Eublepharis macularius (Leopard Gecko)

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Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
Selection
It is not within the scope of this care sheet to detail every Leopard Gecko morph in existence, it is sufficient to say that there are colors and patterns to please the eye of nearly any reptile lover.
When looking to buy a leopard gecko it is best to locate one that is 100% healthy, active, and regularly feeding on foods available to you. There should be no stuck shed on toes, tail, or eyelids if so consider another breeder altogether or another gecko at the minimum.
Become familiar with the particular morphs you are interested in, question the breeder about the breedings that were conducted to achieve the particular gecko you are considering.
Most of the Leopard Geckos in captivity today are captive bred, unless of course you live in one of the countries where they are in fact native and capture your own. With this in mind, I suggest that you make your selection based as much on your impression of the breeder as you do on the gecko itself. You are helping support the breeder when you purchase a gecko from him or her.

Temperature Range and Seasonal Alterations
Leopard Geckos hail from Afghanistan, western India, Iran, and Pakistan where air temperatures range from extremely hot on summer days and very cold on winter nights. Seasonal temperature changes are not required and are fully optional in captivity. However a range of temperatures must be provided at all times so that your gecko can regulate its own temperature, a process called thermoregulation.

Ideal day time temperatures should range from 75°F to 90°F when no seasonal temperature alterations are planned. We feel it is best to provide three temperature zones, each zone being one third of the enclosure. We also feel a slight drop in temperature at night is best for the geckos. We do not drop the temperatures until two hours past our simulated sundown, this is to mimic their natural environment of rocky outcrops which retain some of the days heat and radiate it long after sunset.

Zone 1) 90°F day, 87°F night
Zone 2) 82°F day, 79°F night
Zone 3) 75°F day, 73°F night

We provide heat from below using Flex-watt heat tape, and regulate the temperature with Ranco ETC 111000 thermostats. We feel that this is the best method to provide proper temperatures. We reset the thermostats to the night temperatures at 11pm and return them to their day setting at 9am.

If you wish to seasonally alter the temperatures we recommend that you research the process of brumating Leopard Geckos carefully as there are many risks involved that we do not feel are worth the extra effort.


Light Cycle (general information)
Leopard Geckos are nocturnal, a proper light cycle helps to maintain a healthy regular rhythm of activity including; when to eat, sleep, it also generally provides a good level of security to an otherwise reclusive gecko. In the daytime leopard geckos will seek out a dark and secure place to sleep, the onset of darkness brings them out to find food and water, sometimes to seek out a mate. Locating their enclosure in an area that is brightly lit when it should be dark disrupts this normal activity pattern and results in unhealthy levels of stress. We set our light timers to turn on the lights at 9am and off at 9pm.

Ultraviolet light is not required by Leopard Geckos, and if used at all (possibly in a planted enclosure) it should be provided by the lowest UVB output bulb possible such as the Exo Terra Repti Glo 2.0 linear bulbs. Furthermore we suggest that a high quality fluorescent dimmer be employed such as the Exo Terra Light Cycle Units to effectively reduce the output even further when your Leopard Gecko might be exposed to it in the early evening or morning.

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Light Cycle (naturalistic enclosures)
A 12 hour day and night is perfectly acceptable to Leopard Geckos, and needs little more than a low wattage fluorescent bulb and timer to set-up in naturalistic enclosures. In the most extreme cases where a planted enclosure is used consideration must be given to maintaining sufficient levels of light to care for the plants. In this case deep dark hide areas must be provided to the Leopard Geckos.

Light Cycle (rack type enclosures)
Well lit reptile rooms combined with clear or highly translucent enclosures will provide ample light to maintain some degree of a light cycle. It is our suggestion that a 12 hour day and night light cycle is retained, yet provided by the rooms light if not by a lighted rack.

Humidity
Leopard Geckos require somewhat elevated humidity when they shed, otherwise they run the risk of retaining some skin around their toes, tail, and sometimes eyelids. In very bad cases this can result in injury, most notably to the toes. Elevated humidity is best provided in isolated areas and not throughout the entire enclosure. A humid hide area located in zone 2 is the method we prefer to use. This humid hide also doubles as a nest box.

