Leopard geckos are popular small lizards that can live as long as thirty years in captivity. If kept in a small tank or terrarium, it is best to keep just a single pet as leopard geckos will be aggressive with each other if having to compete for food and shelter. It is preferable to keep groups of leopard geckos in a larger terrarium, which unusually for pet lizards need not to be as high in this case as it might be for other pet lizards. Leopard geckos generally live on the ground as they have claws on their feet rather than the pads that many other small lizard species use for climbing. Male leopard geckos tend to be aggressive with each other, so housing all females together or a number of females with just one male is advisable.
Leopard Gecko Cage
The terrarium for keeping a group of leopard geckos should ideally measure at least 60x40x20 inches. Despite their limited climbing ability, the terrarium is best with a secure lid, as if leopard geckos escape they will prove extremely difficult to catch. The terrarium will require flat rocks for the geckos to be able to rest under safely. The base material is usually sand but bark, small gravel chippings or even paper are sometimes used.
There should also be a damp area in a dark tray for egg laying, ideally consisting of moss that is regularly sprayed with water. Plants can be put into the terrarium and can also be used as an alternative for the sheltered egg-laying area. The leopard gecko's body temperature adapts to the environment, whether in heat or shade. The gecko will generally prefer heat unless it gets too hot.
The terrarium should be able to be heated to around 90 degrees fahrenheit as the norm using a lamp and an under-floor heated pad. The temperature should be reduced at night to around 68 degrees fahrenheit. Leopard geckos will be most active in the evening as the temperature cools. The heated pad is best placed under one end of the terrarium, as with snakes, so that the gecko can move to a cooler area when it prefers. A water tray will also be required.
Leopard Gecko Care
Geckos are particularly quick to shed their tails so if handled, care must be taken. The process is known as autotomy and is used to evade predators as the shed tail will in many cases continue to shake and move for a short time. The tail will normally re-grow but not usually as well-formed or to the same size as the original.
Leopard geckos feed on insects and baby mice. An occasional treat of small slices of fruit can also be fed for variety and to help balance the diet. Adult leopard geckos are voracious and will easily consume over thirty insects per week. Geckos are very clean reptiles but their droppings should be removed regularly to reduce any risk of infection. They also shed their skin but will re-ingest it. Whether this is for nutritional value or is done as a means of avoiding alerting poredators to their presence is not really known.
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