Leopard Gecko Care Sheet
Housing Your Leopard Gecko
The leopard geckos requirements are few and you can have a happy gecko if you provide their basic needs. This care sheet has the basic information needed to care for your leopard gecko. First, your gecko will need to have a house that is clean and easily kept that way! A 10 gallon aquarium will house one gecko comfortably, but a larger one will be needed if you have more than one gecko. 10 gallons per leopard gecko is a good general rule. The more floor space you can provide for the leopard gecko, the better. Leopard geckos are extremely resourceful and will find a way to escape if you allow anything too high in the cage. I also recommend a screened top as it keeps the leopard geckos in and allows a place for lighting. You can also use some sort of bottom cover (sand, pebbles, shredded bark, etc.). The one I use is a plain flat rubber mat. It doesn’t look that pretty but, it’s easy to clean and cannot be accidentally eaten. Some say that sand, bark, etc. could possibly be eaten by your leopard gecko and could cause health problems. You can also put some fake plants (the kind you get at a pet store) in the tank as your gecko will like the extra cover it provides.
Since leopard geckos are naturally found in the desert, it is important that their dwellings in captivity mimic the dry environment which they are used to. Leopard geckos do NOT fare well in humid environments. For this reason, it is recommended that any source of excess moisture be avoided in their enclosure. Excessive humidity can lead to respiratory infections in leopard geckos. Your leopard gecko will also need some cover in the form of a hide box (plastic, stone, etc.) that is big enough and has an entrance hole large enough for your gecko to get in and out without any trouble. Leopard geckos also require a moist hiding spot so they can shed properly. If they do not have a moist hiding spot, shed skin could get stuck between their toes and cause them to lose circulation and eventually fall off. You can provide moisture by adding some moist peat moss and vermiculite to their hide box and checking it periodically to make sure it stays moist. Proper humidity in the hiding spot aids in the shedding, particularly around their toes.
You should also take care to not roughly handle your leopard gecko because if you do, their tail might fall off. Once their tail has fallen off, it will take some time to grow it back. When it does grow back, it will be bigger and more bulbous than the original. Make sure that if your gecko has not eaten their food (especially crickets), that you take the insects out after a 4hr period. The insects left behind could nibble on your leopard gecko and cause them stress.
Leopard Geckos in captivity should be provided with a continual source of calcium because they are quite prone to bone problems when calcium is not supplemented. A calcium powder can be purchased from any pet store which sells leopard geckos. It can either be sprinkled onto their food or left in a dish in their enclosure for them to help themselves to when needed. It is also important to note that many commercial sand companies include calcium in their sand for this reason, however there are risks involved in using these sands in the enclosure. Many geckos will eat the sand in order to obtain the necessary calcium, and in doing so will damage their bodies when the sand hardens inside of their intestines. There are many cases of leopard geckos dying from sand impaction within their bodies. It is best to avoid this risk entirely, and use substrates other than sand, while also providing additional calcium supplements. Slate tiles purchased from a hardware store work very well for this.
Males should NEVER be housed together. They are territorial and will fight to the death. Females may become aggressive towards each other, so watch to make sure they do not fight. Also, only keep leopard geckos together that are the same size. Larger leopard geckos may intimidate smaller ones and the smaller ones will refuse to eat. If this happens, separate the leopard geckos as soon as possible. Also, even if breeding, males should not be kept with just one female for extended periods of time (more than a few weeks). The male will try to breed with the female as much as possible and it will be stressful for her. If you want to keep them together for longer periods of time, use a 1:2 or 1:3 male to female ratio.
Heating Your Leopard Gecko
Leopard geckos are ectothermic which means we must provide them with supplemental heat sources in captivity. They cannot produce their own body heat and must rely on external or environmental heat sources. Your Leopard Gecko will need a temperature gradient in the tank. This can be done with a heat mat on the bottom of one end of the tank and the other end is allowed to stay at or just above room temperature. The temperature should drop as gecko moves away from the basking area. The temperature at the heated end of the tank should be between 88-92F.on the bottom surface. You can provide extra heat with an overhead light but, only use a bulb bright enough to provide the heat needed (the higher the wattage the higher the temp. output) as a Leopard Gecko does not require special UV lighting.
