The leopard gecko is an intriguing reptile to own. They can be an extremely rewarding pet because of their agreeable temperament and calm demeanor. Many other qualities set them apart from other lizards, including widespread color selections and exciting patterns.
Many people also prefer the leopard gecko because they have an independent personality. That said, they require a precise care regime and minimal handling. In fact, if you handle them too much, they can become stressed. Fortunately, that restriction can be fine for caretakers who don’t have much time to spend with a pet but still love the idea of owning one.
Quick Facts About the Leopard Gecko
| Species Name: | Eublepharis maculrius |
| Family: | Eublepharidae |
| Care Level: | Intermediate |
| Temperature: | 75–95 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Temperament: | Docile, agreeable |
| Color Form: | Yellow, tangerine, lavender, blizzard, hypo-melanistic, carrot tail |
| Lifespan: | 10–20 years |
| Size: | 0.64–24 inches |
| Diet: | Crickets, mealworms, waxworms, butterworms |
| Minimum Tank Size: | 10 gallons |
| Tank Set-Up: | Non-toxic plants, logs, caves, hides |
| Compatibility: | Does well with females; males shouldn’t be together |
Leopard Gecko Care Overview
The leopard gecko hails from dry deserts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and certain parts of India. They are nocturnal ground-dwellers that spend their most active time venturing at night.
If you keep one as a pet, their environment will need to reflect their natural habitat. But as long as you have the proper nutrition, cage additives, heat sources, and aquarium size, you should be good to go.
How Much Do Leopard Geckos Cost?
One huge perk of owning a leopard gecko is that they’re a semi-inexpensive lizard to care for after initial start-up costs. If you buy one from a breeder or pet shop, you can expect to pay an average of $30.
Although that may make you feel relieved, know that they are by no means a cheap animal to own. They need particular resources to cater to their instinctual needs and mimic their natural environment.
With the cage, accessories, food, and the leopard gecko, you can expect to start the total price to be around $250.
Typical Behavior & Temperament
Leopard geckos tend to be mild-tempered creatures. Since they aren’t frisky or fast, they work well for smaller children because they won’t run off of their hands to escape. They are non-aggressive and not known for biting or acting skittish.
They are the type of reptile that you can handle daily. However, it would help if you didn’t handle them for too long at a time. Overhandling can lead to your leopard gecko getting stressed out, which can cause them to get sick.
Also, even though they make ideal pets for kids, they need respect while handling. If you have a child who is too young to know how tightly to hold them or how often to get them out, it might be best to wait until the child is a bit more mature.
- Related read: How Big Do Leopard Geckos Get?
Appearance & Varieties
As you may guess from the name, leopard geckos tend to have spots all over their bodies. Beyond that, however, they can vary drastically in color mutations and morphs.
- Normal: Yellow, with black spots
- High Yellow: Yellow, few black spots
- Tangerine: Bright orange body; tail can be striped or spotted black
- Carrot Tail: Orange body, carrot-colored tail (with or without black spots)
- Blizzard: All-white to pale pink
- Halloween Mask: Light tan to orange color, with large black spot patterns
- Lavender: Body can be pale to orange, with purple hues and black spots
- Aberrant: Generally yellow, with bands of white and black spots
- Hypo-melanistic: Vibrant yellow or orange, with minimal to no black
- Raptor: Plain orange body, with red eyes
- Reverse Stripe: Yellow to orange body, with noticeable stripes down spine
- Super Giant: White and yellow-banded
- Baldy: Pale orange to yellow body, with white and black banded tail
- See also: Do Leopard Geckos Have Teeth?
How to Take Care of Leopard Geckos
Leopard geckos do not require an extremely large aquarium. For a singular gecko, you need a minimum of 10 gallons of space. The more you add to the environment, though, the more you’ll need to increase cage space to accommodate.
Their terrarium will need to be well-ventilated and neither too hot nor cold. If there is too much or too little moisture, it can cause respiratory illness. If mold forms in the cage, it can also cause your little critter to get very ill.
- Related Read: Can Leopard Geckos Swim?
Habitat, Tank Conditions & Setup
These lizards require particular cage conditions. Let’s go through each aspect that creates the ideal environment.
Cage Size
You should have a 10-gallon cage if you have a singular pet. With each additional gecko, add 5 gallons of space.
