One of the most popular pets for new reptile owners, leopard geckos have taken over the pet stores. Their relative low-maintenance care is attractive for those who are new to the reptile keeping world, but there are still many specific requirements that come with keeping one. Learn to build a terrific terrarium, provide a balanced diet, and create a healthy, natural habitat for your new gecko friend!
What does a leopard gecko look like?
If you're brand-new to the world of leopard geckos, I have a helpful photograph of my beautiful Cleo to the left here! Leopard geckos have bumpy skin, claws on their toes, moveable eyelids, and their signature large, fatty tail. They are an arid gecko, which means they come from the desert. They come in a variety of morph colors, ranging from bright yellow and orange to albino. In the wild, their natural coloration is yellow with black spots.
What does a leopard gecko cost?
When you walk into a typical chain pet store, such as Petco, PetSmart, or Pet Supplies, the average cost for a leopard gecko ranges anywhere from $25-50. The cost depends on the coloration, age, and breeding source. A leopard gecko that has dropped its tail is often sold at a large discount since this is considered a cosmetic defect.
Do leopard geckos bite?
The best rule of thumb is this: anything with a mouth can bite! A leopard gecko has teeth and can snap down pretty hard for their small size, so a bite from a leopard gecko certainly doesn't feel good, but their teeth are so small that they don't cause any damage.
Most leopard geckos are pretty friendly if treated with respect, however, and will refrain from biting in general. They only lash out as a last resort. As with snakes, a leopard gecko's only aggressive defense is biting, so if you recognize their signs of stress and interact only when they are calm, you likely won't get bit.
How big should a leopard gecko's terrarium be?
A leopard gecko's terrarium should be at minimum 15 gallons. Even though most babies only require about ten gallons, it's best to allow them space to grow into. Adults must have 20+ gallons for proper exercise.
You will want to provide as much walking space for your gecko as possible. In the wild, leopard geckos roam around a small territory within the desert mountains in search of tasty bugs. Although they don't walk miles per day like tigers do, they can be very active at night. Be sure to provide plenty of open, accessible space for your gecko to roam.
You won't need a terrarium that's tall, either. Twenty gallon aquarium tanks typically come in long and tall versions; you'll want to pick the long version to optimize your gecko's walking space.
That isn't to say your gecko doesn't like to climb, though! Leopard geckos enjoy rock climbs as a way to exercise, strengthen their muscles, and naturally shave down their nails. Be sure your terrarium is at least sixteen inches tall.
What does a leopard gecko need in its cage?
Inside your leopard gecko's terrarium, you will need to incorporate everything your gecko needs to not only survive, but thrive in a happy, healthy environment. You're going beyond the simple food, water, space, clean air, and shelter here: you're making an enriching, interactive environment for your gecko to enjoy for years
You'll need the following in order to create the home of your gecko's dreams:
Water Dish: Your gecko will need a water dish that needs cleaned and refilled with chlorine-free water daily. Place this item where it won't get dirty or trampled easily, for example, in the corner of the terrarium. Make sure your gecko has easy access to it, though, and it's easily visible.
Dry Hide: This is a either a rock or natural-type shelter where your gecko can hide and stay warm during the day. Place it on the side of your terrarium where the heat is most intense. Try using a rock hide that retains heat for maximum comfort.
Wet Hide: Your gecko would normally find moisture in small rock crevices containing mosses or puddles in the wild. To replicate this in your terrarium, simply create a hide, place moss or a wet paper towel inside, and locate it on the cool side of your terrarium.
Deep Substrate: Did you know that leopard geckos enjoy digging or burrowing? Don't deny them this natural enriching behavior! Provide at least three inches of substrate of your choice to ensure your gecko has every opportunity to dig to their heart's content.
Lighting: Leopard geckos require heat and UVB light fixtures to regulate their body temperature and absorb vitamins and minerals into their bloodstream. Make sure to buy BOTH fixtures and place them over top of your terrarium!
Temperature Gradient: Since leopard geckos are cold-blooded animals, they cannot regulate their body temperature like we do, instead relying on their environment to provide them the heat or chill they need. To accommodate this, simply place a heat lamp on one side of the terrarium and a UVB fixture on the other, or keep both fixtures together on one side of the terrarium. The warm zone should hit 80-95 degrees during the day, and the cool zone should remain at an ambient temperature of 75-80 degrees. Let the temperature fall as low as sixty degrees overnight to replicate their natural extreme desert environment.
Rock Climb: Leopard geckos come from a rocky, mountainous environment. In order to keep their muscles strong, their joints healthy, and their nails filed down, provide a rough rock climb at a small incline. You can make it decorative or naturalistic according to your preference.
Decorations/Live Plants: In order to keep your leopard gecko feeling safe, provide live foliage suited to an arid environment or decorations that mimic the desert terrain. Place these decorations or live plants throughout the terrarium. This way, your leopard gecko will not feel exposed, which limits their stress and maintains good health.
Terrarium Lid with Clips: You wouldn't want your leopard gecko climbing right out of their nice, safe home, would you? Buy a terrarium lid fitted to your tank size and get clips to secure it in place. This way, you won't have to deal with stressful escape situations, and your leopard gecko will always be safe and healthy inside their home.
