| Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) Family: Gekkonidae Origin: Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, & India Size: 7 - 11” Life Expectancy: 10 - 15 years Introduction: This species of gecko is a nocturnal lizard, coming out at dusk to hunt and eat. They are very hardy lizards and are suitable for beginners. Enclosure: The minimum size vivarium for an adult leopard gecko is one measuring 24” x 15” x 15”. This size vivarium would suit one adult for life. Two or three adult geckos can live comfortably in a vivarium measuring around 36” x 18” x 18”. Never house two male leopard geckos together once they are sexually mature as they are territorial and will fight for dominance, sometimes to the death! Leopard Geckos also need somewhere to hide. If there are no adequate places for them to hide they can become stressed. Hides can be made as simply as an upside down cricket tub with a hole cut in one side and stuffed with moist moss, or as elegant as a decorative store bought hide. Leopard geckos should have a hide on both the warm and the cool end of their cage so that they may choose which temperatures they want to be in. Temperature & Humidity: Leopard Geckos need heat to thermo- regulate, as they do not produce their own body heat internally. They need an external heat source to help them digest their food as well as regulate other bodily functions. Leopard geckos obtain their heat through their underside, so the best source of heat is a heat mat placed under either the substrate or under the tank itself. The heat mat needs to cover about 1/3 of the bottom of the enclosure. The temperature of the floor of your enclosure where the geckos bask should read between 84-90°F (28.5 – 32°C). Leopard geckos require humidity ranging from 20 – 30%. Make sure to raise this slightly when they are in shed and also to keep their moist hide moist. Investing in a good thermometer and hygrometer will help monitor the conditions in their tank. Food, Water, & Supplementation: Leopard geckos are insectivorous, which means they feed on insects. A staple of crickets along with mealworms and the occasional waxworm make a good diet. Crickets are known to nibble on geckos, so it is not advisable to leave crickets in the enclosure overnight without something to eat like a small amount of grated apple or carrot. Hatchlings and young geckos can be fed 4-8 food items once per day. Adults can be fed 4-10 food items of the appropriate size every 2-3 days. Geckos, being nocturnal, prefer to hunt their prey at night, so it is advised to place food items with your geckos after dusk. Fresh clean water should be available at all times. Provide a small, shallow water dish that they can soak in only just up to their shoulders. Water should be cleaned daily or more often if they defecate in it. Supplementation is a must for leopard geckos. Supply a small calcium dish (about the size of a bottle cap) filled with a good quality calcium so that your gecko can lick it up when it needs to. As well as the calcium dish, dust their food once every week. Substrate: There are different substrates available on the market today. Some substrates can cause impaction when eaten. We NEVER recommend calci-sand or sand of any other sort. Hatchlings and young Geckos should be kept on kitchen roll. Once they are big enough (around 6” long) they can be moved on to something else. I would recommend reptile carpet as it is tidy looking, easy to clean, and will not cause any health problems. |
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