Temperature Control
Within your cage, you should offer hot and cool sides so they can choose a perfect comfort level. They might benefit from a heating pad under the cage during colder months, preferably located under a hide.
You can put two thermometers on both sides of the cage to ensure that each is the correct temperature. During the day, the cage should be between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. At night, you should lower it by 10 degrees.
Humidity
You can buy a humidity gauge for the terrarium that lets you know the percentage. Your gecko should live in 30% to 40% humidity. Your home should naturally be in this range, and you should have a screen top on the cage for proper ventilation.
Substrate
The substrate is essentially the flooring of your gecko’s cage. You have a wide range of options that will work. Ultimately, it’s up to you and whatever you think suits your pet best.
Popular choices are:
- Reptile carpet
- Newspaper
- Paper towels
- Tile
Some substrate can get into the mix when your gecko is eating live prey, and your gecko can ingest it by accident. If they do, it can seriously harm their digestive system. It can even cause death, so definitely try to steer clear of any substrate that has tiny particles.
To err on the side of caution, try to avoid:
- Sand
- Loose mulch
- Wooden chips
- Stones
Terrarium Décor
You can dress your terrarium up like a wild paradise for your gecko. You can put in safe plants to keep oxygen fresh, branches for your gecko to climb, and hides for them to slip off into.
It’s important to give them a space that they can spend in total darkness. Whether it’s a hollow log or little hut, they will appreciate the privacy.
Are Leopard Geckos Good Tank Mates?
You can house more than one leopard gecko at a time. However, if you want to keep more than one, you will need to make sure that you’re not keeping males together, as they tend to be territorial. It’s best to keep only females or one male with females to keep everyone safe.
It’s best not to keep geckos of drastic size differences together in the same container. Doing so can cause premature breeding, or the larger geckos may torment the smaller ones.
If you own other reptiles, you should never house them together. They require different environmental factors, but different species also don’t mix well together in such a small space. To keep everything as it should be, it is best to have separate terrariums for each species.
What to Feed Your Leopard Gecko
As far as diet is concerned, leopard geckos are insectivores, meaning they only eat insects. The best diet for geckos is nice, meaty crickets. But they also can have:
- Mealworms
- Silkworms
- Dubia roaches
- Butterworms
- Waxworms
If your leopard gecko is under 1 year old, you should feed them daily so they can keep up their body weight and ever-growing pace. After they turn 1 year old, you can do feedings every other day.
If your gecko gets sick, they must keep up their strength. If they are unhealthy, you can feed your pet every day until they regain their strength and start feeling better.
Sometimes, you can feed your gecko insects that don’t agree with them, which can be dangerous.
Insects that your gecko should never eat are:
- Wild-caught insects
- Fireflies
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Cockroaches
These insects can do real damage to your gecko, so make sure to avoid them entirely.
Breeding
Leopard geckos are among the easiest reptiles to breed in captivity. Accidental breeding might happen if you house a female and male together by mistake.
Alternatively, you may just want to get into breeding as a hobby. You should have one male per four females, at max.
- Use a 10-gallon tank for your male and a 20–30-gallon tank for your female(s).
- Give them a heat mat for extra warmth.
- Create a laying box for the female’s cage filled with peat moss (an old shoebox works well).
- Introduce the male.
- Check periodically for eggs over a few weeks.
- Remove and incubate the eggs once you get them.
Once you actually have eggs, you can focus on the incubation process if you so choose. Raising baby geckos can be a rewarding process, but it isn’t without its work!
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Are Leopard Geckos Suitable for You?
If you enjoy the variety, temperament, and care process of owning a leopard gecko, you already have the basics for general care. You can now gauge what else to expect so you won’t be side-blinded by surprises.
Owning leopard geckos won’t be a fit for everyone, but if you’re a reptile lover, you should definitely own at least one in your lifetime!
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Featured Image Credit: Eric Isselee, Shutterstock
Contents
- Quick Facts About the Leopard Gecko
- Leopard Gecko Care Overview
- How Much Do Leopard Geckos Cost?
- Typical Behavior & Temperament
- Appearance & Varieties
- How to Take Care of Leopard Geckos
- What to Feed Your Leopard Gecko
- Are Leopard Geckos Suitable for You?
