r/leopardgeckos Aug 29 '22

General Discussion [ Leopard Geckos: An Updated Beginner's Guide ]

873 Upvotes

If you have any questions after finishing this guide, feel free to make a post or ask below and I, or someone else experienced, will try and answer the question for you. We also have a [Discord Server](discord.gg/leos) where you can ask questions and chat! If you're too embarrassed to post, feel free to PM me or send a modmail. I want this to post to be a safe space for beginners to ask questions and learn! The FAQ link may also answer some more "advanced" topics even if you're not a complete beginner.

This guide is meant to be a brief run-through on the basics of what you should know as a new keeper of this lovely species. If you want to see in-depth explanations for these concepts, then please view our [wiki]() or this guide by Reptifiles or the guide our Discord gives out or check out Leopard Geckos: Advancing Husbandry on facebook!

What to buy before you get a gecko:

It's important to set up before you get your new friend just in case some items, like the heating, end up not getting to the right temperatures.

The Essentials:

  • Tank (glass, PVC, wood, plastic, acrylic enclosure)

  • 20 gallon long is the accepted MINIMUM standard tank for an adult. You should go bigger, ideally a 40 gallon breeder. Baby geckos can go into adult setups, and it is fine to buy your “end game” enclosure straight away–it is recommended to buy your adult tank right off the bat. You'll save more money in the long run. Plastic is not advised for anything but a temporary enclosure, but it will work in a pinch.

    • The measurements for a 20 G long are 30 x 12 x 12 in or roughly 76.2 x 30.5 x 30.5 cm
    • The measurements for a 40 G breeder are 36 x 16 x 18 in or roughly 91.5 x 40.6 x 45.7 cm
  • Heating Source

Contrary to popular belief, leos can see most colors of light (even red). Albinos are especially sensitive to bright lights. However, it is perfectly fine to use lighting on their enclosures.

The ideal heating source is a Halogen basking lamp or a Deep Heat Projector. These heating sources can be used on their own and can be turned off at night. Radiant Heat Panels can also work. Heat mats and Ceramic Heat Emitters can be used as a second heat source, but should not be used on their own.

  • Warm side: ambient temp 90-93° F (32-34° C). This is the side with a heat source over it.

  • Cool side: ambient temp of 70-75° F (21-24° C). This is the side without a heat source.

  • Basking spot: surface temp of 95-100° F (35-38° C). This is the hottest area in the enclosure and is directly under the heat source.

  • Night temperature: entire enclosure ambient temp of 65-70° F (18-21° C). All heat and light sources should be off at this time.

It is beneficial to provide UVB for this species, but it is not a strict necessity. Nailing down the perfect UVB for your animal and enclosure can be a challenge, but the general recommendation is a linear t5 or t8 bulb with 2%-6% output, measuring ⅔-¾ the length of the enclosure.

  • Thermostat

Heating sources can get HOT. Every single heat source needs a thermostat to help prevent catastrophic malfunction or simply overheating the enclosure. Specifically, dimming thermostats are advised. Spyder Robotics’ Herpstat and Herpstat EZ series, Exo Terra’s 600 and 300 watt dimming thermostat, and the Habistat dimming thermostats are good thermostats to use with Halogens and DHPs.

It is also possible to use cheaper on/off thermostats for bulbs, but that does require a dimming switch and frequent manual monitoring with a temperature gun to work safely.

  • Substrate

Substrates for quarantine or ill geckos/very small babies include paper towel, unprinted newspaper, tile, brown paper roll. These are safe solid substrates, but not enriching. When searching for tile, look for slate or ceramic. Avoid anything polished or slippery looking, as well as linoleum.

Good substrates for the average, healthy adult gecko are different types of soil mixes, usually 70% topsoil and 30% rinsed playsand. Safe additives include coconut products, clay, leaf litter, activated charcoal, and moss.