Feeding and Hydration
Primarily insectivorous, though some will accept the odd pinky mouse and even other small lizards. Leopard Geckos are known for getting hooked on particular foods and this is to be avoided if at all possible. There are also reports of Leopard Geckos refusing staple food items after many months of eagerly accepting them. In our experience feeding a variety of insects is not only the most nutritious route it also provides a measure of safety to the keeper should a particular feeder become unavailable. Also, variety in the activity, color, texture, and very likely taste of each feeder type adds to Leopard Geckos quality of life.

Feeder size should never be so large as to present difficulty in consumption, insects such as crickets, roaches, and locusts should be no longer than the space between the Leopard Geckos eyes, and feeder larva such as meal/superworms, and the softer silk/wax/butterworms may be longer but never wider than the space between the eyes. In all cases, newly shed insects are digested more completely than fully hardened insects. Some young Leopard Geckos are less able to properly digest and extract sufficient nutrition from mealworms, it is best to start them on a variety of softer insects and add mealworms later to increase diet diversity.

Hydration is provided by a simple low dish of clean water, drinking water that is safe for humans is fine, avoid RO or distilled water because they are devoid of dissolved minerals that are needed to survive. Without hydration proper digestion and uptake of vital nutrients is not possible, most leopard geckos will drink from standing water, and nearly all will drink water droplets if available, such as from water misted on glass.

Supplements
Generally speaking calcium without vitamin D³ should be provided a bene placito (at ones pleasure) in a shallow dish, Leopard Geckos will lap at the calcium if needed. Otherwise all feeder insects should be gutloaded with a high calcium nutrient rich diet 18/24 hours in advance of every feeding. When this is not practical or possible, lightly dusting feeders with a mixture of 3parts calcium with vitamin D³ to 1part reptile vitamins at each feeding is a workable solution. We highly prefer the gutloading method because there is less chance of hypervitamosis (excessive levels of any particular vitamin) and very little chance of vitamin deficiency when this method is used.

Note; a gutload by our definition consists of 20% calcium carbonate and 1% vitamin mixture, the remainder consisting of proteins, fats and carbohydrates acceptable to the particular feeder.

Enclosure, Housing and Decoration
We suggest a minimum of 360 square inches of ground area for 1 male and 4 females (all adults), we use 30” x 12.5” x 6” glass aquariums. The height you use will depend mainly on your preference, decoration style and ability to properly heat the enclosure.

The hotly debated subject of substrate is your next major consideration. Sand, soil, coco fiber, slate, paper towels, or nothing at all are all options and do not include the various prepackaged substrates sold by many.

We have used all of the above without issue, yet have finally settled on slate and sand as our final substrate. The vast majority of the ground area is covered in slate; any gaps that remain are filled with fine sand to keep feeder insects from finding a way under the slate and avoiding capture at feeding time.

In a purely functional breeding operation butcher paper (brown craft paper) cut to size works very well and is quite reasonable in price considering the time saved in cleaning.

Decorations are a matter of choice, Leopard geckos will make use of securely stacked rocks, ledges or wide sections of driftwood, smaller branches are of little use to them though. Particular attention must be given to any sections that may pose a threat to the Leopard Gecko, fallen or shifting rocks can trap and kill your pet, small openings in wood can become a trap when your gecko finds a way to get in but not out.

All plants should be point free for maximum safety, most plants that do not exude a sticky substance when broken will be perfectly safe for use in the enclosure. All plants should be potted so that watering them does not overly effect the humidity of the enclosure. Some plants to consider are; Sansevieria trifasciata, S. t. hahnii, S horwoodii, S. kirkii pulchra, S. patens, and S. singularis. Zamioculcas zamiifoli. Xerosicyos danguyi . Momordica rostrat. Cissus rotundifoli. Euphobia geroldii. Alo cilias. Portulacaria afra. Ficus petiolaria. Due to these plants need for lots of light, we recommend that you use plenty of them so that they create shade at the entrance to any hides or concentrate them in areas away from hides all together and provide them with required light in such a way that will not disturb your geckos day time sleep.

Hides are required for stress reduction and are used as places to sleep during the day. They can be as simple as a low cardboard box with an opening large enough to enter and exit or as complicated as you desire. Each hide should be fairly low (about the same interior height as a walking Leopard Gecko), and have enough room for all of the geckos housed in that enclosure. One hide per temperature zone is sufficient (not including the humid hide/nest box in zone 2).

