Haylesbury on the leopard gecko (Leopard Geckos)

Member Name: haylesbury

Product:	Leopard Geckos
Date:	29/10/06 (4041 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A great pet to have, interesting, friendly and stunning

Disadvantages: Can prove to be pretty costly to keep, and you need to keep live food.

As a keen leopard gecko keeper I have owned a large number of geckos in the past and have a passion for them and their welfare. I am also a worker in the animal care sector and have qualificaitons within Animal care, management, development, breeding and many other subject matters. I will go through the basics of the leopard gecko in this review, though if you have any further questions feel free to e-mail me on sh02020998@hotmail.co.uk. Here we go!

Leopard Gecko Welfare

The gecko’s enclosure should be set up before getting the gecko to ensure that an ideal environment is achieved. Important rules if keeping several leopard geckos: Leopard geckos do not require company, but they will tolerate company. Only one male per tank- males are territorial and will fight to the death. Only similar size geckos can be housed together- smaller geckos will often get stressed/bullied or eaten.

It is important that the students within the educational establishment can see into the environment to allow behavioural studies to take place, but the accommodation given must also allow the students to see the gecko in a large environment otherwise this will limit the behaviour and activity of the gecko.

A vivarium or aquarium tank is appropriate, providing there is adequate ventilation. Being terrestrial the tank length is more important than its height. The minimum recommended size for 1 leopard gecko is 2ft (length) x 1.5 x 1.5 ft, this would also be suitable for a pair, however, 3ft (length) and the same other proportions would be more comfortable for 2 leopard geckos.

It is more interesting for students to see interactions between two geckos so the larger accommodation may be more suitable for the leopard gecko to suit the needs of the customer. However as they may fight sometimes one is appropriate. It is best to offer numerous geckos in an educational establishment so that differences which occur can be noted and further studies may take place.

The only substrate which can be used without any risk of impaction is kitchen roll. A more natural look requires vigilance. A leopard gecko less than 6 inches in length is more at risk and should therefore be kept on kitchen roll. Commonly used substrates for adults include fine sand and children’s play sand. Substrates to avoid include wood, corncob, bark, and crushed walnut.

A temperature gradient is essential because geckos, like all other reptiles, are unable to regulate their body temperature. Instead they will find a position in the tank which is at the temperature they require. Correct temperature is essential for digestion. A temperature gradient can be achieved by placing an under-tank heat-mat at one end of the tank to create the warm end. The substrate temperature at the warm end of the tank should be approximately 28-29°c. Room temperature (around 20-25°c) should be ok for the rest of the tank. Hot rocks are not recommended they can over heat the leopard gecko and cause burns. It is advisable to use any heat sources in combination with a thermostat to more-precisely regulate the temperature.

UV lighting isn’t needed for leopard geckos as they are nocturnal, proper supplementation of their food should be sufficient to provide the necessary minerals. A day/night cycle can be established using a normal bulb (these should be positioned outside of the tank pointing in) and have the added benefit that they heat the air slightly during the day, and being off at night, they offer a night time drop in temperature. A consistent light/dark cycle can be achieved using a timer device.

Furniture: Hide boxes are where the gecko will spend most of its time. Hides can be bought from pet shops or made from over-turned plant pot bases or halved coconut shells with some entrance holes cut into it. Hides should be at both ends of the tank. A moist hide should also be provided at the warm end to aid in shedding. Secured rocks, cork bark and fake plants look nice and give your gecko something additional to climb on.

It is important to try to offer the students a look at what geckos naturally have in their environment although the environment should not be overcrowded or the students can not see the gecko.

It is essential to clean the gecko’s accommodation out at least once a week and to remove left over food daily. This is important so that the gecko will not attempt to eat the dead food and they do not decay in the environment and harbour bacteria. Also this is off putting for students to see so accommodation should be kept looking nice to promote good management skills.

The gecko should have all vaccinations done and be clear from any disease. It is likely that within the collection I have chosen the gecko will be handled so it is humans who are at risk as well. Protection against parasites must be given. This is usually given every 3 months and some is every 6 months.

It is also important to have easy access to the cage, whilst also ensuring that it is secure. The gecko must not be able to escape to prevent stress to the gecko and to the students, but students must be able to gain entry to the accommodation and remove the gecko with ease for handling purposes.

Leopard Gecko Behaviour

A lot of the leopard geckos health can be monitored by noting changes to the leopard geckos behaviour. The gecko often does not have obvious health problems, but the behaviour is a clear sign of a problem which may be occurring. It is important to recognize this so that treatment can be given if there is indeed a problem.

The leopard gecko will show normal behaviour by being lively and active whilst it is awake. When the gecko is being handled it is common for them to run between hands and try to climb up arms and run between fingers. It should not be thought of as abnormal if the leopard gecko does not do this occasionally as the gecko may be shedding or it can be due to hormones or when the gecko has been woken, however if lethargic behaviour lasts for longer than a week or is common and regular then it should be checked out.

The leopard gecko is a natural climber and if there is suitable enrichment in the accommodation given then the gecko should be seen lively and climbing up anything which it can climb up on. Naturally the gecko should be keen to kill and eat the live food which it is given in its diet. The gecko will no eat dead food and it is its natural behaviour to catch live food to eat.

