What should I feed my Gecko?
Leopard Geckos eats insects. The most common insects available commercially are crickets, mealworms, super worms, wax worms and silk worms. If you use crickets and mealworms as the primary food and wax worms as treats, you should have a happy Gecko.
Crickets
Crickets are a good source of food and nutrition in your Leopard Gecko’s diet. You should “gut load” your crickets before feeding them to your Gecko. “Gut loading” is making sure the crickets are well fed. This way they pass the maximum amount of nutrients to your Gecko. You can feed the crickets’ commercial cricket food and liquid or just use a piece of potato and some oats. Crickets are very resourceful and are sometimes difficult for the Gecko to catch. If this is the case, you may have to remove the rear jumping legs of the cricket. It is always a good idea to leave a small piece of potato, carrot, or apple for the crickets to eat. The food will also draw out the crickets and make them easier to catch.
Mealworms and wax worms
Mealworms are another good food source for your Gecko. Feeding your Gecko mealworms is also a much easier task since they can be placed in a bowl. The bowl must be smooth to prevent escape. This way the mealworms are available whenever your Gecko is hungry. Leopard Geckos likes wax worms, but the worms are too fatty to be a part of the main diet. Wax worms makes an excellent treat and are a good way to fatten up a female after she has laid eggs.
Supplementing the diet
Vitamin and mineral supplements are an important part of your Leopard Gecko’s diet. Calcium is the most important mineral and should be available to your Gecko at all times by placing a dish with calcium powder in the cage. The feeder insects should also be coated with calcium powder prior to feeding. For adult Geckos coat the insects 1 to 2 times per week. For babies, juveniles, and breeding females coat the insects daily. Vitamins are also a necessary part of the gecko diet, but should be used sparingly and not on the same day as calcium. Feeder insects should be coated with vitamins once every 7 to 10 days. To coat the insects place them in a bag or cup with the vitamin or mineral powder. Shake the container around until all the insects are dusted with powder.
Geckos need water
Your Leopard Gecko needs water so keep a shallow dish with water in the cage. Water dishes that are too deep tend to trap and drown crickets, wasting the insect and fouling the water. It is best to use a dish that is shallow in order to give the insect a better chance of escape. You should clean the dish every few day to help prevent bacteria and fungus from growing.
Hope you've enjoyed these feeding tips!
As always...here's to your leopard gecko care success!!
Creating the proper habitat for your leopard gecko
How to create a proper habitat for your Gecko
Leopard Geckos are the easiest pets to care for. But, it is important to set up properly its habitat.
An ideal vivarium for a Leopard Gecko is from 10-15 gallon capacity. It is not ideal to use wire cages. They must live in vivarium that is made of glass (for their security and to avoid losing them). But unlike other Geckos, Leopard Geckos can’t climb in glass. However, its vivarium must have a wire mesh cover to give proper exposure to air and allows light to go through.
The things that you place inside the cage of your leopard gecko will facilitate in making his environment as natural as possible. Items like logs, rocks will make a normal living area and give them the climbing space areas for exercise. Artificial or live plants can also help in giving your Gecko more hiding spots and a much natural feel. If you want to utilize a live plant, select them carefully as some plants can be poisonous to reptiles.
You have to remember three things in making a leopard gecko habitat. It must be good for activity, basking and hiding. Activity spots must be an open area where the Gecko can exercise, climb and simply move around freely. While for the basking area, it must be a smooth or flat wood or rock underneath a light. And it should be one area for each Gecko. Therefore if you have more Geckos, you must provide them with a bigger/wider basking area .
For the hiding spot, these can consist of commercial boxes, inverted pots of clay, overlapping rocks or portions of curved barks. Like the basking area, if you have more Geckos you must also have more hiding spots.
Leopard Geckos are known to be ectothermic which means that they are not able to make their own body heat thus they require additional sources of heat. The vivarium of your Gecko must be about 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit during daytime and the basking spot must be about 88 to 90 degree Fahrenheit. At night, the temperature must be 70 degrees.
If you are unsure of your vivariums temperature use a thermometer (for a more accurate reading of temperature).
Lastly, it is important that you maintain your vivarium clean. It is necessary that you eliminate the debris, waste, shed skin and dead feeder insects. You also have to clean the objects that have fecal substance in them. Disinfect and clean the water bowls as often as you can.
Leopard Geckos are the easiest pets to care for. But, it is important to set up properly its habitat.