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Determinig the Sex of Mature Leopard Geckos
At 6 months of age it is possible to visually sex Leopard Geckos, prior to this age males and females look very similar and visual sexing is not particularly reliable.

Males will always have pronounced femoral pores just ahead of their vent and pronounced hemipenal bulges just after the vent. Males are generally larger than females in both bulk and length.

Females lack the pronounced male features detailed above, and are often smaller the males of the same age.

Breeding
Leopard gecko females are fairly easy to breed once they are mature enough to handle the increased demands of reproduction. Females should not be bred if they are underweight (≤45g), and/or less than 10 months old (1 year old is preferred by us). Males may be bred as early as 7 months old, we prefer to wait for their first year to pass though prior to introducing them to our females.

When introducing males to females it is best to maintain a sex ratio of 1 male to 3 or more females to prevent over breeding the females. Never house more than one male to an enclosure, they will fight constantly resulting in serious injury to one or both males. Most female Leopard Geckos can be housed in groups if there is adequate room and sufficient available food.

Mating behavior is rather disturbing to some people, it ultimately involves the male biting the females neck to secure the mating position which is his tail under hers and insertion of the hemipenis into the female. Prior to mating the male will stalk the female often rapidly vibrating his tail and acting quite different than he usually does. If not rebuffed by the female he will mate with her and as many other females as possible. The number of copulations may be quite numerous with each accepting female, and while serious injury is rare some skin damage can result if repeat breeding is to much for the female. We recommend the 1 male to 3 or more females to reduce the chance of exactly this type of injury.

Gravid Females
Females typically produce pairs of eggs at 21 day intervals, these eggs are often visible through the skin on her belly just ahead of her rear legs. We prefer not to overly disturb gravid females, mainly avoiding any handeling that involves turning her over. We also feel that restraining (any tight holding) a gravid female is too risky to her health and that of her developing eggs.

Nest or Lay Box
A nest box should be provided to your female if you expect to hatch any eggs she will lay.

We locate our nest boxes in zone 2 because the temperature there is always within incubation range.

The nest box need only be large enough for the female to enter, dig, lay her eggs, and safely exit without disturbing the orientation of the eggs. The exact design of a nest box is of little importance so long as it meets the above stated requirements and will hold humidity long enough for you to locate the eggs for incubation. We initially fill our nest boxes with 1 part vermiculite to 1.5 parts water by weight and check them daily for eggs and moisture content, adding water if the vermiculite is drier than when we fist mixed it.

When eggs are found they should be marked with a fine tip nontoxic marker directly on the highest point, a single dot is all that is required. This dot indicates up, the eggs orientation must never change, up must always be up unlike bird eggs or the embryo inside may die.

Incubation Temperature and Humidity
If you have a gravid female and you wish to incubate her eggs, it is wise to set-up your incubator well in advance of the eggs arrival.

Leopard Gecko sex is determined by incubation temperature, the following temperatures will produce the listed percentage of males. The number of days incubated is on average, and is noteworthy in that as the temperature rises the number of days required to incubate the eggs lowers until the 91.4°F (33°C) point where the duration at first levels out then incubation begins to take longer as the temperature reaches the 95°F (35° C) maximum incubation temperature.

We prefer to incubate our female leopard geckos at 82.4°F (28°C), and 87.8°F (31°C) when looking to produce males.

78.8°F (26 °C) 0% Male (58.9% hatch rate) 72.2 days
80.6°F (27°C) 0% Male 66.6 days
82.4°F (28°C) 0% Male 61.0 days
84.2°F (29°C) 10% Male 55.4 days
86°F (30°C) 28.8% Male 49.8 days
87.8°F (31°C) 82.6% Male 44.2 days
89.6°F (32°C) 87.2% Male 38.6 days
91.4°F (33°C) 80% Male 33.1
93.2°F (34°C) 5.8% Male 33.1 days
95°F (35° C) 0% Male (70.9% hatch rate, 62.5% of all high temp females are able reproduce) 35.9 days

Humidity should be maintained within the 70 to 80% range to prevent desiccation and/or mold.

Incubator Selection and Hatching Containers
So long as your incubator is capable of maintaining a stable temperature within the ranges listed above and hold a humidity level of 70 to 80% you will be successful.

