Description:

Leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) originated from the Middle East - Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan area.

Leopard Geckos are medium-sized lizards that come in a variety of colours and patterns.

The average size of a full-grown adult is approximately 6-7” (15-20 cm) and females weigh about 50-60 grams and males 70-80 grams.

 

Housing:

The vivarium or box they are housed in can be as elaborate or as plain as you like.

I house my adult geckos separately and in plastic boxes measuring 15” by 11” (39 x 28 cm) and my hatchlings in a similar box measuring 11” x 7” (28 x 20 cm) both from IKEA called “SAMLA”. 

Three or four adult geckos can live comfortably in a enclosure measuring around 36” by 18” (90 x 45 cm) with a height of at least 11” (30 cm) if you plan to install lighting.

Never house two male geckos together once they are sexually mature, they are territorial and will fight for dominance, sometimes to the death!

A single male can be kept with several females, and several females can share the same enclosure.

 

Hides:

In order for the gecko to feel secure in its enclosure you need to provide several hiding places.

If there are no adequate places for them to hide they can become stressed.

Hides can be made from anything from margarine tubs to coconut shells.

If you keep several geckos together there needs to be 1 hide pr gecko.

All of my Geckos have a moist box kept in their home at all times, during the day they tend to sleep in there.

Moist hides are particularly important during shedding times to help remove their skin.

I use vermaculite, but you can also use perlite or spaghnum as substrate in the humid hides.

  

Heating:

Heating and Temperature are very important to the health of you Leopard Geckos. 

Leopard Geckos are cold blooded need heat to thermo-regulate, as they do not produce their own body heat internally.

They need an external heat source to help them digest their food as well as regulate other bodily functions.

Leopard geckos obtain their heat through their underside so the best source of heat is a heat-mat placed under the tank.

The mat needs to cover between half or 1/3 of the bottom of the enclosure.

The temperature of the floor of your enclosure where the geckos bask should read between 84-88 degrees Fahrenheit (28-32 degrees Celsius).

 

Lighting:

Leopard Geckos are nocturnal and do not need artificial lighting or UV light, which some other reptiles require.

 

Substrate: 

I use paper towel (køkkenrulle) for all my geckos.

I have previously used sand but sand can be extremely harmful to the digestive system of the leopard gecko and may even cause death if they are swallowed, so I decided not to take that chance.

I have NEVER had any problems using sand and many geckos live long and happy lives with sand as substrate.

As an alternate solution in a naturalistic enclosure I would recommend slate, or unglazed ceramic tiles.

 

Feeding and water:

Leopard Geckos mainly eat live crickets, mealworms, cockroaches or locust.

I have chosen to use crickets only as they make a great diet, but I do use mealworms occasionally. 

Babies should be fed 3-5 small crickets every day until they reach about 4” (10 cm) in length, then larger prey every other day until they become full-grown in about 10 -12 months.

Adults can be fed 6-7 large crickets 2 or 3 times a week. 

Waxworms should be fed only occasionally because they are high in fat and cholesterol, and Leopard Geckos can become spoiled if they are fed them too often and refuse other food items. 

As Leopard geckos are nocturnal they prefer to hunt their prey at night, so it is advised to place food items with your Geckos after dusk.

Fresh clean water should be available at all times in a shallow bowl.

 

Gut loading:

Live crickets, roaches, and mealworms should be fed nutritious food like oatmeal, potatoes, collard greens, carrots, and a little dry fish food.

If you do not feed your feeders you geckos will be eating an empty shell without nutrience. 

 

Supplements:

Since Leopard Geckos assimilate calcium and vitamins from their diet, feeder insects must be "dusted" with a mixture of calcium and reptile vitamins powder every time.

Add calcium or vitamin powder in a plastic container and dust the crickets by shaking them gently.  

Lack of calcium an cause Metabolic bone disease (MBD).

When not provided with the right amount of calcium the geckos body then begins to extract calcium from its own bones.

Symptoms associated with this include lethargy, painful swollen joints, unusual curvature of the legs, soft jaws and an overall weakness in the animal.

To prevent MBD all you need to be aware of is that you need to add calcium supplements to the live food you are providing to your geckos.

 

Maintenance:
Cleanliness is an absolute must especially when keeping several geckos.

The cleaner the cages are the less chance there is of having diseases spread. So this should be done on a regular basis.

If you’re using paper or paper towel change it every week or sooner if needed. Change water dishes and give fresh water.

 

Gecko-room/work space