Leopard Gecko Care Guide
Leopard geckos need special care to ensure they grow up to be healthy and live a long time. To provide the best conditions for your leopard gecko and make sure you can spend the most years together, you should carefully follow these guidelines.
Temperature
Leopard geckos require a warm side (90 degrees Fahrenheit) and a cool side (75 degrees Fahrenheit) to maintain the correct body temperature. This can be achieved with an undertank heating pad or heat tape with connected thermostat to maintain the appropriate warmth without burning the gecko.
Enclosure
Adult geckos need a minimum enclosure size of a 20 gallon long tank or 16 quart plastic bin. These will need air holes for ventilation. The bottom of the tank should be covered in paper towel, reptile carpet, or large tiles (not sand or most loose substrates). Provide at least 3 hides, one on the hot and cool sides and one in the middle.
Lifestyle
Geckos much prefer to live alone , so please do not get them a friend. If you do, keep them in separate tanks. Since they are crepuscular creatures, they are mainly active around dawn and dusk but may be inclined to rustle around the tank at any point in the early morning hours. They should live approximately 20 years.
Temperament
Geckos may be skittish as babies but grow into friendly, relaxed adults that will hang out on your shoulder for extended periods of time. As long as they are handled carefully and not overly stressed, they will not drop their tails . Simply let them walk from hand to hand, do not flip them on their backs, and make sure never to grab them by the tail.