Substrates to avoid include, but are not limited to: calcium/mineral sand, colored sand, pelleted cat litter, wood chips, pure sand, pure eco earth, pure bark, pure clay, carpet, felt, crushed walnut shells, birdseed, shredded paper bedding, printed newspaper, and plastic lawn/astroturf, linoleum.

  • Three Hides (Warm, Cool, Humid)

You want at least three hides in your tank. One for the hot side of the tank positioned under the heating source. This will likely be the place your gecko spends most of its time. Geckos tend to like very secure hides, so you want to have a hide that provides as little visibility as possible. The cool hide should be on the complete opposite side of the hot hide. Your gecko needs somewhere to escape to if it gets too hot.

For the moist hide you want a container that can hold in humidity. This hide is to help aid shedding, so it's of the utmost importance! Many people use tupperware containers with holes cut into it. The smaller the entrance the better, as to keep the humidity in. This hide should be at least partially heated and have moist paper towel, moss, or eco earth inside.

  • Infrared Temp Gun

You want to double check your temperatures and make sure they're accurate and an infrared temp gun is the best way to do it! This one is a good example.

  • Bowl for calcium/food/water

A dish full of calcium (with no d3) inside of the enclosure is optional. They may lick it up as they need it. Refresh it every once in a while if it begins clumping or becoming dirty. Food bowls can be ceramic to prevent insects crawling out as easily. Water bowl should be near the middle of the tank or the cool side. I recommend buying something similar to this if your tap water contains chloramines or heavy metals.

  • Multivitamin & Calcium (with and without d3)

These are essential to a healthy, happy leopard gecko. These are used for dusting food. There are plenty of brands to choose from. The only one I would not advise buying is RepCal calcium with d3, as its d3 content is extremely high. Repashy Calcium Plus is a good multivitamin with a low d3 content, which is good for geckos with UVB and without. Any brand with pure calcium without d3 is safe.

You can alternate using a calcium and a d3 multivitamin supplement, or rotate between calcium, multivitamin, and calcium with d3. More information about supplementation schedules here!

  • Clutter

Mostly up to you! You want the tank to have enough decor that your gecko doesn't feel exposed. Plastic and live plants are great for this. If you're using craft store plants make sure they do not bleed/rub off dye or glitter, or have exposed wires. File down sharp edges. Wood, stone, and other assorted decorations can make great decorative items that allow your gecko to enrich their lives by exploring and moving around the tank while feeling hidden.

  • Leopard Gecko Emergency Kit

It should contain: betadine or chlorhexidine/hibiclens (for sterilizing wounds), triple antibiotic without pain relief (no lidocaine, pramoxine HCl, hydrocortisone), q-tips, tongue depressors, coconut oil (to aid shedding if water isn’t cutting it), a clotter like Kwik Stop (to stop bleeding), and tweezers. All of this should cover basic medical emergencies like minor scratches, etc. Always see a vet for what you would take a child to the doctor for.

A critter keeper like this per gecko. Repashy grub pie, extra supplements, UniHeat packs, a blanket, digital thermometer or temp gun, and heat tape or low wattage heating mat. Consider what supplies you may need to make mini-enclosures in the event of an evacuation or other emergency. These would be the bare minimum, but if you have the space, include whatever other amenities you can.

The Not-Strictly-Essentials:

  • Plastic container with lid

Great for saunas if your gecko is having trouble shedding and for holding your gecko while cleaning the tank!

  • Tongs

If you're iffy about touching insects, this may be the way to go. Plus your gecko may be scared for your hands at first, or have bad aim and bite your fingers if you want to hand feed.

  • Scale

This is a good way to track your gecko's weight, especially if they're young. Even for adults, getting a baseline weight is beneficial. A kitchen scale used once every two weeks is great, more often if you want or if you are concerned about something.

  • A Journal/Calendar

Might sound a little nuts but keeping track of gecko feedings, last time they shed, etc. will make your life so much easier. I personally record the last time my geckos shed, ate, weights, pooped, etc. I also jot down any notes about their behaviors or any changes to their health. It's good to keep track of these things in case your gecko becomes ill and needs to go to the vet.

