SPECIES: Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis
macularius)
This Gecko is an excellent
choice for the beginner.
Distribution & General Ecology.
In its natural range,
Leopard geckos are found in rocky, arid areas
of Pakistan, Northwest India, Afghanistan and
southern Iran. Relying on its mottled coloration
of yellows and mauve to brown, this species
blends in well with its environment. Active
mainly at dusk, these geckos will emerge from
tunnels or from under rocks to catch insect
prey.
Housing in Captivity
Leopard geckos may be
kept in any number of ways. A basic laboratory
type set-up comprises of a newspaper substrate
in a plastic box using a cardboard carton as
a hide. A more aesthetic approach could be to
use silver sand and oyster shell chips or corn
cob granules as a substrate, with natural stone,
e.g. Cotswold stone, strategically placed to
provide cracks and crevices as retreats. Leopard
geckos spend the daytime hidden away; so particular
attention to providing secure hiding places
is of prime importance. Always make sure there
are plenty of hiding places for the geckos to
choose from.
Groups of these geckos
can be kept in the same enclosure. However,
it is most important that there is only one
adult male per cage, though many females can
be kept with the single male. A colony of one
male with up to six females works well if housed
in a cage of 100 x 50 x 50cms. Smaller groups
can live in smaller cages.
There is no need for ultra
violet (UV) lighting as these animals are crepuscular
and nocturnal. A natural daytime/night-time
cycle is required. This can be achieved either
through an outside window using the natural
daylight cycle, or by wiring a low wattage,
tungsten filament light bulb within the gecko's
enclosure. If a light is connected, a period
of eight hours day, 16 hours night will suffice
for winter months, gradually increasing to 16
hours day and 8 hours night in the summer. Daytime
temperatures can be up to 30°C in the summer,
with a slight night-time drop. For winter, temperatures
of 20°C are adequate. Infra-red heat pads
are the simplest way of providing the heat in
this set-up. Other sources of heat are available,
such as ceramic heaters, heater cables and tube
type heaters. Whichever method is preferred,
the system should be controlled by a reliable
thermostat.
Food & Feeding
Leopard geckos are carnivorous;
in the wild they will feed on any moving prey.
Beetles, spiders, grubs and scorpions are the
mainstay of their diet. In captivity, crickets,
small locusts and mealworms are preferable;
many will also accept new-born mice. The size
of prey should be relative to the size of the
gecko. An adult specimen will readily accept
adult house crickets, adult field crickets and
giant mealworms.
Juveniles will accept
half-grown crickets or waxmoth larvae. Fly larvae
(maggots) should NEVER be used. Wild-caught
insects should also be avoided in case they
have recently been sprayed with insecticide
or other pest control.
Vitamin supplements should be used whenever
possible. The insect prey can be dusted with
a suitable preparation, e.g. SA37, Vionate,
Cricket Plus or Nutrobal. Prior to use, the
crickets can be placed in a jar or suitable
container, sprinkled with the supplement and
either shaken (to cover the insects) before
feeding to the geckos or left in the jar to
feed on the supplement a few hours before offering
to the geckos.
The captive geckos will
not require as much food during the cooler winter
months. Finally, a small bowl of clean water
should be present in the enclosure at all times.
Seasonal Cues
Leopard geckos become
sexually active in the spring. The increase
in temperature in conjunction with a higher
temperature triggers the mating activities.
Courtship & Reproduction
When the Leopard Geckos
reach maturity at three years of age, they should
be 20-25cm in length. Males are usually distinguishable
by having a more robust appearance, their heads
normally being broader by comparison. The positive
way of sexing is the presence of femoral pores
and pre-anal swellings on the male. Females
lack both of these characteristics. The pre-anal
pores are a V shaped row or pores on the underside
between the hind legs. These will produce a
waxy secretion when the male becomes sexually
active. The male gecko will mark his territory
by rubbing the secretion from these pores on
various parts of the enclosure
The male will chase the
female and often bite her, in the extreme case
this can cause quite severe wounds. Lesser wounds
will usually heal without the need for medication.
Only one successful mating is necessary to enable
the female to produce up to seven pairs of eggs
during the year. A suitable egg-laying box should
be placed in the enclosure. A plastic container
(about the size of an ice-cream tub) with a
hole cut in the side is ideal. A layer of damp
peat/sand mixture can be used in the box as
an egg laying medium. The female will soon find
this, excavate a hole and deposit her eggs.
The mixture must be kept damp, or the female
may retain her eggs, or deposit them in the
water dish, rendering them useless. The eggs
are sticky when laid so the peat mixture will
adhere to them; this should be left. The eggs
are oval and approximately 2-2.5cm in length.
Eggs & Young
The eggs can now be carefully
removed for incubation, placed in a suitable
container of vermiculite or similar medium,
and kept at 80-100% humidity at an average temperature
of 29-30°C. The eggs will swell by up to
30% as they mature and the average incubation
time is 55-60 days.
Baby Leopard Geckos are
usually quite vocal if provoked, emitting a
series of high pitched squeaks. Unlike their
parents they are boldly striped with yellow
and mauve, this coloration changing to spots
as they mature. 5-6cm in length, the babies
will accept small insect prey at first on a
daily basis and should be kept slightly damp
to aid skin shedding.
Ailments
This species is usually
trouble-free and long lived; 20 years is not
uncommon. Captive bred specimens should have
no parasitic disorders and with a good diet,
using vitamin supplements, should never encounter
any abnormalities.
Rarely a gecko may have
trouble shedding it's skin (ecdysis), if this
is the case the animal can be placed in a temporarily
damp environment for 24 hours, e.g. a plastic
container of soaked moss. This should soften
the skin, which can then be carefully removed
with tweezers. This problem may be particularly
relevant on the gecko's digits.
Like most gecko species,
Leopard Geckos have the ability to lose their
tail; other than looking unsightly this should
have no ill-effect on the lizard, and the tail
will regenerate.
As previously mentioned,
lacerations may occur during mating. If these
are particularly severe, veterinary advice should
be sought.
As with the husbandry
of all animals, hygiene is of prime importance.
Leopard geckos usually defecate in one particular
part of the enclosure so spot cleaning is made
much easier. Periodically the substrate should
be changed and the cage and furnishings cleaned.
A good scrub with a suitable disinfectant will
be necessary. Ark Klens or Betadine are widely
used for this purpose. Do not use ordinary household
disinfectant as this may be harmful to the animal.
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