Are you ready to learn how to care for leopard geckos? These fascinating creatures have become one of the most popular reptile pets in the UK thanks to their unique personalities and low maintenance requirements. However, it’s important to remember that proper care is essential to keep your leopard gecko happy and healthy. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about keeping leopard geckos, including habitat setup, feeding, behaviour and more. By the end of this guide, you’ll have all the knowledge and tools you need to provide the best possible care for your pet leopard gecko. So let’s dive in and discover the secrets of keeping these amazing reptiles!
Leopard geckos in the wild
In the wild, leopard geckos live in arid, rocky and desert areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, northwestern India and parts of Iran. Not a very pleasant place to live, with large temperature amplitudes, but this makes leopard geckos extremely hardy.
In winter, temperatures in these areas drop below 10 degrees. The geckos then go into underground burrows and go into semi-hibernation, surviving the winter with only the accumulated nutrients in their tails (the thicker the gecko’s tail, the more resilient it is).
Leopard geckos are solitary and rarely live with other animals. They are crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) and hide in burrows and under rocks during the day. They hunt at dawn and dusk, feeding mainly on insects. For this, they have an excellent night vision, and can see well in the dark.
Do leopard geckos make good pets?
Leopard geckos are extremely docile and do not require a large terrarium. They easily get used to being handled, even by children. They are also easy to breed and have a huge variety of colour patterns (mutations) – for example, the lavender leopard gecko. We will devote a separate article to the different gecko mutations.
Quick characteristics
| Characteristic | Information |
|---|---|
| Latin name | Eublepharis macularius |
| Size | Adults average 20 cm in length |
| Original habitat | Arid regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India |
| Diet | Insectivorous, mainly feeding on crickets, mealworms, and waxworms |
| Time of activity | Nocturnal, active at night |
| Expertise required | Beginner |
| Lifespan | 15-20 years in captivity |
| Housing requirements | 10-20 gallon terrarium with secure lid, substrate, hiding places, and temperature gradient |
| Heating and lighting | Warm hide with heat lamp or ceramic heater, UVB lighting not required |
| Feeding schedule | 2-3 times a week for adults, daily for juveniles |
| Handling | Can be handled regularly, but care should be taken to avoid dropping or squeezing |
| Health concerns | Obesity, impaction, respiratory infections, and shedding issues |
| Breeding | Females can lay up to 10-12 eggs per clutch, incubation period of 45-60 days |
| Morphs and colours | Over 100 different morphs, including albino, patternless, and blizzard |
Setting Up a Leopard Gecko Habitat
Now that you’re ready to bring home your new leopard gecko, let’s talk about setting up the perfect habitat for your pet. Proper housing is crucial for their health and wellbeing, so it’s important to get it right.
The Right Terrarium: Size, Design, and More
Leopard geckos are ground-dwelling creatures, so they need a vivarium that provides ample floor space. As a general rule, a minimum tank size of 10 gallons (ca. 45 litres) is recommended for one leopard gecko, with an additional 5 gallons (ca. 23 l) for each additional gecko. However, a larger tank is always better! The terrarium should be made of glass or plastic and should have a screen top for ventilation.
Keeping Your Gecko Warm and Bright: Heating and Lighting Requirements
Leopard geckos need a temperature gradient in their terrarium to allow them to regulate their body temperature. A basking spot should be provided with a heating pad or heat lamp on one end of the tank, which can be between (30-32°C). The cool side of the tank should be between (24-26°C). UVB lighting is not necessary, but it can be beneficial to provide a small amount of UVB lighting in your gecko’s enclosure.
One popular method of heating a leopard gecko’s tank is with undertank heating. This involves placing a heating pad or mat underneath one side of the tank, which provides a warm spot for the gecko to bask. Undertank heating is considered safe and effective, as it mimics the warmth of the sun on the ground in the gecko’s natural habitat.
