Caring for Your Leopard Gecko

While caring for a leopard gecko may seem a little bit daunting, it really isn't so hard. Through a suitable habitat, heating, and diet, you can be sure your reptile will stay as healthy as it should be.

The leopard gecko's natural habitat is in the desert, using rocks as shelter from the sun. In captivity, however, a different habitat can be provided. Your leopard gecko will require a 20 gallon or larger glass terrarium, with some kind of covering over it. This covering can be a netted metal cover, or you might not even need a covering at all. If the walls are glass and there is nothing lining the walls that the gecko could climb up, your leopard gecko should not be able to climb out. On the floor of the terrarium, there are a number of coverings you can use. One option is sand. While it simulates the natural desert habitat of the leopard gecko and some consider it the best option, there are some downsides to it. The sand has to be replaced with fresh sand every 4-5 months. Also, if the gecko is hunting a cricket crawling on the sand, for example, it could accidentally swallow some sand with the cricket. However, sand is also more convenient when scooping out feces, as you can simply scoop the sand out from beneath it. Sand specifically made for reptiles can be found in most pet supply store.

Another option for flooring is cage carpet. This can also be found in most pet supply stores, and is a very convenient material to use. It is a felt-like but rough material that comes in different sizes depending on the size of the terrarium you have. Cage carpet is best bought in packages that contain 2 carpets, because while you are cleaning one, you can replace it with the other carpet. To clean cage carpet, rinse it with water.

The third and simplest option is to cover the floor with paper towels. Layering them is a good idea and when they become dirty they can be thrown away. Newspaper is sometimes used instead of paper towels.

You should not clutter the terrarium with cage furniture so that your gecko can have as much room to walk around as possible. Objects that your gecko can climb on, like a thick stick or a ramp, for example, are a good idea. Some type of hut should be provided, as leopard geckos like to hide. A food dish can be convenient to put meal worms in, and a water dish is also a good idea. Just because leopard geckos originate from the desert does not mean they don't need water at all times.

Heating the terrarium can be achieved in a variety of ways. The best way is to purchase a heat lamp for reptiles to rest on top of the terrarium. The power of the heat lamp should not exceed 15 watts. A floor heater can also be used. A floor heater is usually a rectangular or square black pad that sticks to the surface the terrarium is positioned on, heated by electricity. This allows your leopard gecko to warm itself by sitting on the floor of the terrarium above the heat pad. Most floor heaters do not exceed 8 watts in power. Putting a thermometer in the cage is a good idea so that you can gauge whether you are providing enough heat to your gecko. The temperature in the terrarium should be kept to about 70-80 degrees, with temperatures at night in the low 70's and during the day in the low 80's.

Your leopard gecko will shed, about one a month. It will do this regularly, and more often while it is maturing into an adult. Your terrarium should be humid and warm while your gecko is shedding. When its skin gets duller, you should regularly spray the inside walls of the terrarium with water to humidify it. A Tupperware container with a hole cut in one side for your gecko to enter it can be used instead of the gecko's usual hut to create a humid environment. Spraying the inside of the container with water should create enough humidity. Once the skin turns a white-gray color, your geckos will start shedding. Make sure you have a rough surface in your cage, like a rock or a stick, so that your geckos can rub the skin off its body. Once the skin is shed, your gecko will eat its skin. Don't be alarmed, as this is a natural thing to do in the wild to prevent predators from knowing that a gecko is nearby. Also, the skin has healthy vitamins and nutrients in it that will replenish your gecko because skin-shedding requires a lot of energy. If your gecko is having trouble shedding all its skin, you can place your gecko in a container filled to about a quarter inch with warm water, which will help loosen the skin.

If your gecko has a bite mark or cut on its skin, it could be from another gecko biting it (gecko's do have teeth, but they are difficult to see). It could also be a cricket-bite. You can place a tiny amount of Neosporin on the wound to help it heal.

If your gecko has stopped shedding for a long period of time, give it a warm bath. If it still doesn't shed its skin, don't worry. Your gecko is probably fine unless it has stopped eating. If it does stop eating, you may need to visit a herp veterinarian, a vet who specializes in reptiles.