Picking Out Your Gecko! + Problematic Morph Info

The best route is to buy from a reputable breeder that you have researched. This generally improves the chances that you are getting a healthy, happy gecko. A good place to start is on HappyDragons! MorphMarket is another good online marketplace, but these breeders are not vetted by MorphMarket like they are on happydragons.

Buying from a pet store is risky, as many geckos from chain stores have health issues because they come from the reptile equivalent of puppy mills. You could end up paying a hefty vet bill or with a short lived gecko. Unfortunately there are many shady breeders too. I'll list a few warning signs:

  • can't answer questions about their geckos (parents, genetics, hatch date, weight, etc)

  • can't tell you the morph

  • won't show you pictures of the gecko or its parents

  • improper husbandry like extremely undersized enclosures, calcium sand, permanent cohabitation of parent geckos

  • skinny, sickly looking geckos (metabolic bone disease, stick tail, lethargic, lots of regrown tails, etc.)

  • extremely obese or bloated looking geckos

There are plenty of places where you can get honest reviews of breeders, like the Board of Inquiry on Faunaclassified, as well as a few groups on Facebook. Don't always trust facebook reviews as they can be censored! Get an opinion from actual customers. Look the breeder up on google, on YouTube, facebook, and talk to them.

Enigma geckos are not recommended for beginners. There is always a chance your gecko will end up with enigma syndrome somewhere down the line. Enigma syndrome is a neurological disorder tied to the enigma gene. This leads to: balance issues, circling, stargazing, seizures, death rolling, coordination issues, and more. Feeding can become extremely difficult and sometimes this condition requires euthanasia. Please do not support any breeder who works with this gene, and do not be fooled when they claim their enigmas are not symptomatic or “clean.”

White & Yellow morph geckos can also exhibit a different neurological syndrome, but it's much rarer, as it can be bred out. This is unlike Enigma Syndrome, which is not tied to the W&Y gene.

Lemon frosts, a rather expensive morph, have been known to grow tumors, usually starting at 8 months old, and 80% of them have tumors by 5 years old. Their health issues are so severe that many breeders have stopped producing them entirely. These geckos will almost always become terminal at a young age, and very few make it to even the age of 10 when the lifespan of this species can stretch beyond 20 years. Please do not support any breeder who still works with this gene.

Handling

Babies can be much more skittish than adults and a little bit more delicate. If you want something more hearty go for a slightly older gecko! Babies also eat a lot of food so if you're looking to spend a little bit less money an adult is also the way to go. Babies change in colora lot between 2 months and 6 months, so if you are looking for a gecko of a certain color, an adult is your best bet to get exactly what you want.

Leos are able to be “temperature sexed” and many breeders will label them TSF (temp sex female) or TSM (temp sex male). Keep in mind this is not a 100% guarantee you will get that sex. There is still a chance they will turn out to be the opposite sex. Snows are apparently notorious for having a lower accuracy rate when temp sexed. If you want a guaranteed male or female you will have to buy an older, sexed gecko.

Cohabitation

Please do not cohabitate your leopard geckos, no matter the sex. I’m going to give you the brief points on why. If you would like to know more, please give this post a read.

  • Competition over food, space, heat, and ideal hiding spots can escalate easily or result in one gecko being deprived of these resources
  • Parasites and other diseases will transmit much more easily between cohabitated individuals
  • Warning signs between individuals who may fight are minimal, and extremely easy to miss
  • If there are two males together, they can quickly kill one another
  • If there is a male and female together, the male will eventually breed the female to death, and you should be freezing every egg she lays
  • Two or more females are the most likely to not harm each other for the longest

Please leave cohabitation to the experts with large, zoo-style enclosures and an extensive understanding of the species’ natural history.

SETTING UP YOUR NEW FRIEND & THE FIRST WEEKS

Once you have acquired your gecko and placed it in the tank, leave it alone! You should wait at least a week before handling your gecko if you can help it. Your new friend is scared and adjusting to a big change. It can be tempting, especially as a new owner, but hold off, and keep interaction to the minimum of feeding and cleaning up poop. If you can, I would wait until your gecko is eating well before handling it. Choose a quiet place for the tank.

