Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First one of my new cages. Upper for collareds and lower for leopard geckos.

The pair of my hatchlings that i will keep.

The male

The female

Glad you finally got yourself a camera...you will have more files on your computer than you know what to do with now LOL.

Nice lizards too.

John Eddington

You have decided to keep are very NICE. They look extremely happy in their home. I like the natural look. I did not create my walls and everything like you buddy, but I do enjoy setting up and arranging natural rock and crevices they can burrow under. Keeping their environment close to what they would have in the wild. Extremely nice pics, I enjoyed them Jesper ! Hey lets see those Leopards too, we all like them also Eve

...and a quick question. As someone who dabbles in Leos a bit, why would you want a basking lamp for these nocturnal guys?

Your collareds must be in heaven though LOL.

DC

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I've got the blues...LOL...Them screamin' no-yellow-head blues...

LMAO Eve

Even though they are nocturnal lizards - in the wild it is very hot in the daytime. So to make the cage as natural as possible I use a basking light to “simulate” the sun.

The only heat source I use is the basking light. Here in Denmark there are discussions whether to use basking lights or heat mats and like. I (and many others) think that it is most natural with the heat coming from above. When the light turns out, the cage will cool down – like in the wild when the sun sets.

Sometimes they are basking shortly in the daytime, so I think the setup working OK.

And you are right – the collareds love their home. They climb the walls a lot.

Jesper

...probably the most acute vision of any lizard, and they are easily blinded. Most of mine are stressed by bright lighting, and are kept in a curtained room with dim natural light. The common wisdom here is to use gentle heat from a bottom source, and provide the usual gradient for their thermoregulation; if you prefer top heat sources, I would check into an emitter-type 'bulb' which produces no light. As far a the 'desert' type temps go, the maximum should only be around 90F directly under (or over) the heat source, and while they are a lizard from arid regions, a moist hide is a must. Its worth noting that in their natural range, they are known to avoid sandy areas, preferring rocky habitat with lots of crevices and hiding spots. Sand and Leos don't mix LOL.

Check around about the numbers of Leos with damaged vision, might make a good topic of conversation the next time the basking light discussions come up there.

DC
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I've got the blues...LOL...Them screamin' no-yellow-head blues...

I have never thought about the leos eyes. You might have a point there – one of the leos has more closed eyes than the others. I will look more into this - thanks.

I agree with you on the heat and only use a 25W basking light to make around 90 degrees in the hot end. The cave in the right side is moist.

And I know that leos in the wild avoid sand. But sand is a common substrate for captive leos and these have been captive breed for many generations and are used to the sand. I have never experienced problems with this sand and think this is the best natural looking substrate (…even though it is not natural for leos…).

I know that many experienced breeders of leos and other desert reptiles in Germany and Denmark are shifting from bottom source heating to top source heating, so a top heating source can’t be that bad.

Jesper

as you have some of the most amazing setups i've seen!I love viv pics especially the natural type and i try to collect as many as i can and yours are high up on the demand list.E-mail me @ odatriankeeper@yahoo.co.uk if you have any more.
thanks and see yah later
jason