Leopard geckos originate from asian countries Pakistan and Afghanistan, they make great pets and are an excellent choice for anyone thinking of getting their first reptile. Easily tamed and handleable they are full of character and seem to enjoy human interaction. They are a hardy species of lizard and compared to some other species have relatively simple care requirements. With the correct set up and care they can live for 15-20 years. This page covers everything you need to set up a happy home for your gecko.
Housing
The minimum space requirement for one adult leopard gecko is 2ft x 1ft x 1ft This can be a vivarium or plastic tub often called a RUB (really useful box) RUBS are available from places such as stationary shops, large supermarkets and discount stores and 33 or 50 litre size is suitable for 1 leo, these are a cheaper alternative to a vivarium. While the above is minimum space requirement, if you are able to provide a larger living space your leopard gecko will love the extra room. Our geckos are housed in 3ft vivariums and use all of that space. Young or baby leos we find seem to feel more secure in a smaller enclosure for the first few months, smaller space makes it much easier for them to find their food easily. A faunarium or RUB is ideal.
Heat and Humidity requirements
Leopard geckos are a rocky desert dwelling species and as such need very little humidity. It is not necessary to spray their habitat or provide moist substrate, however it is important to provide a moist hide to aid shedding. This can be something as simple as a tupperware container or ice cream tub with a hole cut in the top or side to allow the gecko to get in and out, half filled with moist coir, eco earth, spagnum moss, kitchen paper or old squares of towel or flannel which can be washed and reused and pose no risk of the gecko swallowing any. Vermiculite should not be used as it has been known for geckos to ingest it. This is the only humid conditions your leo will need.
Your leo will do best with a hot end temperature of 31-33c or 88-93F, leos need good belly heat to digest their food so it is our recommendation that a simple heat mat be used to provide heat. This wants to cover no less than 1/3rd and no more than 1/2 of the viv floor so that a thermel gradient can be achieved and the gecko has the option of a cooler temperature if needed. The heat mat must always be connected to a thermostat to regulate the temps and prevent over heating, In my opinion this is the most important piece of equipment needed, there have been many nasty cases recorded of leos over heating, suffering terrible burns or even dying from heat mats or lamps which were not connected to a thermostat. We recommend that the heat mat be left on at a constant temp 24/7. A reliable digital thermometer is also a good idea to double check the temperatures are correct, this needs to be placed next to the thermostat probe on the floor of the viv over the heat mat to give an accurate reading, heat mats do not heat the air. Ideally cool end temperatures should ideally be around 22-24c however do not worry too much about this, room temperature is adequate so long as the room is not very cold.
Substrate
There are many different types of substrate for use in your vivarium and this aspect of care is really personal choice, it is our recommendation however that any loose substrate such as sand, aspen, corn chips or bark should not be used this is because there is a risk of your gecko swallowing it, either accidentally when hunting food or purposely. Loose substrates have been known to cause impaction which would need prompt attention from a vet. There are many other substrates that can be used safely. We recommend lino flooring which comes in a range of colours and finishes and is easy to fit and keep clean. Repti carpet which can be washed and reused is another safe option, I would recommend getting two pieces so that you have a spare when one is being washed. Kitchen roll can also be used and is safe, cheap and easy to change regularly. I would recommend spot cleaning ie removing any visable faeces daily and a full clean out weekly with everything being disinfected with reptile safe disinfectant fortnightly.
