r/leopardgeckos Aug 29 '22

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

872 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 11h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids What are you lookin at 🤨

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124 Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 11h ago

Breeding I’m a grandma ☺️

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101 Upvotes

The first offspring of my breeding pair. I’ve waited about two years to meet these little sweetlings. After a few incubator failures last year I got these two gorgeous bolds.

One will be staying with me and the other is already on a hold. They’ll be going to a wonderful forever home in about 3-4 months time.


r/leopardgeckos 21h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Will we eat today? Mayyyybe

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448 Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 12h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Splooooooot

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72 Upvotes

Our baby just laid an egg last night and she is so tired. My partner came home from work and we saw her like this.

That's the third time within the year we had her that she has laid eggs. This time we only found one. Last two we found two both times.


r/leopardgeckos 2h ago

Help - Health Issues Licking bum

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10 Upvotes

How often do leopard geckos lick their bum? I've noticed that mine licked it today twice and it made me worried. She eats, poops and acts normal but can licking bum be the only symptom of something? I checked her bum area and it looks normal.


r/leopardgeckos 1h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Is My Gecko Overweight?

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Upvotes

I have noticed that her belly and tail are thicker than most. I just want to make sure she's healthy. Please let me know!


r/leopardgeckos 20h ago

Meme Time Funny Mavis video

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236 Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 11h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Peppy Pip

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33 Upvotes

I love having a separate tank where Pip eats. We use the original tank we got her in, line it with some paper towels, put one of her hides or paper towel roll holders in the tank with her and let her eat.

I don't have to worry about loose bugs or her eating substrate (since we usually pull out the hide if it's one that has her dirt mix in there).

Happy Pip.


r/leopardgeckos 4h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Movie night with my girl 🦎

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7 Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 15h ago

Morph ID What morph is my girl, Rexy

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40 Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 12h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Your mole looks really dark today, Claude!

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25 Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 2h ago

New Friend First Meal!

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3 Upvotes

I got home from work yesterday and she had eaten half of the mealworms I had left out for her. She has mainly been going back and forth between her moist and warm hide, so I put the bowl in her path.

I've had her a week and have been doing my best to leave her alone. I moved a security camera to her room to help me resist the urge to go check on her. Last night, I noticed her eyes glowing from under her slate hide. 😀


r/leopardgeckos 11h ago

Breeding I’m a grandma ☺️

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15 Upvotes

The first offspring of my breeding pair. I’ve waited about two years to meet these little sweetlings. After a few incubator failures last year I got these two gorgeous bolds.

One will be staying with me and the other is already on a hold. They’ll be going to a wonderful forever home in about 3-4 months time.


r/leopardgeckos 16h ago

Rescue Gecko Telling the story of my rescue gecko Mango (tw: some graphic images)

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36 Upvotes

So this all starts with me getting a new job at a local feed store. I was really excited, because I love working with animals. One of the first things I notice is four enclosures on the side aisle, one with a beardie, one with a Leo with severe mbd (bulldog stance), and one other with not one, but two geckos. They were all about 10 gallons, except the oh so generous 20 gal for the beardie.

So I ask my boss if I could move one of the cohabbed geckos into the empty tank, and he said NO! He said it wasn’t worth the cost of materials and that they’ve “been like that for years so they’re fine” Apparently they were surrenders to the store.

I also learned they have been given NO supplements, not even calcium. Each cage was also infested with darkling beetles and had CAKED FECES AND URATES in the corners and on the floors. The bulbs in each cage were either red or purple with no uvb. They also never shut them off.

I felt extremely bad and tried to do everything I could, I brought in supplements I bought myself, bought bags of substrate, and cleaned the enclosures.

One of the geckos in particular caught my eye, as he was being constantly tormented by the other larger male gecko in the enclosure, never getting to eat or even leave his hide. When I took him out he was snappy and when he opened his mouth I saw that he had severe mouth rot, with several CHUNKS coming out. I cleaned it to the best of my abilities. He also had several layers of shed, as well as several missing toes.

I brought up the issue to my boss, who didn’t care in the least. Finally after a week I convinced him to allow me to take him, as he would most likely die otherwise.

Originally it was supposed to be temporary, but due to his myriad of issues and the fact I started to bond with him, I decided to keep him.