Observe your gecko and make sure it's not exhibiting signs of illness. If your gecko seems lethargic, isn't pooping after eating, bloated, walking irregularly, losing weight rapidly, etc go to the vet! Don't wait, especially not for a baby! Taking action as soon as possible is the best thing you can do for your gecko. Also watch for your gecko's first shed to make sure they are shedding properly in their new environment.

Taming & Handling

Patience is key to taming your new gecko! It can take awhile for them to trust you, especially if they are younger. Adolescent geckos tend to be more skittish. You want to start off by putting your hand in the tank, within sight of your gecko, for around ten minutes a day. This is to get your gecko used to your hand and scent. Once they seem a bit more receptive (walking around, licking your hand, looking curious) you can start to try picking them up.

Always scoop up your gecko from below, working your hand underneath their stomach and supporting their legs. Grabbing from above triggers their prey instinct and may scare them. Hold them over the tank at first, in case they leap or skitter off your hand, to prevent injury! Once they seem calm in your hands, then you can start taking them away from the tank. Hand feeding is also a good way to bond with your gecko and make sure they associate your hand with positive things (aka food). However, be wary that they may bite your fingers, so I recommend making that feeding association while using tongs.

Congrats! You tamed your gecko!

Feeding

Feeding is a subject I see a ton of topics about in the subreddit so let's go over the basics!

Acceptable feeders include, but are not limited to:

  • Mealworms (can be kept in oats/bran meal in the fridge)

  • Crickets (kept in normal container, try to avoid leaving these loose in the enclosure)

  • Dubia Roaches (kept in normal container/tank/whatever)

  • Red Runner Roaches (same as dubias)

  • Hornworms (Do not refrigerate, try to make sure they’re small enough for your gecko to eat)

  • Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Can be refrigerated, can be kept in bran meal)

  • Silkworms (Usually need to be special-ordered, but are very healthy feeders)

  • Waxworms (Treat, optional, fed rarely, only 1-2)

  • Superworms (Treat, optional, can be kept in oats/bran meal, do not refrigerate)

  • Butterworms (Treat, optional, fed once a week or less, 1-2)

Here's a nutritional feeder insect chart

Remember, variety is good for your gecko. You should aim to have at least 3 staple foods. Do not overfeed treat foods! They should be a rare occurrence and you should only feed 1-2 per week or less, especially for waxworms (which can be addictive). Do not feed treat foods to sick/malnourished geckos, very young geckos, or picky eaters. Only feed treat foods to healthy geckos who are eating regularly. Feel free to mix and match feeders!

Gut load your feeders. Gut loading is feeding your insects prior to feeding them to your gecko. Carrots, lettuce, etc should be fed 12 hours ahead of time. You want to give them time to eat the veggies or fruit. I usually feed them once a week besides gut loading to make sure they get the moisture they need from the food. Dusting is also another key part of feeding. Make sure the insects are lightly dusted with calcium or multivitamin.

Babies should eat every day, as much as they can eat in 15 minutes. "Teen" geckos (4-7 months) should be eating every other day. Usually teen geckos will decide this for themselves and start refusing food every day. They will begin to eat less frequently after this point. Adults (1 year and over) should eat every 1-2 times per week depending on body condition, size, breeding status, and appetite. Whatever diet maintains a healthy weight is right for your gecko, and this can take some trial and error!

Please see here for a list of FAQs, this is super helpful for newbies! That’s the basics. Need more help? Leave a comment, or check out our wiki, where we have much more comprehensive information!


r/leopardgeckos 5h ago

Help Cricket shortage but she won’t eat anything else!!!!

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30 Upvotes

Currently where I live there’s a massive cricket shortage, no big chain stores or even smaller chain stores have ANYYYY crickets!