Feeding and supplementation
Leopard geckos are insectivores meaning they eat a diet consisting solely of insects. We find that feeding a range of feeder insects is beneficial, it stops the geckos getting bored of their diet, provides exercise, prevents picky eating and leads to happy healthy leos. We feed our geckos on several different types of insects including meal worms, locust/hoppers, dubia roaches, silk worms and calci worms. Crickets can also be used and many people use a staple diet of meal worms with other feeders such as crickets or locust being offered a few times a week. Baby geckos need lots of food and should be fed every day as much as they will eat. Adult geckos often need to eat less often and you may be able to feed every other day or reduce the amount of food offered. You should always feed appropriately sized insects for the size of your gecko, babies will need small nymph insects which you can increase in size as they grow. All insects should be gut loaded a minimum of 24hrs before feeding, this is the process of feeding the insects so that the nourishment and vitamins they ingest are passed to the geckos when eaten. Cereals such as weetabix, shreddies, muesli and vegetables such as spring greens, curly kale, carrots, squash etc are all good foods for gut loading. All your geckos food should be supplimented by dusting it with calcium and vitamins, this is to prevent diseases such as MBD (metabolic bone disease) There are many different regimes used for supplimenting, the most common being to suppliment 5 days a week with a pure calcium powder and 2 days a week with a muti vitamin such as nutrobal. What we do is to mix up a 2:1 ratio of calcium and nutrobal in a container and use this mix to dust all feeds. It is important to supplement with vitamins as well as calcium as vitamin D3 aids the absorption of calcium into the body, without it the calcium would just pass straight through and be useless. You should also provide a small bowl or milk top full of plain calcium powder in the viv at all times so that the gecko can take some in as they need to by licking the powder.
Hides and decor
A minimum of 3 hides should be provided in the enclosure. 1 in the hot end of the tank, 1 in the cool end and a moist hide as mentioned previously. These can be special resin "cave" type hides available at reptile shops, coconut shell hides, cork bark hides or could be something as simple as a small box or plastic tub, the hides should be large enough to allow the gecko access but small enough for them to feel safe and secure. If you have space in the enclosure then a couple more hides are a good idea. Other decor is down to personal choice you could add branches, artificial plants or slate pieces as you wish. Although they are a terrestrial species many leos love a good climb about and will make good use of any decor provided.
Shopping List
Below is a list of everything which we recommend is needed to provide a happy home for your gecko, this can be done quite inexpensively if you shop around online or look in the classified ads on forums etc
Enclosure- vivarium or RUB
Heat mat
Thermostat
Thermometer
1 warm hide, 1 cool hide, 1 moist hide
1 water bowl, 1 mealie/food bowl
Calcium and multi vitamin supplements
Decor eg plants, logs, branches bark
Substrate eg lino/vinyl flooring, slate, repti carpet etc
Feeder insects
Extra items
plastic feeding tweezers/tongs
reptile safe disinfectant
digital scales (it is a good idea to weigh your leo once a week to catch any problems early on)
Calcium dish
Housing
The minimum space requirement for one adult leopard gecko is 2ft x 1ft x 1ft This can be a vivarium or plastic tub often called a RUB (really useful box) RUBS are available from places such as stationary shops, large supermarkets and discount stores and 33 or 50 litre size is suitable for 1 leo, these are a cheaper alternative to a vivarium. While the above is minimum space requirement, if you are able to provide a larger living space your leopard gecko will love the extra room. Our geckos are housed in 3ft vivariums and use all of that space. Young or baby leos we find seem to feel more secure in a smaller enclosure for the first few months, smaller space makes it much easier for them to find their food easily. A faunarium or RUB is ideal.
Heat and Humidity requirements
Leopard geckos are a rocky desert dwelling species and as such need very little humidity. It is not necessary to spray their habitat or provide moist substrate, however it is important to provide a moist hide to aid shedding. This can be something as simple as a tupperware container or ice cream tub with a hole cut in the top or side to allow the gecko to get in and out, half filled with moist coir, eco earth, spagnum moss, kitchen paper or old squares of towel or flannel which can be washed and reused and pose no risk of the gecko swallowing any. Vermiculite should not be used as it has been known for geckos to ingest it. This is the only humid conditions your leo will need.
Your leo will do best with a hot end temperature of 31-33c or 88-93F, leos need good belly heat to digest their food so it is our recommendation that a simple heat mat be used to provide heat. This wants to cover no less than 1/3rd and no more than 1/2 of the viv floor so that a thermel gradient can be achieved and the gecko has the option of a cooler temperature if needed. The heat mat must always be connected to a thermostat to regulate the temps and prevent over heating, In my opinion this is the most important piece of equipment needed, there have been many nasty cases recorded of leos over heating, suffering terrible burns or even dying from heat mats or lamps which were not connected to a thermostat. We recommend that the heat mat be left on at a constant temp 24/7. A reliable digital thermometer is also a good idea to double check the temperatures are correct, this needs to be placed next to the thermostat probe on the floor of the viv over the heat mat to give an accurate reading, heat mats do not heat the air. Ideally cool end temperatures should ideally be around 22-24c however do not worry too much about this, room temperature is adequate so long as the room is not very cold.
