept on moist paper towels until their first shed, then can be switched to another solid, but dry substrate.
In all cages there should 3 hides. 2 dry hides, one on the cool side and the other over/under the heat source, and a humid hide, placed in the middle of the warm and cool side. A dish of fresh water and a small dish of plain calcium.
Never house leos of different sizes together. Bigger leos. even just by a little bit, can bullying and prevent the smaller one from eating. If there is a big size different the big one can even end up eating the little one. |
Diet: | Carnivorous |
Description of Diet: | These are strictly an insect eater. They can be fed on a staple of crickets, meal worms, super worms(only for adult, unless you can find small ones), roaches, or silk worms.
You can also feed 1-3 wax worms a week for a treat. They are very high in fat and can become very addicting(there like leo candy bars).
Leos can stop eating a couple days before they are going to shed. Leos eat their sheds for the protien. They will begin to eat again with in the next couple of days. |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | For babies and juveniles, you should dust the food every day with a plain calcium powder(no phosphorus or Vitamin D3). For adults, dusting can be done every other feeding. Twice a week you should dust the food with a calcium powder with Vitamin D3 in it. Vitamin D3 helps them to absorbe calcium, but they can OD on it and become very sick and die. |
Maintenance: | Leos are very low maintencance. Just have to keep their cage clean and give them food and water.
Male leos should never be housed together. They will fight and sometimes even to the death of one or both of them. Males and female should never be housed together. Females should only be with a male long enough to breed and then they should be placed in their own cage. Females may be able to live together. They can still fight and not get along. If this should happend then they need to be separrated right away. |
Some Words on this Species: | Leopard geckos can be a fantastic pets. With gental handling they can become very tame and even loving. They all have their own little personalities. They are just a great beginner lizard. |
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