Leopard Gecko Eublepharis Macularius Larry Leslie Lucy Judy Jill Albert Mario My 1st leo to hatch. Lizard love. Various Gecko pics A Pretty Little Lizard.        The Leopard Gecko, or Eublepharus Macularius, is the most popular gecko in the reptile trade today. It can be found in Afghanistan, Northwestern India, and Pakistan, prefering the warm sands of the deserts. As a very docile species, Leopard Geckos rarely bite. They are a favorite for everyone from beginners to long time collectors. They require very little space and are easy to maintain and breed in captivity. Leopard Geckos are a relatively small lizard usually obtaining a length of just over 8". Leopards have many bright colors like pinks, purples, yellows, whites, etc. With all the variance in color and pattern no two are alike. Leopard Gecko-Eublepharus macularius Origin-Afghanistan, India, Pakistan Size-7"to9" Life Span-Up to 15yrs. I've heard the record is 28yrs. Temperment/Handling-Docile, a good beginner pet. Never hold by the tail because it can fall off. Hardiness -Very hardy as long as basic needs are met. Housing-A 10gal aquarium is adequate for two babies or one adult. A 20gal long is big enough to house one male and up to three females. Never house two males together. A lid is not necessary but recommended to keep other things from getting to the geckos.  Newspaper, paper towels, sand,  a sand/soil mix, or coconut fiber can be used as substrate. Baby geckos should always be kept on newspaper or paper towels to avoid sand impaction. This can cause serious health problems. Hide spots should be provided at both the warm and cool ends of the enclosure. To help facilitate with shedding, a hide box (small plastic container with a hole cut out of the side or top) containing moistened vermiculite or spragnum moss, should be provided, that may also double as a nesting box.  A shallow water dish should be available at all times, as well as a small dish of calcium and possibly a dish of mealworms. These geckos are nocturnal and may remain hidden most of the day. Finally add a few pieces of cork bark or well secured rocks to help keep the geckos occupied. The larger the enclosure, the more entertaining your new pet will be. Rack Systems-If housing a lot of geckos you may choose to keep them in a rack system, consisting of many tight fitting shelves full of Rubbermaid plastic bins.  A shoe box (12"x6"x4.5") will comfortably house a baby gecko, moving up to a sweater box (16"x10.5"x6")  for an individual or blanket box (22"x16"x6") for a small breeding group. The shelves on the rack double as a lid to keep the geckos from escaping.  Paper towels should be used as a substrate.  A hide spot should be provided at the warm end and the cool end as well as a single hide box containing moistened vermiculite or spragnum moss, that doubles as a nesting box.  A shallow water dish should be available at all times, as well as a small dish of calcium and possibly a dish of mealworms.  Rack systems are heated using heat tape. Enclosure maintenance-Leopard geckos are very helpful in keeping their cages clean, often preferring to defecate (poop and pee) in one spot. Substrates can be changed every couple weeks as long as you remove fecal (poop) every few days. All cage items should be cleaned with a dilution of 1part bleach to 30parts water every three months or so making sure to thoroughly rinse.  Water should be changed daily.  Check all electrical devices as often as possible to help prevent fire hazards. Lighting-This is a nocturnal (on the move at night time) species requiring no UVA/UVB lighting, but it can't hurt.  I use fluorescent and a basking or incandescent bulb suspended above one end of the enclosure. Never let the lizard touch the bulb itself, for this can cause severe burns. The lights should be left on 14hrs a day throughout the summer months and 10 hrs a day in the winter.  