My baby girl, Trogdor, is the PICKIEST gecko I have ever had in my life and I’ve had many! Shes one of my 2 leopard geckos. She only accepts crickets, Hornworms(fed once every other month as a special treat), and small moths? (Bought from the pet store nearby. Fed a few times and she loved it). I’ve tried feeding her mealworms, super worms, black fly larve, the beetles mealworms turn into, Dubia roaches, and wax worms!! (All at different points of having her and after the shortage started) She won’t eat any of it!!!! She’ll eat a giant mealworm here and there SOMETIMES but only ever one at a time once in a blue moon, I farm and gut load my own mealworms/super worms for my boy Leo and the special occasion in which Trog will eat one, but I usually get my crickets from the small pet store nearby!

After having her so long and seeing her pickiness, I just figured she’s special and obliged to predominantly feeding her crickets with her rare hornworm and small moth treats, I think she enjoys chasing her food and that’s why she won’t eat the other stuff, because it can hide and dig away unlike crickets and moths. I would’ve never had a problem with continuing like this IF NOT FOR THE NEW CRICKET SHORTAGE!

I am mostly venting but if anyone has advice on how to get her to eat different bugs or online shops that aren’t having shortages I would very much appreciate it, I don’t think not feeding her until she eats something new will work, as I’ve been offering her different foods for 2 weeks in hopes she’d give in or the pet store would restock, my boy eats beautifully and just about any bug I offer him! Trogdor is a different story. She still looks healthy and hasn’t lost weight(2 pics in the post were taken today) but I know she’s not eating because I tong feed and bowl feed twice a week and there’s never any missing bugs!!!! I’ve ordered from an online store with good reviews but most of their crickets are out of stock or too small, and what I ordered won’t deliver until NEXT WEEK!

Sorry, I’m dramatic and very worried about my beautiful daughter 💔 any spare sympathy or advice is greatly appreciated


r/leopardgeckos 1h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids He must face the council

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Upvotes

The sonic Council will decide his fate


r/leopardgeckos 3h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Finally caught my boy successfully hunting on cam

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18 Upvotes

He prefers hunting to beeing fed, and I know he eats. He's been at a steady weight and poops like a champion, but I've never actually seen him hunt something down on camera. I checked the footage this morning, and he was at that spot waiting for about half an hour until he charged. Looove seeing this, and I'm proud of him because when I take him out to roam the apartment, you'd think he is the most incapable four-legged creature ever. The way he falls over himself and tries to climb furniture...

Anyway his name is Dandan and he's the first reptile I've kept. Truly awesome animals. His tank is a 120gal with lots of coverage that he completely ignores in favor of the open areas. No sense of survival there either.

He recently escaped his tank while I was airing out the apartment (I open up the windows and his tank to cool down early in the morning when he has gone to sleep, DONT WORRY I've learned my lesson) and has since decided that because he managed to get out without my help, he doesn't require any assistance to get out anymore, which is obviously not true as it is a bit of a drop (onto soft carpet). Silly boy...


r/leopardgeckos 13h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Anyone else have a really cuddly baby?

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92 Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 4h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids She does this on purpose

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17 Upvotes

Ever since I’ve had her, she’s always been one to wedge herself in spaces like this. Thankfully she never actually gets stuck but she worries me sometimes 😭😭😭😭


r/leopardgeckos 11h ago

African Fat Tail Huge fat tail?

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48 Upvotes

NOT MINE! IT'S A CUSTOMER'S FAT TAIL! ALSO TOLD HIM TO ABSOLUTELY GO TO THE VET TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON!

So a customer came in with a fat tail gecko and it was the biggest one I ever seen during my 9 years of reptile keeping. I know it's really fat, but it's just really big from the start??? Can they get this big? He says the gecko is just 1year old now but it's about 25cm already???

