Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis Macularius) are native to the deserts and arid grasslands of India and Pakistan. Adults average 8 inches, about 55 grams, and can live up to 20 years. Leopard geckos are nocturnal, ground dwelling, and docile. They are insectivores eating mostly crickets (occasional wax worms or meal worms).
There are a few things you should know when you bring a Leopard Gecko. The Gecko will be scared when first coming home with you, so it's best to not handle them for the first week as they get acclimated to the new sights, sounds, and smells. New borns under three months should be handled very little, if at all. As they become juveniles and adults they can be handled for as much as they tolerate, which will vary from individual to individual. Some can be handled for hours at a time, others may not tolerate handing as long or often.
Housing:
They do well on 32qt container or similar screen terrarium. Babies can be housed in 6qt containers. The container should be tall enough that the Leo can not climb out. If the enclosure is in a room that gets below 68 degrees at night a heat source should be used (never use heat rocks for reptiles).
Substrate:
We only use and recommend paper as a substrate. It can be newspaper (a few weeks old to make sure the print is dry), brown paper (sold by the roll at home improvment stores), or paper towels.
Humidity
Leopard Geckos require a humid hide box be maintained in there enclosure to aid in the shedding process (Leo's typically eat there shed). The hide can be a small Rubbermaid or Gladware plastic container with a hole big enough for the Leo to get in and out. Place Sphagum moss (available at garden centers) in the container you choose. Simply soak the moss and wring it out until no water drops come out. Check the mositure every couple days and mist or clean out if needed.
Lighting/heating:
Leopard Geckos require no special lighting. A normal day/nigh light cycle should be maintained.
Feeding:
At least one type of live prey item should be fed daily. This can be 4 to 10 crickets or a bowel of meal worms. The feeder insects should be gut loaded (fed carrots, chicken feed, or hog feed for 24 hours) before feeding to your Leo's. Crickets should be smaller that the space between the Leo's eyes.
Supplements:
Leoard geckos require an occasional Calcium supplement. The calcium supplement shoud contain d3. We dust the crickets twice a week with Calcium and once a week with a multi-vitamin. We also place a small bowl of calcium in their enclosure. The Leos will eat the calcuim powder as they need it.
Water:
A small water bowl that can't be tipped is maintained on the bottom of the enclosure. We recommend you change/clean the water dish twice a week to avoid any bacteria buildup. We also recommend using Spring Water, as distilled lacks the needed nutrients and minerals. Tap water could contain chemicals that could be harmful. If you see any defecation in their water, change it out to avoid issues of drinking dirty water.
Provided by: www.TheCornPit.com
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