Leopard Gecko Care Sheet
Introduction
There are many gecko species widely available within the pet trade. Some can climb walls, some are very small, and some are very brightly colored. With the wide variety of different types of geckos, there is no doubt that one of the most popular geckos in the industry is the leopard gecko. There’s no denying that these geckos greatly appeal to both a family looking to add a new pet and to the gecko breeders and collectors. They have become popular for many reasons such as their assortment of color combinations, their small size and their low maintenance nature.
Leopard Gecko babies will start out as small as 3-4 inches and will grow into healthy adults reaching approximately 8 inches, adult males may get up to 10 inches long. These perfectly sized geckos come in many hues. There are black and white leos as well as bright orange ones! Whichever colors you prefer, I’m sure you can find a leopard gecko that strikes your fancy. The monstrous amount of color and pattern combination is what appeals to many breeders and collectors. They are also reasonably easy to breed and produce. On average, leos live approximately 10-15 years and with excellent care there is no doubt that they can live a long and happy life! Leopard geckos are also great starter reptiles for people first getting a reptile as a pet due to the small amount of maintenance it takes for keeping one. After getting their new habitat set up, they are extremely easy and fun to keep.
Leopard Gecko babies will start out as small as 3-4 inches and will grow into healthy adults reaching approximately 8 inches, adult males may get up to 10 inches long. These perfectly sized geckos come in many hues. There are black and white leos as well as bright orange ones! Whichever colors you prefer, I’m sure you can find a leopard gecko that strikes your fancy. The monstrous amount of color and pattern combination is what appeals to many breeders and collectors. They are also reasonably easy to breed and produce. On average, leos live approximately 10-15 years and with excellent care there is no doubt that they can live a long and happy life! Leopard geckos are also great starter reptiles for people first getting a reptile as a pet due to the small amount of maintenance it takes for keeping one. After getting their new habitat set up, they are extremely easy and fun to keep.
Cage Requirements
Before bringing home your new leopard gecko, having their habitat pre-set up will save both you and your gecko a lot of headache. Leopard geckos can live happily in either a rack system or a glass aquarium tank setup. Baby leopard gecko can be started in 10 gallon glass tank or in a 6qt tub rack system. As they grow older, they will need to have a larger tank that suits their size a bit better. A 20 gallon long tank can hold anywhere from 1-3 adult leopard geckos. Multiple females may be kept together, provided they are approximately the same size, however it is always important to keep an eye out for any that may fight. There are generally never any problems between females, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.
Multiple males are not recommended to be housed together due to the competitive, macho behavior they may exhibit. One male and multiple females may be placed together only if you are attempting to breed leopard geckos. We house our single males in 12 qt tubs, which is the equivalent of a 10 gallon tank. Adult females are kept in 28-41 qt tubs (approximately a 20-40 gallon breeder tank) depending on the number of geckos in the colony. Whichever caging method you prefer, always remember to make it escape proof. A simple screen top on an aquarium will work perfectly.
Leopard geckos like their habitat to be on the warmer side, which requires a bit of heat. Since leos are cold blooded, they need to rely on their environment to produce the correct temperatures. Providing a warm side and a cool side will allow the leo to thermoregulate themselves by moving to whichever temperature they feel they need at the moment. The ambient cage temperature should be around 80F. The hot side for leos should be around 90F, and never going above the low 90s. The temperature gradient can be achieved in a number of different ways. The most popular methods with glass tanks would be an under tank heat mat or lightbulbs.
Leopard geckos can take dips in temperature at night however some source of heat still may be required. A heat pad under the tank is a great option so that a lightbulbs bright light does not affect their day/night cycler nor your day/night cycle, red or black lightbulbs could also be used if you would prefer using bulbs. Leos do not need UVA/UVB lighting. Most leopard geckos that are kept in rack system are heated with heat tape or heat cable. Whichever heating method you use, be sure to hook it up to a high quality thermostat. We will always use and swear by Spyder Robotics herpstats for our thermostat. The thermostat will read the temperature in the tank and turn the heat on if it gets too low, when the temp rises to the appropriate temperature it will cut off and never let the tank overheat.
Humidity (moisture levels) within the enclosure is important to keep your gecko healthy. Leopard geckos are desert animals and prefer a low humidity level. Although they enjoy a drier climate, they do still need a humid hide box. This humid hide can be created using a plastic container filled with substrate that holds humidity well, such as sphagnum moss or eco earth. A hole a bit larger than the size of the gecko is cut out so that the gecko has a small entrance into and out of the hide. The humid hide should be checked every few days, spot cleaned (if needed) and water added if necessary. The substrate should be moist, but never wet enough for water to puddle. This humid hide allows the gecko a safe and secure place to cool down and prepare to shed its skin. It is not often you will see shed skin left about the tank as most leos will immediately eat it.
In both a rack system and a tank setup, humid hides are a must. Extra hides are not necessary to have in a rack however they are needed in a tank setup. It is recommended to have one hide on the hot side and one hide on the cool side so the leopard gecko can feel secure wherever it feels is most comfortable. Any other decorations may be added if you wish. Logs, branches, caves and plastic foliage are common décor options. Your leo must have access to fresh, clean water at all times. A heavy, ceramic dish is a great choice because it is easy to clean and does not tip over easily. Water should be changed every few days or immediately if it becomes dirty.
