Leopard Gecko Care Sheet
The leopard gecko,(Eublepharis
macularius), has been captive-bred
in the United States for more than
30 years and is one of the most commonly kept
lizards today. These
hardy
saurians come in a variety of colors, patterns and
sizes. This
is a great
species for the home. Imagine a lizard that can vocalize
and wash an eye
with its tongue with ease. There is a friendly dinosaur in
this
small
package.
Size
Hatchlings measure 3 to
4 inches long. Adult females are typically 7 to 8
inches, and males are 8
to 10 inches. Some males of the super giant bloodlines
reach nearly a
foot
and weigh over 160 grams.
Caging
A 10- to 20-gallon
aquarium houses one
or two leopard geckos from hatchling
to adult size.
Larger tanks tend
to cause the geckos to stray away from their
proper heat
and hide box.
Although visibility is reduced, many people use
plastic
storage boxes
as housing. Any cage you choose should be at least 1 foot
tall. Be
sure to have a secure screen top on your gecko cage that will support a
light fixture, provide good ventilation and keep out bothersome
cats.A
hide box filled with moist moss or vermiculite is needed, so
your leopard gecko
can shed its skin properly. This secure setting
also is
needed for egg laying if
you plan on breeding
geckos.
Lighting and Temperature
The best way to heat your
leopard gecko is by using an undertank heating
pad
or tape. These are
available at any pet store or online. Heating
one end of the
cage is
essential. This allows for a temperature
variation that your lizard
needs.
Heat rocks tend to become too hot
for leopard geckos and should be
avoided
due to the risk of
burns.
For viewing, a simple low-wattage light
can be placed
overhead on the screen-cage top and left on 12 hours a
day.The
ideal temperature in the hide box is 86 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit at
all times. The ambient air temperature of the room they are housed in should
be above 73 degrees.
Substrate
Newspaper, pea
gravel, artificial
turf, flat stones or no floor covering are
OK. A young
or debilitated
leopard gecko might consume sand or fine-particle
products
on the cage
floor, and this could lead to intestinal
impaction.
Food
Live insects are a must
for your gecko; they do not eat plants or veggies.
The best items to
use are mealworms or crickets, but you can treat your pet to
waxworms
or superworms once a week if you wish. We have used regular
mealworms
(Tenebrio molitor) without health issues for since 1978.
All
insects must be first given a
nutritious powdered diet for at least 12
hours before being fed to your
leopard gecko. This process is called “gut
loading,” and it is very
important to the health of your pet. Chick or
hog mash
is available at all
feed stores, and several good commercial
diets are available
for this
purpose, as well. Simply place the
insects in a tub of gut-load diet
with a
piece of potato to serve as a
source of water.
Keepers can offer
two
appropriately sized
insects for every inch of a leopard gecko’s total length
every other
day. Therefore, a 4-inch-long gecko would receive eight
mealworms
three to four times a week
Water
A shallow water dish with
fresh water must be available at all times.
It
should also be stable,
so it cannot be spilled. Cage substrate should be
kept
dry, so be
careful about spillage. Make sure that young and adult
leopard geckos
can climb easily out of the dish you use. Vitamin drops
should not be added
to
the water.