Leopard Gecko Care and Natural History

Leopard geckos, or Leos, as they are referred to by their devoted owners, make wonderful pets. If you are considering a reptile for a pet, you might want to take at look at these sweet natured reptiles that come in many interesting colors. In the last few decades Leos have been selectively bred to have some very interesting 'morphs'. Morphs are different skin colors that range from white to yellow and orange. Some with spots and some with stripes. Truly a designer reptile.

Before bringing a Leo home, it is important that you learn some basic leopard gecko care. Leopard geckos do not need an elaborate setup, a 10 gallon aquarium or even a plastic container will work. There habitat should have a heat source at one end to give it warm and cool zones. There should also be a 'hide' in each zone. A hide can be as simple as a small box with a hole in it. In the wild, Leos will be found hiding under rocks during the day, so they need a place that they feel secure.

There should also be a humid area as well. A small plastic box or container with a home and some damp paper towels will do. They need some humidity to help them molt, or shed their skin.

You will need to feed your gecko live insects, usually mealworms and/or crickets. These can be purchased at a pet store. If you get a baby gecko, remember that she should not be fed any food that is larger than the distance between her eyes. So small crickets and mealworms for a baby.

It is recommended that you do not keep your leopard gecko on any sand, as they will ingest it and eventually suffer from impaction. You can use a layer of paper, or a terrarium liner.

Since males can be aggressive toward one another, you should not house 2 (or more) males in the same habitat. It is impossible to determine the sex of a baby so if you get more than one, you must be prepared to separate them when they are bigger, if you have 2 males.

There are many resources online that will help you care for your gecko like this Leopard Gecko Blog. You should also look into a veterinarian that specializes in reptiles in case you ever have a sick gecko. Leopard geckos can live over 10 years (over 20 or 30 in rare cases) so be prepared for a long term commitment. Most importantly, remember to enjoy your pet gecko.

The leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) is native to the desert regions of Afghanistan, Pakistan, parts of India and Iran. Leopard geckos are generally nocturnal and ground-dwelling. Leopard geckos have eyelids, unlike most geckos, and their genus name Eublepharis comes from the Greek words for 'true' and 'eyelid'. The species name macularius indicates their natural spotted markings.

Many of the pet Leos have been bred to have interesting, brightly colored, patterns and would not normally be found in nature.

Leopard geckos feed on insects and will grow to between 6 and 10 inches in length. Males tend to be larger than females. One interesting fact is that determination of sex is controlled by temperature of the eggs. If the eggs are incubated at a cooler temperature, the babies will become mostly female. Whereas if the eggs were kept at a warmer temperature, they will be mostly male.

Leopard geckos are territorial and the males can be aggressive toward each other. But overall leopard geckos are fairly tame, which is why they make good pets.