Leopard Geckos need to have access to their Preferred Optimal Temperature Zone (POTZ) for proper digestion of meals, Growth, Healing, Proper functioning of their immune system and Reproduction. In the wild, leopard geckos typically inhabit regions that consist of multiple areas with varying temperatures and humidity levels. As with other reptiles, they control their core body temperatures to within a few degrees of their POTZ by moving in and out of these areas. This is called thermoregulation. It is critical that you provide your leopard gecko with temperature gradients within the enclosure to allow them to naturally adjust their body temperature. It would be un-natural for the entire enclosure to be maintained at a uniform temperature. Be sure to provide hides throughout the temperature gradients.
Always set up your leopard geckos enclosure in advance of bringing the gecko home. This will give you a chance to fine-tune the necessary temperatures and ensure that you are providing the necessary temperatures and temperature gradients. Keep in mind that the best type and wattage of heat source that would be most suitable for your geckos enclosure will depend on the ambient room temperature that the enclosure is in and the size of the geckos enclosure.
Determining Your Leopard Geckos Sex
On the left is an adult male leopard gecko. You can see that the bulge behind the vent is quite noticeable. That is where the hemipenes are located. You can also readily see the row of femoral pores shaped like a "V" in front of the vent. On the right is a leopard gecko. As you can see, she has neither the bulge nor a noticeable row of pores. There is a row there, but it is really not that noticeable. You will have to wait till the Gecko is old enough, over 6 months at least to really be sure. Juvenile male Leopard Geckos look very much like females. For more information go to our sexual reproduction section.
Click the pictures below to get a better look!
Feeding Your Leopard Gecko
Leopard geckos are primarily insectivorous and will require live food in the form of insects such as Crickets, Super Worms, Mealworms, etc. geckos also enjoy eating Butter Worms, Silkworms, Earthworms, Locusts and at times Pinkie Mice (baby mice) as a variety in their diet. Wax Worms are also acceptable, however due to the high fat content of the worms they are not recommended as a regular item in the geckos diet and should be substituted only once per week. Most pet stores carry the insects named above but, if they don’t you could try a bait shop. Pinkies should also only be fed to your leopard gecko every other week due to essential nutrients stored in the flesh and bone of mammals that insects don’t have. However, pinkys should not be fed to leopard geckos that are under 14 months of age as there is a risk of them choking due to their smaller mouths. Gecko babies and juveniles should only be fed food items half the size of their heads or it might be to big for them to swallow.
It is important that the food you give your gecko is as highly nutritious as possible. Mealworms are the best choice to feed your leopard gecko, as studies have shown that leopard geckos that are fed primarily on Mealworms in the first year of their lives outlive cricket-fed geckos however, crickets may be substituted.
Prey should be no larger than the width of the geckos mouth to prevent choking. It is also better and more stimulating for your gecko if a varied diet is offered. Do not offer dead insects as food to your gecko and never feed insects that have been exposed to any sort of chemical such as insecticides, herbicides or pesticides. Therefore, you should never use insects from your yard as they could be contaminated with these chemicals.
Hatchling or juvenile leopard geckos should be fed on a daily basis and adults every other day. Hatchlings should only be fed the smallest of insects (Crickets, Mealworms). Adults can be fed less regularly, 2 or 3 times a week. It is important the food is not too small for the gecko not to be interested, and also important for it not to be too big for it to become hard to swallow. For females in breeding season, pinkies dipped in calcium or mineral powder should be offered more, to aid in the development of the eggs. Do not be surprised if in the winter your gecko only eats two Mealworms or other prey items every other day. The insects should also be dusted with a calcium and multivitamin supplement(powder form). Both supplements can also be added to the food by dusting them (shake and bake.) before feeding them to your leopard gecko but, the multivitamin should only be given twice per week(shake and bake only). Also a small dish (jar lid) with calcium powder should be available at all times. You can also put it in the same dish that the food is offered in.
