Leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) come in a vast array of colors. Reasons for leopard geckos being so popular with enthusiasts is their placid nature and longevity, as most will live into their mid-teens and maintain a sweet temperment. Because of their life span, careful consideration should be given to the time and resources you are prepared to devote to their care.

Housing

The general rule of thumb is to allow a minimum of 12 square inches per adult gecko. Glass aquariums, plastic tubs or custom wooden/plastic caging of appropriate size work well for single or colonies of geckos. Males are extremely territorial and aggressive with the same sex and thus must never be housed together. Some dominant geckos have been known to be aggressive to smaller or weaker cage mates. If bullying occurs, immediately separate the geckos to prevent stress and injury.

Leopard Geckos should have at least two hides. One dry hide and another “humid hide” to assist in shedding and, if breeding, egg-laying. A “humid hide” can contain moist paper towels, moss or cypress mulch.

Recommended substrates include Astroturf, Butcher Paper, Newspaper, Paper Towels, Washed/Screened Play Sand and Tile. Avoid calcium based sands as they are known to encourage ingestion and ultimately impaction.

Temperature

Leopard Geckos rely on thermoregulation to control their body temperature. Since they cannot produce their own body heat, you must supply them with an environment for them to regulate their own body temperatures. Access to warms areas or a basking spot is very important to your gecko’s health. To maintain health, geckos must be kept at 90-92 F, using the higher temperatures to digest their food. A commonly used method is using a under tank heater on one side of the tank. UTH’s usually have an adhesive so that they may be attached directly to the tank. Flexwatt heat tape is another option to provide belly heat. Always use a good thermostat to control the heating device to avoid fires and overheating.

Feeding

Leopard Geckos eat a diet of live crickets, mealworms, silkworms, roaches and wax worms. Occasionally breeders will feed there egg-laying females pinky mice (hairless, newborn mice) to give them a boost. Food items should be no large then ¾ the size of the geckos head to prevent choking. Geckos under 5″ should be fed everyday while adults can be fed 2 or 3 times a week.

Prey items need to be dusted with a calcium powder every other feeding and a multi vitamin powder weekly. A dish of calcium can also be placed inside your geckos enclosure for them to lick up when they feel the need. It is also recommended to gut-load prey items with fresh, highly nutritious foods prior to feeding.

Breeding

Before you consider breeding leopard geckos, consider the responsibility of housing and feeding the hatchlings. A single female will product 3-8 clutches of two eggs per clutch, that’s up to 16 babies in a single season. If you do not have the time, energy, and means to take care of the offspring properly, do not consider breeding. Research your area to see if you will have an outlet for the offspring and never consider releasing an unwanted or unsold reptiles into the wild!

Your geckos should be in optimal conditions before breeding. Females should be a minimum of 40 grams and at least one year old before introducing a male. Egg-laying females are prone to calcium deficiency, therefore it is especially important extra calcium is provided during this period. A moist hide should also be provided to a breeding female at all times so that she may lay her eggs in a secure location.

Their are two ways to successfully breed leopard geckos; by single introduction of the female to the male’s enclosure for brief periods of time, much like is done with the majority of snake species, or via the colony method. The colony method is where a single male will be provided a harem of 2-6 females to live and breed with. The downside to colony breeding is that unless you are vigilant, you may not be able to identify which female laid which eggs.

Incubation

Leopard geckos are temperature-sex dependent. This mean that what incubation temperature a gecko is exposed to will determine the sex of that hatchling. 79-80 degrees produces primarily females, 87-88 produces primarily males and any temperature in between will produce mixed sexes. Turning the eggs at any point could cause the gecko embryo to drown, so care must be taken when removing them. Do not try to separate eggs  if they are adhered together, this risks tearing. Recommended incubation mediums include perilite, vermiculite, orchid moss, organic soil and SuperHatch. Depending upon temperatures, the hatchlings will begin to hatch in 30-90 days.