East Bay Vivarium 1827-C 5^th Street Berkeley, Ca 94710 (510) 841-1400 http://www.eastbayvivarium.com

Leopard geckos come from the semi-arid desert region of Central Asia. This is the type of environment you want to try and recreate.

Habitat:

Temperature: Establish a range of temperature from 90ºF (hot end) to 75-80ºF (cool end). It is important to offer your animal a choice of conditions at all times. Always measure the temperature on the floor of the cage.

Water: Mist your gecko and its cage once a day. Additionally, fresh water should be available at all times.

Bedding: Screened pine, newspaper, or fine grain sand can be used.

Cage Decorations: Provide your gecko with a hide box (a warm dark place for your gecko to sleep). Damp moss, sand or shavings may be placed in the box to aid in shedding.

Tank Size: Geckos should be kept in a 10-gallon tank. Adults should be kept in tanks 10-15 gallon tanks.

Special Lighting: Although nocturnal, we recommend providing your gecko with a UVB light source. These lights simulate natural sunlight and aid dragons metabolize key vitamins and minerals.

Feeding:

Feed Daily: Offer babies food once per day. Food should include crickets, mealworms, wax worms. Offer adults food 3-4 times per week. Do not feed adults pink mice more than bimonthly.

Vitamins: Generously dust all foods with a 50/50 mixture of calcium supplements and vitamin supplements. These items are an essential part of your gecko’s diet. Without them, geckos may develop vitamin and calcium deficiencies, which are ultimately fatal.

Maintenance:

Shedding: It is important that your gecko shed it’s skin completely, especially the skin on the fingers and toes. Incomplete sheds over a period of time can lead to the loss of digits. We recommend soaking your gecko once a week in a shallow bath of tepid water for 20 minutes, and then peel any unshed skin by hand.

Cleaning: Spot clean individual messes and replace with fresh substrate daily. A wide screen fish net is useful for sifting sand. Clean the entire cage bimonthly or when needed.

Handling: Frequent handling is the best way to allow your gecko to feel comfortable under human care. However, do not handle your animal for the first week you own it. Make sure it is eating and well adjusted to its new home.

Problems: The first sign of an unhealthy gecko is a lack of appetite. First check the cage temperatures and make sure that they are correct. If the environment is set-up properly and problems persist, please call the East Bay Vivarium for assistance.

Further Reading:

De Vosjoli P, Klingenberg R, Tremper R, Viets B, The Leopard Gecko Manual: Includes African Fat-Tailed Geckos, Herptocultural Library, 2003.