There are many available substrates that you can use for your habitat. Newspaper is an inexpensive option that is very easy to come across. Some people will use reptile carpets, which is an artificial turf. Flat large stones, reptile sand and paper towels are also used. Use sand with caution as smaller geckos may accidentally ingest some and become impacted, we do NOT recommend using sand for any size leo. For baby leos we use paper towels, because they are soft and very easily attainable and fit perfectly in their tub. In our larger gecko tubs we use ReptiZorb liners which we purchase online from Superior Shipping Supplies. They are light weight, strong, and absorbent liners that perfectly fit our sterilite tubs. They are also highly resistant to mold, bacteria and fungus. They are extremely easy to use, replace and come highly recommended by us.
Cleaning your leopard geckos enclosure is extremely important to assure a healthy gecko. We use an F10 solution for cleaning our tubs in our rack system. F10 is a veterinary grade disinfectant that we order online from Reptile Basics. Soap and water, or a bleach and water mixture may also work. If using a bleach mixture, soap, or any other cleaning solution it is important that all the cleaning solution has been thoroughly rinsed from the enclosure before the gecko is placed back inside. A full clean of the tub, water bowl, hides and décor should happen at least once a month. Our geckos get cleaned more regularly however this time frame may vary depending on how many geckos you have in the enclosure and how messy they get.
Multiple males are not recommended to be housed together due to the competitive, macho behavior they may exhibit. One male and multiple females may be placed together only if you are attempting to breed leopard geckos. We house our single males in 12 qt tubs, which is the equivalent of a 10 gallon tank. Adult females are kept in 28-41 qt tubs (approximately a 20-40 gallon breeder tank) depending on the number of geckos in the colony. Whichever caging method you prefer, always remember to make it escape proof. A simple screen top on an aquarium will work perfectly.
Leopard geckos like their habitat to be on the warmer side, which requires a bit of heat. Since leos are cold blooded, they need to rely on their environment to produce the correct temperatures. Providing a warm side and a cool side will allow the leo to thermoregulate themselves by moving to whichever temperature they feel they need at the moment. The ambient cage temperature should be around 80F. The hot side for leos should be around 90F, and never going above the low 90s. The temperature gradient can be achieved in a number of different ways. The most popular methods with glass tanks would be an under tank heat mat or lightbulbs.
Leopard geckos can take dips in temperature at night however some source of heat still may be required. A heat pad under the tank is a great option so that a lightbulbs bright light does not affect their day/night cycler nor your day/night cycle, red or black lightbulbs could also be used if you would prefer using bulbs. Leos do not need UVA/UVB lighting. Most leopard geckos that are kept in rack system are heated with heat tape or heat cable. Whichever heating method you use, be sure to hook it up to a high quality thermostat. We will always use and swear by Spyder Robotics herpstats for our thermostat. The thermostat will read the temperature in the tank and turn the heat on if it gets too low, when the temp rises to the appropriate temperature it will cut off and never let the tank overheat.
Humidity (moisture levels) within the enclosure is important to keep your gecko healthy. Leopard geckos are desert animals and prefer a low humidity level. Although they enjoy a drier climate, they do still need a humid hide box. This humid hide can be created using a plastic container filled with substrate that holds humidity well, such as sphagnum moss or eco earth. A hole a bit larger than the size of the gecko is cut out so that the gecko has a small entrance into and out of the hide. The humid hide should be checked every few days, spot cleaned (if needed) and water added if necessary. The substrate should be moist, but never wet enough for water to puddle. This humid hide allows the gecko a safe and secure place to cool down and prepare to shed its skin. It is not often you will see shed skin left about the tank as most leos will immediately eat it.
In both a rack system and a tank setup, humid hides are a must. Extra hides are not necessary to have in a rack however they are needed in a tank setup. It is recommended to have one hide on the hot side and one hide on the cool side so the leopard gecko can feel secure wherever it feels is most comfortable. Any other decorations may be added if you wish. Logs, branches, caves and plastic foliage are common décor options. Your leo must have access to fresh, clean water at all times. A heavy, ceramic dish is a great choice because it is easy to clean and does not tip over easily. Water should be changed every few days or immediately if it becomes dirty.
There are many available substrates that you can use for your habitat. Newspaper is an inexpensive option that is very easy to come across. Some people will use reptile carpets, which is an artificial turf. Flat large stones, reptile sand and paper towels are also used. Use sand with caution as smaller geckos may accidentally ingest some and become impacted, we do NOT recommend using sand for any size leo. For baby leos we use paper towels, because they are soft and very easily attainable and fit perfectly in their tub. In our larger gecko tubs we use ReptiZorb liners which we purchase online from Superior Shipping Supplies. They are light weight, strong, and absorbent liners that perfectly fit our sterilite tubs. They are also highly resistant to mold, bacteria and fungus. They are extremely easy to use, replace and come highly recommended by us.
