Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a leopard gecko that someone gave to me, came with a heating pad thats under its cave. I read on lll's care sheet that they should have full spectrum lighting 12-14 hours a day, is this really necessary? also it seems to be missing some claws on its toes, is this ok? and do they like having other leos with them? any other info would be greatly appreciated, I would of found out more but its last owner had to get rid of it because they were moving. Thanks.
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Cats(Sophie and Gatsby)
Pacific Parrolet(Ji Ji)
Dove(Snowball)
Kenyan Sand Boa
30 gallon aquarium
Overgrown collony of madagascan hissing roaches
Leopard gecko

Hopefully I remember all your questions...

1. They don't need full spectrum lighting. Plain ol' florecent or incandecent bulbs will work just fine. They're nocturnal, so get very little sunlight in nature. It is important to have a day and night cycle of roughly 12/12. If you get a timer, you really don't even have to worry about your geckos not getting the proper light cycle. When the light schedule is inconsistant, or too long or short, it will eventually cause your gecko stress and could make them go off their food.

2. The missing claws/toes most likely means it had a bad shed or two. To prevent this in the future, make sure you have a humid hide on the warm side at all times. When they go into a shed (they'll turn very pale all of a sudden) carefully check the whole body for stuck shed. The eyes and toes are common problem areas. Don't yank off the skin if you see it...you need to soak it with warm water and try to gently work it off with a Q-tip. It might take a couple tries before it all comes off.

3. These guys are naturally solitary and do best when kept alone. It's possible to house females together with enough space and hiding spots. Usually one will become dominate, and the other may fail to thrive. It's not uncommon for them to not get along at all. So, for keeping your gecko in tip-top shape, being alone is best.

Hey thats very well said... Right on!
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