What is a Leopard Gecko?
Leopard Geckos quite frankly have a cool name and an even cooler look. The Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) lizard is one of the most popular owned reptiles in the US and is absolutely perfect for anyone new to owning reptiles.
The Leopard Gecko got its name from the spotted patterns, an evolutionary result of the need to camouflage from their origins, the countries of the Indian subcontinent. They have lovely smooth skin when handled which really adds to their allure for the beginner.
Leopard Geckos (referred to affectionately as “Leos”) come in an array of colors (known as Morphs), patterns, and sizes. The normal and natural coloration is readily available from most reputable pet stores and breeders, while the more rarefied shades are at the upper end of the pricing range.
As they are readily available and popular, you can expect to pick one up for as little as $30, with the rarer colorations available from $200 upwards.
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Behavior and temperament of a Leopard Gecko
So when it comes to how they are, you’ll be pleased to learn that they are pretty easy to care for.
Once they are set up at home they generally don’t need much in terms of vivarium maintenance, but if it’s not got the basics covered, they’ll turn diva on you! Ok, that’s an overstatement but they will become unsettled until you can provide what they need. We’ll cover this later on in the guide.
Leos are nocturnal by nature and in the wild can often be found living in holes, crevices, under stones or nooks in stone walls, and under a tree’s loose bark.
Unlike other geckos, they do not climb walls as they do not have the sticky pads (setae) on their toes. Also unlike other geckos, Leos have eyelids so they do not need to lick their eyes to clean them.
They can bite, but aren’t that often found biting so you’re pretty much safe, it’s not something that they resort to when handled properly. They do move slowly, and even let you know when they are hungry with a timely chirp or a squeak.
They do respond well to handling gently to introduce them to their new home and owner. But do note that there will be a tendency by the new inexperienced owner to handle these little cuties a bit much, but do try and limit contact as it can cause some stress to the gecko.
Lifespan of a Leopard Gecko
They are blessed with the potential for quite a long life for someone so little. The females have an average lifespan of 6-10 years, with the males living longer, in some cases up to 20 years of age.
Leopard geckos will grow in the first year of their lives and will essentially reach full size after about a year, and will remain that size thereafter. Below is a guide:
Leopard Gecko Growth table
| Age | Length |
|---|---|
| Birth | 2-3 inches |
| 2-3 weeks | 3-4 inches |
| 2 months | 4-5 inches |
| 4 months | 5-6 inches |
| 6 months | 6-7 inches |
| 8-10 months | 8-10 inches (adult size) |
| 1 year | 8-10 inches (adult size) |
| 2 years | 8-10 inches (adult size) |
| 3 years | 8-10 inches (adult size) |
| 4 years | 8-10 inches (adult size) |
| 5+ years | 8-10 inches (adult size) |
Housing a Leopard Gecko
One or two geckos can be housed in 10-15 gallon tanks, and be sure to have it at least 1 foot tall, and a secure screen on top which can have a light fitting and provide ventilation. Be mindful when looking at having multiple geckos, however, so keep only one male gecko per tank, and only have a male and female together if you want to have a crash course in home gecko breeding!
Make sure you provide a basking spot with light and heat, and also a wooden log for climbing on, and some small rocks for the gecko to crawl into and hide. Any ventilation should ensure that heat and humidity is lost from one side of the enclosure to the other while keeping the basking spot itself at a consistent temperature.
A hide box filled with moist moss or vermiculite is needed, so your leopard gecko can shed its skin properly. This secure setting also is needed for egg laying if you plan on breeding geckos. Live or artificial plants can be added for a nice decorative touch.
Do a daily spot clean to get rid of any faeces, and then do a proper deeper clean of the tank every 4-6 weeks. Change the substrate, and disinfect the cage and all of the decorations, to ensure that it stays clear of bacterial build-up.
About once a month, take everything out, throw out the substrate, and scrub and disinfect the cage and all the items in it to reduce the buildup of bacteria.
You can provide budget options for a tank with all the decorations and environmental controls needed from between $150 up to $500 which is dependent upon your set up, number, and or age of your geckos. It’s worth researching this in finer detail if you need further details, and we have created a handy guide on what a leopard gecko needs in its tank here.
Leopard Gecko Heating Needs
The temperature needed for Geckos to live comfortably is gradient to cover all of their behavior and life needs. You’ll have had a temperature gradient that has three distinct requirements.
For their best health, you will need to provide three different variations to cover all of the temperature requirements for a Leopard Geckos tank:
- Basking area: 94-97°F (34-36°C)
- Warm hide area: 90-92°F (32-33°C)
- Cool end: 70-77°F (21-25°C)
The basking lamp must be at one end of the tank, and be reachable by the gecko to be able to back properly. This can be a regular incandescent heat bulb, white, red blue, or purple, or a decent ceramic heat emitter that can also give off additional heat during the night.
