Leopard Gecko Care

  •       Care Difficulty – Beginner
  •       Average Life Span - Up to 10-20 years with proper care 
  •       Average Adult Size - 6-9 inches long
  •       Diet – Insectivore

·       Minimum/Ideal Aquarium Size - 10-gallon tank for juvenile; 20-gallon tank for adult

  •  Décor – Provide multiple hiding areas with nontoxic live or artificial plants, branches and logs for climbing on, and cork bark for hiding under. Hide boxes should contain moist sphagnum moss or vermiculite to provide humidity essential for proper shedding
  • Substrate – Provide commercially available substrate or reptile carpet. Gravel, wood chips and walnut shells are not recommended. If using a particulate matter bedding such as sand, feed your reptile in a dish or feeding tank to reduce the ingestion of substrate, which can cause potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal tract obstructions
  • Lighting – In nature, leopard geckos are nocturnal, but studies have shown that pet leopard geckos do better when provided with ultraviolet (UV)B light to help them synthesize vitamin D in their skin and absorb dietary calcium for strong bones. UV light should be provided for 10 to 12 hours a day, and UV bulbs should be replaced every six months, as their potency wanes. An incandescent bulb, ceramic bulb or under-tank heater can be used to provide heat. Hot rocks should not be used, as they can get too hot and burn reptiles sitting on them
  • Temperature – Like other reptiles, leopard geckos are ectotherms who rely on their environmental temperature to regulate their body temperature. Therefore, a temperature gradient (85-90°F for the warm end/basking area and 75-80°F for the cool end) should be provided and monitored using thermometers
  • Humidity - Proper humidity is essential for leopard geckos, as they frequently retain shed skin around their eyes (preventing them from seeing their prey and eating) and their toes (constricting blood circulation) when habitat humidity is too low. A shallow water dish large enough for a leopard gecko to soak in should be offered. In addition, at least one humid hide (also called a shed box) should be provided to help with shedding. These can be purchased or made by cutting a door into a plastic storage container. Humid hides should be filled with moist sphagnum moss and be placed in the warmer end of the habitat to encourage evaporation. Moss must be checked frequently to ensure it stays moist and doesn’t become moldy. While humidity levels in the humid hide should be high to promote normal shedding, overall habitat humidity outside the hide should remain below 50% and be monitored with a humidity gauge, or geckos may develop respiratory tract and skin infections

 

Cleaning your habitat

Thoroughly clean and disinfect water and food bowls daily. The habitat should be spot-cleaned daily to remove droppings and discarded food. Thoroughly clean the habitat at least once a week:

  • Place leopard gecko in a secure habitat
  • Scrub the tank and furnishings with a reptile habitat cleaner or 3% bleach solution
  • Rinse the tank and all furnishings thoroughly with water, removing all traces of habitat cleaner or bleach smell
  • When the tank and furnishings are completely dry, add clean substrate
  • Put furnishings and the leopard gecko back in the habitat

 

Feeding

A well-balanced leopard gecko diet consists of:

  •  Insects, including crickets, roaches, mealworms, superworms, hornworms, calciworms and waxworms. Use gut-loaded (recently fed) crickets no larger than the space between the gecko's eyes. Living insects are more nutritious for geckos than freeze-dried ones, plus geckos enjoy hunting and catching living prey.

 

Things to remember when feeding your leopard gecko:

  •  Fresh, clean water should be available at all times
  •  Feed juvenile leopard geckos daily. Adults may be fed every other day
  •  Sprinkle food every other day with a small pinch of powdered calcium supplement with vitamin D3, alternating with powdered calcium supplement without vitamin D3, plus a small pinch of multivitamin supplement once a week
  •  Offer insects to geckos just one or two at a time, and be sure insects are eaten as you add them. Never leave uneaten insects in the habitat with the leopard gecko as they may chew on the gecko’s skin if they are left uneaten

 

 

 

Care

  • Juvenile geckos can be easily stressed when handled a lot. While handling helps acclimate a gecko to their pet parent, leopard geckos should not be handled often until they settle into their habitats and are at least 6 inches long
  • Never grab them by their tails. Leopard geckos can release their tails if they are grabbed by predators or if their tails are held too aggressively. Although their tail may regrow, it will not resemble their former tail
  • Leopard geckos regularly shed their skin. To aid proper shedding, ensure the humidity of their habitat is at the appropriate level and that humid hides and soaking dishes are available

 

Habitat mates

Do not house male leopard geckos together or with males of another reptile species, as they will likely fight. Female leopard geckos may be housed together. A single male leopard gecko may be housed with one to three female geckos if you’re prepared for them to breed.

Health

Signs of a healthy leopard gecko

  • Active and alert
  • Clear, bright eyes without swelling or discharge
  • Full, muscular tail
  • Does not hide for extensive periods
  • Supple skin without sores, swellings or discoloration
  • Droppings are firm, not runny or bloody
  • Eats and passes stool regularly
  • Clear nose and vent

Red flags (If you notice any of these signs, contact your veterinarian.)

  • Weight loss or decreased appetite
  • Discharge or bubbles from eyes, mouth or nose
  • Lesions, swelling or discoloration of skin
  • Retained shed on toes, eyelids or limbs
  • Lethargy
  • Labored breathing
  • Paralysis or weakness of limbs
  • Runny or bloody stool or lack of stool