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Scientific Name: Eublepharis Macularius
Range:Leopard geckos are found in Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. But Most Leo's that are sold now are bread in the USA.
Selection:When selecting your gecko look for obvious signs of health. The gecko should be alert and if possible try and see the lizard feed.Or make sure he is lokking around and aware of his surroundings. Make sure the gecko is captive bred and not imported. With the massive quantities of geckos being produced by breeders each year this shouldn't be a problem.
Appearance:Adult leopard geckos reach a length from 8 to 9 inches. Most leopard geckos have a yellow background with brown spots covering the adults. Juvenile geckos have a predominantly striped pattern that will turn to the spotted pattern with age. They also have a very obvious outer ear and differ from many geckos in that they have eyelids and lack adhesive lamellae,or toe pads, meaning they can't walk up vertical services.There are also several different morphsto choose from.
Housing: An aquarium is a perfect home.I dont like the sweater boxs that breeders usebecause they are small and you cant see your geckos well.They are a terrestrial species but like mine, they have been known to climb a little. A 20 gallon long aquarium is adequate for 3 or 4 geckos.I have a 45 gallon tank where i keep mine. Make sure that you only have one male per enclosure as males will fight each other.If not separated they will fight to the death. The substrate can be sand,dirt,newspaper,computer paper,rock and artificial turf. Sand creates the most natural setup, but is not recommended because it can cause compaction in the intestines causing them to die. Rocks and logs can make the terrarium more natural looking and they provide your lizards with places to climb and get exercise. A hide box is also recommended for each lizard for use in times of conflict and for sleeping.
Lighting & Temperature:
Leopard geckos are a nocturnal species so no form of UV lighting is necessary. A simple spotlight with the appropriate wattage bulb can provide both daytime light and heat. I use a red light for night time and a UV light for day. Daytime temperatures should be around 90 and the nighttime temps can go down in the low 70s. When I say 90 degrees I mean this should be the temperature directly under the spotlight. This will allow the rest of the cage to remain from anywhere to the 80's to room temperature. A simple 12 hour day and 12 hour night can be easily regulated by a timer attached to the lights.
Feeding & Watering:
Leopard geckos are relatively easy to feed because they will thrive on insects. A bunch of crickets along with occasional waxworms and mealworms make a good diet. Adult geckos can also be fed an occasional pinkie mouse.Although i have never fed them a pinkie,I've heard they can eat them. Juveniles can be feed every day and adults every other day. Supplementation is a must for leopard geckos. Two supplements should be used: one that is just calcium/D3 and another that is a reptile multivitamin. Juveniles should be supplemented at every feeding and adults at every other feeding. Gravid females should also be supplemented at every feeding to make up for the large nutritional depletion caused by egg laying. Insects can be coated with these supplements and it's always a good idea to feed the insects a high quality diet or "gut-load" them and increase their nutritional value. If your geckos don't mind being handled it may be a good idea to feed them in a separate container. This reduces the chance of impaction from ingesting the substrate in the aquarium and allows for you to monitor how much each gecko is eating.
A shallow water dish should be provided at all times and changed daily to stop bacteria and fungus growth. Allowing leopard geckos access to a moist area is a good idea that aids in shedding. Even though they come from arid climates their burrows tend to have moderate humidity. People can supply this humidity by moistening the area under their hide boxes. Make sure that the overall cage isn't wet or overly humid.
Breeding: Leopard geckos are relatively easy to breed. One male will mate with several females so people tend to keep them in groups of one male to 3 or 4 females.I have heard of people keeping 8-10 females per 1 male but i haven't got that many so my ratio now is 1:1. Pregnant females can usually be detected because of a bump on each side of her abdomen. If provided with a laying box females will tend to use it. Something like a butter tub or a tuppaware dish with a hole cut in the side that is filled with moist moss, vermiculite or perlite will provide an attractive place for the females. Females will usually produce multiple clutches of eggs during breeding season. The eggs should be removed from the egg laying box and incubated in vermiculite or perlite with a 1:1 ratio of water to vermiculite by weight. The plastic shoebox inside of a ten gallon aquarium makes an adequate incubator. If incubated at 85 degrees they should hatch in around two months. A higher incubation temperature will produce more males although i've heard that many females produced at higher temperatures will be aggressive and may not be suitable for breeding. The newborn geckos will not eat until after their first shed (usually after about a week). They can then be started on appropriately sized insects like pinheads. It's also best to house them separate,or by size as they get older or you will have a tailless newborn.You can put them in plastic shoeboxes.
Price:With so much captive breeding going on the price of leopard geckos has decreased dramatically. In pet stores they usually cost between $60 and $70 on the average but i found a pet shop where they are sold for $40. They can be purchased much cheaper directly from breeders or at reptile expos.At the pet shop i went to the owner is a breeder so i got my new one for $40.00.