An ideal vivarium for a Leopard Gecko is from 10-15 gallon capacity. It is not ideal to use wire cages. They must live in vivarium that is made of glass (for their security and to avoid losing them). But unlike other Geckos, Leopard Geckos can’t climb in glass. However, its vivarium must have a wire mesh cover to give proper exposure to air and allows light to go through.
The things that you place inside the cage of your leopard gecko will facilitate in making his environment as natural as possible. Items like logs, rocks will make a normal living area and give them the climbing space areas for exercise. Artificial or live plants can also help in giving your Gecko more hiding spots and a much natural feel. If you want to utilize a live plant, select them carefully as some plants can be poisonous to reptiles.
You have to remember three things in making a leopard gecko habitat. It must be good for activity, basking and hiding. Activity spots must be an open area where the Gecko can exercise, climb and simply move around freely. While for the basking area, it must be a smooth or flat wood or rock underneath a light. And it should be one area for each Gecko. Therefore if you have more Geckos, you must provide them with a bigger/wider basking area .
For the hiding spot, these can consist of commercial boxes, inverted pots of clay, overlapping rocks or portions of curved barks. Like the basking area, if you have more Geckos you must also have more hiding spots.
Leopard Geckos are known to be ectothermic which means that they are not able to make their own body heat thus they require additional sources of heat. The vivarium of your Gecko must be about 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit during daytime and the basking spot must be about 88 to 90 degree Fahrenheit. At night, the temperature must be 70 degrees.
If you are unsure of your vivariums temperature use a thermometer (for a more accurate reading of temperature).
Lastly, it is important that you maintain your vivarium clean. It is necessary that you eliminate the debris, waste, shed skin and dead feeder insects. You also have to clean the objects that have fecal substance in them. Disinfect and clean the water bowls as often as you can.
Caring for your leopard gecko | some key tips on leopard gecko care
Caring for your Leopard Gecko
Leopard geckos are very easy to care for. They are surprisingly clean animals. They will pick out a specific area of their living space to use for litter which makes them much easier to clean up after. You may even place a paper towel or similar material in the spot they choose so that clean up is quick and easy.
In their natural habitat leopard geckos live on land. They do not tend to climb trees so it is important that they be provided with housing that provides maximum surface area. The bottom of the aquarium should be covered with some sort of artificial turf, paper towels, or even newspapers. Sand is not recommended as there is a risk that the gecko will ingest too much of it when it captures its meal.
Geckos are insectivores and like to eat live food such as butter worms, cockroaches, crickets, mealworms or wax worms. Many gecko owners choose to raise crickets or mealworms specifically for feeding their pets. If you feed your gecko crickets it is a good idea to place a rock in the center of the water dish to provide the crickets an easy way to get out of the water should they fall in. This will prevent them from fouling up the water.
For many different reasons a gecko can be the perfect pet for you. After reading this, you will probably want to go out and look at a live gecko at your local pet shop. The choice to obtain a gecko should not be an 'impulse' decision. They have a very long life span as far as pets go so if you get one be sure that you are willing to make the commitment to take care of it for a long time to come. Leopard geckos may live 20 years or longer. According to one gecko owner, who wrote a letter to the editor of Reptiles Magazine, their gecko lived for nearly thirty years!
Substrates suitable for your Gecko
The use of slate rocks, s. If you can get smooth flat stones this seems like a good option for making a naturalistic environment that holds and distributes heat well, without much diminished risks of ingesting substrate.
The use of sand is considered unsafe by some, due to the risk of ingestion and impaction (either due to accidental ingestion or due to intentional ingestion to meet calcium needs) -- this is a bigger risk for juveniles so sand should never be used with juvenile geckos. In fact, the general advice is to avoid housing any leopard geckos on sand. Other potential difficulties with sand include dust (which can lead to respiratory problems), and bacterial or mold growth in wet sand.
Provide a dish of calcium supplement to help meet calcium needs. Feeding prey items in a dish can also reduce the chance of ingestion.
Also, monitor for signs of obstruction, which indicate the need for an urgent visit to a vet: decreased appetite, decrease in bowel movements, lethargy, and dark spots on abdomen.
The use of paper towels are one of the best substrates, and are the recommended substrate for juvenile leopard geckos (as well as sickly geckos), but can be used for any leopard gecko. With paper towel substrate, there are no worries about ingestion or inhalation of substrate, and it is absorbent, hygienic, and easy to clean (which reduces the chance of illness). It also makes monitoring health (e.g. eating, bowel movements) easy.
Leopard geckos are very easy to care for. They are surprisingly clean animals. They will pick out a specific area of their living space to use for litter which makes them much easier to clean up after. You may even place a paper towel or similar material in the spot they choose so that clean up is quick and easy.
