Enclosure
Leopard geckos need a minimum of 1 square foot per gecko. If you are using an aquarium, use a 10-20 gallon tank for 1 gecko. Leopard geckos are desert animals and require heat but no additional humidity. Because of this the enclosure should have adequate ventilation. Leopard geckos do best if housed alone, but similar sized females can be sometimes be housed together. Just remember to increase the enclosure size if you house more than one female together. Never house 2 males together because they will fight aggressively.
Heat and Humidity
Like many reptiles, leopard geckos need a cool and warm side of their enclosure. The cool side should be between 73-76 degrees and the warm side around 86-92 degrees. Belly heat is preferred such as an under the tank heater or heat tape. A heat lamp could be used, but is not recommended. Leopard gecko are desert animals and should have a humidity around 40% or below.
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Substrate, Hides and Lighting
The ideal flooring for a leopard gecko is something they can’t accidentally ingest such as tile, reptile carpet or paper towels. Sand, aspen, pine and cedar bedding is not recommended and can be dangerous for your gecko.
Leopard geckos need at least one complete hide in their enclosure but having one on the cool end and one on the warm end is preferred. It is also recommended to have a hide containing moss that can be kept moist in order to aid in shedding. If you house more than one gecko together you will need more hides. Leopard geckos shed once every 2-4 weeks and will eat the shed. It is a good idea to occasionally check to make sure that they fully shed and don’t need any help with stuck shed, having a moist hide will assist in shedding. Leopard geckos need a standard 10-12 hour daylight night cycle. |
Feeding, Supplements and Water
Leopard gecko typically feed on crickets or mealworms. They will also eat silk worms, waxworms, super worms and mice pinkies although these should only be occasional as they have a high fat content. An adult should eat about 5-8 mealworms every other day. Juveniles should eat smaller meals daily. Leopard geckos should have clean water treated with a reptile water conditioner. They do not need any supplements in their water.
A reptile calcium supplement is required and should be sprinkled on their food as well as made available in a small dish at all times. |
Handling your new gecko...
When handling a leopard gecko that has not been handled much, take things slow. They tend to tolerate handling well once they get used to it. Never hold or squeeze a leopard gecko by the tail because they will drop their tail as a defense mechanism. A dropped tail will regenerate but will not look the same as the original. Allow your new gecko time to settle in to its new home before trying to handle them.

leopard_gecko_caresheet.pdf | |
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