Another option is a ceramic heat emitter, which is a bulb that emits heat without light. This can be used in conjunction with a thermostat to regulate the temperature and prevent overheating. However, ceramic heat emitters do not provide a specific basking spot like undertank heating does.
Lastly, some owners use heat lamps, which provide both heat and light. However, these can be tricky to set up properly and may dry out the air in the tank. They should only be used if the ambient temperature in the room is too low for the gecko’s comfort.
Here is a table summarizing the different heating options:
| Heating Option | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Undertank heating | Provides specific basking spot | Requires proper thermostat to regulate heat |
| Ceramic heat | Heat without light | Does not provide specific basking spot |
| Heat lamp | Provides heat and light | Can be tricky to set up properly |
Choosing the Best Substrate: Options and Considerations
There are many substrate options available for leopard geckos, including stones, reptile carpet, and paper towels. Sand is a popular option but can be risky if ingested, leading to impaction. Reptile carpet and paper towels are safer alternatives, but they will need to be changed frequently to maintain cleanliness.
Decorating Your Terrarium: Hiding Places and Other Accessories
Leopard geckos love to have hiding places in their enclosure, so be sure to provide plenty of decorations, such as rocks, logs, and plants. You can also provide a humid hide, which is a hide with damp moss (sphagnum moss) inside, to help with shedding.
Feeder Insect Options and Feeding Schedule
Now let’s talk about feeding your leopard gecko. These little creatures have a big appetite, and it’s important to provide them with a balanced diet to keep them healthy. In general, leopard geckos eat insects, so you’ll need to keep a steady supply of feeder insects on hand. Some good options include crickets, mealworms, dubia roaches, and superworms.
Related content: The ultimate feeding guide for your leopard gecko
How Much and How Often? Portion Control for Your Gecko
When it comes to feeding your gecko, it’s important to establish a feeding schedule. Adult leopard geckos usually only need to be fed 2-3 times a week, while younger geckos may need to be fed every day. You should also make sure to gut load your feeder insects to provide optimal nutrition for your gecko.
Related content: Mealworms vs Crickets – which is better?
Nutritious Insects: Gut Loading and Supplementation
To gut load insects, you’ll need to feed them a nutritious diet for at least 24 hours before feeding them to your gecko. This can include fruits, vegetables, and specially formulated insect diets. Additionally, you’ll want to dust your feeder insects with calcium powder and other vitamin and mineral supplements to ensure your gecko is getting all the nutrients they need.
Overall, a balanced diet of feeder insects, gut-loaded with nutritious foods and dusted with supplements, will help keep your leopard gecko healthy and happy.
Keeping Your Leopard Gecko Healthy
When it comes to keeping your Leopard gecko healthy, prevention is key. By providing the right habitat, nutrition, and care, you can help ensure that your pet stays in top condition. But sometimes, despite our best efforts, health issues can arise.
Signs of a Healthy Leopard Gecko
It’s important to know the signs of a healthy Leopard gecko, so that you can catch any potential problems early on. Some things to look for include clear eyes, a healthy appetite, and a clean vent area. On the other hand, if your gecko is lethargic, has a decreased appetite, or is losing weight, it could be a sign of an underlying health issue.
Common health problems in leopard geckos
Geckos are quite hardy animals and very tolerant of their environment, this makes them easy to keep. However some geckos are known to suffer from bone disease (Hypocalcemia).
Bone disease is caused when a leopard gecko’s diet lacks calcium. When a gecko is deficient in calcium, their body begins to take it from their bones. Symptoms of this are lethargy, painful and swollen joints, abnormally crouched legs, soft jaws, and overall weakness in the animal’s body. Leopard geckos are very resistant to diseases of the skeletal system and such diseases are very very rare. To prevent this, simply give calcium supplements to the animal in the form of powder powdered on its food, be it worms or crickets.
