The Leopard Gecko
by Reid Taylor
by Reid Taylor
Leopard geckos have become one of the most popular lizards to keep as pets. They are attriactive, curious and hardy lizardss, attaining adult size at about 8 inches. Being easy to breed, these geckos are readily available from local breeders, by mail order and sometimes even at the pet store. From beginners to advanced hobbyists, leopard geckos offer something for everyone.
Leopard geckos are nocturnal, insectivorous lizards from the desret regions fo Iran, Pakisstan and northwest India. In the wild, the leopard gecko inhabits burrows. The outside desert air may be hot and dry but the burrow can have a surprisingly high humidity. They surface only at night to hunt for food.
Leopard geckos are captive bred in quantity and readily available. However they are not always found in pet stores. Adults and juveniles can be purchased from a local breeder or by mail order. Many color morphs are currently available, some inexpensive and others very pricey. Only purchase active, alert animals with thick tails. Geckos store fat in their tails. A healthy lizard will have a rounded or sometimes bulbous tail, while an unhealthy lizard will have a thin, boney tail. Some geckos you see may have a broken tail. This does not mean it is unhealthy but you should be wary since this is usually a sign of aggression from another gecko or mishandling by the owner.
Selecting a home for your leopard gecko is simple. A pair can be housed in a ten gallon aquarium with a secure top. Although not necessarily an escape artist, a screen type lid is good to allow ventilation and keep unwanted visitors (cats, dogs, kids, etc...) away from your lizards. A heating pad, such as you might get at your local discount store or those found at the pet store which are usually more expensive, should be placed under one end of the cage to achieve a temperature of about 80 degrees F. The temperature should be established before you put the lizard in the cage. It is important that the other end of the cage stay cooler, about 70 degrees F. Being a desert lizard, sand is a good substrate for the cage bottom. A hide box should also be provided to the gecko. The box should be large enough for the gecko to fit in comfortably and be able to turn around. A basking lamp or hot rock are NOT needed and NOT recommended.
Leopard geckos can be fed appropriately sized crickets and mealworms. Although a small gecko may attack and eventually handle large crickets, it is best to feed them sizes they can easily handle. A small water bowl should be provided with clean water for the gecko to drink. Sometimes a gecko will drink the water from the wall after misting the cage. Misting is good accasionally especially under the hide box. This keeps the humidity in the hide box high to make shedding easier.
The problems most associated with leopard geckos is a difficulty to shed properly. This is usually due to a low humidity in the hide area. DO NOT pull the loose skin off the lizard. You can simply increase the humidity by misting in the hide area. If this does not do the trick, call someone in the Herp Society for help.
When you are ready for breeding, see a good care manual or contact someone in the SAHerpSociety that has bred these wonderful lizards.