Miscellaneous: You may choose to feed freeze-dried food to your gecko via a shallow food bowl placed in plain sight. Additionally, if your home gets very cold during winter months, you may choose to place an under-tank heat mat under your gecko's terrarium to provide a constant source of heat. NEVER place a heat mat inside your gecko's tank to prevent burns and electric shocks.
What does a leopard gecko eat?
A leopard gecko's diet is much more varied in the wild than it will be in the walls of your (hopefully) bug-free home. As an insectivore, these lizards derive all their nutrients from the bugs they hunt in their rocky territories. You will want to feed them as many crickets, mealworms, soldier fly larvae, and calcium worms as you can get your hands on.
Be careful, though, that you do not overfeed your gecko. Obesity is unfortunately common in the pet gecko world, and it is entirely due to the owner overfeeding the gecko.
Your leopard gecko only needs to eat one to twice per week as an adult. In addition, only feed them as many live bugs as they can hunt in the span of five to ten minutes.
You are in control of your gecko's health—be sure to feed them according to their activity level, and adjust as necessary!
Additionally, keep in mind that most feeder insects are lacking in certain nutrients that your gecko would normally receive from their diverse diet in the wild. You MUST provide a calcium and vitamin B12 supplement to maintain your gecko's health.
Calcium is one of the biggest determining factors in bone development, and a chronic deficiency can lead to bone deformities that impair your gecko for life. Do not skip on this essential supplement in your gecko's diet!
For Babies: Baby and juvenile leopard geckos are in a state of fast growth and require more frequent feedings than adults. Be sure to feed babies a few pinhead crickets and live diced blackworms each day, and for juveniles, back it off to every other day. NEVER feed your gecko a food item larger than the width between its eyes; anything bigger is a choking hazard.
Do leopard geckos need special lighting?
Although before, it was considered unnecessary, recent herpetological veterinary studies have discovered that UVB lighting is essential to leopard geckos' growth, development, and health maintenance.
Without proper UVB, leopard geckos cannot absorb calcium and other important nutrients into their bloodstream, even if they are regularly fed the proper supplements. Leopard geckos living without UVB lighting were found to have low blood-calcium levels and weak bone density.
When choosing your UVB lighting, you may decide on either a UVB light bar or a simple lamp and UVB bulb fixture. Be careful to ensure your leopard gecko cannot directly touch the surface of the lamp or bulb to prevent burns. Choose a bulb somewhere between 15-25 watts to properly replicate the UVB index they would receive in the wild.
Do leopard geckos shed?
Yes! Like all reptiles, leopard geckos periodically shed the outer layer of their skin. They, just like all lizards, have a tendency to shed their skin in pieces rather than all at once like a snake. Additionally, they almost always eat their shed, which is a natural behavior in geckos. It's simply their way of reclaiming otherwise wasted nutrients!
You may notice your gecko taking on a gray or dusty appearance right before they shed. This is normal! They aren't sick; it's the outermost layer of skin dying off cell by cell until it's ready to slough off. And there's no need to help your gecko shed—they do this naturally on their own their entire life!
The only time you might have to help your gecko shed is if they get pieces of their shed stuck to the layer of skin beneath. This condition, called stuck shed, is common in leopard geckos. It's a sign that the humidity in your terrarium is too low for you gecko's specific needs.
To assist your gecko with stuck shed, first attempt to soak the skin in warm, but not hot, water or use a wet cue tip to gently rub at the affected area. If the skin still doesn't come off, DO NOT attempt to peel it off! This could damage the layers of skin underneath and cause bleeding, infections, and other superficial injuries.
Contact your exotic veterinarian with concerns about your gecko's shed, and they will recommend proper next steps, such as using specific products or coming in for a vet treatment.
Do leopard geckos need humidity?
Leopard geckos do, in fact, need humidity, just not as much as a tropical gecko. Your gecko will thrive in arid conditions, which means a humidity less than 60% at any given time. As long as you have a wet hide that is constantly maintained and available to your gecko, they should be able to regulate their humidity needs.
If your gecko consistently gets stuck shed or sheds less than usual, consider upping the ambient humidity level of your terrarium. It's actually common for a leopard gecko to have an individual preference for higher humidity.
In the wild, they enjoy rocky crevices with running water or soaking moss, which is a high-humidity environment. Some geckos love this kind of weather, while others prefer it hot and dry. Adjust according to your gecko's preferences!
Can leopard geckos live together?
This is a commonly asked question with a resounding answer: no. Leopard geckos may live together while they're young, but as soon as they hit the late juvenile stage, they begin to establish firm territories. The risk of fighting among cohabitating leopard geckos is extremely high, and the subsequent risk of injury is just as high.
It's considered best practice to house leopard geckos alone. There are rare exceptions where leopard geckos grow up together and tolerate one another with a large enough territory provided, but overall, leopard geckos are solitary animals. They do not form families like human beings do. They prefer their alone time in peace and quiet.
