The Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) is a popular family pet that is native to dry grass lands and desert regions of Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, India and Nepal.
Their docile temperament and ease of care make these guys a brilliant first time reptile! They are a nocturnal, ground dwelling species that don't take up too much space and can easily adapt to being handled frequently. They are a relatively decent sized Gecko, reaching lengths of around 6-12 inches, and a life span of around 15-20 years!
Noticeable Traits
Leopard Geckos are recognised all over the world for their yellow scales with black markings, they use this in the wild as a camouflage from predators. Another thing that Leopard Gecko's can do is drop their tails. The tail of a Leopard Gecko has different segments; the animal can drop their tail at any of these segments, this commonly happens when they are stressed or if they feels threatened. They use this as a way to escape predators in the wild. When they drop their tail it usually doesn't cause them any issues and they will grow their tails back. This is what we call a regeneration tail.
These beautiful little animals in captivity are bred to come in a variety of different colours and patterns for you to choose from!
Shedding
When Leopard Gecko's shed they tend to eat their shed - the reason they do this is so that they can absorb back all of the nutrients and minerals they lost from the shed skin and the creating of the fluid to help them remove the skin. During a shed process a general notice is that the Gecko starts to look cloudy and dull. We recommend putting a moss hide on the cool side of your Leopard Gecko's vivarium so that during their shed they have a humid place to go to help them shed. The added moisture from the moss hide helps create humidity to help them with loosening the shed so that it doesn't get stuck.
Feeding
Leopard Geckos are on a diet which purely consists of insects and other types of invertebrates. Being a nocturnal species they tend to hunt at night as this is when they are more likely to be awake. We always recommend feeding in the evening so it gives them the enrichment they need to hunt throughout the night. Crickets, Locusts and Dubia Roaches are the ideal everyday food, meal worms can be fed alongside these daily foods. With the addition of things such as wax worms and fruit beetle grubs as a treat. They generally eat anywhere from 6-10 crickets daily as they are growing- once they reach adult size the amount they eat usually reduces.
Handling When it comes to handling this type of animal you need to be as careful as you can to not scare them. Placing your hand flat and guiding the Gecko onto your hand with your second hand allows the animal to not feel threatened. As long as their four legs are supported then they will confidently and comfortably move around on you. With an animal such as this, you never want to grab them as this can make them feel scared which could lead them to freak out and or/ drop their tails etc. Starting out with small 10 minute handling sessions everyday can really benefit both you and your animal.
Thank You for reading!
If you are interested in Leopard Geckos, please click here to see the animals we have in store and do get in contact with us if you have any more questions!
From,
Danni
Comments