The Leopard Gecko is one of the most popular choices for reptile lovers. Caring for this species of gecko is relatively simple plus they're generally docile and do not require a large cage. They are easy to breed and come in a vast amount of designer colors.
You may house several similar size female Leopard Geckos together but even multiple females will compete for food so make sure any smaller geckos are receiving their share of the food, heat, etc. We do not recommend housing more than one male in an enclosure as males are territorial and typically will fight. One male and several females can generally be housed together but we recommend this for more seasoned reptile enthusiasts as there are multiple issues that can arise causing stress, shortened lifespan, etc. Regardless of sex, you should consider separating any vastly smaller or larger animals.
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Reptile carpet is a fantastic and safe option. It can’t be eaten, so it’s a super safe choice for substrate! It’s super easy to clean, and can be removed and washed a few times before replacing. Most reptile carpets are soft on the top so they don’t irritate the lizard’s skin. The reverse side is stiff and absorbent, perfect for for leopard geckos. Please replace the reptile carpet as often as the packaging suggests, since the fibers can become loose and may get caught in gecko toes. Shop Eco Carpets
Quick tip for eco-carpet: Before placing the carpet in your gecko’s cage, take a hot iron and carefully give your reptile carpet a quick spot heat, as it can help eliminate the fiber curls and reduce the risk of your Gecko’s toes getting caught in loose fibers!
Besides eco carpet, more great substrate options include cypress mulch, and sphagnum moss.
Baby Leopard Geckos are best kept on paper towels or similar product until they are about 5 inches long. As active feeders they usually ingest some of the substrate while gobbling up crickets or mealworms and while adults can usually digest some fine sand along with their food babies cannot handle this as well or at all. We have heard of baby Leopard Geckos becoming impacted with sand and not being able to pass it so please follow this advice.
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Leopard geckos MUST have hiding places in their enclosure as it is essential to their well-being. The shelter can be anything from a hide box to a decorative reptile shelter, hiding hut or cave. It is always a good idea to have one shelter on the warm side and one on the cool side. If you choose to make a hiding place yourself, please make sure it is sturdy enough that there is no potential for collapsing and crushing your gecko. Shop Hiding Places
Providing a moist shelter will enable your gecko to have a high humidity location when it is shedding. Use moistened sphagnum moss or Zoo Med Forest Floor Bedding inside your gecko’s hide. If your gecko has retained skin after shedding you can place the gecko in a small plastic container lined with warm, wet paper towels. With the top of the container on, let the gecko sit for approximately 30 minutes. The high humidity in the container should loosen the skin enough to allow you to remove it easily with a pair of tweezers. If the skin has not loosened enough reheat the paper towels with warm water and provide another 30 minute session. NEVER use hot water as this can burn your gecko’s sensitive skin.
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It is a good idea for baby Leopard Geckos to be misted occasionally and for the entire cage to be misted several times a week. This is especially true if your gecko is getting ready to shed its skin.
We recommend that you feed only as many crickets or mealworms as your gecko can eat in 10 to 15 minutes. It is important to select the proper prey size and the general rule for selecting the proper size of crickets is the cricket should be no longer than the length of the gecko's head. For baby geckos this usually means 3/8" crickets and for juvenile geckos 1/2" crickets and adult geckos can handle 3/4" crickets.
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Hibernation while being natural for Leopard Geckos in the wild is not necessary for pet geckos. We believe you should heat your geckos throughout the winter so that they continue to eat, drink and be active. A general reduction in feeding behavior is normal during winter months due to temperature fluctuations in your house. As long as they keep fairly consistent weight it is generally not an issue and normal feeding typically resumes in the spring.
That's it!
Make sure to tag us in all of your leopard gecko pics on Instagram @reptileslounge! 😍
Check out our Leopard Gecko Starter Kit!
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Little Lia
December 23, 2019
I can’t wait to get one