Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been considering getting a leopard gecko. Are they easy to take care of? Also, how long is their lifespan? I heard that they are loveable, but I'm just making sure they would be a good pet to have.

yeah you should just make sure you have a propeer se3t up and heating and all that to insure a long life of about 15 years and they are very loveable and they could be well trained and could eat out of the palm of your hand (literally) im sure more people would say if its a good idea but i tihnk it is and theyre great for a first timer

Leopard geckos are great to have. They are calm, and do not often bite, so if you are like me, and like to handle your pets, they are exceptional. They live a lifespan of 15 years, usually reaching into 20, so you must be prepaired to care for one for that amount of time. They eat just about any bug, crickets being the most common, as well as mealworms, kingworms, waxworms, moths, and some will even eat a pinkie mouse. They should be fed mainly crickets and mealworms, however, because the others carry a lot of fat, and should be given as a treat, not the actual diet. I have heard only good things about feeding silkworms, but have not tried them myself.

One can be housed comforatably in a 10 gallon, but the more room, the better. Sand is commonly used as a substrate. I do use it, but I will warn you of impactation, which is fatal if not caught soon enough. I have not had any problems with sand thus far, but if you would like to be safer, repti-carpet or tile works very well.

Water should be constantly avalible in a food dish.

You should provide two hides, one dry one, one damp. You can eaisly make a damp hide by taking a food container your gecko will eaisly fit into, empting it, and cutting a hole in the top which should be big enough for the leo to fit into comfortably. it should then be filled with a loose substrate, perlite, peat, or vermiculite, or with dampened paper towl.

make sure all food is dudted with calcium powder, no D3, every week for an adult, every or every other feeding for a hatchling, and every feeding for a gravid female.

Breeding these are very easy. I am working on my first cluth right now, I'm expecting my female to lay any day now. Since I am not experainced in breeding, and you dont even have a leo (yet ) I wont get into all the deatls.

Plese, please, please, by all things good in the world, do an extensive search on Google for at least two weeks on leos before you decide to buy. It would be horrible if your poor gecko had no home because you did not research it properly.

I think I covered all the bases, I hope this helped.

Thanks so much for the info! I will actually have to get one later, but thats O.K, i'll still get so again thanks for the info