Leopard Gecko

[fishyaddict]

Since this seems to be a great place for informative people, I figured I'd see if anyone has any info on our newest addition.... a juvenille Leopard Gecko. We just went down to N. Carolina for a 4day vacation, and looked at one of the LFS and thought he'd be a great addition and neat souvenier for my 9yr old son. They gave us a 2page print out about them, and we got pretty much what it said we needed (7gal terranium, water dish, food dish, hiding decoration log, carpet meant for the juvenilles, thermometer, heat lamp, and fresh meal worms w/the sprinkle stuff to put on them for extra vitamins).
So anyway, if anyone has had experience with them that can give me any pointers, since we are newbies to these, would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Tricia

[Emg]

Congrats FishyA.....they are a cool critter !

I don't have anything to offer as far as info on them though....except that I'm thinking it may need a bit more room than 7 gallons when it grows some. At least a 20long at some point I would think...but I have never kept them, just seen them at the lfs from time to time....very pretty little reptiles, I love thier coloring.

[fishyaddict]

Thanks! Yeah, we have a 56 gallon that we cant use for the fish that we plan to move him to eventually.... but will need to slowly collect the necessary equipment for. We want to eventually get a rock/under the sand heater for that one... so that will probably be pricey. I would imagine we will have time enough to get everything for it before he gets too big for the 7gallon. :D

[Riso-chan]

You'll want to move him/her to a bigger tank as he/she grows out of it. They typically get to be 8-10" long. I own a female myself, abd have her in a 20long, that's enough for one gecko. These geckos can live around 20 years so be prepared to take care of it well. Some good info can be found at The Leopard Geckos Site (http://www.gexfiles.com/leocs.html)
Also do a search on leopard gecko care, do as much reading as you can.
And getting a book or two on these geckos is also a good idea.

Avoid hot/heat-rocks, they will burn your geck badly as they can reach 105 degrees F. Leos should do well with a heat source that's in the range of 85-95 degrees F.
Decent heat sources are the red incandescent spotlights and regular incandescent bulbs around 40-50watts. Regular incandescent bulbs can stay on in daylight hours, then the red spotlight can be switched on for night.

Floodlight fixtures can be used for these bulbs, and you can get some cheaply at any home improvement store. That's what I did, because as you'll soon discover, petstores offer equipment at rip-off price ranges.

Please also get a full spectrum daylight florescent tube for the daylight hours, I suggest this out of experience. Because I had often read that leos did not need this light because they are nocturnal. Well, I went about 6 months without it and her health deterioratted, she lost weight, her eye began to swell for unknown reasons, and her coloring was dulled. After I took her to a vet and put the light back on as she suggested to me, within a few weeks she had gained weight back, her color began improving, and her eyes are starting to get better. I'm currently still treating her for the swollen eye membranes, but as my vet said to me, "Reptiles take a long time to show sickness, and take a long time to heal." So please avoid the mistake I made.

One note on substrate, use newspaper. It is the most steril material there is to use as substrate and easier to clean than sand or wood/bark chips. With sand, dust will accumilate, you will never entirely remove waste material, and it is not as digestible as marketed. Dust can cause respiratory & eye problems, and internal blockages. Same goes for bark/wood chips. BTW cedar is toxic to reptiles. Newspaper may not give a very appealing look, but you will save yourself grief and money by doing so.

Rocks and hiding places made special for reptiles and small animals are all good additions to the gecko's home. Even though you may not see it often, they feel secure if they have somewhere to duck under and sleep the day away. Goo luck with your new pal. And make sure to have your son be very careful handling it!~Angela

[Emg]

You know, I've seen this grey stuff that looks like little balled up newspaper clippings...in the animal cages at PetSmart in my area...I wonder if it's made from newspaper and could be a good thing to use in a lizard cage ?? It would be more eye appealing if it is.... just a thought......lol...because I am so big on the eye appealing thing with all my critter homes..as long as it's safe for them.

[fishyaddict]

Thanks Riso and Emg.... I read that site about the leopard geckos, and last night did a search on them. I had bought the carpet from the pet store, but when that goes bad I'll go the cheaper/safer route and use newspaper or paper towels.

The only issue I seem to be having with her (from what I've read I believe it's a her, lol) is that she keeps crawling up the back of the background that came with the terranium. It has two narrow columns on the back that she keeps climbing up during the day. Yesterday she was in the hollowed out log decoration for a while, but back in the back of the background today. I dont know if the columns were put in for that reason, or if I should find a way to close it off?

And how long will it take for her to adjust to her new home? She seems real healthy and alert, but is slow to eat her food.