Substrate
There are many different types of substrate for use in your vivarium and this aspect of care is really personal choice, it is our recommendation however that any loose substrate such as sand, aspen, corn chips or bark should not be used this is because there is a risk of your gecko swallowing it, either accidentally when hunting food or purposely. Loose substrates have been known to cause impaction which would need prompt attention from a vet. There are many other substrates that can be used safely. We recommend lino flooring which comes in a range of colours and finishes and is easy to fit and keep clean. Repti carpet which can be washed and reused is another safe option, I would recommend getting two pieces so that you have a spare when one is being washed. Kitchen roll can also be used and is safe, cheap and easy to change regularly. I would recommend spot cleaning ie removing any visable faeces daily and a full clean out weekly with everything being disinfected with reptile safe disinfectant fortnightly.
Feeding and supplementation
Leopard geckos are insectivores meaning they eat a diet consisting solely of insects. We find that feeding a range of feeder insects is beneficial, it stops the geckos getting bored of their diet, provides exercise, prevents picky eating and leads to happy healthy leos. We feed our geckos on several different types of insects including meal worms, locust/hoppers, dubia roaches, silk worms and calci worms. Crickets can also be used and many people use a staple diet of meal worms with other feeders such as crickets or locust being offered a few times a week. Baby geckos need lots of food and should be fed every day as much as they will eat. Adult geckos often need to eat less often and you may be able to feed every other day or reduce the amount of food offered. You should always feed appropriately sized insects for the size of your gecko, babies will need small nymph insects which you can increase in size as they grow. All insects should be gut loaded a minimum of 24hrs before feeding, this is the process of feeding the insects so that the nourishment and vitamins they ingest are passed to the geckos when eaten. Cereals such as weetabix, shreddies, muesli and vegetables such as spring greens, curly kale, carrots, squash etc are all good foods for gut loading. All your geckos food should be supplimented by dusting it with calcium and vitamins, this is to prevent diseases such as MBD (metabolic bone disease) There are many different regimes used for supplimenting, the most common being to suppliment 5 days a week with a pure calcium powder and 2 days a week with a muti vitamin such as nutrobal. What we do is to mix up a 2:1 ratio of calcium and nutrobal in a container and use this mix to dust all feeds. It is important to supplement with vitamins as well as calcium as vitamin D3 aids the absorption of calcium into the body, without it the calcium would just pass straight through and be useless. You should also provide a small bowl or milk top full of plain calcium powder in the viv at all times so that the gecko can take some in as they need to by licking the powder.
Hides and decor
A minimum of 3 hides should be provided in the enclosure. 1 in the hot end of the tank, 1 in the cool end and a moist hide as mentioned previously. These can be special resin "cave" type hides available at reptile shops, coconut shell hides, cork bark hides or could be something as simple as a small box or plastic tub, the hides should be large enough to allow the gecko access but small enough for them to feel safe and secure. If you have space in the enclosure then a couple more hides are a good idea. Other decor is down to personal choice you could add branches, artificial plants or slate pieces as you wish. Although they are a terrestrial species many leos love a good climb about and will make good use of any decor provided.
Shopping List
Below is a list of everything which we recommend is needed to provide a happy home for your gecko, this can be done quite inexpensively if you shop around online or look in the classified ads on forums etc
Enclosure- vivarium or RUB
Heat mat
Thermostat
Thermometer
1 warm hide, 1 cool hide, 1 moist hide
1 water bowl, 1 mealie/food bowl
Calcium and multi vitamin supplements
Decor eg plants, logs, branches bark
Substrate eg lino/vinyl flooring, slate, repti carpet etc
Feeder insects
Extra items
plastic feeding tweezers/tongs
reptile safe disinfectant
digital scales (it is a good idea to weigh your leo once a week to catch any problems early on)
Calcium dish