Respiratory problems
In leopard geckos, respiratory infections can be caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, below 22 degrees or too high humidity. The low temperature causes suppression of the immune system, which allows internal problems to develop. Symptoms for such infections are difficult to notice, such as mouth opening and shortness of breath most of the time. Curing such infections is generally done by raising the temperatures slightly to 30 degrees during the day and not less than 26 at night. If issues persist, visit a vet.
Leopard gecko shedding explained
Leopard geckos shed their skin like all reptiles and amphibians, shedding it all at once. The frequency of shedding varies according to the age of the gecko and the speed at which it grows. Babies change skin much more frequently than adults. You will know when your gecko is ready to change when its colours turn gray, then fade just before it changes skin. Geckos eat all the changed skin. They do this in the wild for two reasons. First, they have spent energy building that skin, they will not let it go to waste in the wind. The second is that the pieces of skin can attract predators.
Geckos are generally able to shed old skin in one go, but there are cases where the skin breaks due to low humidity levels. You should always check your gecko after shedding for bits of skin left on it. Leopard geckos have trouble getting the old skin off their toes.
Do leopard geckos lose their tail?
In the wild, geckos tend to drop their tail when threatened or chased as a predator. The tail with distract the enemy, giving the gecko precious time to escape. However, this rarely happens with pet geckos, as they mostly feel safe in their environment.
In some cases, geckos in the terrarium have been seen grabbing the tails of their housemates, leading to their loss. If this happens, remove the injured gecko as soon as possible, keep them warm, give them food and water because their tails are like a food reserve and without them, they are more susceptible to stress. The tail will grow back, but it won’t look like the old one. It will be shorter and thicker than the original.
Interacting with Your Leopard Gecko
Handling and interacting with your Leopard gecko can be a wonderful bonding experience for both you and your pet. However, it’s important to handle them properly to avoid causing harm or stress.
Handling Your Gecko: Techniques and Tips
When picking up your gecko, use gentle and steady movements and support their body to prevent them from falling or wriggling away. Avoid grabbing their tail, as it can detach and cause stress or injury.
Building a Bond with Your Gecko: Trust Exercises and Socialization
Bonding with your Leopard gecko can take time and patience, but it’s worth the effort. You can start by offering them treats by hand and speaking to them softly. With time, they may become more comfortable with you and may even seek out your company.
Enrichment Activities: Keeping Your Gecko Happy and Active
Leopard geckos can benefit from socialization and enrichment activities too. You can create a safe and stimulating environment by providing hiding places, climbing structures, and toys to play with. It’s important to monitor their behaviour during these activities to ensure they are not getting overly stressed or injured.
How to keep a gecko’s tank clean
Leopard geckos need minimal care. They are relatively clean animals, doing their business at one end of the terrarium. Using sand as a substrate allows easy removal of the soiled area. Cleaning should be done at least once a week. You should completely replace the sand and clean the water bow once every 3-4 months. If you notice multiple small droppings in the sand, it’s definitely time to replace the whole thing.
How many leopard geckos can I have together?
In general, it is not a great idea to keep multiple leopard geckos together in the same enclosure, but it can be done.
Several female leopard geckos could be kept together (if they are of similar size), but sexually mature males are territorial and will fight. A male and several females can be kept in the same terrarium, but not until they are large enough to breed (45 grams for both sexes).
If you buy young animals and plan to keep them together, be aware that it is best to keep them separated until they reach sexual maturity. Males grow faster than females, and drastic differences in size can occur if young animals of different sexes are kept together. It is possible for the larger animal (male) to show dominance over the smaller one, taking food and showing aggression. In addition, males reach sexual maturity earlier than females and will try to breed early. This can cause stress on the young female gecko as it may not be large enough to lay eggs and cause health problems, reducing the life span of the gecko.
