|
Enclosure:
They Need
Space: |
A 10-gallon glass tank
provides ample room for
a single gecko. Up to
three female leopard
geckos can live in a
20-gallon aquarium.
Leopard Geckos will
breed easily in
captivity. Avoid housing
males together since
they can fight. |
|
Furnishings: |
Provide at least three
hiding spots, such as
caves or hollow logs.
Place one hiding spot on
the hot side of the
enclosure, another on
the cool side, and keep
a third moist with moss
(use chlorine-free
water) to help with
shedding. Other
decorations, such as
plants, rocks or
branches, can also be
used in larger tanks for
shade or climbing. |
Substrate:
|
Reptile carpet and
alfalfa pellets are good
substrates for a Leopard
Gecko. Do not use
anything that may be
accidentally ingested
such as sand or wood
shavings. These geckos
are prone to eating
substrate. |
|
Lighting: |
Leopard Geckos require
no special lighting
other than a 12-hour
day/night cycle. Albino
Leopard Geckos, however,
may be sensitive to
bright light. |
|
Temperature and Humidity:
|
Leopard Geckos need a
temperature gradient,
going from a cool of 80°
to a warm of 90°
Fahrenheit. This can be
achieved using an
under-tank heating mat,
a ceramic heating
element, or a
combination of the two.
Temperatures should be
10 degrees lower at
night. Maintain humidity
by misting with
chlorine-free water. |
|
Diet:
|
Leopard Geckos eat
mealworms or crickets
and the occasional wax
worm Dust food with
calcium supplement and
vitamin supplement. As a
rule, a growing
juvenile's food should
be dusted more often
than an adult's. Consult
product labels and
outside literature for
specific instructions on
supplementing. Avoid
over-supplementing food.
Important -- It is
necessary to provide
calcium and vitamin
supplements as part of
the diet. Please read
the supplement section
below: |
|
Supplements: |
Dust food
with calcium supplement
and vitamin supplement.
As a rule, a growing
juvenile's food should
be dusted more often
than an adult's. Consult
product labels and
outside literature for
specific instructions on
supplementing.
Avoid
over-supplementing food.
The following is a
possible supplementing
schedule for this
reptile.
As a rule, a
growing juvenile's food
should be dusted more
often than an adult's.
However, this
is only a general
suggestion -- the best
specific schedule may
vary depending on the
supplement products used
and other factors.
Please consult product
package directions,
outside literature and a
veterinarian to
determine the optimal
supplementing program.
|
|
Water: |
All water used for
misting or soaking must
be chlorine-free. Most
Geckos will drink from
droplets that collect on
the surface of leaves
through misting, but a
bowl of chlorine-free
water should be
available at all times.
Do not use tap water
unless it has been
treated with a
conditioner to
neutralize chlorine and
heavy metals. Do not use
distilled water. |
|
A
NOTE ABOUT WATER: |
All water given to this
pet for drinking, as
well as water used for
misting,
soaking or
bathing must be free of
chlorine and heavy
metals. We
recommend that you
use bottled drinking
water or bottled natural
spring water and never
untreated tap water.
If tap water
is used, you should treat
it with a dechlorinating
treatment or allow
it to stand for at
least 24 hours
before being introduced
to the pet's
enclosure to allow the
chlorine to escape. Do
not use distilled water,
which can cause severe
medical problems, since
it lacks minerals that
are essential to
important body
functions. |