In their natural habitat leopard geckos live on land. They do not tend to climb trees so it is important that they be provided with housing that provides maximum surface area. The bottom of the aquarium should be covered with some sort of artificial turf, paper towels, or even newspapers. Sand is not recommended as there is a risk that the gecko will ingest too much of it when it captures its meal.
Geckos are insectivores and like to eat live food such as butter worms, cockroaches, crickets, mealworms or wax worms. Many gecko owners choose to raise crickets or mealworms specifically for feeding their pets. If you feed your gecko crickets it is a good idea to place a rock in the center of the water dish to provide the crickets an easy way to get out of the water should they fall in. This will prevent them from fouling up the water.
For many different reasons a gecko can be the perfect pet for you. After reading this, you will probably want to go out and look at a live gecko at your local pet shop. The choice to obtain a gecko should not be an 'impulse' decision. They have a very long life span as far as pets go so if you get one be sure that you are willing to make the commitment to take care of it for a long time to come. Leopard geckos may live 20 years or longer. According to one gecko owner, who wrote a letter to the editor of Reptiles Magazine, their gecko lived for nearly thirty years!
Substrates suitable for your Gecko
The use of slate rocks, s. If you can get smooth flat stones this seems like a good option for making a naturalistic environment that holds and distributes heat well, without much diminished risks of ingesting substrate.
The use of sand is considered unsafe by some, due to the risk of ingestion and impaction (either due to accidental ingestion or due to intentional ingestion to meet calcium needs) -- this is a bigger risk for juveniles so sand should never be used with juvenile geckos. In fact, the general advice is to avoid housing any leopard geckos on sand. Other potential difficulties with sand include dust (which can lead to respiratory problems), and bacterial or mold growth in wet sand.
Provide a dish of calcium supplement to help meet calcium needs. Feeding prey items in a dish can also reduce the chance of ingestion.
Also, monitor for signs of obstruction, which indicate the need for an urgent visit to a vet: decreased appetite, decrease in bowel movements, lethargy, and dark spots on abdomen.
The use of paper towels are one of the best substrates, and are the recommended substrate for juvenile leopard geckos (as well as sickly geckos), but can be used for any leopard gecko. With paper towel substrate, there are no worries about ingestion or inhalation of substrate, and it is absorbent, hygienic, and easy to clean (which reduces the chance of illness). It also makes monitoring health (e.g. eating, bowel movements) easy.
How to tell a male from a female leopard gecko
Sexing Leopard Geckos. How to Tell Male from Female Leopard Geckos
It takes a bit of practice before you can tell and male leopard gecko from a female leopard gecko.
Juvenile leopard geckos can be very difficult to sex. Typically, you can sex leopard geckos at around 3-4 months with experience, and it gets easier as they get older (sexing is usually easier after about 6 months of age).
The differences are quite distinct but are much easier to see with experience or if you have geckos of each sex to compare.
Pre-Anal Pores
Male have a distinct v-shaped row of pre-anal pores in front of the vent (cloaca). As the gecko matures, they become quite prominent and exude a waxy material. Females have a similar row of very small pored, but they are not nearly as prominent and are barely noticeable, and they do not exude the waxy substance.
Hemi penile Bulges
Males have two distinct bulges behind the vent; one on either side of the base of the tail. This is where the hemipenis (male reproductive organs) are located.
Femoral Pores
Males also have enlarged pores on the underside of their rear legs (thighs).
How to tell the difference between male and female Leopard Geckos in summary:
Determining The Sex of a Male Leopard Gecko
- Male Leopard Gecko’s have Femoral Pores on the underside of their thigh.
- Male Leopard Gecko’s have more noticeable V-Shaped Preanal Pores.
- Male Leopard Gecko’s show two hemi penal bulges on the base of their tails.
Determining The Sex of a Female Leopard Gecko
- Female Leopard Gecko's femoral pores are virtually non-existent.
- Female Leopard Gecko's preanal pores are virtually non-existent.
- Female Leopard Gecko’s do not have two hemi penal bulges at the base of their tails.
You will have to wait until the Gecko is old enough, over 6 months at least to really be sure. Juvenile male Leopard Geckos look very much like females.
It takes a bit of practice before you can tell and male leopard gecko from a female leopard gecko.
Juvenile leopard geckos can be very difficult to sex. Typically, you can sex leopard geckos at around 3-4 months with experience, and it gets easier as they get older (sexing is usually easier after about 6 months of age).