Breeding Leopard geckos
Breeding Leopard geckos can be a rewarding experience, but it’s important to understand the process and responsibilities involved. If you’re interested in breeding your Leopard geckos, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Firstly, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the genetics and breeding traits of your geckos. It’s recommended to only breed healthy, mature geckos that are at least a year old and weigh at least 45 grams. Before breeding, make sure that the male and female are compatible and that their size and weight are appropriate for breeding.
Once you have a compatible pair, you’ll need to create a breeding environment in their terrarium. This can include a separate breeding area with a warm hide box, a moist hide box, and a laying box filled with moist substrate. The temperature and humidity levels should also be closely monitored to ensure that the geckos are comfortable and healthy.
During breeding, it’s important to supervise the geckos closely to prevent any aggressive behaviour. Mating can take several attempts over a period of time, so be patient and observe the geckos carefully to ensure that they are successfully mating.
After successful mating, the female gecko will lay eggs within a few weeks. It’s important to carefully monitor the eggs and keep them in a separate incubator with the correct temperature and humidity levels. After approximately 45-60 days, the eggs will hatch and the baby geckos will emerge.
Breeding Leopard geckos can be a fun and rewarding experience, but it’s important to have a clear understanding of the process and responsibilities involved. Make sure to do your research and consult with a veterinarian or experienced breeder before attempting to breed your geckos.
Exploring the World of Leopard Gecko Morphs
Leopard gecko enthusiasts in the UK have a wide variety of morphs to choose from when selecting a pet. These morphs are the result of selective breeding and can range from subtle differences in colour to dramatic changes in pattern and texture.
There are dozens of different morphs out there, each with its unique look and characteristics. Some of the most popular ones include the High Yellow, which has bright yellow colouring, and the Mack Snow, which has a white and yellow colouration. Other morphs include the Tangerine, the RAPTOR, the Jungle, the Super Giant, and the Enigma.
Each one has its own unique characteristics and traits, so it’s important to do your research before choosing a morph that’s right for you. Keep in mind that some morphs may be more expensive than others, so be prepared to pay a premium for certain varieties. With so many options to choose from, you’re sure to find a leopard gecko that suits your taste and personality.
Decoding Leopard Gecko Behaviour
Leopard geckos are fascinating creatures that exhibit a wide range of behaviour, which can give you an insight into their physical and emotional state. As a pet owner, understanding their expressions and communication is crucial in ensuring their well-being and happiness in captivity.
One interesting behaviour of leopard geckos is the use of their eyelids to communicate. They often blink slowly to indicate a sense of calmness, while rapid blinking or no blinking at all can indicate stress or fear.
Another unique feature of leopard geckos is that they use their tails to communicate with other geckos. When they are excited or feeling territorial, they may wave their tails or even vibrate them to warn off other geckos. They may also drop their tails as a defence mechanism when they feel threatened.
Do leopard geckos hibernate?
Yes, hibernation is a normal thing for the annual cycle of geckos, but it is not obligatory for domestic animals. It is quite normal to keep temperatures high throughout the year, allowing the gecko to eat, drink water and be active in winter.
If you decide to breed your geckos or just take a break and put them into hibernation, just lower the temperatures to 21 degrees C or 60 degress F, this is enough to make the geckos hibernate. During this period, they will be lethargic and sluggish, eat less, drink less and be more inactive. They can be left in hibernation for up to 3 months without losing body mass due to their slowed metabolism requiring less energy. You can feed your geckos less often during this period, but if they refuse food, don’t worry, it won’t hurt them.
Conclusion
Leopard geckos can make fantastic pets for the right person, but they do require proper care and attention. By providing the appropriate housing, heating, substrate, and diet, you can ensure that your gecko is happy and healthy. It’s also important to be aware of the signs of potential health issues and to seek veterinary care if necessary. Finally, by taking the time to handle and bond with your gecko, you can develop a rewarding and fulfilling relationship with your new pet. Remember to always do your research and consult with experts when in doubt. With the right care and attention, your leopard gecko can be a wonderful addition to your family.