Keeping Leopard geckos

Common name: Leopard gecko
Latin: Eublepharis macularius

Description
Leopard gecko is a nocturnal lizard. They are good pets for children and grownups because they don’t need much care and are quite friendly animals. They are usually calm when being handled.
Well cared for gecko can live up to 20 years although usually home-kept geckos live averagely 10 to 15 years.
Average length of leopard geckos is 25 cm.
Hatchlings are usually striped but soon spots will start appearing that hide the stripes.

Housing
Adult leopard gecko can be kept in 50 l terrarium. For 2-3 geckos, the longest side of the terrarium should be at least 1m.
In nature, leopard geckos live in mountainous areas, such us Pakistan, East-Iran, Afghanistan and Northwest-India. They spend their day hiding in rocky terrains. In home conditions it is very important to mimic their natural environment as closely as possible. Because of that, terrariums must have lots of decorative stones and other hiding places. There should be at least two hiding places, one at the warmer side and the other one at the cooler side. One of the hiding places should have higher humidity. For example you can use a plastic box with an entry hole where you can place wet moss or paper towel. Rest of the terrarium should be dry because too much humidity can cause health issues.
As a substrate you can use paper towels, newspapers, sand and stones but you should be careful with the last two, because geckos can accidentally swallow them with food. Swallowed substrate can block the intestines and it could lead to death. When using sand as a substrate, give your gecko plenty of calcium suplementation to prevent them eating the sand due to calcium deficiency.
Adult males should not be kept in the same terrarium because they are aggressive towards eachother. One male and multiple females can be kept in the same terrarium given that they have enough space and hiding places. Small gecko hatchlings should be kept in minimally furnished terrarium to minimize the risk of injuries.

Heating
Leopard gecko’s terrarium must have correct climat. In the warm end the temperature should be 26-30C and in the cooler end 21-23C. As a heating source you can use a heat bulb inside the terrarium at one side or a heating mat/heating cable under half of the terrarium floor.

Feeding
In the first weeks after hatching the little leopard geckos should be fed with small crickets or other small insects daily. Adult geckos can be fed with bigger crickets, cockroaches, pinky mice (freshly born mice) and some mealworms as a treat. Insects should be gutloaded before being fed to geckos. Approximately half of the insects given to the animal should be covered with calcium and vitamin powder. Water should be put in a low and heavy bowl because higher and lighter ones can be easily pushed over.

Health
A peculiar feature about leopard geckos is their bulbous tail where they keep their extra storage of fat. Healthy adult gecko’s tail should be almost as big as its head.
You can recognize a healthy animal by its clear eyes, nicely fat tail and bright skin. Note: before shedding of the skin, it may become dull for a day or two so do not be alarmed.
Leopard geckos have very few illnesses in home conditions. Main problems usually come from wrong diet or living conditions.