The differences are quite distinct but are much easier to see with experience or if you have geckos of each sex to compare.
Pre-Anal Pores
Male have a distinct v-shaped row of pre-anal pores in front of the vent (cloaca). As the gecko matures, they become quite prominent and exude a waxy material. Females have a similar row of very small pored, but they are not nearly as prominent and are barely noticeable, and they do not exude the waxy substance.
Hemi penile Bulges
Males have two distinct bulges behind the vent; one on either side of the base of the tail. This is where the hemipenis (male reproductive organs) are located.
Femoral Pores
Males also have enlarged pores on the underside of their rear legs (thighs).
How to tell the difference between male and female Leopard Geckos in summary:
Determining The Sex of a Male Leopard Gecko
- Male Leopard Gecko’s have Femoral Pores on the underside of their thigh.
- Male Leopard Gecko’s have more noticeable V-Shaped Preanal Pores.
- Male Leopard Gecko’s show two hemi penal bulges on the base of their tails.
Determining The Sex of a Female Leopard Gecko
- Female Leopard Gecko's femoral pores are virtually non-existent.
- Female Leopard Gecko's preanal pores are virtually non-existent.
- Female Leopard Gecko’s do not have two hemi penal bulges at the base of their tails.
You will have to wait until the Gecko is old enough, over 6 months at least to really be sure. Juvenile male Leopard Geckos look very much like females.
How to find the right leopard gecko for you!
So you've decided that leopard geckos are a suitable pet for you (well done, great choice!!_ and you understand the responsibilities and how to take care of a leopard gecko (or at least you're willing to learn!)
Now let's consider the factors involved in picking out the perfect gecko pet.
HEALTH
This is the most important factor to consider. You will need to inspect your prospective new reptilian buddy from head to toe. More details in our leopard gecko health care section.
Let's assume they've passed the all vital health check
COLOR
I think 99% of people will instinctively look at the color and patterning of the leopard gecko next. I definitely do. That's one of the leopard gecko's key attractions as a pet in the first place: their stunning and varied looks (pattern and color morphs). Leopard gecko fans often have strong preferences. I used to wonder why people choose patternless leopard geckos when there are so many color morphs to pick, but I'm beginning to understand their attraction too. There's no guide to this, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Popular morphs include the Tremper Albino, Bell Albino, Eclipse, Blizzard.
AGE AND SIZE
Baby geckos can be a little grumpy and need special handling. If you're a first-time owner you might consider a young adult which is at least over 6 months old and over 5 inches (12.7 cm) long
SEX
Buying either a male or female leopard gecko is fine as a first pet. If you're thinking about buying more than one (I recommend starting off with one if you're a beginner...you'll become addicted and want another in no time anyway!!), just remember that two MALE leopard geckos cannot be housed together. They will fight and probably one will end up killing the other one. Male leopard gecko ultimate cage fighting! Avoid...!
CHARACTER/PERSONALITY
Most baby geckos are feisty so you can't judge their personality if they're too young. But once they are older (maybe 1 years old), their personalities really start to develop. Some can be more active, playful and responsive than others. Some are mega chilled-out...mellow and calm. Again, I think you'll instinctively be attractive to the right personality for you. I wish I could say that about the guys I've dated....but that's for another blog....:-)
Finally, don't rush the process. It's worth looking around until you find the perfect one....
Now let's consider the factors involved in picking out the perfect gecko pet.
HEALTH
This is the most important factor to consider. You will need to inspect your prospective new reptilian buddy from head to toe. More details in our leopard gecko health care section.
Let's assume they've passed the all vital health check
COLOR
I think 99% of people will instinctively look at the color and patterning of the leopard gecko next. I definitely do. That's one of the leopard gecko's key attractions as a pet in the first place: their stunning and varied looks (pattern and color morphs). Leopard gecko fans often have strong preferences. I used to wonder why people choose patternless leopard geckos when there are so many color morphs to pick, but I'm beginning to understand their attraction too. There's no guide to this, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Popular morphs include the Tremper Albino, Bell Albino, Eclipse, Blizzard.
AGE AND SIZE
Baby geckos can be a little grumpy and need special handling. If you're a first-time owner you might consider a young adult which is at least over 6 months old and over 5 inches (12.7 cm) long
SEX
Buying either a male or female leopard gecko is fine as a first pet. If you're thinking about buying more than one (I recommend starting off with one if you're a beginner...you'll become addicted and want another in no time anyway!!), just remember that two MALE leopard geckos cannot be housed together. They will fight and probably one will end up killing the other one. Male leopard gecko ultimate cage fighting! Avoid...!