I recommend keeping all lighting on a timer, it saves the hassle of manually turning on and off the lights every day. Heat/Temp-Daytime temps should be 84-88F with a basking spot around 92F. Nighttime temps should be 75-80F. Always allow a cooler end to help with thermo-regulation. A reptiles surroundings determine it's body temp, so they move from end to end as needed. Temps should be slightly cooler in the wintertime. Heating options include, under tank heaters covering about 1/2 to 1/3 the length of the tank, heat tape, or a basking bulb in a ceramic fixture over head. My leos do well with just a basking light suspended from above one end of the cage. Never use hot rocks, they often concentrate extreme heat causing severe burns. Humidity/Water-Leopard geckos are a species that prefer a dry environment. Only misting once or twice a week to help with shedding. A small, shallow water dish should be available at all times,as well as the humid hide box. Diet/Food-As a general rule food items should be no larger than the width of the head. Commonly used food items include commercially raised crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and various other insects. Wild insects are readily accepted, but make sure they haven't come in contact with any pesticides.  Adult leopard geckos will enjoy an occasional pink mouse. All food items should be gut loaded (fed a nutritious diet of various greens, potatoes, and cricket food) for at least 24hrs prior to feeding. Insects should be supplemented or lightly coated (the easiest way is in a plastic bag) with vitamins and minerals.  The proper use of supplements can help lead to a healthier, happier gecko, and reduce the risk of metabolic bone disease. I use Rep-cal Calcium/vitD3, Herptivite, and  Miner-All.  All can be found at any pet store. I like to leave a small dish of calcium and mealworms in the enclosure at all times. Babies should be offered food 1 to 2 times daily. Juveniles should be fed daily. Adults should be fed 4-6 times a week offering an occasional pink mouse.  Remove all free roaming food items if not eaten within 15-20min.  Insects will foul water and stress the geckos. Sexing-Sexing a baby leopard gecko is difficult if not impossible for the first month.  At this time sex can be determined with the use of a good magnifying glass. To sex, look on the underside of the gecko. Males have a V-shaped row of enlarged pre-anal pores and hemipenal bulges at the base of the tail. Females have pre-anal pores that are less obvious and are lacking the hemipenal bulges. Breeding-Leopards are amongst the easiest of all reptiles to breed.  All it takes is a healthy male and some healthy females.  Sexual maturity can be reached as soon as 10mths depending on care techniques.  A leo should be at least 40grams before breeding. Breeding too early can stunt growth and is less likely to produce fertile offspring.  Around 2-3yrs of age produces the best clutches. Often times just being together will get leos to reproduce.  A few weeks after mating, eggs will be visible through the abdominal walls of the female.  At this time it is suggested to provide a good nesting box (I use a margarine container full of moistened vermiculite). Usually the female will choose this to lay her clutch of two eggs (some times only one egg).  Remove the eggs being careful not to turn them and place them in an incubator, marking a small X on top of the egg with a #2 pencil.  Look online or in reptile magazines for incubator dealers or make your own.  Sex of hatchlings is determined by incubation temperatures. 79-83F will produce mostly females, 84-87F will produce mixed results, and 88-90F will produce mostly males.  90F is the highest temp suggested, higher temps lead to more in-fertile eggs. It is a good idea to have incubators already calibrated before eggs are laid.  Always keep good records of breeding if you plan on selling your freshly hatched leos. Phases/Morphs-High-Yellow, White, Jungle, Xanthic, Melanistic, Ghost, Striped, Albino, Tangerine, Leucistic, Blizzard, Etc. Other-The gecko I've always wanted, and finally got.  Well actually got quite a few of them. Can't stop with just one. Disclaimer-Everything on this page is a matter of my personal opinion.  This care sheet is merely meant to help get you started.  Always do lots of other research and do what is in the best interest of you and your pet. Last Updated-03/06/03 Aaron Downing            ReptileAaron@aol.com  https://www.angelfire.com/me4/pets Suggested Reading *The Leopard Gecko Manual                                                                       DeVosjoli,Viets,Tremper,Klingenberg                             1998 Advance Vivarium Systems                                                      *Geckos Bartlett,Bartlett 1995 Barron's Educational Series *Lizards Of The World  Mattison  1992 Blandford  *Designer Reptiles and Amphibians Bartlett and Bartlett 2002 Barron's Educational Series *Reptiles Magazine Various Authors & Issues