Exotic Pets
Leopard Gecko
EPR3686- Regular price
- $35.00 USD
- Regular price
-
- Sale price
- $35.00 USD
- Unit price
- per
Shopping List- Leopard Gecko
- Front-opening 36â x 18â x 18â enclosureà (50 Gallons)
- UVB Lighting
- Linear-
- 24â T5 HO fluorescent hood, with reflectorà Ã
- 22â T5 HO forest UVB bulb
- 22â Shadedweller Max
- 24â T5 HO fluorescent hood, with reflectorà Ã
- Linear-
- Heat bulbs
- 5â Dome
- ExoTerra 100W Intense Basking Spot
- ExoTerra 75W Halogen Basking
- Ceramic Heat Emitter 40W (only if dropping below 70 degrees at night)
- Naturalistic substrate
- Humid Hide
- Sphagnum Moss
- Magnaturals Burrow
- Cave/Hide- Large Gecko Cave
- 3 one for basking, one for cool side, and one humid
- Misting
- Reptisafe
- ExoTerra Mister
- Environmental enrichment: branches, cork logs, rocks, etc.
- Food and water dishes
- Magnaturals rock ledge with 2 worm dishes
- Diet
- Feeder insects- nothing wider than the head. No superworms!
- Calcium supplement (w/ out D3 & w/ D3) w/ out should be offered at all times
- Multivitamin supplement powder
- Combo Thermometer Humidity Gauge
- Programmable power strip with digital timer
- Feeding tongs
How to Care for Your Leopard Gecko
Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularius) are mid-sized, nocturnal, terrestrial geckos native to semi-desert and arid grassland areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and surrounding countries.
Leopard geckos have stout bodies, short limbs, long, narrow digits, a large head, and plump, segmented tails. Unlike most other geckos, they do not have sticky toe pads, and they do have eyelids. Their normal pattern is mustard yellow with copious black spots, hence its common name. However, selective breeding in captivity, however, has resulted in a large variety of patterns and colors (âÂÂmorphsâÂÂ).
Leopard geckos areà generally docile, tolerant of humans, and fairly hardy. This makes them a good choice for beginners or people looking for a lizard that doesnâÂÂt mind handling.
How much space do leopard geckos need?
A single leopard gecko should be housed in no smaller than a 36â x 18â x 16â enclosure, or a 40 gallon tank. Many sources recommend 20 gallons, or even as small as just 10 gallons, but these recommendations are based on outdated standards. 36â x 18â x 16â are the minimum dimensions recommended by experts, although some take it further and recommend 36â x 24â x 24â instead.
In other words, 40 gallons is the minimum, but if you can provide a larger enclosure, they will appreciate it!
Cohabitation (keeping multiple leopard geckos in the same terrarium) is not recommended, and may result in fighting if attempted.
Do leopard geckos need UVB?
Leopard geckos are crepuscular, which means that they are most active at night, particularly around dusk. Technically leopard geckos can survive without UVB lighting as long as they get supplemented with vitamin D3, but the fact remains that they canâÂÂt thrive without it. Aside from helping provide a day/night cycle, UVB is also good for your geckoâÂÂs overall wellbeing.
ItâÂÂs best to provide low-strength UVB lighting as part of your geckoâÂÂs enclosure. The best UVB bulbs for leopard geckos housed in a 40 gallon terrarium are:
The UVB bulb should be housed in a reflective T5 HO fixture such as the Arcadia ProT5 or Vivarium Electronics. Place the fixture on the basking side along with the heat lamp. The basking area should be 12-14â below the lamp to give your gecko the right amount of UVB.
UVB is blocked by glass and plastic, so you canâÂÂt give your gecko UVB by placing its terrarium in front of an open window. This can also make your enclosure dangerously hot by creating a greenhouse effect! Also make sure that the fixture your UVB bulb is in does not have a clear plastic or glass bulb cover.
Lights should be on for 10 hours/day during winter, and 14 hours/day during summer to simulate seasonal changes in day length.
What basking temperatures do leopard geckos need?
