Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hey every one i just got a female leo yesterday and if you dont mind i have some questions out of curiosity.
i housed my gecko with large bark/coconut chips ,is this ok?? i heard that you shouldnt but the guy at the petshop said its ok and he has been breeding them for like 20 years...

also i have only 1 hide which is damp all the time . is this ok for shedding and sleeping in ?? if it isnt i can always make another one.

last thing is about heating... she seems to have dug out alot of her substrate in her hide is this an indication that shes is too cold .and also do i leave the uth on 24/7 or should i switch it off at night .i also have a a red light in there for heat.

thanks in advance.

It is not advisable to use a substrate that is not solid as there is a risk of your gecko eating it and becoming ill. Reptile carpet, paper towels (especailly good for young leos) and tile are good alternatives. Newspaper can also be used.

Well done on getting a moist hide for your leo, most people deem it uneccesary. It is ok if your gecko uses the moist hide to sleep in, mine spend most of the day time in there, but you need more than one hide. Ideally you should have one dry hide on the warm part of the tank, one dry hide on the cool part of the tank and a moist hide. This allows your leo to feel secure enough in its hides to thermoregulate accordingly.

Your gecko could be too cold, if you provide a dry hide on the warm side, she will be able to get slocer to the head source. You should slod be measureing your substrate temperatures with a digital thermometer with the probe laying on the substrate. These temps are ideal at around 89-93*F. And yes, keep you UTH on 24/7. It is also advisable to hook your uth up to a thermostat or rheostat so things don't get too hot

Congratulations on your new addition, I'm sure you'll have a great time with her

I don't think a leopard gecko would ever be able to swallow a piece of coconut bark, and while this isn't a natural substrate (leos like sand), I would say it's probably safe. I've seen fat tails live on this with no problems. I would'nt advise sand unless you get the extremely fine kind that is made with calcium. Otherwise, they can swallow bigger pieces of sand and block their intestines.
Female leos dig in their wet boxes to lay their eggs. They could be digging for other reasons, perhaps just to get comfortable or to find more moisture. Be sure the wet box is filled with something soft, like moss.
Be sure not to keep a light on 24/7. The red light is okay for nighttime, however. Most animals cannot detect a red light. Be sure your lizard has a place to cool down, if necessary. Since you have two heaters (a bulb and an underground) be sure they aren't heating your whole tank up. Above the heater, your thermometer should read around 88. It should be cooler in the rest of your cage.
Good luck!

I assume you are referring to calci-sand type products? These are worse than sifted playsands, they are NOT digestable, this is proven, they clump when wet (~like when inside your leo's tummy), and above all, it encourages the leo to lick it because it contains calcium.

I strongly suggest you don't advise any one to use these products as they increase the risk of imapction alarmingly.

http://coloherp.org/cb-news/archive/vet-med/CalciSand.php

I have provided a link that shows some findings of the attempts to dissolve calci-sand in acid solutions. It isn't positive at all. Please don't use these products.

thanks guys for your advice
i now have put another hide in there(a turned over oval shaped cup) shes had look innit and around it but she prefers her warmer moister one. shes about 4 inches long and she hasnt eaten much in the past 2 days ive had her (about 1 small locust) and i heard from caresheets that juveniles eat like every day but i guess this is due to the sudden change in enviroment for her...

but something has been bugging me and i have to ask does the uth have to be to one side of the tank ,ive heard lots of things about this . because mine is slap bang in the middle of the tank and it would be hard for me to rearrange it as the pet store wrapped it up with loads of tape onto a piece of polystyrene. but there is a cooler side in the tank as the red lamp is on very right side then theres the uth in the middle then on the left is where the vent is on the lid and no heating element on this side.
if this is not acceptable please could you tell me asap because i dont mind cutting the polystyrene to move the uth.

thanks a whole lot in advance if u can put up with reading this long post

How big is your tank? If your tanks is large enough to create a decent temperature gradient that allows for correct thermoregulation then it should be ok. The size of the UTH also needs to be taken into account. It is generally suggested that the UTH be placed on one side so it covers 1/3 of the bottom of the tank. You need to measure your substrate temperatures with a digital thermometer and compare them to the optimum of 89-92*F on the warm side and about 10 degrees lower on the cool side.

well the uth does cover 1/3 of the tank but its stuck in the middle.at the moment i cant get hold of a digi. thermometer. but she does seem to dig through the substrate in her warm hide to the bottom were the uth is ...