Leopard Gecko Information: Tips and Facts

Need more leopard gecko information? Keeping these lizards and breeding different morphs can be very rewarding. That’s why we’re here to help you with the basics and some tips and facts so that you can pursue your designer pet dreams.

Habitat Heating

Let’s start with their living enclosure. These creatures are known to be very hardy and your basic tank will do as long as you provide them with heat. When planning the heating arrangement of the tank, you have to make sure that there are at least two areas, a warmer area and a cooler area. A temperature of about 90 degrees for the warm and around 80 for the cool area should do.

Hides

You should also employ hides. In the wild, the leopard gecko is a nocturnal animal. This is why you should provide some hiding places for it to take shelter in during the day or when there is light out. This is easier than you think. Many keepers employ simple plastic containers or Tupperware as hideaways. Just cut a hole through the lid or the sides so the lizards can get in.

You need to place the hides in both sides of the tank, the warm and the cool side. Also, a special hide for special situations like giving birth or shedding is needed. This box is usually called the humid box because you’d want to keep it humid which helps with shedding and egg incubation. You should place this special humid box in the warm side and try to keep it at a temperature of around 90 degrees. You can also vary the temperature of this humid hide when it serves as the nursery. The sex of the lizard babies can be modified with temperature changes. Cooler temps will usually make females and warmer temps males.

Food

You’d want to feed your lizards live prey. The preferred food is usually the cricket. This has been a staple food for the lizards for many breeders and keepers. You can also use mealworms, silkworms, and superworms. Although they are not as active, and they won’t provide your lizard with some needed stimulation, they are easier to handle. Plus, crickets can sometimes escape and start to cause problems. Because they are more active, crickets can run around the tank and cause stress and unwanted irritation to your lizards. To get around this, you should get to know your lizards better so that you can plan your diets exactly. Give your lizards only the amount of food that they can eat in one sitting.

Substrate

You can also use substrates to help with the maintenance. Although some keepers just use the tank floor, you’ll find that using a substrate makes the whole process of cleaning and spot cleaning easier. Sand is a popular choice among many enthusiasts. However, you should know that sand can sometimes cause its own set of problems. The sand can be ingested by the lizard and, depending on the size of the lizard or the grain of the sand, problems like intestinal impaction or other digestive system blockages can occur. Use fine grain sand or use alternative substrates like paper, newspaper, pea gravel, artificial turf, or stones.


Donna Perez is a lizard enthusiast who has vast experience of raising Leopard Geckos.

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