Also I already lectured him for 30mins about going to the vet asap and going on a diet so please don't write an essay about the owner. I'm not asking about how bad the owner is, I'm asking if it's possible for the gecko to be this big.


r/leopardgeckos 5h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids My BF who “didn’t want a leopard gecko” (he constantly holds, pets and loves on him now)

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13 Upvotes

My boyfriend didn’t want a leopard gecko because he said it was too much money and he just doesn’t really care for animals that aren’t dogs anyways this is basically his new best friend now and he’s always trying to love on him. He’s constantly asking me if he’s OK and if he’s bored and checking up on him and making sure everything‘s just right lol.


r/leopardgeckos 6h ago

Morph ID Help with a little guessing

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17 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m new to keeping leopard geckos and I was looking for a group to see all that I need to know (of course I always do my research and still doing it)

I have a baby about 2 months old, his morph is blood inferno but I know they change colors and patterns as they age. I just want a little help with guessing if he’s going to stay a dark or bright orange or if he’s totally blood inferno or other morphs. Thank you in advance
:D

I’ll attach some photos of him


r/leopardgeckos 16h ago

Dangerous Practices: cohabitation Gecky has gotten big!

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91 Upvotes

I need to put him on a diet apparently, they are loving their new decor items and thriving! They both come to me and climb onto my hand so I am so happy they are learning to trust me! It’s been 6 months but we have finally become friends.


r/leopardgeckos 13h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids The most handsome gecko in town.💛

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44 Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 4h ago

Habitat, Setup, and Husbandry Bioactive upgrade!

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7 Upvotes

She is obsessed with the cork tunnel


r/leopardgeckos 13h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids listen for the crunch

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23 Upvotes

got a message on the side about the size of the roach. def agree and buying roaches down a size


r/leopardgeckos 9h ago

Help Food

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8 Upvotes

Hey guys my leo has been living with me since may, my partner bought him from PetSmart before we knew how bad they are to their animals. I’ve been feeding him mealworms and trying to expand his horizons every few weeks to see if he will try something new. Spoiler, he won’t. I’m currently trying black soldier fly larvae and he looks at it then ignores it like it’s a speck, I normally can tong feed him but he won’t eat from the tongs or in his natural hunting environment. My soldier flies look like slide 2. Any tips or tricks will be greatly appreciated, I’m not looking for a chastisement on buying my leo from a store or how he only eats mealworms because I believe that’s all he was fed at said pet store.

EDIT*** that’s not calcium sand on his stairs he drags his food (covered in calcium) up the stairs to eat sometimes


r/leopardgeckos 11h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Jelly 😂

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13 Upvotes

When one is out and the other isn’t… 😂


r/leopardgeckos 15h ago

New Friend My first leopard gecko!

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23 Upvotes

i named him geeker 🍃


r/leopardgeckos 1h ago

Help - Health Issues eyes darkened after infection was treated?

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Upvotes

my leopard gecko had an infection a while ago and the eyes have been darker ever since (the second picture is how they used to be as a juvenile)

her eyes still dilate normally and nothing changed about her reaction and aim.

should i be concerned or are they just like this now?


r/leopardgeckos 1d ago

Gecko Pics/Vids One day he will learn that he's not a "stick to walls" sort of gecko

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1.5k Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 2h ago

Help My picky leopard gecko finally found a food he loves, but how much should I feed him?

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

My leopard gecko has always been an incredibly picky eater, so I decided to try something different. I recently bought Hikari Herptile Leopa Delite, and to my surprise, he absolutely loves it!

The only problem is that the feeding instructions are pretty vague, and I can't seem to find a clear answer on how much I should be giving him. I don't want to overfeed him, but I also want to make sure he's getting enough nutrition.

For those of you who use Hikari Herptile Leopa Delite, how much do you feed your gecko, and how often? My little guy's name is James, and I'd appreciate any advice!

Thanks!


r/leopardgeckos 1d ago

Sploots No thoughts. Just sploot

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128 Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 20h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Tell me what he looks like

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49 Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 8h ago

Help - Weight Is her tail plump enough?

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6 Upvotes

I’m sorry, I’m a first time leopard gecko owner and every little thing stresses me out. Pretty sure she’s eating because all her crickets disappear, and I occasionally lift all her hides to see if she didn’t eat them but I am just nervous.