As I have mentioned in my previous posts, I have a massive interest in leopard geckos and I would love to add some to my reptile collection in the future. Not only do leopard geckos come in a variety of colours, patterns and look beautiful but they also make great pets. In today's post I will be highlighting all things leopard geckos while pining after one!
The husbandry needs for a leopard gecko are quite simple and these animals are great for beginners.
As for all reptiles, leopard geckos require a place for them to hide in order to feel secure. This can be anything from commercial hides to homemade hides from jars and even coconut shells. A moist hide is also required as this will help in the shedding process and they enjoy sleeping in the moist hide during the day.
Leopard geckos (or leos as they are sometimes known) require a temperature of around 84-88 degrees Fahrenheit so an average of 30 degrees Celsius would be ideal. You can heat their enclosure via a heat mat that covers around 1/3 of the floor space, in the same way a snake's vivarium is heated.
Unlike other lizards, leopard geckos do not require a UV light, however, they do need to know if it is daytime or nighttime, therefore a light source is required. You can put the light on a timer so it is automatic.
When they are young, leopard geckos need a soft substrate. Kitchen roll works well as it does not irritate their skin. When they grow to beyond 6 inches in length, you can change the substrate to something suitable such as fine sand.
There are a few options available to purchase for your leos which include: crickets, mealworms, locusts, waxworms and silkworms. Each of these prey items provide different nutrients so research into this before buying.
Hatchlings to young geckos get fed 4-8 food items per day. Adults get fed 4-10 food items per day (of suitable size) every 2-3 days. Feed your geckos after dusk as they are a nocturnal species. You also need calcium supplements and multivitamin supplements in powder form to use on their food but beware, geckos can overdose on vitamins but not on calcium. As always, clean water is essential so replace this daily and replace if the gecko has soiled in it.
When threatened, geckos are known to drop off their tails so that they can escape predators. This can happen by mistake by other cage-mates (like room-mates but in an enclosure). If a gecko detaches their tail, it is important to remove the gecko from the other geckos and provide food, water and warmth in order for them to regrow their tail. When they regrow their tail, it will be shorter and fatter but it is better than having no tail as they use their tail as a fat reserve.
Once a leopard gecko has become settled in their enclosure, they will pick a spot where they will go to the toilet. You should check this area often and remove any feces immediately in order to keep their environment clean.
There are a variety of leopard gecko morphs available in the reptile trade. Some are listed below.
The husbandry needs for a leopard gecko are quite simple and these animals are great for beginners.
Hides
As for all reptiles, leopard geckos require a place for them to hide in order to feel secure. This can be anything from commercial hides to homemade hides from jars and even coconut shells. A moist hide is also required as this will help in the shedding process and they enjoy sleeping in the moist hide during the day.
Heating
Leopard geckos (or leos as they are sometimes known) require a temperature of around 84-88 degrees Fahrenheit so an average of 30 degrees Celsius would be ideal. You can heat their enclosure via a heat mat that covers around 1/3 of the floor space, in the same way a snake's vivarium is heated.
Lighting
Unlike other lizards, leopard geckos do not require a UV light, however, they do need to know if it is daytime or nighttime, therefore a light source is required. You can put the light on a timer so it is automatic.
Substrate
When they are young, leopard geckos need a soft substrate. Kitchen roll works well as it does not irritate their skin. When they grow to beyond 6 inches in length, you can change the substrate to something suitable such as fine sand.
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| Sand Substrate |
Feeding
There are a few options available to purchase for your leos which include: crickets, mealworms, locusts, waxworms and silkworms. Each of these prey items provide different nutrients so research into this before buying.
Hatchlings to young geckos get fed 4-8 food items per day. Adults get fed 4-10 food items per day (of suitable size) every 2-3 days. Feed your geckos after dusk as they are a nocturnal species. You also need calcium supplements and multivitamin supplements in powder form to use on their food but beware, geckos can overdose on vitamins but not on calcium. As always, clean water is essential so replace this daily and replace if the gecko has soiled in it.
Gecko Tails
When threatened, geckos are known to drop off their tails so that they can escape predators. This can happen by mistake by other cage-mates (like room-mates but in an enclosure). If a gecko detaches their tail, it is important to remove the gecko from the other geckos and provide food, water and warmth in order for them to regrow their tail. When they regrow their tail, it will be shorter and fatter but it is better than having no tail as they use their tail as a fat reserve.
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| Tail-less Leopard Gecko |
Cleaning
Once a leopard gecko has become settled in their enclosure, they will pick a spot where they will go to the toilet. You should check this area often and remove any feces immediately in order to keep their environment clean.
Genetics
There are a variety of leopard gecko morphs available in the reptile trade. Some are listed below.
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| Albino Morph |
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| Eclipse Morph |
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| Enigma Morph |
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| Banded Fire Tangerine Morph |
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