Cleaning your leopard geckos enclosure is extremely important to assure a healthy gecko. We use an F10 solution for cleaning our tubs in our rack system. F10 is a veterinary grade disinfectant that we order online from Reptile Basics. Soap and water, or a bleach and water mixture may also work. If using a bleach mixture, soap, or any other cleaning solution it is important that all the cleaning solution has been thoroughly rinsed from the enclosure before the gecko is placed back inside. A full clean of the tub, water bowl, hides and décor should happen at least once a month. Our geckos get cleaned more regularly however this time frame may vary depending on how many geckos you have in the enclosure and how messy they get.
Feeding
Leopard geckos are insectivores, which mean live insects are needed and they will not eat fruits or veggies. Many insects can be served up on their dinner platter including crickets, mealworms, waxworms, roaches and superworms. Multiple food dishes are available in our geckos tubs at all times, each dish will have a few carrot shreds in there for the bugs to munch on. One dish holds a handful of appropriately sized roaches. We breed a few different species of roaches so it is extremely easy for us to always have roaches on hand, we generally will feed dubia or discoid roaches to the leos. Mealworms and superworms are also always fed to our geckos. Waxworms are fed occasionally because they are very high in fat content. These are used mostly as a treat to help the breeding females keep a healthy body weight. We will never feed wild caught insects to our animals, you just don’t know what parasites they may have or if they have been in contact with any pesticides or toxins that could harm your gecko.
When feeding insects it is vitally important to gut-load your insects before feeding them to your leopard gecko. Gut-loading your insects can even simply be letting them feast on carrot for a day before feeding. We give our insect a wide variety of fruits and fresh veggies which we mostly grow in our garden. A dry gut-load is also offered which contains a mix of bee pollen, spirillia algae, wheat bran, ground alfalfa pellets, corn meal, ground barley and various types of ground beans and nuts. After a day or so of gut-loading, the insects are primed and ready to be fed to your leopard gecko. A healthy, well-fed leopard gecko will sport a big fat tail.
Calcium is important in the growth and health of every leopard gecko. It keeps their bones strong and allows for proper bone growth. We dust our baby leos food, every other feeding, with Repashy Superfoods Calcium Plus. This is a blend of calcium with D3 and vitamins, you can purchase calcium with D3 and a multivitamin separately if you prefer and dust the insects with the multivitamin once a week. The adult leopard geckos get the same calcium dusting regime but we also leave a shallow dish of calcium in their enclosure at all times. The geckos are more in tune with their bodies then we are, and they will readily lap up the calcium as they need it. This is extremely important for breeding females and egg production.
When feeding insects it is vitally important to gut-load your insects before feeding them to your leopard gecko. Gut-loading your insects can even simply be letting them feast on carrot for a day before feeding. We give our insect a wide variety of fruits and fresh veggies which we mostly grow in our garden. A dry gut-load is also offered which contains a mix of bee pollen, spirillia algae, wheat bran, ground alfalfa pellets, corn meal, ground barley and various types of ground beans and nuts. After a day or so of gut-loading, the insects are primed and ready to be fed to your leopard gecko. A healthy, well-fed leopard gecko will sport a big fat tail.
Calcium is important in the growth and health of every leopard gecko. It keeps their bones strong and allows for proper bone growth. We dust our baby leos food, every other feeding, with Repashy Superfoods Calcium Plus. This is a blend of calcium with D3 and vitamins, you can purchase calcium with D3 and a multivitamin separately if you prefer and dust the insects with the multivitamin once a week. The adult leopard geckos get the same calcium dusting regime but we also leave a shallow dish of calcium in their enclosure at all times. The geckos are more in tune with their bodies then we are, and they will readily lap up the calcium as they need it. This is extremely important for breeding females and egg production.
Sexing your Leopard Gecko
Sexing a leopard gecko is easiest done when the gecko is a juvenile, or around 5 months old. The smaller the gecko is, the more difficult it may be to properly sex the gecko because they may not be fully mature yet. However, the more practice you get the easier it will become. After flipping a leopard gecko over, locate the vent. A male will have a “V” shape of pre-anal pores, which look like a short row of very thick dots running from leg to leg and are about the length of his vent. He will also have a bulge directly behind his vent which would be where his hemipenes (his reproductive organs) are located. When you flip a female over and examine her vent area, she will not have the pre-anal pores or a bulge behind the vent.
Male
Female
Enjoy your Leopard Gecko!
Now you have learned the proper care and set-up it requires to own a leopard gecko! Have fun choosing between all the different colors and markings and picking out your gecko. There are many great geckos to choose from and once you pick one (or multiple out) you will be able to raise them and see their personalities come to life! Besides the great enjoyment you get from keeping leopard geckos, and once you feel confident in raising leos, you may want to try to breed them. Breeding leopard geckos is a very rewarding and exciting experience, if you are interested in learning how to breed leos you can check out our article on how we successfully breed our leopard geckos! As always, if you have any questions, we are always available and willing to help you out. Please shoot us a message and we will gladly take the time to help you out and talk with you. Hopefully your passion for leopard geckos will blossom just as much as ours has!
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