How to Care For Your Leopard Geckos

Leopard geckos are easy to care for. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, and have moveable eyelids. Leopard geckos include the leucistic, high yellow, and albino leopard geckos.

Average Size 6 to 9 inches long

Life Span 20+ years with proper care

Diet : Provide a variety of insects, including crickets, small mealworms and wax worms; use gut-loaded

(recently fed) crickets no larger than half the length of the gecko’s head.

Feeding : Feed juveniles every day; feed adults every other day. Dust food with calcium daily and a multi-vitamin supplement once or twice a week.

Housing : Due to the varied sizes and growth rates of reptiles, and their individualized needs, we recommend you consult your qualified reptile veterinarian and a book on this species to determine it’s specific housing requirements.

• Size – Appropriate sized habitat with a secure lid; a 10-20 gallon tank is recommended for one leopard gecko.

• Substrate – Use alfalfa-based pellets or calcium sand; geckos may eat substrate, if they do, select an edible substrate such as alfalfa pellets; repti-carpet or unbleached paper towels are also recommended substrate choices for leopard geckos.

• Habitat – Provide multiple hiding areas with non-toxic plants, branches, logs, and cork; environment should provide no less than 50% humidity to promote proper shedding.

• Temperature – Provide a temperature gradient by placing a heat source on one end of the tank; temperature should range from 78°F to 88°F with a basking area of 95°F.

• Lighting – 10-12 hours of light per day is required; because Leopard Geckos are nocturnal, they do not require UVB lighting like most other lizards; an incandescent bulb can be used for basking area during daylight hours only; can use a ceramic heater or a black heat bulb at all hours.

• Water – Provide a constant supply of clean, fresh, filtered, chlorine-free water in a shallow bowl that cannot be tipped over.

Never house two or more male geckos, or different species of reptiles together.



Normal Behavior and Interaction

Leopard geckos have good dispositions. Active during the night and sleep during the day (nocturnal). Keep handling to a minimum; over handling geckos can cause them stress.

Habitat Maintenance

Change water in the bowl daily; pickup leftover food and feces right away. Thoroughly clean the tank at least once a week: place gecko in a secure habitat; scrub the tank and furnishings with a 3% bleach solution; rinse thoroughly with water, removing all smell of bleach; dry the tank and furnishings; and add clean substrate.

Grooming and Hygiene

Geckos regularly shed their skin; ensure humidity of habitat is appropriate to allow proper shedding; a shed box, which is essentially a hide box with damp sphagnum moss, is recommended as this will aid in the shedding process. Because all geckos are potential carriers of infectious diseases and salmonella, always wash your hands before and after handling your gecko and/or the habitat contents to help prevent the potential of spread of diseases. Pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems should contact their physician before purchasing and/or caring for a gecko and should consider not having a gecko as a pet. For more information regarding geckos and disease, contact the Center for Disease Control at

http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/

Signs of a Healthy Animal :
• Clear eyes
• Eats regularly
• Active and alert
• Clear nose and vent
• Body and tail are full
• Healthy skin

Red Flags :
• Weight loss or decreased appetite
• Swelling
• Bumps, sores, or abrasions on skin
• Paralysis of limbs or tail
• Mucus in mouth or nose
• Lethargy
• Labored breathing
• Abnormal feces