The web provides a plethora of excellent reference information and care sheets designed to inform you how to treat these beautiful creatures properly and provide them with a stable and happy environment. For this reason, rather than reinventing the wheel, I want to focus my guide into twelve simple points of consideration:
This is where it all starts. Researching around your chosen pet is essential prior to purchase. This has many benefits, not least to your animal. Doing a little reading around the subject in advance will prevent you from purchasing an inappropriate kind of animal and will enable you to get proper advice from experienced keepers to prevent you from buying unnecessary equipment or making any fatal mistakes in setting up the new home for your gecko.
An invaluable reference guide for anyone considering the purchase of a leopard gecko has to be “The Leopard Gecko Manual” by Philip de Vosjoli et al. Other than this, I would strongly recommend visiting the following site for a more graphic and up-to-date window into the world of leopard geckos:
Leopard Geckos make for fascinating pets, but they can live anywhere between 10-20 years in captivity, so before you purchase an animal, are you sure that you are prepared to dedicate a little time every day for the next 20 years of your life to caring for your leo?
Leos thrive on a diet of live food, consisting mainly of different forms of insects…so are you and your family/housemates prepared to have live food lying around the house with the occasional escapee finding its way into some of the strangest nooks and crannies within your house?
Leos require a fair amount of space and specific environment preferably in a quiet area of the house…Do you have an appropriate space available for a vivarium?
The vivarium will need a constant source of heat (other than your central heating), thus drawing a small current from your electricity supply. Is the bill payer willing to accept this cost?
Having completed your initial research, you will know that leopard geckos are terrestrial geckos and thus the most important spatial factor in a vivarium is floor space rather than height. For a single leo, your vivarium should offer a minimum floor space of 12” x 18” (30cm x 45cm), though obviously for adult leos the greater the available space, the better.
As for type of vivariums, the most popular choices tend to be either the all glass aquarium style vivs with a mesh lid or the wooden or fibreglass vivs with sliding glass front doors. This is largely something that can be left down to personal choice, though heating an all glass vivarium requires more careful planning and demands a different type of space (i.e. it must be placed at such a height that you can easily get into the viv to perform the daily maintenance or to get hold of your leo without risking injury to either yourself or the leo).
Some people also feel that aquarium style vivs can make their leos more subdued and less likely to come out of their shelters due to the added exposure of all round visibility, which is the only real advantage of the viv for the keeper. Having used large clear plastic storage boxes for quarantining any new animals and seen how they react when walking past them, I feel there is an element of truth in this concern and I personally favour using wooden vivs.
Leos originate from the arid climates of Afghanistan, Northwestern India and Pakistan, so the microclimate within the vivarium should seek to reflect their natural environment as much as possible in terms of heating, humidity, lighting, substrate choice & layout (see later sections of this caresheet).
Aside from these aspects, the basics of providing your leos with a suitable comfortable environment revolve around providing them with a sufficient number of retreats into which the gecko can disappear if feeling scared, threatened or simply wanting to sleep and maybe a sterilised small rock or section of treated wood as a climbing obstacle. My advice would be to provide at least one hiding place at each end of the vivarium (but more if you have a group of leos together).
Hiding places are a matter of personal choice and depend on what look you are trying to achieve in the vivarium. Whatever form it takes, just ensure that the hide is basically child safe (i.e. it has no sharp edges or areas in which the leos can trap themselves). Hides can vary from specially moulded hollow plastic houses or fake rocks to simple plastic sandwich boxes, which are easier to keep clean.
However, some people take this idea of imitating the natural environment even further and indulge in all sorts of vivarium furniture such as plastic plants etc, but my personal belief is “keep it simple”. The more obstacles you place in the viv, the more opportunities for the leos to hurt themselves.
Whatever your design ethos, you should aim to have your vivarium set up and working to the performance guides suggested in this care sheet for at least three days prior to the purchase and introduction of your gecko. This should enable the gecko to settle in easier with minimal stress.
To give you an idea of some basic viv layouts, please see the images below.
Heating is possibly the most critical factor to get right in a geckos’ living environment. An incorrect heat set-up can cause stress and illness in a leo and ultimately lead to fatality if not corrected.
Having said this, following a few simple rules relating to the set-up of your vivarium can make this a piece of cake to achieve. The diagram below illustrates the correct set-up for your vivarium. As shown here, the correct set-up involves one end of the vivarium being designated as the hot end (incorporating the heatmat and optional light bulb) and the other end with no direct heat source being called the cool end.