Under-tank heating pads could be used but depending on the materials used to make your vivarium/terrarium, it could make the bottom surface too hot for the gecko to come into contact with.
UVB Lighting for Leopard Geckos
Leopard geckos are not a full-time basking species by nature and are nocturnal, so they get busy at night and don’t need a lot of UV lighting. In the wild, Leos get active at dawn and at sunset so they often get all the UV they need during these times. A small amount of UVA and UVB light (2% to 7%) will be good enough for keeping leopard geckos healthy and may help reduce the risk of metabolic bone disease.
Substrate for Leopard Geckos
Young leopard geckos shouldn’t be kept on a sand substrate, even if it is calcium sand. They may ingest the sand and suffer an intestinal blockage. Paper is absorbent and easy to change, and indoor/outdoor carpet works well, too.
Avoid wood shavings, since they can cut your gecko’s tiny feet. The volatile oils in the wood shavings may be irritating. Whatever substrate you use, make sure your gecko is not ingesting it.
Tank Decoration for a Leopard Gecko
OK, remember that this isn’t an exercise in whimsical interior decorating, there are some important features that are needed and also the comfort of the gecko needs to be taken into account. Be mindful of how your gecko reacts to change, it will take a week or two to get used to its new environment with you, but the better you make it for them, the easier it will be!
– Hides/caves
It is essential to try and create a “natural” environment for your gecko. Ideally, it needs two hides, a warm moist one and a cooler, dryer one. A hide box is needed for shedding.
– Rocks
Really make them feel at home with these. Not only are they a lovely visual addition to their enclosure, but they do provide a boost to their lifestyle. They love climbing over them and hiding in any cracks they may have set up between them, to mimic their natural behavior in the wild.
– Water bowl
Not much explanation is needed here, keep a shallow water bowl in the tank. Keep it low enough that the gecko can’t drown but can easily get to it for a quick spritz. Also, make sure that you replace the water daily or whenever it gets dirty.
– Plants
These aren’t essential and are more for cosmetic enhancement. In their natural habitat, they don’t have much need or interaction with plants in order to survive, but there is no harm in having some lovely plant life to give it a more exotic feel. Plastic ones would be ideal, as they wouldn’t need watering which can adversely affect the humidity in their environment. Be sure that they are non-toxic and cleaned before being situated in the tank.
Leopard Gecko Diet And Water
The eating regimen is quite straightforward. They love eating insects and do not eat fruit and veg. As Insectivores, they have specialized dietary requirements. Always offer live insects, pick 1 or two different ones at most and offer them up for the gecko. Avoid dead or canned insects as they don’t trigger your gecko’s “hunting mode,” so they most likely won’t get eaten.
You have to be careful not to leave live insects in the gecko’s tank over the course of the day, crickets and other insects often nibble on the geckos in their sleep and can cause harm.
You can enhance the nutrition delivered to your leopard gecko by “dusting” the insects with a special compound that adds important vitamins and minerals to the diet. Insects and the dusting powder can be placed in a plastic bag or deep tin can and shaken gently to coat the insects’ bodies.
When it comes to portions, often the rule of thumb is 2 appropriately-sized bugs per 1 inch of your leopard gecko’s length, or however much they can eat in 15 minutes. Hatchlings should be fed daily, and young adults fed every other day/every 3 days. Adult Leopard Gecko whose tail is fatter than their neck can be fed every 5 days.
Good Feeder Insects For Leopard Geckos
- Crickets
- Mealworms
- Silkworms
- Hornworms (captive only; wild hornworms are toxic!)
- Dubia roaches
- Discoid roaches
- Red runner roaches
Monthly costs for a Leopard Gecko
Once you have the tank set up and the gecko all settled in the new habitat, of which the costs can vary according to how opulent you are feeling, the monthly cost is quite low financially, but does require daily upkeep.
Aside from the vet’s costs (average $50 ph), the only other variable cost is the food. Even though the younger leopard geckos start out with dead insects, the live ones are essential for their growth. Live insects for a Leopard Gecko can amount to $5-15 per month according to the insects that you provide for nutritional needs. Also replenishing the substrate can be an additional $10 every few months, not a massive expense.
Insurance costs obviously will vary, according to size, age and type, and of course how much you paid for your gecko, but the average monthly cost for a Leopard Gecko can work out to between $13-20, so do factor that in when deciding to invest in your new cute family member.
Is the Leopard Gecko good for beginners?
Absolutely, for those who love reptiles and want to be eased into the ownership of these special creatures, the simple care needed for a Leopard Gecko would be an ideal starting point, learning the care environment details, food and diet, and lifestyle required to look after them well. We’d recommend this over most other reptiles.
