Adults are typically 6.5-8 inches long. Mature male geckos weigh between 60-90 grams. Females may be as light as 45 grams. At birth, leopard geckos weigh 6-8 grams.
Diet
Feed leopard geckos a variety of gut-loaded or dusted insects of appropriate size such as crickets, Dubia
roaches, Phoenix worms, mealworms, grasshoppers, hornworms, silkworms, and superworms. Pinky mice and waxworms are like ice cream to geckos, must be fed sparingly (i.e. once a month). Hornworms and silkworms are good for dehydrated geckos, they are a good source of high moisture. Smash superworms’ heads before feeding them to your gecko to avoid them being bitten.
Lightly dust the non-breeding adult’s diet with a calcium carbonate or calcium gluconate supplement once weekly, more often if the gecko is actively breeding. Calcium supplements should be devoid or low in phosphorus with a minimum Ca:P ratio of 2:1. A general vitamin/mineral supplement may also be offered once weekly. Vitamin D3 is crucial to a gecko’s diet and is a fat-soluble vitamin. A once weekly dose of Vitamin D3 sticks around in a gecko’s body and metabolizes calcium all week long. Even if UV-B lighting is provided, supplementing with Vitamin D3 once a month is still recommended.
If using Zoo Med’s ReptiVite multivitamin, use it sparingly. A small pinch no more than once a week is all you need for dusting insects.
Depending on the size of the meal, feed adult geckos 3-5 times a week for smaller meals or once to twice weekly for larger meals. Offer prey in late afternoon because these lizards are primarily nocturnal.
Young geckos need to be fed daily. Geckos are prone to obesity, please monitor their weight closely and adjust feeding schedule as needed. You can feed crickets, dubia roaches, and mealworms a finely ground meal of chopped collards, dandelions, mustard greens, and turnip greens for a high calcium/low phosphorus diet.
Temperature
Provide a temperature gradient of 70-90’F and a warm area that reaches 91’F. Drop night temperatures to the 70s.
Avoid direct sunlight on the enclosure, as direct sunlight will cause potentially deadly overheating.
Provide under tank heating equal to 1/2 of the enclosure’s footprint as the main belly heat source.
Under tank heating need to have their own separate thermostats. Place one dry hide and the moist hide right on top of the heat mat. For 20 gallon enclosure use Ultratherm’s 11x 17 inch heat mat. For a 40 gallon use 2 Ultratherm’s 11 x 17 heat mats. Heat rocks are very unsafe.
For enclosures 30 inches and longer, adding Arcadia’s ShadeDweller lighting and add this lighting to the warm end of the enclosure. See link below for more information. For proper UVB absorption UVB MUST be paired with a side-by-side heat source like a halogen basking bulb whose rays cover the leopard gecko’s entire body.
Supply the correct amount of UVB based upon the Ferguson Zone Index for shade dwelling leopard geckos. Leopard geckos require a Ferguson Zone UVI = 0.5 – 1.0 as measured by a Solarmeter 6.5 or 6.5R. Make certain there are ample hides so your leopard geckos can dodge the rays when he so wishes. Exo Terra brand UVB bulbs, ceramic heat emitting bulbs, and coil lights are not recommended.
A temperature gradient from warm to cool maintains your gecko’s health. Set your thermostat at 91’F. Make certain all heat sources are controlled by either an ON/OFF thermostat or by a dimming thermostat. Tape the thermostat’s probe and a digital thermometer’s probe together, but offset a little. Place them right on top of the substrate underneath the warm dry hide. If you use an under tank heating you’ll need 2 separate thermostats, because ground and air temperatures are substantially different.
Warm dry hide ground temperature: 88-92’F inside the warm dry hide.
Warm humid/moist hide: Place the humid hide 100% on top of the heat mat. Keep temperatures similar to the warm dry hide.
Cool dry hide ground temperature: 70ish-75’F. Usually the cool end ground temperature matches the room temperature where the enclosure sits.
No greater than 82’F surface temperature – 4 inches above ground on the warm end
No greater than 75’F surface temperature – 4 inches above ground on the cool end
Leave your heat mat on 24/7 IF ambient room temperatures drop lower than 67ish’F. If NOT, during the
night turn off overhead lighting/heating (~12 hours on and ~12 hours off).
A thermostat controls your under tank heater or overhead dome fixture. It provides your leopard gecko with stable and comfortable temperatures, saves $ on electricity, and lessens the chance of a house fire from accidental overheating.
Plug your under tank heating/heat mat or overhead dome fixture into the thermostat. Plug the thermostat into the power strip. Plug the power strip into the wall outlet.