CHARACTER/PERSONALITY
Most baby geckos are feisty so you can't judge their personality if they're too young. But once they are older (maybe 1 years old), their personalities really start to develop. Some can be more active, playful and responsive than others. Some are mega chilled-out...mellow and calm. Again, I think you'll instinctively be attractive to the right personality for you. I wish I could say that about the guys I've dated....but that's for another blog....:-)
Finally, don't rush the process. It's worth looking around until you find the perfect one....
Where to find leopard geckos?
Where to find Leopard Geckos?
The Leopard Gecko is a native of Pakistan, southern Asia, India, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. Today, nearly all Leopard geckos sold as pets in the United States are hatched and raised in captivity. This eliminates the hardships and stress suffered by the animals from being captured in the wild and then shipped for long distances.
Here are some other places and ways to find a Leopard Gecko:
Pet Shops
Pet shops are probably the easiest location to go and search for leopard geckos for sale. Almost any town has local pet shops. If they do not have leopard geckos for sale, you can have them order it for you. The only trouble you can get from pet shops is that you are not able to know if it is healthy or where does it came from. You might purchase a gecko that can be wild caught or was cage together with other wild caught geckos where it could possibly get disease or parasites. Also, pet shops have limited range of animals and the likely to become more costly.
Reptile Show
It can be an ideal place to search for leopard geckos. The range of animals you can see there is wide and diverse. You will be able to search for geckos of different ages, colors and most of the prices are viable. Reptile shows became very famous and you must be able to search for one. The sellers at the shows are normally very supportive and ready to talk about the proper care of their animals.
Leopard Gecko Breeders
There are a number of mail order and online breeders. You can find many variation and color of gecko that you want. Breeders are truly an ideal way to search for a particular sort of leopard gecko. There is some problem when ordering gecko from them. You are not able to examine the gecko before you buy them. The gecko should be transported and it can possibly cause illness or injury. Leopard geckos are very pricey. Most prices of the breeders are reasonable. However the cost having the gecko transported through overnight deliver usually increases its cost.
The Leopard Gecko is a native of Pakistan, southern Asia, India, Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq. Today, nearly all Leopard geckos sold as pets in the United States are hatched and raised in captivity. This eliminates the hardships and stress suffered by the animals from being captured in the wild and then shipped for long distances.
Here are some other places and ways to find a Leopard Gecko:
Pet Shops
Pet shops are probably the easiest location to go and search for leopard geckos for sale. Almost any town has local pet shops. If they do not have leopard geckos for sale, you can have them order it for you. The only trouble you can get from pet shops is that you are not able to know if it is healthy or where does it came from. You might purchase a gecko that can be wild caught or was cage together with other wild caught geckos where it could possibly get disease or parasites. Also, pet shops have limited range of animals and the likely to become more costly.
Reptile Show
It can be an ideal place to search for leopard geckos. The range of animals you can see there is wide and diverse. You will be able to search for geckos of different ages, colors and most of the prices are viable. Reptile shows became very famous and you must be able to search for one. The sellers at the shows are normally very supportive and ready to talk about the proper care of their animals.
Leopard Gecko Breeders
There are a number of mail order and online breeders. You can find many variation and color of gecko that you want. Breeders are truly an ideal way to search for a particular sort of leopard gecko. There is some problem when ordering gecko from them. You are not able to examine the gecko before you buy them. The gecko should be transported and it can possibly cause illness or injury. Leopard geckos are very pricey. Most prices of the breeders are reasonable. However the cost having the gecko transported through overnight deliver usually increases its cost.
Having trouble getting your leopard gecko to poop?
If your leopard gecko hasn't 'been to the toilet' for a few days, it can cause them distress and be a sign of an underlying illness.
It's a common problem and there isn't one easy answer as you have to consider the root cause first before you go ahead and tackle the issue. For example, you can hardly expect a gecko to poop if they haven't been eating. Or leopard gecko constipation can be caused by eating sand by accident... unfortunately people have mistakenly housed leopard geckos on sand.
Here's a useful article giving tips and solutions to leopard gecko impaction (otherwise known as leopard gecko pooping problems)
It's a common problem and there isn't one easy answer as you have to consider the root cause first before you go ahead and tackle the issue. For example, you can hardly expect a gecko to poop if they haven't been eating. Or leopard gecko constipation can be caused by eating sand by accident... unfortunately people have mistakenly housed leopard geckos on sand.
Here's a useful article giving tips and solutions to leopard gecko impaction (otherwise known as leopard gecko pooping problems)
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