These adorable little lizards are easy to care for and are native to the Middle East; They are 8 to 12 inches long and weigh 60 to 100 grams. Babies are about 3 inches long and weigh 3 grams, making them very small. They live on the ground and have nocturnal habits. With their eyes open they can lick them with their tongues. They have a plump tail that stores fat and they are very interesting to keep. Before buying, take a good look at the gecko and make sure there are no signs of damage, the eyes are bright, and the gecko looks in good shape.
accommodation
The Leopard Gecko is easy to house and in a 10 gallon glass tank it can house two adults. Never keep them in crowded conditions, as this is detrimental to your health. The bigger the tank you provide, the better because they like the room to move. The best substrate for your tank is paper (paper towels or newspaper) or chalkboard; Do not use sand unless it is extremely fine reptile sand or Jurassic sand and never gravel as this can cause serious problems if digested. Geckos need hiding places in their tank in both hot and cold extremes; These can be simple saucers or bark, but one needs to be a damp skin filled with damp moss or kitchen paper so they can shed their skin properly.
Cleanliness is of the utmost importance and you will find that your geckos have a corner that they use as a toilet that can be cleaned every day; change the substrate weekly and once a month completely empty the tank to clean everything it contains with a suitable cleaner.
Heat and light
To properly care for your leopard gecko, you will need to give it a hot spot of between 88-90 F and a cool spot of around 75 F. This is important for regulating their body temperature. You can either have under-tank heating or a 60-watt bulb that will give off heat. They do not need UVB lighting unlike other lizards, as they are nocturnal creatures. You should be able to regulate the heat source, perhaps by using a thermostat or dimmer switch, because they should not overheat.
Feeding
Caring for your leopard gecko when feeding is relatively simple if you remember that they are insectivores and need live prey for food. Crickets, mealworms, silkworms, and small roaches are ideal. Only feed your gecko as much as it can eat in one sitting. The young should be fed every day, but the adults every other day. To avoid suffocation, the prey should be half the width of the gecko’s head. A bowl of fresh water should always be available and it should be changed frequently. All prey food should be loaded into the gut before feeding it to your gecko. This means feeding the prey for 24 hours with vegetables or fruits; Commercially produced foods are also available for this purpose. If the prey is healthy, your gecko will be too. Food supplements are calcium and essential vitamins; These can be introduced by sprinkling the insect prey in the amounts recommended in the information leaflet for these products. A small bowl of pure calcium without vitamin D3 is also advisable in your tank.
How to care for your leopard gecko when handling it
Geckos will lose their tails if they get scared or feel threatened, so never pick up your pet by the tail. At first just handle them inside their tank until they get used to you and leave the first contact until they are settled and feeding well. Be nice to these little ones, they get tame but they are pretty fast so be careful they can’t jump out of your hand and get hurt.
The change of skin
Young geckos will lose their color and turn gray every 4 to 6 weeks; Their skin will peel off and it is normal for them to eat it. To aid in the shedding process, provide a tunnel like a plastic box in the warm part of your home and fill it with moist sphagnum moss. Once the skin has peeled off, check that no old skin is left anywhere.
Finally, enjoy your new pet and take good care of it, as the lifespan of leopard geckos is usually between six and ten years, with some males living as long as twenty.