Leopard geckos are one of the easiest reptiles to care for. This in addition to their small size has made them one of the most popular reptiles available. Leos, as they are commonly called, are hardy and friendly little guys.
Caging
Housing leopard geckos is as easy as using a ten gallon tank and a screen cover. Some stores sell "kits" that have a large portion of the supplies that you will need to get up and running. While these "kits" are easy, they don't often have everything that you will need. A lot of times it is simply easier and cheaper to build your own kit from the supplies availiable to you at the store of choice.
Heating
Heat is very important to a gecko. Heat helps aid in digestion and growth. A gecko housed at higher temeratures will grow faster and be healthier than a gecko housed at lower temeratures. A heat rock isn't a great heat source for your gecko, as the rock can actually burn their stomach if they lay directly on the rock. Undertank heaters are a great way to go and they stick directly to the bottom of the tank. A heat lamp is ok to use and can be better at raising the ambient temerature in your habitat. most people use red lights for their heat lamp but I like the blue light better, it is a lot easier to look at than the red lights.
Whatever you use the most important part is to set up a heat gradient so your gecko can thermoregulate their body. Create a hot end and a cool end so that your pet can move to the are that makes them the most comfortable.
Whatever you use the most important part is to set up a heat gradient so your gecko can thermoregulate their body. Create a hot end and a cool end so that your pet can move to the are that makes them the most comfortable.
Lighting
Leopard geckos are nocturnal creatures. While UVA and UVB lighting are not neccesary they certainly won't hurt your gecko. Heat lights are only necessary if you don't have undertank heater. I like to use a 25 to 40 watt blue light with my under tank heater, this way I can see my geckos at night when they are the most active.
Hides
Places to hide are important to leopard geckos. I gives them a place to be out of sight and unnoticed. In the wild it is important for leopard geckos to hide because it keeps them safe from preditors. It is very benificial to have one hide onthe hot side and the cool side of the tank. the hide on the hot side shoude be contained and filled with a moss. The moss should be misted daily to maintain moisture so that you have a humid hide. This humid hide is important to the gecko becasue the moisture helps aid shedding. Poor shedding can result in geckos with missing toes or even the potential loss of a foot. So you can see why hides are important to geckos.
Bedding
I like to keep my geckos on paper towel, news paper or Cage Carpet. These three things have been the easiest for me so far. Fortunatly geckos pick a spot and use it for the bathroom so they are fairly easy for us to clean up after them. There is a great debat over sand or no sand. some people say that geckos can get an impaction from the sand and become very ill. The coice is yours. I have used sand before with no issues, that however doesn't mean that other people haven't had problems. I suggest you do all the research that you can first before you decide on sand.
Feeding
Feeding geckos is really just a matter of finding a place that supplies bugs. There are seeral bugs that you can use to feed your leos crickets, wax worms, meal worms, roaches, silk worms, horn worms, super worms, and butter worms. The most important part of feeding these bugs to your pets is to make sure that they are gut loaded before hand. What this means is that you feed them before you feed them to your geckos. I use apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and oranges. Whatever the bug eats your pet eats, so gut loading just makes these items a better food source for your geckos.