Most breeders including us transfer eggs into a hatching container prior to incubation, 16oz deli cups filled halfway with the same vermiculite and water mixture used in the nest box is our preference. We use vented (pre punched) deli cups with unvented lids in order to maintain adequate air exchange, we only place one clutch per container in an effort to better track our breedings.

Hatchling Care
Newly hatched Leopard Geckos care is identical to that of adults, with the exception that they will not feed until they have completed their first shed. Feeder size should be monitored closely, hatchlings grow rapidly and consume a lot of insects, feeding them daily if not twice daily is important for them to properly develop into healthy adults.

If you did not select an all female producing incubation temperature it is imperative that groups are sexed as early as possible to prevent males combating each other and avoid the premature breeding of females.

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Handling
Leopard Geckos are fairly sturdy reptiles, but they do not fare well when dropped or picked up by the tail or any limb. They will regenerate a lost tail, though it will not look as nice as the original. Lost limbs will not be regenerated and such an injury is to be considered very serious and potentially life threatening.

A leopard Gecko should always have its entire body supported in your hand, your other hand ready to provide a place for your gecko to move to that is just as supportive. This hand over hand method is best and allows your gecko to become comfortable with your presence and enjoy the new sights and smells that come with exploring an area outside of its enclosure.

As you become familiar with your gecko you will notice any changes in behavior or general health, this is very much a part of regular handling. Always be on the lookout for weight loss and overall health when you spend quality time with your gecko.

Illnesses and Injury
Metabolic Bone Disorder; is an all inclusive term describing the many problems associated with bone loss. Often associated with calcium deficiency this disorder may also be caused by other dietary issues or congenital defects which are not remedied by proper diet. Chronic dehydration or use of RO or distilled water can accelerate any underlying issues related to this disorder.

Look for; soft and/or deformed (misaligned) lower jaw, swollen and/or misshapen limbs, declining ability to move (dragging rear limbs, unable to lift body to move), and general lethargy.

Skin infections; also called blister disease, is caused by maintaining excessively high humidity and limited air exchange in the enclosure. Unsanitary conditions are also a major contributing factor in almost all skin infection cases. Correcting the environment is the first measure to be taken, and in cases where this does not resolve the issue a trip to a veterinarian is in order for further diagnosis.

Look for; discolored skin (not to be confused with the normal dullness associated with normal shedding), and blister like sores.

Parasites and bacterial infections; come in many forms and reside internally or externally feeding off of your gecko. Parasites and bacterial infections result in weight loss and lethargy even when proper temperatures food and hydration are provided. Parasites are also vectors for a number if reptile diseases which are best avoided.
External parasites can be observed if your vision is good enough, and more often than not cured with a product called Provent-a-mite or its equivalent. Internal parasites can only be identified by fecal examination which is best done by a veterinarian who will identify the exact parasite type and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Look for; loose undigested stools, blood in stool, lethargy, and weight loss

Stuck sheds; is often the result of excessively low humidity, but sometimes they are the result of nutritional deficiency. Correction may be as simple as providing a humid hide, or in the direst cases of nutritional deficiency totally revamping the geckos diet. We believe that if our care methods are followed and stuck sheds have become an issue it is best to visit a qualified reptile veterinarian for further diagnosis.

Look for; unshed skin around any digits, eyes, and tail

Tail loss; is an injury that can result from rough handling or an attempt to pick up the gecko by its tail. Otherwise healthy geckos will survive the loss of their tail without medical attention, the tail will regenerate although it will not look identical to the original. Geckos that are not in optimal heath at the time they lose their tail are at risk of death. Close attention to providing high quality food and hydration are critical to insuring a full recovery.

Look for; obvious tail loss, reduced mobility post injury, signs of infection, and prolonged bleeding at the break point.

Impaction; is often blamed on substrate type, mainly sand, but is in fact more accurately caused by dietary issues related to mineral deficiency, improper feeder selection and/or variety and improper hydration. Impaction is simply a blockage (organic waste mass or inorganic mass) in the digestive tract creating the inability to pass waste. Geckos fed properly sized, nutritious feeders and who are properly hydrated rarely if ever have impaction issues regardless of the substrate type used.