During breeding season, leopard geckos tolerate one another for a short period, but as soon as breeding is complete, they tend to go back to fighting. If you're considering breeding leopard geckos, take into account the fact that you will still have to house your geckos separately; they should only be together for mating, and they should be closely monitored for signs of aggression.
What substrate does a leopard gecko need?
Although leopard geckos are considered arid desert animals, they should not live on sand exclusively. In fact, they prefer a more rocky, hardier terrain mixed with loose soil they can dig in, just like the mountainous rock crevices they rule in the wild.
For the most optimal substrate, a mix of sand, reptile soil, and rock will yield the best results. You can easily DIY most of this by purchasing a 50lb bag of Play Sand, a giant bag of lava rocks, super glue, reptile soil, and naturalistic aquarium gravel for under $40.
Glue your lava rocks in any formation to a piece of cardboard and let it dry. Mix the sand and reptile soil together in a 1:2 ratio, then pour it into the bottom of your terrarium until it reaches a height of two inches. Place your lava rock formation on one side of your terrarium, then cover most of it with substrate, only allowing the very tops of the rocks to protrude from the soil. Sprinkle your aquarium gravel throughout the rest of the terrarium as a finishing touch, then voila! You have a wonderful substrate for your gecko.
Do leopard geckos like to be held?
This is a tricky topic, because the word like doesn't necessarily fit the bill here. Reptiles do not form the same emotional bonds with us that a dog or cat may form. At most, they tolerate us and are curious about what we're doing, how we smell, or the way we dress.
Some leopard geckos are phenomenal handling animals, meaning they sit there and allow us to pick them up, poke and prod at them at the vet, and pet them all over without blinking an eye. Others will panic the moment they see your hand. Still others may tolerate being picked up, but don't like being petted, poked, or touched.
You will have to gauge this according to your gecko's personality. Some geckos may change their opinion of handling over time, and it can be for the better or for the worse. As long as you are patient, pay attention to your gecko's behavior, and take care of their needs, you will likely have a rewarding handling experience.
There are plenty of ways to increase your gecko's handling tolerance over time. Simply spending your evenings reading around your gecko's enclosure may allow them to adjust to having you around and increase their tolerance for handling. Your individual gecko may warm up to you quickly, or they may learn at a snail's pace. Take your time, allow your gecko to decide when they're comfortable, and give space during setbacks in the handling process.
How do you maintenance a leopard gecko terrarium?
Maintaining a leopard gecko terrarium is one of the easiest husbandry tasks in the animal world. If you have a bioactive terrarium, you won't have to do any maintenance at all aside from feeding and watering!
For the rest of you that don't have a bioactive terrarium, the maintenance is this: pick up droppings weekly, clean water/food dishes daily, rewet the wet hide materials daily, and water any live plants you may have growing in your terrarium. Replace the top layer of your substrate every few months. Replace heat and UVB bulbs every three to six months to ensure proper light and UV emittance.
Do leopard geckos go to the vet?
Leopard geckos don't need to visit the vet regularly like cats and dogs, but there's a handful of exotic vets ready to help you and your gecko should you run into any health issues. Exotic vets have a special license to treat reptiles, amphibians, and/or birds in addition to the general practice license. They know exactly what to do if you bring in your unique gecko friend!
There are some common health issues that pop up with leopard geckos that you can easily treat on your own, but if you find yourself in a situation where your gecko is rapidly losing weight, acting lethargic, refusing to eat, not going to the bathroom, is injured, or otherwise appearing/acting VERY strangely, don't hesitate to reach out to an exotic veterinarian.
To find an exotic vet, you can look up a vet near you on the website for the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV). They have an entire registry of vets licensed to take care of your leopard gecko. It's updated constantly, so you should be able to find a vet and their practice's location/website with ease.
What are some common health issues in leopard geckos?
Some common health issues in leopard geckos are as follows:
Stuck Shed: This is a condition where your gecko's dead skin gets stuck on the layer of new skin beneath it. It's usually an indicator that the humidity is to low in your terrarium. To treat, try to soak the affected area in lukewarm water or rub it gently with a wet cue tip.
Impaction: This is a scary condition where your gecko has a buildup of undigestible materials in their intestines. Signs are lethargy, appetite changes, behavioral changes (such as excessive sleeping and hiding during active hours or new aggression), not going to the bathroom, refusal to eat, and a bulging abdomen.
The cause is typically the ingestion of substrate such as sand over time or eating a foreign object. Contact your vet right away if you suspect impaction, because if left untreated, this condition is lethal.
Metabolic Bone Disease: Unfortunately, this condition is common in the pet industry due to ignorant pet owners and lack of education in pet stores. Metabolic bone disease occurs when a reptile isn't receiving enough calcium and other vital nutrients during development and into adulthood. It causes permanent bone deformations that, if left to continue, impair the reptile's ability to walk.
If caught in time, a reptile may be able to retain some function of the affected limbs, but there is no cure for this disease once the bones have been deformed. Report anyone who tries to sell you pets with MBD. To prevent it from occurring in your own gecko, provide a varied diet with the proper calcium and vitamin supplements.
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