Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay my hubby suckered me into a leopard gecko today. I currently keep chameleons and helmeted iguanas, but I am new to geckos.

So this is what I have. She has paper towels and carpet for substrate and a few hiding spots. I put a couple live plants in her cage to help with the humidity ( just like my chams ). I know that I need a box for shedding. She has already eaten about 10 crickets since we brought her home.

Questions
1. How many crickets should I give her and can she be over fed?
2. Does she need UVA/UVB lighting?
3. Will she eat fruit like some other geckos?

Any suggestions will be appriciated.

-----
Thanks Dawn

Leopard geckos ussually know their appetite so they will keep eating till they are full. I never seen a situation where a gecko overfeeds unless it was a hatchling. As for lighting goes, they dont really need lighting, but they do need heat so make sure you have a under tank heater or a ceramic heater of some sort. Sunlight is fine as a source of light. From my experience, Geckos will not eat fruit, but they may eat baby food sometimes (and so I heard).
-----
Photo Gallery Number 1
Photo Gallery Number 2

My Email

gecko hahaha gecko

Congrats, I feed mainly superworms to mine but I would say 5 or so crix a day or every other day is fine they usually won't overeat. Make sure they have a calcium bowl and you dust their food with calcium every other day and viatimins once a week. You need a proper heat gradient. 87 to 90 one side and room temp on the other. No UVB or such lights needed leos are nocturnal. The general humidity in the tank should not be high they come from a pretty arid region. They do need a humid hide though on the warm side. A butter bowl or something with a golf ball sized hole in the side up in the air a bit so you can put in damp moss or bed-a-beast or forest floor last two are comercial coconut fiber soils they work real well. Leos don't eat alot of fruit though some do. Some may even eat fruit baby food but live prey is best. Some adults will even eat pinky mice.

Some leos really love mealworms, they are quite easy to keep, and seem to be a good variety from crix all the time. Keep them in a shallow dish, and your gecko will find them at night. Hope you really enjoy your new leo!

Thanks for the great suggestions. She is adorable my hubby named her Velvet. I am sure I will be back with more questions.

-----
Thanks Dawn