Leos are very poor at regulating their own body temperature (required to ensure smooth running of their digestive systems). In the wild, if the temperature of the floor of the leo hiding place gets too cold, they may well venture outside during the day for a short period of time to lay on a rock or the dry ground and absorb the heat that the sun has generated in order to obtain the warmth needed for the digestive system to function correctly.
In captivity, the most efficient way to replicate this is to use a heatmat (itself regulated by a thermostat) just below the substrate layer. This enables us to provide a controlled heat source close to their bellies, where it is needed and thus this has to be more beneficial than opting for a ceramic heat lamp as the primary heat source.
By providing both a hot end and a cold end, the leo lives in an environment that offers a temperature gradient allowing them to cool themselves down when too warm and vice versa.
CAUTION: please do not rely on the calibration of the thermostat to be entirely accurate. Invest in a separate digital thermometer to verify the substrate temperature at the hot end to ensure that it is around 88F. If it is reading too low or too high, adjust the thermostat accordingly and keep checking the temperature until you feel confident that it is running at the required temperature.
I check substrate temperatures in my vivs every couple of weeks just to ensure that the heatmats have not malfunctioned.
As nocturnal animals, leopard geckos do not have specific requirements for either UVA or UVB light (unlike diurnal reptiles such as chameleons, bearded dragons, day geckos etc.) and as long as the room has some access to some form of light (preferably natural) to enable the geckos to distinguish between night and day, then you do not absolutely need to provide additional lighting.
I have installed standard 15 watt red bulbs in each of my vivs as this helps me to see in the vivs during the daily evening maintenance. Apparently, leopard geckos are unable to detect red light and so a red bulb is less likely to fluster or stress them, whereas the bright white light produced by a clear bulb is more likely to make the gecko uncomfortable.
Children’s Play Sand? Silver Sand? Specialist Reptile Sand? Calcium Carbonate Sand? Wood chip? Newspaper? Kitchen Towel? Slate? There is a whole plethora of options available on the market today in terms of substrates, including some very inexpensive everyday household products and the more expensive and arguably more dangerous specialist reptile substrates.
A hot topic of debate in herpetology circles, substrate selection is a vital factor in the well-being of your leo. Keeping it simple, you should always choose the substrate that you feel is appropriate to the size and long-term health of your gecko. Whilst some look at substrate as a delicate balance between offering the gecko a more natural looking environment and optimum safety, I simply prefer to take the option that presents the least risk of impaction (a common health problem in geckos resulting from the ingestion of sand or other particles that leos have trouble passing through their digestive systems).
As a general guide for all hatchling, juvenile and sub-adult leos under six inches in length (15cm) and indeed when treating unwell adults, I would definitely recommend using paper kitchen towel. Kitchen towel has numerous advantages:
For these reasons, I have recently started to move all my adults onto kitchen towel. However, if you do opt for a sand based substrate, please ensure it is non silica-based and that it is a very fine sand…the courser the sand the higher the risk of impaction. Above all, please avoid all forms of wood chippings…
Leos should be provided with a good source of fresh, clean water that should be changed daily to avoid bacterial contamination. Most people opt for a water bowl away from the heatmat, but I have heard stories of water dispensers (like those designed for rabbits and guinea pigs) being installed into vivs, though I think that presents its own cruel challenges for the thirsty leos. Again, plastic water bowls are quick, simple, inexpensive and easy to clean.
Foodwise, leos are essentially insectivores (though they have been proven to eat the occasional fruit or vegetable item in the wild), reliant on a diet of live food in the form of various commercially produced insects including:
Crickets and newly moulted mealworms should form the “staple” part of the leo diet (though silkworms are just as good if you can find them), whilst waxworms should only be offered as a treat once a week due to their high fat content. Defrosted pinkie mice should be used sparingly and offered about once a month as a complete alternative, but they are seen as good weight gain food items to offer leos immediately preceding and after breeding season.
All live food should be given a piece of sliced carrot, potato, apple and even some fish food at least 24 hours prior to feeding to the gecko. Gutloading the live food in this way ensures that they are full of the essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins that geckos need to thrive.
Hatchlings, juveniles and sub-adults should be fed every day, whilst adult leos can be fed every other day, though during breeding season, you may want to offer a few food items every day to enable the females to maintain their strength.
