Leopard Gecko Care Sheet

Leopard Geckos are one of the most commonly kept reptiles due to they are very docile and low maintenance.  This makes them an excellent choice for children.  Leopard geckos have been captive bred in North America for more than 25 years.  The price range for leopard geckos can be anywhere between 20-2,000 dollars.  The more expensive geckos have been specially breeded for collecting.  Don't worry, There are no health differences between an inexpensive and expensive leopard gecko.  When Leopard geckos are born, they are around 3 inches in length, adult females are 6-8 inches, and adult males are 8-10 inches.  There are giant blood lines that can reach 12-13 inches long too.  Buying a leopard gecko is a serious commitment as they can live between 10-20 years.

Housing A Leopard Gecko.  A 10-15 gallon enclosure can house one adult leopard gecko comfortably and a 20 gallon tank can house 2 adult leopard geckos comfortably.  Geckos are going to need three hides, one for the warm side and one for the cool side so they can thermo-regulate their body temperature.  The third hide box is going to be the leopard gecko's moist box.  You put this on the warm side with moss inside it and damp the moss.  This will raise the humidity in the hide box, to help with shedding and a gravid female can lay her eggs there.  Only use a screen top, as this allows for circulation and you can place accesories such as lights on top.  For more about leopard gecko enclosures, visit Reptile Cages.

Heating And Lighting For A Leopard Gecko.  Leopard geckos require heat to be able to digest just like all reptiles.  The hot side of the cage should be around 90 degrees farenheight and the cool side can be room temperature.  You can provide heat by an undertank heater or a heat lamp.  An undertank heater is the best source as leopard geckos feel heat from their bellies.  But you can use a heat lamp with a rock under it.  Never use heat rocks as they can overheat and burn your leopard gecko.  You can leave a under tank heater on all the time.
Leopard geckos are active at night, which means they do not need any special uvb lighting.

Food And Water For A Leopard Gecko.  Leopard geckos are insectivores, which means they eat only insects.  Use this rule when feeding; The width of the food should be no wider than the width between you leopard gecko's eyes.  You can feed them mealworms, superworms, crickets, or dubia roaches.  Dubia roaches are the healthiest insect you could give to your leopard gecko.  When leopard geckos shed their skin, it is normal for them to eat it.  Feed a baby gecko 2-3 times a day and an adult once every other day.
Fresh clean water should be provided daily to your leopard gecko.  You may not see them drink because they are active at night, but they do.  Be sure the water is shallow, so your leopard gecko can't drown. 


Substrate For A Leopard Gecko.  You can use newspaper, paper towels, or repti-carpet as substrate.  You can use play sand if you feed your leopard geckos in a different enclosure.  I chose to use repti-carpet from birth to adulthood for leopard geckos so there is no risk of impaction.  Leopard geckos will chose a corner of their cage to use as the bathroom so you can just spot clean that area without messing anything else up in the cage.

Supplements For A Leopard Gecko.  You should give your baby gecko calcium with D3 7 times a week and multivitamins 2 times a week and your adult gecko calcium with D3 5 times a week and multivitamins 1-2 times a week.  You do this process by dusting the live food  before you feed your leopard gecko. You can also put a little dish of calcium with D3 inside the leopard geckos enclosure, they will lick it as they please.

I hope my Leopard Gecko Care Sheet helped you and answered any questions you had.  If you have any other questions, feel free to ask in the comments below and I will answer you promptly.