Occasionally the leopard gecko may display abnormal behaviour’s. This can include the example of becoming lethargic as talked about above as well as not wanting to climb ever and not wanting to eat food or catch food. This can be monitored by checking the amount of food left after the gecko has been given food. The gecko may also sleep more often than usual or less often than usual and may put on or lose weight due to activity or inactivity as a result of some behaviour problems.

If there is a problem with a leopard gecko it will commonly emit a thin squeak which is often not distinguished as coming from the gecko as it does not typically sound like a gecko! If the gecko is making lots of noise then it is likely it is distressed and the temperature, food, water and enrichment should be reviewed and a vet contacted.

A gecko will not often show obvious signs of aggression, but can make a squeak when afraid or unsure of a situation. The gecko may also cling to the thing which it is holding onto or arch its back to try to appear larger to the handler or animal which it is with. Leopard gecko’s which fight will commonly bite and cling onto the opposing gecko.

To help with behaviour of the gecko the gecko should be given sufficient enrichment. As the gecko enjoys climbing the gecko should be provided with thick branches or rocks for it to climb on. There should also be some fake or real plants and often sand will be put down for the gecko to dig in. Giving live food provides stimulation for the gecko and helps to encourage natural behaviour.

Leopard Gecko feeding

Size and weight: A Leopard gecko can live for up to 20 years, reaching its adult size (and sexual maturity) at 8 months to 1 year old. They reach, on average, 8 inches in length (nose to tail tip) and weigh anything from 50-100g. Variations occur depending on sex as the female is slightly lighter in weight and smaller in size, any sudden weight gain or loss should be noted and so it is important to look at the animal’s diet to ensure its health.

Food type and preparation: Crickets provide a stable diet for the leopard gecko and are the most popular choice for most owners. For variety, silkworms and wax worms can be offered though this would not be recommended as a regular food type because they are more fattening than the crickets. Most leopard geckos won’t eat pre-prepared dried foods like can-o-crickets. The crickets should be kept together in a small tank which does not need heating; a basic plastic carrier will be suitable. They should have sliced fruit put into the tank in small pieces. Tap water must be left to sit for 24 hours prior to use and is offered in a shallow water dish. The dish should be cleaned and water should be changed every other day.

Feeding behaviour: The leopard gecko will generally not pounce on the cricket when it is put in the cage or anything which some owners may expect. It is more casual like with any already dead food which other animals eat. They will simply approach it, sometimes with caution and then flick the tongue out to grasp the food.

Supplementation: Live food is needed to suit the gecko’s natural diet. To improve nutritional content, crickets should be dusted immediately prior to use. This is done by adding a pinch of vitamin/calcium powder to a sandwich bag and shaking the crickets in that to coat them with powder. Use the calcium and vitamin powder once or twice a week and calcium-only powder for all other feedings. Giving access to a dish containing a small amount of calcium only powder may be beneficial- this allows the gecko to regulate its own intake of calcium.

Stock tasks: The only stock tasks are to feed the crickets by putting in some fruit and veg and to clean out their own tank at least once a week.

Storage of foods: The crickets are kept in a tank as mentioned before and should be put in with twigs, branches, leaves and soil to help with their environmental enrichment.

Disposal of waste: Any debris, dead crickets and faeces should be removed from the tank on a daily basis. Bedding used as kitchen roll can be placed in the toilet area and removed and replaced as soon as it is soiled. Any soiled kitchen paper or sand should be removed and put into a common bin, if a leopard gecko is infected with any disease, which is unlikely, the waste should be disposed of into a sharps box or bag, to be collected and disposed of correctly.

Leopard Gecko Breeding

It is important before attempting to breed to make sure that the female has enough calcium between February and August when mating will occur and that she is being fed well. The calcium should be given in a dish and the gecko will take this when she needs it. It is not necessary to force feed, but dusting crickets is good way to give calcium to female geckos.

The cage which the gecko is in should have a laying box put in and this should be left there for her use. When a gecko has been mated and is near to passing the eggs you can see the eggs through the skin of the gecko. The gecko will lay once every 2 to 4 weeks and will refuse food just before she is going to lay.

Once the eggs have been laid they should be moved without touching them into an incubator. The eggs should be kept in the same position which they were laid in when moving them. The eggs should be incubated in a container which is secure and able to provide the eggs with warmth. A heat mat is often used to provide the warmth needed. It is important to use a thermostat to continually check the temperature is ok. A large Tupperware or plastic box should be put into this and vermiculate which is slightly moist should fill this. The top of the box should be put on, you must put holes in the top of the box first. The box should remain humid, but not soggy. A thermostat should also be placed into this through a hole.

The temperature I the environment should be 81’ f for females or 97-88’f for males. 85’f can get half of each, but these are unlikely to breed well and can suffer from problems. It is important therefore to chose a sex you would like the gecko to be. The eggs should be buried in the vermiculate and will hatch after between 6 and 8 weeks.

Summary: I LOVE the leopard gecko