CAUTION: Change the gutloading food every day to avoid mould growth on those food items, which could in turn make the live food ill, thus passing this illness onto the gecko upon digestion of the infected live food item.
PLEASE NOTE: acidic/citrus fruit and iron-rich vegetables such as spinach and broccoli should be avoided as gutloading items as acidic foods upset the delicate natural balance of the leo digestive system and iron-rich foods can cause calcium-binding.
Gutloading should always be complemented by dusting the live food with some form of dietary supplement. For one feed per week, I recommend dusting with a multivitamin supplement (must include Vitamin D3) such as Repton or Nutrobal, but for all other feeds, simply dust with a calcium carbonate powder. Calcium is important for building and maintaining a healthy and strong bone structure (and avoiding such disorders as Metabolic Bone Disorder) and in helping females to produce better quality eggs, whilst Vitamin D3 is used to enhance the ability of the leo to process calcium from the intestine.
Some people also provide a bowl of calcium carbonate in the viv to enable leos to supplement their own intake of calcium. This is especially a good idea for females during the breeding season and for hatchlings.
As a part of the growing process, Leopard geckos shed their skin every 2-4 weeks. The obvious sign of a gecko coming up to shed is that the skin becomes a duller version of its normal colour and becomes loose. As the living environment for the gecko is generally dry, some geckos have difficulty in shedding all of their skin and it is quite common for them to retain some skin around the toes or the eyes. This is dangerous as it can lead to infection or lead to reducing the circulation around the toes (as the dead skin shrivels up and constricts around the toes).
To help leos shed properly, I provide a sandwich box with an entrance hole cut in one side that I half fill with very moist sterilised moss (known as a moist hide) that I place half over the heatmat and half over the cool end, thus providing its own little temperature gradient. This promotes humid air movement within the hide, hopefully enabling moisture to reach those places that would otherwise be dry and a potential sticking point for dry dead skin. Other good practice at this time is perhaps to lightly mist the viv a couple of times per day for the 2-3 days prior to shedding, avoiding to spray the leo as this may cause it unnecessary stress.
Many leos will eat their old skin so do not be alarmed at this, nor if their appetite seems somewhat diminished that day. They may also pass an abnormally large stool, but this is nothing to worry about if it has passed cleanly. It is always wise to examine your leo after shedding to ensure that the old layer of skin has been completely removed.
If there is still some skin left in sensitive places such as around the toes or eyes, then simply bathe the gecko in a shallow (1cm) bath of warm (not hot) water for about 10-15 minutes and then try to aid its removal with a damp cotton bud and tweezers. If the loose skin is on the back, then simply use the damp cotton bud and tweezers to lightly remove it. If the skin does not come free when applying light pressure, dampen it further but do not pull the skin hard as you could rip the fresh skin, opening a wound that could become a prime spot for infection.
The first few times that you do this it will seem that the gecko just won’t sit still enough for you to do it, but you will soon get used to it. If you have real difficulty, then consult a vet who is experienced in reptiles.
As with any animals, the signs to look for in a healthy animal are one that is active and alert, moving well and being responsive to movement around them. Check for clean eyes, bright skin condition, clean rectal areas and examine the vivarium for loose stools and any signs of regurgitated food.
Regular weighing (every 2-4 weeks) of your animals combined with good record keeping will help you enormously to chart its development and spot possible early signs of illness.
Illness in geckos tends to revolve mainly around impaction, Metabolic Bone Disorder (MBD), bacterial infections (e.g. the dreaded Cryptosporidium) and parasitic infections (e.g. worms). It is not my intention to go into detail on these areas here, but please check the hyperlink referenced at the end of this care sheet if you wish to know more.
As with any animal, if you suspect that the leo is looking unwell, then the best thing you can do is to quarantine the animal (to prevent infection of other leos) into a separate viv for closer monitoring of their weight, actions and the appearance of their stools. Consult with experienced keepers and give them all the detail you can with regard to the symptoms and if they are unable to diagnose the problem or suggest remedies, then make an appointment with a suitably experienced vet specialising in reptiles.
CAUTION: Many vets out there will treat reptiles with little knowledge of their patients, so please do your homework and find a vet that really does specialise in treating them as it will make all the difference. There are many stories of ignorant vets who have treated leos with high enough dosage of wormer to treat a Bull Mastiff with obviously nasty effects!
