Helpful Information:
Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis Macularius)
This enchanting little lizard is one of the most widely kept reptiles in the western world. They originate from middle-eastern countries such as Afhhanistan and Pakistan, and are naturally found in rocky areas and those with a hard clay pan. Their simplicity to take care of, range of morphs and colours they come in, and general friendly nature has led to an explosion in their popularity in the last 20+ years. Here I will try to provide anyone with an interest in Leopard Geckos - current and potential owners alike - with a sound understanding of their requirements, and care needs in general. Which will, hopefully, enable anyone to provide a Leopard Gecko with everything it needs to live out a long and happy life.
Housing:
The housing requirements of a leopard gecko are fairly simple - with a large choice of potential housing, ranging from vivariums, fish tanks, `really useful boxes` (R.U.B.S), and storage boxes in general. Many people choose to keep them in a vivarium, where the amount of actual floor space far exceeds the importance of height - these being most often made of wood, with 2 sliding glass doors at the front. The main benefits of such an enclosure, are that it allows easy access for cleaning and feeding, yet the wooden frame provides a Leopard Gecko with a much needed sense of security. There are also vivariumss that are made out of plastic or glass, and whilst serving a purpose, thay can lead to a rather unsetlled little gecko (just imagine being constantly watched from all angles!) The usual minimum size vivarium that a single leopard gecko requires is at least 2 foot by 1 foot. Obviously the amount of floor space required will increase, dependent on the number of leopard geckos that are to be housed within the vivarium. A general rule would be an additional square foot of floor space per additional gecko. Though, as the gecko enters adulthood, it`s believed that `bigger is always better`, especially given their fondness for roaming, exploring and generally `patrolling` their territory.
Leopard Geckos are naturally solitary creatures, that both in the wild and in captivity, will simply tolerate the company of other leos. It`s worth bearing in mind, that Leopard Geckos do not need or require companionship though do, in most cases, accept a cage mate or 2 if space allows. However, a word of warning: under no circumstances should 2 adult males ever be housed together - they are very territorial and severe fighting can, and does, occur - quite often the fighting can be so ferocious that it can lead to fatalities. The opposite is mainly true of females: many females can be housed together, usually with no problems at all if they are compatible females (ie they simply `get on` together), providing there is ample floor space, sufficient number of hides and ample food. A close eye must be kept on all colonies, as leos are as diverse as people in their personalities - some more tolerant and sociable than others. If females are to be housed in colonies then a close eye must be kept on the dynamics of the group, watching out for signs of bullying and stress, on any individual gecko.
Many breeders use a racking system or implement the use of RUBs (really useful boxes), to house leos on a larger scale. As long as there is ample floor space, proper ventilation and adequate heating, then this can be an extremely productive and effecient way of housing large numbers of leopard geckos. The requirements in terms of housing for a Leopard Gecko are actually fairly simple - as long as there is ample space, good food, water, adequate hides, moist area, calcium bowl and appropriate heating (including a hot and cool end) then a healthy gecko will thrive in it`s environment, whether it`s plastic, glass, wood, short or tall! In the main, most other things that make up a Leopard Gecko environment (logs, fake plants, fancy bowls etc) are often there to be aesthetically pleasing to the keepers eye, and besides offering an extra hiding place or scratch post, most often serve no actual purpose, or improvement, to their health or happiness.
Leopard geckos require as a matter of course: 2 hides - 1 cool end, 1 hot end, a moist hide (to help with shedding - this can be filled with anything from moist moss, vermiculite, tissue paper etc), a water bowl, a feeding bowl if mealworms are to be used, adequate underbelly heat (most often a heatmat) and a permanent dish of calcium carbonate (we find that calypso/komodo is the best and most cost effective).
Lighting:
Being naturally nocturnal reptiles, Leopard Geckos do not require the use of lighting. It is argued that some form of UV lighting may be beneficial to Leopard Geckos that are suffering from any calcium deficiency, as this will encourage the production of D3 which in turn will help strengthen the bones, but we, and many others, have found that a Leopard Gecko gets all the vitamin D3 it requires by the way of it`s food items (if well gutloaded) and it`s additional supplements. As they are nocturnal, they don`t naturally get to process much sunlight in the natural conditions via their skin, so have evolved a very effective method processing their own from their food.
