If, like me, you are an animal lover, but have limited space or live in an apartment where pets are not allowed, then turning to the reptile world may be a solution to your dilemma. Consider a leopard gecko. They are excellent for first-time reptile owners because they are relatively easy to care for, take up little space, can live up to twenty years, and will actually become quite tame once they've reached adulthood.
The leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius, is found in the wild throughout the northern parts of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Although they are still plentiful in their natural habitat, the ones purchased at the pet store are captive-bred. There is plenty of information obtainable about breeding them, because for decades, the leopard gecko was the only lizard being bred in captivity generation-after-generation. Nowadays they are available in a wide variety of colors and patterns due to the process of selective captive breeding. You can choose from high yellow, jungle striped, leucistic, ghost and even albino.
Leopard geckos are terrestrial, which means they live on the ground, and they are nocturnal, mostly active at night. The adults tolerate handling quite well, but it is recommended that you limit this to an occasional thing. Remember, they are not puppies. Above all when handling, never pick them up by their tail. Be especially mindful of this if children are involved, as they can sometimes be rough without meaning to be. The tail may look sturdy enough, but it will break off leading to an unpleasant surprise. Don't panic if this should happen, however, because the tail can be regrown, but it's best for everyone involved not to put it to the to the test.
Description
A leopard gecko has a triangular head and a large, heavy tail used for storing fat. They can grow up to 8 or 10 inches. Its skin is bumpy and heavily patterned to camouflage it from predators. They have moveable eyelids but lack toe pads.
Environment and Housing
Since leopard geckos have some very precise environmental needs it is recommended that you have the proper environment set up before you bring your new leopard gecko home. A few days of testing would be best so that you can determine if the proper temperature and humidity can be maintained. I know you're anxious to bring your new pet home, but proceeding with caution will lessen the stress on both the gecko and you.
Leopard geckos may be kept in a glass aquarium or terrarium -- do not use plastic that offers 10" x 10" of floor space for each gecko living there and that is at least 12" high. Avoid placing the gecko cage on t he floor and maintain a temperature of 82-88 degrees F for both day and night. Make certain to have a screen top for your cage to prevent escapes, essential if you have young children or cats.
The following are some things you need to take into consideration about the inside of the enclosure:
Substrate
Use paper towels or newspaper as a substrate for the cage bottom. These might not be the most attractive substrates, but they are the safest and cost the least.
Never use sand or gravel as a substrate since geckos may eat this material, either on purpose or scooping up a mouthful or two going after their live food, and become impacted. This is a severe blockage of the digestive tract, and can eventually lead to the death of your gecko.Heating
The top three ways of heating the cage are: One is to use a red or black night incandescent heat light. For a 10 gallon tank a 60 watt bulb should be fine, depending on room temperature. Place the heat light on one end of the cage. Doing this will keep that side warmest and allow the gecko freedom to choose to move to the warmer side with the light or to the colder side without the light as needed to regulate body temperature. Another way of heating the cage is to use and under tank heat mat. Place it under the bottom glass on one side of the tank. This also gives your gecko a warm and a cool place to go. You can also use reptile heat tapes.
Be very careful about heating the cage correctly because nature has designed leopard geckos so that they are ectothermic, meaning that they cannot produce their own heat, so their body temperatures depend on the external environment, unlike with humans who rely on their internal metabolism.
Never use a hot rock or heat rock: Hot rocks heat unevenly and are notorious for causing severe thermal burns.Hiding Areas
A 6" long plastic container or shoe box will do for a hide box. You should have at least two hides in the enclosure one near and one farther away from your heat source. Geckos need a warm hiding spot and a cold humid hiding spot. Put one hide box on the side with the heat light and put the humid hide box on the side that does not have the heat light. For the humid hide box, fill the container with moist peat moss and cut a 1 1/2" diameter hole in the lid or side to serve as an entrance for your pet. A humid hide box is needed so that the gecko can go in it to shed. The humidity helps ease the old skin off, which, incidentally -- fainters beware! -- the gecko will then eat. The humid box should be cleaned out every week and kept moist but not soggy.Activity Areas
There should always be some open space for your gecko to roam around in . Cramped quarters will stress out your pet.Basking Areas
You should have at least one basking spot in the enclosure for a single leopard gecko.Warning
Male leopard geckos should never be housed together as they will fight and may even kill each other. A male can be housed with several females without any problem.Shade
Never let direct sunlight strike your cage, since it will overheat quickly, the glass acting like a magnifying glass to the sun, and kill your pet.