Leopard geckos should have a basking surface temperature of 94-97ðF, as measured by a digital probe thermometer with the probe placed on the basking surface. Warm hide temperature should be between 90-92ðF. There should also be a cooler area on the opposite side of the enclosure that stays between 70-77ðF.Ã
Provide heat for your gecko by imitating the sun with aà halogen heat lampà placed on one side of the enclosure. Do not use ceramic heat emitters (CHEs), red bulbs, or blue bulbs, as these are not as effective. Place the geckoâÂÂs warm hideout/cave below the heat lamp.Ã
For best results, the basking surface should be a flat piece of rock like flagstone or paver stone. The rock also creates a natural source of âÂÂbelly heatâÂÂ. This rock should be placed on top of a black plastic box hide to create the warm hide.
If your warm hide isnâÂÂt getting warm enough, you can use aà heat pad. The heat pad should be a little bit smaller than the hide itself, placed between the warm hide and the basking rock, and connected to aà thermostatà for safety. Place the thermostat probe inside the warm hide to accurately control temperature.
The heat source should be turned off at night. Nighttime temperatures can drop as low as 60ðF.
What humidity levels do leopard geckos need?
Leopard geckos need a low-humidity environment with access to a humid microclimate for best health.à Average humidity should be 30-40%, as measured by a digital probe hygrometer with the probe in the middle of the terrarium. However,à you will also need to provide a humid hideoutà lined with moistened substrate orà sphagnum mossà and placed in the middle of the enclosure.
What substrate is good for leopard geckos?
Substrate covers the floor of your geckoâÂÂs terrarium and helps make the enclosure more attractive, but it also helps maintain higher humidity levels and provides something for your gecko to dig in. Solid substrates like slate tile and terrarium mats are popular because of the common myth that geckos will get impacted if housed on a âÂÂlooseâÂÂ-type substrate (this only happens when the animal is already unhealthy due to poor husbandry). If youâÂÂre nervous, you can certainly use a solid substrate, but they have some significant disadvantages:
- Solid substrates need to be scrubbed frequently
- Solid substrates donâÂÂt cushion your dragonâÂÂs joints
- Solid substrates offer no enrichment value
ItâÂÂs ideal to use a substrate that imitates the âÂÂsubstrateâ that the reptile naturally lives on in the wild. For leopard geckos, that means it should be sand or sandy soil. It should have small particles, hold moisture well, and be loose enough to dig in.
We recommend the following substrates for leopard geckos:
Substrate should be at least 4â deep and completely replaced every 3-4 months. Remove poop and urates daily, along with contaminated substrate.
What décor can you use in a leopard gecko terrarium?
ItâÂÂs terribly boring for a gecko to be stuck in an enclosure with nothing in it except substrate and food/water bowls. It doesnâÂÂt matter how big the enclosure is if you donâÂÂt put things in it for your pet to use and interact with.Ã
At bare minimum, you will need three âÂÂcavesâ for the gecko to hide in. However, itâÂÂs best to include other items, such as:
- small logs and branches
- climbing rocks
- ledges
- additional hides
- live orà artificial plants
What do leopard geckos eat?
Leopard geckos areà insectivorous, which means that they need a diet of insects in order to get the nutrition that their bodies need. How often these geckos need to eat depends on age: Juveniles should be fed daily, and young adults fed every other day/every 3 days. Adults whose tail is fatter than their neck can be fed every 5 days.
One meal should be 2 appropriately-sized bugs per 1 inch of your leopard geckoâÂÂs length, or however much they can eat in 15 minutes.
Feeder insects for leopard geckos:Ã dubia roaches, discoid roaches, red runner roaches, crickets,Ã black soldier fly larvae,Ã hornworms,Ã mealworms,Ã superworms
Supplements
You will also need calcium and vitamin supplements to prevent your gecko from developing a deficiency. We recommendà Repashy Calcium Plus LoD, lightly dusted on all of your geckoâÂÂs feeder insects.
Water
Of course, donâÂÂt forget a smallà water bowlà for your gecko to drink from! Change the water daily and scrub the bowl with a reptile-safe disinfectant weekly, or whenever it becomes soiled.
Do leopard geckos like to be handled?
Few reptiles actually âÂÂlikeâ to be held, but leopard geckos tolerate it well. DonâÂÂt grab the gecko from above â instead, approach from the side and scoop from below. Support as much of its body as possible, especially its feet. Start with very short handling sessions in the beginning, then gradually make them longer as your gecko becomes more accustomed to you.