Use the link below to search for a reptile specialist within your area or ask at your local reptile store.
Other than through illness involving alien objects, geckos can sometimes become ill/wounded through bullying. Occasionally, certain leos will not get on and fighting may ensue. Leos can certainly bite and the most common injury that occurs is a wounded tail (that in very serious incidents will drop off altogether – very rare in captivity), but not all wounds are physical.
Bullied leos will sometime show signs of suffering from stress, tending to opt for hiding in another part of the viv away from the bully. There is a simple remedy to this. Quarantine the wounded/stressed animal, treat the wound by applying a reptile safe wound cleanser such as Tamodine and think about permanently rehoming the unhappy/wounded victim.
As hinted above, quarantine of suspected ill leos will in most cases help to prevent this spreading through to your other leos (if you have more than one).
It is also highly recommended that you quarantine any additional leos that you buy (because it is that addictive!) for between 2-3 months prior to introducing them to your established gecko colony. Why so long? Even if you know their care history, not all conditions have immediate visual or physical symptoms and it is common for them to take several months for to materialise, by which time they could have infected your other animals if you fail to observe basic quarantine and the handling and hygiene practices recommended here.
To introduce your new gecko(s) after the expiry of the quarantine period, it is best to first lift out your existing geckos and place them in temporary containers and then rearrange the viv furniture, replacing the substrate and the moss or moist hide medium. Slowly introduce each of the geckos into the viv, placing them in different areas of the floor area. Making these changes disguises the viv to its former occupant(s), making it appear to be a new home to each of the geckos that will subsequently be housed in the viv and thus puts them on an equal footing rather than the existing geckos trying to exhibit an “Oi! This is my turf” authority over the new geckos.
It is best to observe them closely for the first few days without disturbing them other than to provide food, clean water and “scoop the poop”. If they show signs of fighting or bullying then remove the victimised animal for treatment (if wounded) or remove the bully to a separate viv.
CAUTION: Do not house more than one male in any one viv as they will fight to the death. Likewise, you should only house like-sized leos together else smaller geckos are likely to be bullied, find themselves wanting for food or even be eaten (in the extreme case of a hatchling being unforgivably housed with a big adult gecko). Also, whilst females can live happily together in groups even during breeding season, bullying hierarchies do occasionally appear in vivs and injuries are always possible.
Leopard geckos are pretty tolerant of handling on the whole, but this varies from gecko to gecko. I have a number of geckos that almost beg to be handled, but I also have a number who clearly are not fond of human gecko interaction beyond the level required for me to serve them in performing their daily viv maintenance. Taming geckos for handling takes patience and time and will not happen overnight, but you have 20 years with this little creature so why rush it and end up with a “look but don’t touch” gecko?
Hatchlings and juveniles can be quite nervous of handling and will often be quite vocal in their distress. New additions really should not be handled more than absolutely necessary for the first two weeks of them being in their new home. After this time, the best way to tame a leo is to introduce your hand into their viv 3-4 times a week for 5-10 minutes at a time. Eventually, they will become brave enough to come to your hand, sniff it and lick it to assimilate information about the mysterious thing in front of it (just as they would an unfamiliar gecko). When feeling really brave, the gecko will step onto your hand and start moving around. Try not to move your hand too much the first few times that this happens and certainly do not try to remove your hand from the viv, else you may frighten the leo into making a courageous if somewhat disastrous leap for freedom.
Within 2-4 weeks of starting this process, you should start to see real changes in the leo’s attitude, but it may take slightly longer.
CAUTION: Human hands have been proven as among the commonest transport mechanisms for the spread of infections and disease in geckos. Good practice dictates that after handling one gecko, you wash your hands thoroughly with an anti-bacterial scrub or liquid soap prior to handling another.
Rumours of reptiles being prime transport mechanisms for the spread of diseases such as salmonella are highly exaggerated and mainly result from working with wild caught specimens, a practice which thankfully is not necessary with leopard geckos given the abundant availability of captive bred leos.
Furthermore, if you follow simple hygiene procedures and apply a little common sense, then you are more likely to pick up such an illness from your kitchen surfaces than from these wonderful little animals.
Caring for a leopard gecko is not an exact science and it doesn't all play out as per the reference books. If in doubt, ask someone more experienced than you. If that fails, ask a vet. Don’t punish your leo through your failure to communicate. It costs nothing to ask!