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Leopard Geckos are one of the easiest species of reptiles to care for and breed. They are very docile and can be very friendly. Leo's can grow to be about 6-9 inches long including their tail. Their surroundings can be 75-88 F , 75-80F on the cool side and 80-88 F on the warm side.
A single leopard gecko should be housed in a 10 gallon reptarium with a secure screen top. The size should increase with each additional gecko introduced (only one male to each aquarium they will fight to the death.)
The substrates that are proven safe are peat moss, sand (for geckos over 6 mo.), and cage carpet. I recommend cage carpet because it is cheaper and more sanitary than any other substrate. DO NOT USE WOOD SHAVINGS because some wood is poison to reptiles and will cause illness or death.
Leopard Geckos are nocturnal so they don't need any special lighting.
The reptarium will need a cool side (70-75 F) and a warm side (80-85 F) . Place the heat sources on one side and the other should be room temp. You should use a nocturnal heat bulb. The lowest wattage should be 60 watts, increase the wattage with the size of the reptarium. You should also provide an undertank heater this provides another heat source and also helps the gecko to digest food easier. PLEASE DO NOT USE A HEAT ROCK it can develop hot spots and burn the geckos tender skin.
Provide the gecko with a hide spot on the cool side and the warm side of the reptarium. You will need a humid hide placed somewhere in the middle of the reptarium. Also provide some driftwood (that has been sanitized) for climbing and foliage for exploring (fake plants please). A shallow water bowl will be required on the cool side of the reptarium at all times. * to sanitize the driftwood and rocks in the cage bake in the oven @ 200 for 30 min. watch wood in the oven to make sure it does not catch fire.
Leopard Geckos should have a 24 hour supply of food dusted with supplement powder, they will only eat when they are hungry They can eat crickets, mealworms, roaches, butterworms, and waxworms. DO NOT FEED YOUR GECKO STUFF YOU FIND OUTSIDE it could have poison from the yard or someone elses that will kill your gecko.