Leopard geckos struggle to see the colour spectrum in the same way they way do. In line with many nocturnal reptiles and birds for the matter, they lack what it known as the red retinal cone - meaning they find it very difficult to process, or `see` red light. Their green cone compensates for this, so whilst they may be aware that there is something there, it certainly isn`t red light that they see, For this reason, many Leopard Gecko keepers have found, that a low wattage red light is ideal for lighting their enclosure at night time. As they don`t pick up the red, the Leos tend to go about their business as if it was actually pitch black to them - as a result, it`s great to be able to watch the leo`s being more active when we can actually see them, yet they think we can`t - purely because they struggle to see us! It is important however, to remember that even the lowest watt light bulbs can through off/produce a tremendous amount of heat if they are kept on long enough - always remember to either adequately stat any light source, or at least keep a keen eye on the overall temperature of the viv, especially if a main heat source is being used, such as a heatmat. The heat thrown out by a light, can affect the routine and rhythmn of a temperature stat that controls such a heatmat thermostat.
Temporary Hatchling Set-Up
Heating:
Leopard geckos, as with all reptiles, have specific heating requirements. As they absorb heat through their undersides, it is thoroughly recommended that the main source of heat for the housing comes in the form of a heat mat of sorts (inc strips and cable). This heat mat should cover at least 1/3 - 1/2 of the vivarium/rub to enable your leo to have both a hot end and a cool end - which also enables a gentle gradient of heat in-between, so that your leo can pick the most appropriate spot. Under-belly heat is essential for proper digestion of food. All heat mats should be controlled by being attatched to a suitable thermostat which will regulate the temperature of the heatmat to within set limiits. Place the probe from the thermostat on the floor in the hot end, and when the temperature reaches the maximum you have set it to, it will cut the power to the mat to enable it to cool down, before heating it back up again - when the temp falls too low. The ideal temperature for a leopard gecko is 88-90 degrees hot end, being allowed to fall as low as 72-75 degrees at the cool end. As Leos can`t feel heat in their feet, the use of a heat-rock is thoroughly discouraged - the potential for the heatrock overheating, thus inflicting terrible burns to the leos feet, is just too great to justify.
Substrate:
Which substrate to use is a very debatable subject within the leopard gecko community, and the source of many a disagreement on leopard gecko forums.
The choice of available substrates is huge, and the owner of any leo must thoroughly research the pros and cons of each potential substrate before making their choice. They include sand, wood-chip, tile, slate, linoleum, newspaper, kitchen roll, drawing paper etc. We here at funkygeckos have no aim to tell people which substrate to use, but hope that any potential owner would arm themselves with some knowledge on the subject before making their final choice.
There are pros and cons to all substrates, but at the end of the day, it should be the health of the leo that is paramount - not how pretty the vivarium looks. Sand looks good, but absorbs excrement and poses a high risk of impactation (especially for leos under 6 inches in length). Wood chip looks good and is cheap, but renders the atmosphere in any vivarium with far too much humidity, also the health risk posed by swallowing a piece of wood are horrendous (unfortunately I`m talking from experience!). Newspaper is cheap, readily available, easy to clean and poses 0% chance of impactation, unfortunately it looks horrendous. Kitchen towel is cheap, easily changed and also has 0% chance of impactation, however this is also not pleasing on the eye. Linoleum is cheap, lasts forever, poses 0% chance of impactation, is easily cleaned and comes it a wide range of naturalistic colours and textures - can`t think of any cons to be honest. That leaves us with tiles and slate, to which I cannot think of any cons apart from the initial set-up - it may be a fiddle to cut the tiles to size, but once done will last for years. The textured ones provide an excellent grip, conduct heat superbly, last forever, are easily cleaned and, again, pose 0% chance of impactation. However, at the end of the day, the decision as to which substrate to use is entirely upto the leo keeper.
We here at funkygeckos, use kitchen floor tiles in our colony (large) vivariums, and general multi-use paper in our single vivs/enclosures where adults, juveniles and sub-adults are housed. For our hatchlings, we use simple kitchen towel or roll. We have found - after many yeard testing almost every substrate known to man - that the multi-use paper is by far the best substrate for us. It`s cheap, easily changed and, importantly, contrary to what one would think (ourselves included initially) provides an excellent grip for the leos.
