Feeding!

Well first off what should you feed a Leopard Gecko?

• Crickets (pinheads for Juveniles)

When feeding crickets to your leopard gecko its best to start with 5-6. And increase only a little over time if necessary. When feeding baby gecko's be sure to give them pinhead crickets, for they cannot fit an adult cricket in their mouths. Think about their bodies and how big there stomachs are, they can only eat so much! It is also better that when you are feeding crickets that you gut-load them. This mean you dust them with a calcium dust that provides nutrients that the crickets lack.

Note: Its best to feed crickets outside of the enclosure. Why? because if left unattended inside the enclosure it is said that crickets will bite your animals and harm them, and if your enclosure includes loose substrate such as sand or Eco-earth, your geckos may ingest that which is not healthy for them.

• Meal Worms

Leopard Geckos love these and can be found at many pet stores. (along with everything else I'm listing!) Meal worms should be feed more often with the crickets. You can also freeze them so they last for a longer period of time. Place these in a taller food bowl so they don't escape or feed directly to your gecko.

• Super Worms (Not recommended for Juveniles only because super worms are big!)

Super Worms are very fatty! But are great if your geckos need to bulk up. They are similar to meal worms just bigger.

• Pinkies (For Adults)

The only reason I say pinkies are for adults is because pinkies are to big for juvenile geckos. These are also fatty and should only be fed as a treat once a month or so.



Juvenile Leopard Geckos should be fed daily! There diet consisting of mainly crickets and meal worms. Dust the crickets once a week for their nutrients.

Adults should be fed every other day or every three days. there Diet consisting of a little bit of everything! Also crickets should be dusted once a week for nutrients as well.

What are Leopard Geckos?

If you are looking for a good beginner reptile. This is it! They are relatively easy to care for and are fun to handle! When first getting a gecko, we recommend you DO NOT handle them for a week or so. This is less stressful on the gecko.

Leopard Geckos are nocturnal (meaning they come out at night) geckos that originate from the
deserts of Asia, Pakistan, and Northeastern parts of India. There colors range from yellow, black, white, orange, and blue colors. Some fun facts about these geckos is that unlike other geckos the posses eyelids and claws (instead of sticky pads)

There native habitat is rocky desert with winter temperatures to 50F. Which is why they burrow under ground for warmth. Geckos are cold blooded and cannot heat themselves.

Another name for this gecko is called "Fat Tail". They get this name for there, you guessed it, fat tails. They are this way to store fat when needed. You should never pick up a lizard by the tail. For this lizard can detach its tail if threatened, which can harm the gecko! Another cool fact about them is that when these geckos are hunting or are being territorial they will shake their tails, kind of like a dog.

Leopard geckos are large for a gecko. Hatching's tend to be 6.5 to 8.4 cm (2.6 to 3.3 inches) in length and weighing about 3 grams  while the adult geckos are about 20.5 to 27.5 cm (8.1 to 11 inches) in length and weigh about 45 to 65 grams.

Heating and Humidity

The best way to heat your leopard gecko is by using an under tank heating pad or tape. These are available at any pet store or online. Heating one end of the cage is best. This allows for a temperature variation that your lizard needs. Heat rocks tend to become too hot for leopard geckos and should be avoided due to the risk of burns.

For viewing, a simple low-wattage light can be placed overhead on the screen-cage top and left on 12 hours a day.

Because leopard geckos are active at night (notice their vertical pupils), they do not need to bask under a special UVB light.

The ideal temperature in the hide box is 86 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit at all times. The ambient air temperature of the room they are housed in should be above 73 degrees.

As for humidity, the best would be between 40%-60%. And now your asking, but why so high if they come from a desert environment? Even though they do live in dry and hot temperatures, they spend most of there time in moist burrows during the day.

Designing Your Gecko's New Home

      When creating your gecko's new home be sure to have these items:

• 10 gallon Enclosure
• Lid
• Hide
• Water Dish
• Food Dish
• Thermometer & Hydrometer
• Climbing Branch or Rock
• Heating Pad (recommended)
• Heat Lamp
• Basking Bulb
• Nighttime Heat Lamp (if needed)
• Shed Box
• More Climbing areas or decor plants (optional)

      These are all required for setting up your new enclosure. The Vivarium is the most important

part of all this! RULE OF THUMB: One gecko to a ten gallon vivarium. Although it is ok to have

two juvenile geckos in a ten gallon as long as they both have separate hides. The Hide is used for the

geckos themselves to be able to get away from the stress and to re cooperate, also they are nocturnal so

don't be surprised if your gecko spends most of his time in there. Next is the water dish which must

be changed and cleaned everyday to insure fresh and clean water. The food bowl can be used for

things like: Superworms, mealworms, or pellets. (I would not suggest putting crickets in there for

they might jump out.) When getting a food dish, using something natural looking is ok, but you may

also use something like a small tin cat dish. I use these so that the insects cannot crawl out! (Helps a

lot when you have sand substrate!) Next is the thermometer & hydrometer. This will help you

determine the exact temperature you need for heat and humidity inside the enclosure. A Climbing

Branch or rocks can be used wherever you would like, but is most useful in the basking area for your

gecko. Providing these will insure better exercise and enrichment for them. Heating Pads are

recommended on the bottom of your enclosure to help your gecko digest his food better, and better

prevent impaction. Although you can also place a heating pad on the side of the tank. A basking bulb

is needed, for your leopard gecko is cold blooded and cannot heat himself. Place the heat lamp above

the basking area. The shed box is also important because, not only does it provide another hide away,

but helps your gecko shed better. When placing the shed box inside the enclosure be sure to keep that

area moist all the time with either paper towels or moss. Finally you may add a background to

enhance the beauty of the tank and also plant decor and more climbing areas for your gecko to

enjoy!

My Own Geckos

Some Ideas

Substrate!

Choosing a substrate for you leopard gecko can be partially difficult, due to the fact that everyone has

 there own opinion on what you should use for the safety of your gecko. Therefore here's a list and

reasoning's.

Sand - This is the most debated topic to reptile keepers. Although sand looks more natural, it can cause problems, such as impaction. Impaction simply means that your leopard gecko has eaten some of that sand and cannot digest this. Therefore I'd recommend if you decide to use sand for your gecko to feed in a separate area (on a flat surface) where he could only eat his food. Also, keep in mind, that the water must all be cleaned if any sand gets inside the water dish, and as long as there is proper heating (basking and under tank heater), and humidity level, your leopard gecko should be perfectly fine on this substrate.

Slate Rocks - Slate rocks are very natural looking and can add beauty to your leopard geckos environment. As this is more of a decor item, I would suggest placing these on top of your sand substrate to avoid impaction further.

Paper Towels or Paper - These are useful items but would need to be changed everyday and are not very stylish. When getting a juvenile gecko this would be ok for him.

Reptile Carpet - Easy to clean, stylish, and solves your problem for impaction! Reptile Carpet is awesome for your leopard gecko! Just be careful of small threads that could wrap around your gecko or if he ingests it.

Things to AVOID!

Wood chips, wood shavings, corn cob, walnut shells, and gravel are not good for your gecko!!!

I recommend calcium sand. I've never had problems with this sand as long as your geckos are being taken care of properly.