Leopard Geckos

[Wildhearts]

Hello,

I'm new to the list, was thinking about getting a Leopard Gecko, I am new to reptiles and have been told they are a good starter gecko. I have a basic start up tank, 20 long, but have read in some places the big chains stores are not the place to get them. I'm looking to some honest info on leopard gecko, pros and cons and what to expect on a daily basis, and what items are essential for a healthy life, and not being pushed into a sale.

thanks for any help

Jeff

[Johnny Utah]

Welcome to the site. You posted this in Caresheets instead of Introductions and Departures.

Can any Gecko people help Jeff out?

[Johnny Utah]

bbbbbump!!!!

[ssjsmits]

http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/biol...pages/leo.html

There's one caresheet I found. But it's not real specific IMO. I can do some more diggin tomorrow when I get off work if no-one else chims in

	IMO In My Opinion

[geckochick]

I think Leo's are a perfect first pet.

Basic things needed:
two hides
Under Tank Heater, about one third the size of the tank.
water dish
calcium powder dish
moist hide
substrate/paper towels, slate, repti carpet...not calci-sand!
digital thermometer with a probe
Lamp dimmer or thermostat.
Pure Calcium powder
Multi-vit powder
Meal worms

You don't need any day lights, but you can get a red light for nocturnal viewing. The thermostat is the most important thing you will get. It will keep the UTH from becoming so hot it will burn your geckos body. You want the warm side to stay between 89 and 93 degrees. The cool side can be at room temp as long as your room does not get below 73 or so. Feeding and dusting your geckos food depends on the size of your new pet.

They take a while to get to know you, but there permanent little smiles make the care they need worth it. Hope this helps........

	Under Tank Heater Under Tank Heater: A commonly used method of heating a reptile enclosure.

[bleeding_sarcasm]

Very nice rundown gecko chick. I dont like reptile carpet but everything else looks good. I like that much better then the care sheet that was linked to.

Might I suggest picking up "the herpetoculture of leopard geckos" it gives you a very detailed run down of housing, and of morphs so you can get a good idea of what you want.

I agree with your friend who said dont buy from pet stores, they may be cheap initially but go through alot of hands between the breeder and the store and often come with internal parasites and other diseases/health problems that can cost you lots of $. Buying direct from a breeder is always a better choice, and there are TONS of breeders on the internet. A really good site to check out is www.geckoforums.net thats Kelli H's site [www.hisss.net] another good breeder is http://aubreysreptiles.com/. Depending on what you are looking for, there are people who specialize in just about everything.

[Wildhearts]

Thanks for the info, what about feeding, how much, how often, does it always have to be live food? The guy at the pet store showed me Leopard Gecko food in a little plastic container, looked like something fishfood would come in. What about clean-up? How bout' the smell? sorry to ask so many questions, just want the full report on the health and proper care and what to expect on a daily basis with a leopard gecko. thanks again

Jeff

[bleeding_sarcasm]

I personally free feed my geckos mealworms. live is always better then canned or freeze dried, it looses alot of nutritional value when its processed, and they are stimulated to eat by the movement. I throw mealworms in a shallow dish with steep sides, about once every other day, just to make sure that they are always available for the gecko. mealworms can be kept in the fridge when youre not feeding them, so you dont have to constantly buy more at the store [like crickets].

all living animals eat, and defecate, defecation does not smell pretty, but if you keep your gecko CLEAN then it shouldnt be a problem. Change substrate or paper towels [whatever you decide to use] when it is soiled, usually about 1x a week. they are nice in the way that they prefer to poop in a corner, so it keeps things tidy.

a book will give you more detailed and ACCURATE information then anything you will find online, because 99% of what you find online is opinion. some of it is good, some of it is VERY VERY bad, and you dont want to risk the life and health of your animal because of someones bad advice.

[geckochick]

Originally Posted by Wildhearts

Thanks for the info, what about feeding, how much, how often?

Feeder size usually depends on the size of your Leo. The general rule is that feeder size should not be bigger than the space between the eyes. Throw in as many crickets as it will eat in fifteen minutes. You should notice a change in behavior when its full and not interested in eating. I also leave a bowl of mealies for snacking on during the day. I offer crickets every other day. Only because I leave mealies in there. If you choose to only feed one or the other, food and clean water should be offered everyday.

sorry to ask so many questions, just want the full report on the health and proper care and what to expect on a daily basis with a leopard gecko.

Please don't be sorry for doing what any person should do before getting a new pet. Thank you, for being a responsible pet owner!