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Basic Care of Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularius) The cage A 10-15 gallon tank or the equivalent is ok size-wise for one gecko. It should have a screen top to prevent any escapes and/or visitors. A 20 gallon long is good for 2-3 female geckos or a breeding group of one male and 1-2 females. Be aware that male geckos will fight and may kill each other. Heat Your new gecko will need a temperature gradient in his/her home with a warm side of about 90°F (not much higher, though) and a cool side in the upper 70s. This is best achieved using an undertank heater which provides belly heat. Make sure there is a hide on the warm side and that the floor temperature in that hide is close to 90°. This is very important for digestion - leopard geckos can't digest their food if they are cold. If the air temps seem cool, or the undertank heater is just not doing enough, you can use an overhead heat source. I have used ceramic heat emitters (low wattage ones) in place of a light/heat emitting bulb. Leopard geckos are nocturnal and do not really like light. Some people use red or blue lights so they can watch the activity in the evening. It is very important that this heat is regulated using a thermostat with a probe. Place the probe on the warm side of the tank. Then set your thermostat so that the temperature in the warm hide remains at 90°. This prevents thermal burns (geckos will stay on a surface that is too hot and get burned) and overheating on hot days. Less expensive rheostats can be used, but be sure you are monitoring the floor temperature frequently. Hides As mentioned, make sure that there is a hide on the warm side of the enclosure. Also provide a hide on the cool side as well so your gecko can feel safe and still be able to thermoregulate. In addition to those two, your gecko needs a moist hide. This can be a disposable plastic container with a hole cut in the side or top. Put either a wet paper towel or moist moss or coco fiber. This provides a moist environment that is important when they are about to shed. If the cage is too dry, the gecko may retain shed on her toes, tail tip, face etc. This retained shed must be removed or he/she will lose toes or the tail tip (use a wet Q-tip and roll the skin off). Substrate I use paper towel. A more attractive alternative may be tile or slate, just make sure everything is stable and can't fall/collapse - geckos are pretty strong. Do not use anything that they can ingest. When feeding, leopard geckos are a bit clumsy. If they miss a cricket, they will end up with a mouth full of substrate. Eating substrate can cause impaction (expensive surgery or death is the result of impaction). If you use moss or coco fiber in the moist hide, be sure no prey items end up in there and if you ever see your gecko eat it - switch to paper towel. Feeding Your gecko has enjoyed a mixture of mealworms, crickets, and silkworms. Baby geckos will eat every day but as an adult, they should eat about every other day. I usually give about 8 mealworms, or 4 crickets or silkworms in a feeding. Don't leave leftover crickets in the cage. Mealworms should be in a dish with a tiny bit of gutload. All food should be gutloaded for at least 24 hours before feeding. The nutritional value of bugs straight from the petstore is very low. You can use commercial gutloads and / or cricket food from the pet store, but also give the bugs a variety of fresh veggies - carrots, grapes, apple, squash, etc. It's also important to dust the feeders with calcium. Put feeders in a bag or lidded dish with some calcium & shake to coat. Once a week (not more) I dust feeders with a vitamin mixture (I use herptivite). Also, a little dish (like a milk lid) of straight calcium (with no vitamin D3) should be in the cage all the time. Your gecko will actually eat this occasionally. Also provide a dish of clean water at all times. On arrival When you get your gecko home, place the deli-cup in the cage that has been all set up and is at the right temps and open the lid. Your gecko may be a bit wild at first. Let him/her have some time to adjust to her new home before handling her. Traveling is very stressful. It may take her up to a week or so before the gecko will eat - or it may eat the first day. DO NOT offer crickets for the first week - until your gecko is eating mealworms regularly. Crickets can really stress out the geckos if they are left in the cage. Also, your gecko is used to a relatively dark and quiet rack drawer, sometimes a cage in a high activity room is stressful. He/she will get used to the action, and will come out more & more (especially in the evening). After your gecko is eating well, you can get it used to being handled. The young ones are usually pretty wild. Be aware that if she gets very stressed or if you try to pick her up by her tail (or hold on to it while she's escaping) she will drop it. The tail does grow back, but it looks very different from the original. This is also stressful, as the tail is where they store fat. Click here for a printable version of this care sheet. Buying your first gecko? Here is a shopping list to help you to be sure you get everything you need! Check out the information on these sites, too!
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