Look for; disruption of regular waste production, swollen body (not to be confused with gravid females), a hard mass may be felt in the abdomen.

Mouth Rot; is generally caused by any injury to the interior of the mouth. It is our opinion that owner treatment of this issue is ill-advised and excessively traumatic to the gecko and could result in injury or death of your pet. Please seek veterinary treatment.

Look for; discoloration of the tissue inside the mouth, failure to eat or attempts resulting in a strike and release of regularly consumed feeders, any putrid smell from the mouth or puss like fluids in the mouth.

Respiratory infections; usually caused by maintaining the gecko at lower than optimal temperatures for a prolonged period of time. May also be caused by excessively humid housing which creates potentially moldy and unsanitary conditions.

Increase temperatures to the following for at least 24 hours:
Zone 1) 90°F day, 88°F night
Zone 2) 86°F day, 84°F night
Zone 3) 81°F day, 80°F night

If the symptoms do not resolve in 24 to 48 hours see a veterinarian. If the symptoms do resolve maintain the elevated temperatures for 2 weeks then return to the normal operating temperatures.

Look for; labored breathing, wheezing, gaping mouth, and lethargy.

Limb loss; caused by trauma in all cases, rarely self inflicted but sometimes possible if V traps are in the decorations, a V trap is any decoration that consists of a V shape where the innermost portion can catch a limb, tail, head or the body in some cases and not allow escape. Observe children holding Leopard Geckos and teach them to be careful with their fragile bodies, holding them by limbs is never acceptable. Veterinary treatment is required as soon as possible in any case where a limb is damaged beyond use. A Leopard Gecko can live a long life with the loss of a single limb without much in the way of special care; the loss of two limbs will require more involvement in feeding, singular housing, and very close observation of sanitation.

Look for; obvious limb loss, inability to use a limb not accompanied with other symptoms, difficulty walking.

Basic First Aid
First and formost keeping your Leopard Gecko in top notch condition is the best prevention effort you could ever make, the chances of surviving an injury or illness are greatly improved if the gecko was healthy to begin with. Underweight and dehydrated geckos are much less likely to survive any attempts to provide basic first aid for injury or illness.

Diluted iodine (1 part iodine to 20 parts distilled water) can be used to wash cuts and scrapes that do not fully puncture the skin. Use a fresh cotton swab or Q-tip to apply, rinse with 100% distilled water.

Neosporin antibiotic cream can be applied in very small quantities to wounds that do not fully puncture the skin. Apply only to the wound area and not uninjured skin, never apply to puncture wounds!

Weight gain formula for emaciated non-feeding Leopard Geckos:

1/3 cup gutloaded insects (we use roaches and mealworms) or 1/3 cup Core brand canned cat food if gutloaded insects are not available
1/4 cup unflavored pedialite
1/4 cup turkey baby food
1 tbsp calcium citrate powder
1/4 tsp multivitamin powder
1/4 tsp live beneficial bacteria powder (Acidophilus)

Blend to a very smooth texture, offer at room temperature by dabbing mixture on snout, the gecko should lick it off. Offer Three times per evening until weight is gained or the gecko starts eating regularly on its own. Freeze any unused mixture.

Weight gain protocol for emaciated self-feeding Leopard Geckos:

We feel it best to not to feed a higher number of high fat content feeder insects such as wax worms, but to rather adjust the fat content of the staple insect diet and to select insects at a stage where they are more readily digestible.

Feed as many insects in the white (freshly shed) as possible. Younger insects of both sexes tend to consume a higher percentage of food than do adults, this allows for more effective gutloading, when combined with ease of digesting an insect that has just shed is a double benefit to putting on quality weight not just fat.

When insects in the white are not available use gravid female insects to fill in the remainder of the meal. The reason for this includes the higher fat content of the gravid female insect and the higher fluid content found in most female insects.

Increase the fat content of the insect diet, sunflower seeds are accepted by many omnivorous feeder insects. Other higher fat content foods to use are raw nuts such as peanuts or tree nuts.

Protein content does not need to be increased so much as the quality of the proteins involved, feed your insects a diet that contains both plant and animal proteins. This increases the number of amino acids available to your gecko and will help bring back proper weight. Legumes, yeasts, and whey powder are all good additions, as well as fish flakes made with fish meal.


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