Tape a digital thermometer’s probe right onto the thermostat’s probe to verify the thermostat’s settings. Place both probes on the floor of your leopard gecko’s warm dry hide. Check daily. For a leopard gecko set the thermostat’s control to turn off the heat source when the temps exceed 91’F. Do
NOT exceed the maximum wattage of your power strip or thermostat!
Best types of thermostats:
Hydrofarm’s Jump Start MTPRTC thermostat
Apollo’s digital thermostat
Inkbird Thermostats
Textured slate tile creates excellent, risk-free substrates. Slate is a superior heat conductor. Slate is attractive & permanent. Paper towels can also be used. Make certain your slate sits flush against the glass floor. Make certain slate is no more than ~3/8 inch thick, when using it with an under tank heating! If slate is too thick it will interfere with heat conduction. Some Lowe’s Home Improvement stores will trim tiles free or for a small fee. You can also do a mix of play sand, excavator clay and top soil for a bioactive enclosure.
Humidity
Provide a shallow water dish and a moist hide area, but make sure the remainder of the habitat is dry. The moist hide area should be filled with moist moss to help your gecko shed skin appropriately. The moisture in the hide area should be 40-60%. A warm humid hide helps geckos with hydration as well as with shedding.
Keep the dry hide and moist hides on the warm side of the enclosure, i.e. directly on the under tank heating. One large water bowls help increase the humidity. OMEM Reptile Hideout Humidification Cave with Basin for geckos is an ideal terra cotta humid hide for leopard geckos, this hide can be found on Amazon. Use the large cave for larger geckos of 80 grams size. Cover the inside of the terra cotta with a small amount of sphagnum moss. Avoid vermiculite in the moist hid, it can damage gecko’s eyes.
MISTING IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR A LEOPARD GECKO ENCLOSURE. It will lead to improper shedding and retained shed.
Cage Size
A single adult gecko requires a long, 40 gallon enclosure at a minimum. Male/female pair should be housed in a 40-gallon enclosure, but it is recommended for a short period of time for breeding purposes only, otherwise, geckos should be housed separately. Males will fight with each other, and larger sized geckos may eater smaller ones. The enclosure must be at least 1 foot tall with a secure screen on top.
Offer leopard geckos hiding places to provided visual security. Also provide low-intensity full spectrum lighting during the day for optimal absorption of dietary calcium. Although leopard geckos are nocturnal exposure to UV-B light is very helpful. Caution with UV-B lights with albinos of this species. Have UV-B only in one area of the cage. Offer rocks and logs as climbing structures for exercise.
Avoid pine, willow, fur, and cedar shavings in the enclosure. The oils and fumes from cedar and pine
wood/shavings can be toxic to reptiles. Birch wood is gecko safe and can be used in the enclosure.
If you choose paper towels, contain all food for your leopard gecko in a feeding dish. Sometimes leopard geckos eat paper towels.
Avoid reptile carpet! Reptile carpet harbors bacteria from feces & urine. Young & mature leopard
geckos get their teeth & claws stuck in these carpets. Avoid vinyl tiles & shelf liner with or without adhesive backing! Unhealthy volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can be created by offgassing when vinyl tiles or shelf liners are heated.
Lifespan
Lifespan Leopard geckos can live up to 25 years. These species typically reach sexual maturity between 9-18 months.
Restraint
Leopard geckos utilize tail autotomy, a defense mechanism that utilizes tail loss. The tail can fall off when grasped, sometimes when very little pressure is applied. The tail will regrow as a cartilaginous rod, it will never completely look like the original tail did.
Sexual Dimorphism
Secondary sex characteristics of the male include larger or more distinct femoral pores and the presence of a hemipenal bulge. The hemipenis is male copulatory organ. Femoral pores are the opening through which glands produce a thick, waxy secretion. This secretion plays a role in scent marking and other pheromone-based communication.
Getting a New Gecko
Any new gecko should be quarantined for a minimum of 90 days. That gives adequate time to check for
parasites, cryptosporidiosis, & the beginnings of coccidia. 3-6 months quarantine are recommended if your new gecko is imported or wild caught.
Wash hands thoroughly between handling geckos.
The quarantine area should ideally be in a separate room apart from your established geckos. Stringent sanitation methods MUST be followed! Set up your new gecko as far as possible from your current animals. Set up your quarantined gecko as simply as possible – with paper towel floor & homemade plastic hides. These can be tossed, if necessary. Feed the quarantined gecko last. Toss uneaten prey. Never share prey between geckos or toss uneaten prey back into the feeding bin! Do not share any supplies such as thermometer probes or feeding tongs between cages.
Recommended Links:
Arcadia ShadeDweller is the best UV-B light for leopard geckos
Additional very detailed Leopard Gecko Care Information