Leopard Gecko Care

## About

Leopard Geckos are cute and easy to care for reptiles. They known for being gentle, docile, and easy to handle. They are well known for being one of the best beginner reptiles out there for those reasons. This page will tell you how to care for them!

## Quick Facts

 **Class** | Reptilia

* **Diet:** Insectivore
* **Lifespan:** 6-10 years average
* **Temp:** 75-90 Fahrenheit
* **Habitat:** Rocky, dry grassland
* **Humidity:** 40%
* **Activity level:** Crepuscular

## Housing Requirements

Leopard geckos have one of the smaller tank requirements of the reptile world. They need, at minimum, a 10 gallon tank, and at maximum a 20 gallon tank. They can be housed together if they are both females, but if they are both males, or a male and a female, they must be separated. Here is the basics on housing them:

 **Temps:** | The hot side of the tank should be roughly 88-90 F. The cool side can sit at room temperature just fine.

## Feeding

Feeding is easy. Leopard geckos eat mealworms in their larval stage, crickets, and other small insects. The food should not be too small or too large (fits between the space of their eyes). **Note that following this method is very important in order to reduce stress and competition.**

1. Pull out mealworms that are properly sized; not too small or not too large.
2. Dust the mealworms in the nutrient powder next to their home. This is very important; do not skip this step.
3. **Make sure geckos are separated or they may fight for food.**
4. Feed one gecko all it will eat (for now, around 3-4 mealworms) with the tongs.
5. Feed other gecko. **Must be kept separate at all times during feeding, ex, one gecko is hiding while the other eats from the tongs.**

Leopard Gecko Feeding Guide

They also need access to clean water at all times, and sometimes they may poop in their water. This must, of course, be cleaned out as soon as it is spotted. Always keep the water on the cool side of the tank!

## Important Information

Here are a few things you should know about the geckos in our care.

* Stuck sheds (shedding pieces that have not come off in a reasonable amount of time) are actually very dangerous and need to be addressed. Here is some info on how to help with stuck sheds (However, the mineral oil should NOT be used).
* Try not to snatch them up from above as it may scare them (this is how a predator would grab them). If you have no other choice though, it is fine! They will get over it.
* Impaction is very serious and it has several warning signs. Here is a page that describes it in detail. Please read over it, it is very important to watch out for and catch early. It is fixable, but much better to just prevent from happening in the first place.
* Do not feed the geckos if their heat source, for some reason, stops working or fails. They need heat to digest. If they don't have it, the food can rot inside of them and kill them, or impactions can occur.
* NEVER pick them up by the tails, or they might drop their tails! They grow back, but this is still something that should be avoided, and is very easily avoided. Try to avoid even touching their tails too much. Here is what to do if one drops her tail. Here is another website with helpful tail-dropping info.
* **Always keep an eye on them to make sure they aren't fighting. T**here is always that chance. If they start fighting often, they must live in separate enclosures or severe injuries or worse could occur.
* **Calcium and vitamin supplement is a MUST!** Without it, leos can become calcium deficient and it can very easily kill them. Always make sure there is some in the food dish for them! This (MBD) is what can and will happen without those supplements (and in some reptiles, without light, but not leopard geckos!)
* Leopard geckos are very docile and rarely bite, but it can still happen. Babies won't be able to break skin, but adults can sometimes, so beware if they are trying to threaten you with an open mouth!

## Links and Resources

* Leopard Gecko Facts and Info
* Leopard Gecko Behavior
* Care guide with lots of info
* Website devoted to leopard geckos
* Another informative care website
* Species Info
* Lighting warnings/info