[hurricanejedi]

My roommate had a couple that she got at the Exotic Animal and Reptile show in Raleigh. I always thought they were really cool (heh you could see right through their heads!). Anyway they didn't last very long :( . I wasn't the caretaker so not sure what happened but I think they are a little fragile at an early age.

[Riso-chan]

If she is a small juvenile, like those I've seen in photos before, it could take her a few days to get used to her new home. Remember, she is just a baby so she is probably exploring a bit to get a feel for her new habitat.

However, if you think she is doing this too much, you could try to block it off. Usually during the day leos would be hidden sleeping somewhere. If she keeps acting strange at all, I would take her to a reptile vet for a checkup, which is what you should do anyway siince you just got her.
She could have parasites or possible other things wrong with her that are not visible. It's not worth the risk. If by any chance you don't think a gecko needs vet care occasionally, then you'd be wrong.

The vet can actually de-worm her for you. Think of the parasites that live inside crickets, mealworms, etc. BTW, crickets are a good staple diet too. Just mentioning that because I've heard of larger mealworms being able to chew out of a gecko, and believe me, they can bite. Just something to be careful of.
Another critical point to be made is about shedding, they can lose toes if they don't get the skin off in time, so whenever she sheds, keep a close eye on what comes off and what doesn't. You may find some gentles methods of removing unshed skin in other searches on the web.

And about her being fragile as a youngster, this is correct. When they are very young loes are a little more timid than adults, and can emit a screach if handled roughly or scared. I think it's because the world is so new, big and scary to them at first. Just try to be very gentle with her as you go along, she should get used to it all in time.:) I really have no experience with leos that small because when I got mine, she was already a sub-adult at about 7-8 inches.

[earwick]

My sisters wants one really badly. I read a couple sites and dont get sand.

[fishyaddict]

Update on 'Heidi' (my son finally named her... it's because she likes to hide during the day,lol).

She seems to be doing much better. Eating more, and now is getting comfy in the hide out log/decoration in the terrranium. Just today she was even out of it, in the back of the tank. Last night when I went to feed her the mealworms, I put one in front of her in my fingers, and I think she was considering taking it out of my hand! But she just turned her head and looked at it.

I never thought that a pet like this can be so intriging!

Again, thanks for all the help! :clap:

[LifelessForm]

A few suggestions on housing and care.

First, you will want to ditch the carpet and get yourself some screened playsand. The carpet will snag and break/tear off toes.

Second, get an undertank heater or ceremic heat emitter, not a heat rock. Heat rocks have an internal thermostat that will fail and potentially burn your lizard. A heat prob/thermometer is a good thing as well. One for the hot side and one for the cool side is ideal.

Third, this one is a personal preference, you will find stories for both sides, but I don't feed any of my reptiles mealworms/superworms. They have the ability to survive the crunching and eat away at the lizards stomach, killing the lizard. Like I said, it's a personal preference, and you will get both sides of the story for the survival of the mealworms in the stomach. I never wanted to take the chance, and they dont' offer much value in the diet. Stay away from waxworms, all they are is fat. Gut loaded crickets are always best. Dust them every other feeding with a high quality dust.

Next, get a water dish, leopards will actually drink from a dish, unlike most other geckos. They dehydrate quickly. The bigger tails girth, the healther the lizard. Offer plenty of hides and places for it to climb. Keep her curious about her surroundings and she will be much happier. Offer hides on the hot and cool sides. The hide on the cool side should contain moist moss for help in shedding. Leopards will eat the shedded skin, so don't "help" with shedding by pulling at the loose skin.

Lastly, PM Vicious_Fish, he has been keeping and breeding leopard geckos for over 16 years and will be able to help you with any problem that would arise.

[Vicious_Fish]

Congrats on your new gecko! Now depending on how small it is, I would highly recommend that you keep it on ceramic tiles or paper towels. That reptile carpet is junk. It soaks up the urea in the leopard gecko poo and is a breeding ground for bacteria. Plus like LifelessForm said the tiny claws can get caught in it and ripped out. If you want to keep it on screened play sand I'd wait for it to be at least 6-7 months old or over 6 inches in length. Good luck with the little guy, and post some pics of it when you get a chance.

[Cjsleopardgecko]

:)

[SunshinePuppies]

I don't keep heat rocks in my gecko tanks. reptiles don't feel heat well on their bellies so they burn easily. I have a heat lamp, hiding spots for each one and aspen bedding in my tanks.

[Vicious_Fish]

Aspen bedding? I've never heard of using that for a leopard gecko substrate. Most people use it for snakes. I'm not sure if it's safe for geckos or not.

[cam191919]

its been three, years, i wonder how big it got :D