When I got him home, with the advice of a vet, I gently removed his stuck shed (some pieces were so thick I had to use scissors), cleaned his eyes (mild hypovitaminosis a), and cleaned his gums.

His issues include:
- permanent gum loss from mouth rot, can only eat things without chitin (fresh shed mealworms, fresh shed superworms, waxworms, hornworms)
- vision issues (cannot see things that don’t have lots of color difference)
- mobility issues (cannot only move in short jerky spurts, possibly nervous or neurologically)
- dirt eating habit
- all but two missing toes

I ended up quitting that job, as I could not work at a place that didn’t give two shits about the animals in their care. I will most likely inform nearby animal rescues/welfare centers about the place. The ONLY thing I feel bad about is the fact that now the rest of the animals will probably continue to get worse until they die and get thrown in the dumpster like trash. I hold a very strong grudge against the owner and if I didn’t care about consequences, would flame him online.


r/leopardgeckos 1h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Wtf

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Upvotes

I took this little guy to an exotic vet a week after I got him for issues with his leg, The exotic vet without even running tests or take a sample says he has yellow fungus? I thought this was just his coloring. What do you guys think? I have other reptiles so I'm like loosing my mind over this...


r/leopardgeckos 5h ago

Morph ID Color Pattern?

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3 Upvotes

Stupid question, but the breeder only listed what color variations she carries (black night eclipse something something het possible tenar) I’m guessing a hypo?

She has some green colors on her head, I don’t know, this is my first leopard gecko.


r/leopardgeckos 15h ago

Morph ID What morph is my leo?

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20 Upvotes

This is my leo that I got from the reptile store. The employee told us they didn’t know what morph she was so they just sold her to us as “fancy leo.” She has some lavender spots so I’m guessing Albino Rainwater or Tremper albino but not sure!


r/leopardgeckos 21h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Mavis weight update!

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53 Upvotes

Mavis Update - Finally some good news! 🥹🧡
I finally have a positive update to share!
We weighed Mavis today and she’s officially 39g! 🥳
For the last couple of weeks she’d been stuck at around 37g, so I was starting to get a little worried that she just wasn’t gaining any weight despite eating every day. After everything she’s been through with her spay, two emergency surgeries and recovery, seeing the scales finally move has honestly made me so happy.
We fed her 3 medium dubia roaches today (they were the only ones we had that were an appropriate size), and I’m starting to wonder if the dubias might suit her better than some of the other feeders we’ve been offering. Obviously it’s too early to say for certain, but it definitely feels like we’re finally heading in the right direction.
She’s continuing to eat well, she’s pooping normally again, and she’s bright and active. Seeing that number go up from 37g to 39g has been such a relief after the last few weeks.
Hopefully this is the start of her slowly working her way back towards Helen’s goal of 50g. ❤️🦎
Thank you all so much for sticking with us through this rollercoaster. Your advice and support has genuinely helped me more than you know.


r/leopardgeckos 19h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Snoozing the afternoon away

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32 Upvotes

r/leopardgeckos 4h ago

Help Refused to eat

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2 Upvotes

(Picture is for size of gecko incase that helps) age is probably around 5 months or so if I had to guess, he’s about 5-6 inches long and still has baby markings

Everything has been pretty normal for about a month give or take since I got him. Yesterday I noticed that he’s picked a hide that he typically ignores, and once he was in it he’s refused to come out. Usually he’s in his humid hide but he’s been ignoring that as well. Last night he also refused food for the first time which has never happened before and brought up some concern on my end. All his temps have been the same and consistent so there’s been no change in that

Any idea what could be causing the refusal of food, refusing to come out of a hide, and at what point does it become concerning?


r/leopardgeckos 13h ago

Gecko Pics/Vids Late night bask

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9 Upvotes

My sweet little mochi came out for a late night bask and I snapped a little pic. Shortly before this their little head was peaking at me from between some leaves


r/leopardgeckos 1h ago

Help Is this early stages of mouth rot??

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r/leopardgeckos 1h ago

Help Humidity Question

Upvotes

Hey guys, I've got my enclosure set up in preparation of getting my gecko; during the day when the basking light and UVB light are on the humidity sits around 60-63%, and at night when they're off it'll go up to around 72-75%. Are these amounts alright or be considered too high? Should I look into maybe getting a little dehumidifier for the room?