Your leopard gecko will need fresh water EVERY DAY, and you will need to clean your geckos water and food bowls regularly. It is important that water is available at all times. A shallow water dish which is hard to tip over and easy to clean is ideal. It is also a good idea to have a bowl which does not have small crevices and cracks in it, which mould can build up in, and small insects can hide in. You must be certain to scrub out the water bowl every other day or so to remove waste. You must remember, however, not to use anti-bacterial soap to clean out cage furniture. You will kill your gecko if you clean the water bowl with anti-bacterial soap. Plain dish detergent works fine but, rinse it very well afterwards.
Gut Loading Feeder Insects
It is extremely important that feeder insects be fed a highly nutritious diet prior to being fed to your leopard gecko. The process of "feeding the food" is called gut-loading. Food Insects should be gut-loaded for at least 24 hours before being fed to your leopard gecko. Most insects that are shipped and stored at pet stores are lacking in nutritional value, often the nutritional quality of diets fed to crickets are inadequate to provide proper nutrition to the gecko. In order to gut-load your Feeder Insects, simply place them in a container for 24 hours prior to feeding them to your gecko and offer them a highly nutritious insect diet.
This can be done with special food bought at the Pet Shop or you can make your own from whole grain cereals and a couple pieces of vegetables or fruit in the mix. Just combine the cereal and pieces of fruit and vegetables in a plastic bucket. Only put about 1-2 inches of the mixture in the bottom of the bucket and stuff the fruit or vegetables (replace fruit every other day) down into the mixture. Then just add your insects and put a lid with air holes on the container and leave them (only works with super worms) until your ready to feed your gecko. Moisture can be provided to your feeder insects by using a variety of fruits and vegetables. Crickets require store bought feed and special housing so we only buy enough for one feeding at a time and always dust them before offering to your leopard gecko.
Cleansing and Disinfecting
The Basics
The house will need to be cleaned properly at least once per week.
This can be accomplished with a 6% bleach and water mixture ( 6ml.bleach
to 94ml.water) and a cloth or paper towel to wipe the insides of the
geckos tank (make sure to rinse with clean water to get rid of the
bleach residue) A simple vinegar and water solution to shine the glass
works well as the store bought cleaners could harm your Gecko.
This video will show you the basics of tank cleaning.
Important Guidelines
Doubling the concentration of a disinfectant will not necessarily cut the required contact time between the surface and the disinfectant itself. Never mix different cleansers and disinfectants together unless you have been properly advised to. This could not only produce dangerous compounds and gases, but it may even decrease the effectiveness of the disinfectant. Avoid cleansers that contain phenols or pine scents as these are highly toxic. All objects should be thoroughly cleansed before being disinfected. Always read the product labels very carefully!!! Use water to wash the glass of the enclosure. Other cleaners (such as a vinegar and water mixture) can only be used if the gecko is not in the enclosure at the time and you can thoroughly rinse all residue and fumes before putting the gecko back into the enclosure. By developing a comprehensive cleaning and disinfecting schedule, you are helping to prevent the possible growth of bacteria and other organisms, this will decrease the chances of your gecko coming into contaminated matter and developing health problems.
For More Info
If you would like more information then what was offered here on leopard gecko care we have provided more info on our Home page. We hope that the information provided here on our care sheet will be helpful to you and hopefully you will enjoy your leopard gecko as much as we enjoy ours. Also check out our blog for stories about Lizzys weekly care and misadventures and if your looking for leopard gecko photos then check out our gallery. Lizzy loves to have her picture taken and we'd like to share them with you! You can also check out our sexual reproduction page.
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