Feeding/Food:
Leopard geckos are entirely carniverous (mainly insectivores). In the wild they eat a vast array of live food stuffs including moths, worms, cockroaches etc. In captivity, the staple live foods for a leopard gecko are - mealworms, crickets (both black and brown), locusts, morio worms, and more recently dubai cockroaches. Occasionally waxworms are given as a treat, and are also used to help fatten up breeding females and younger/sick leos. As they are almost entirely made up of fat, it pays to be prudent when offering them. Waxworms can also be so attractive to a leopard gecko, that they will forfeit all other food items in their quest for waxworms - so caution is the word! Occasionally, some keepers like to offer gravid, or recovering, females a defrosted pinky (baby mouse) from time to time. After countless bad experiences, it`s a practice that we don`t follow - nor, in out own belief, do we think they are any more nutritious or beneficial, than the majority of other food items.
The choice as to which food items to offer your leo is usually entirely upto the owner, however, some geckos may have been raised on, and have a distinct taste for, certain food items - getting them to change their habits, and indeed taste buds, can be a long procees that requires patience and determination. 99% of Leopard Geckos however, can be weaned onto any food of the keeper`s choice given time - no healthy leo will ever willingly starve itself to death, when there is food available - however unappealing that food may seem to the picky leo to begin with!.
A mixed and varied diet - offering as wide a range of food items into the leo`s diet as possible - is, of course, the ideal. Not only will a varied diet give a leo as many different nutrients and fibres as possible, fast moving prey that requires stalking and hunting, will also provide exercise to your leo, and keep their hunting skills finely honed. There is usually a staple food item, that a keeper chooses to have as their leo`s `main` food item - with the other foods offered as a treat as and when it`s practical/available. Mealworms are probably the easiest to deal with, being clean, odourless, noiseless, easy to handle and easy to dust. Mealworms are the food of choice at funkygeckos - as long as they are properly gutloaded (feeding the mealworms highly nutritious food themselves - such as bran, oats, carrots even fish food!) then mealworms are an excellent source of everything a leopard gecko ever needs. They also offer an excellent ratio of fats, proteins, fibres, energy and nutriets - the myth the they can burrow their way out of a leo`s stomach is exactly that - a complete myth!!! Crickets are nutritious and stimulate a leos hunting behaviour - there`s nothing better than watching a hungry leo stalking a cricket wagging their tail!!! However, they do have a tendency to escape frequently, can smell a bit and can be irritatingly noisy! Locust are the most nutritious of them all - the drawback being that they are easily the most expensive. The slow, almost cocky walk of a locust has stimulated even the sickest of leos into hunting mode! An excellent food source if you have somewhere to keep them and can afford them.
All food items must be dusted on every offering with some form of calcium carbonate. This is readily available from most pet shops, the most common being `Calypso`, which is cheap and seems to last forever. A leos diet is naturally deficient in calcium and this supplement is essential. Without it the onset of a disease called MBD (Metabolic Bone Disorder), will occur. MBD - caused by lack of calcium - will show itself in the form of bendy legs, brittle bones and/or a floppy jaw, all of which are preventable with the proper application of calcium. It is recommended that a small dish of calcium is also left with the leos at all times, enabling them to take a lick as and when they see fit. This is especially important with young leos and gravid/breeding females. A supplement of vitamins is equally important twice a week, a recommended product is `Nutrabol` - which contains all the vitamins and minerals a leo needs, including the vital D3, which is essential in enabling the proper absorbtion of the weeks calcium - without it the additional calcium that`s been provided all week will be useless.
Gutloading (feeding the leo`s prey with food), is an excellent way of ensuring that your leo gets the best quality food possible. Well fed food stuffs contain extra vitamins and minerals, which in turn will be passed onto your leo. It must be done at least 24 hours before giving them to your leo, and food stuffs such as carrots, potatoes, oats, fish food etc can be fed to your mealworms, crickets and locusts. This also ensures that the prey live longer than those that are not fed. Another way to make your food stuff last longer is to place them in the fridge - this slows them down and puts them into a semi-hibernation, thus making them last weeks longer. All food that has been refridgerated must be warmed back up a few hours before offering them to your leo.
All in all, there are many food items available for you to feed your Leopard gecko - the choice is mainly yours (though you may prefer to go with which one your leo actually prefers), but considering that a healthy Leo can live anywhere upto 20 years, it`s importnat that whatever food you choose, is something that you are comfortable dealing with - even handling. There will be times when a food item escapes, either from the viv, out your hand or out of the packaging, and it`s important that in such an event, you don`t panic - I can`t imagine a worse scenario than a panicing animal lover running for cover at the sight of a hopping locust - and treading on little Larry the Leo in the process.
