Owners of leopard gecko must try very hard to keep the environment of their pet as close to their natural habitat as possible. Making an effort of making a “natural home” for your leopard gecko will certainly make them happy and will keep them healthy.

Before you start making up a home for your leopard gecko, you need to take note of the basic requirements.  Ideally, the tank of your leopard gecko should be 40 gallons. If you own more than one leopard gecko, remember not to house two male leopard geckos together. Leopard geckos are territorial and two male geckos housed together will certainly fight. If you plan to own more than one leopard gecko, vivarium for them to live in must be proportionally larger.

Leopard geckos must have adequate vertical space for them to climb. A hiding place for your leopard gecko is also very important, especially if it is time for them to shed off their skin. The best place for their hiding place is a humid dark box. In order to keep their hiding box humid, you can put some sand or soil and damp it daily.  Adding up some materials to your gecko’s vivarium to keep its environment very natural as possible will also be very helpful in keeping your gecko happy. Putting in sand as substitute for soil is not recommended because the geckos may ingest it together with their food. Ingested sand may cause intestinal blockage which is very harmful to your gecko’s health.

You may also include plants that are safe for your leopard geckos. Putting in some logs will also benefit your gecko. Just see to it that the materials you add on to you gecko’s vivarium is stable for your gecko to climb on. Note that your gecko will climb on anything and everything inside their vivarium.

The temperature of the home of your gecko must be kept warm. At day time, the ideal temperature is around 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit. During night time, a slightly cooler temperature of around 75 degrees Fahrenheit is just fine.

Common notion when we talk about a desert is that it is filled with sand. Correcting this notion is very hard. Not all people know that only about 20% of the deserts all around the world are covered with sand. Majority of the deserts are characterized by rocks and grasses. In general, desert means dry but it does not follow that it is covered with sand. The deserts where leopard geckos are found are not filled with sand. Rather leopard geckos live in a grassy and rock filled environment.

To help those who are serious in keeping the new home of their geckos as close to their natural habitat as possible, here are two options that you can consider:

Use slate tile. Using a slate tile in the bottom of your leopard gecko does not only look good but it is very easy to clean as well. It also does imitate the rocky habitat of geckos in the wild. To create a more colorful and interesting environment, you can buy a selection of small tiles of different patterns and color. You can mix and match them to add more color and life to your gecko’s environment.

If you have an abundant time and a great desire to provide your pet gecko with the most natural home then you can opt for a “five star habitat” home. This option can truly replicate your leopard gecko’s habitat in the wild. You can use a large tank which can contain 40 gallons ideally for one gecko. The size is very important because a more natural environment for leopard geckos means more of the floor space is covered so their will be less space for your gecko to run around. Create a mixture of potting soil, peat moss, and play sand in equal parts; put the mixture in the bottom of the tank to serve as drainage for the plants. Add up some plants that are safe for leopard geckos. Put in a layer of sand and soil mixture. Add up some rocks and logs to create closest to nature home effect. As final touches, fill in the gaps with more play sand.

The most important indicator of the health condition of your leopard gecko is the appetite. Once your leopard gecko stops eating, then there is definitely something wrong. If you notice that your leopard gecko has stopped eating for a week, you really have to act fast. You need not worry if your gecko did not eat for 1 or 2 days. Geckos are not supposed to eat everyday.

But a week long without having any meal is a different story. If this happens, definitely there is something wrong with your leopard gecko. Crickets are one of their favorite meals. If it is left untouched; you should go immediately to a veterinarian. If the leopard gecko has not been eating for quite a long time, you’ll notice that his tail will shrink and he becomes lethargic. If you gecko was once an energetic and moves a lot, then suddenly it becomes very still, you need to have your gecko checked by a veterinarian as soon as possible. However finding a veterinarian who specializes in reptiles is not that easy. This is another dilemma that you have to deal with.

Mostly, the main factor which causes problems with your leopard gecko is malnutrition, stress, parasitic infestation, and impaction. So to avoid any problems, it is much better to prevent these causative factors. Make sure that you keep the appropriate temperature in your gecko’s enclosure. You also need to make sure that your gecko is not stressed by other animals and that he is not eating any loose substance.  But if you’re gecko already has the problem, you do not have a choice but to bring him to the right person for proper treatment. It may cost you to bring your gecko to a veterinarian but it will also save your gecko’s life.

Water is the main reason why shedding becomes a problem. Lack of humidity in the gecko’s tank triggers the problem. Therefore, keeping the tank of your pet humid at all times will answer most problems related to shedding. The extra moisture will help loosen the skin of your gecko, thus making shedding properly easier for them.  The areas around the eyes and toes are the most common problematic site as far as shedding is concerned.

Unshed skin particularly in the eye area will cause impairment to blood circulation and may lead to blindness. Unshed skin around the toes may also leads to amputation of the toes. Always remember that pulling off the skin around these areas is highly discouraged. You should find other natural ways to help your gecko shed off its skin. If a humid shedding area won’t work in completely removing your gecko’s skin, then you can try to give your gecko a warm bath for about 10 minutes.

Vitamin deficiency is another major factor in a gecko’s shedding problem. Most of the time, lack of vitamin A is the most common problem. Supplementing your pet with the essential vitamins that it needs will solve this problem. Health should be your priority in raising a leopard gecko. Feed your pet with healthy food and see to it that the required daily nutritional needs of your gecko are always met. Consult you veterinarian to help you plan your gecko’s nutritional needs.

Parasites are also known to cause problems with a leopard gecko’s shedding. The most common habitat of parasite in your gecko’s body is between its toes. Regularly inspect your gecko’s body paying particular attention to the toes for the presence of any parasite. The moment you notice a sign of parasite infestation, you need to immediately take your pet to the veterinarian for the prescription of proper antibiotic specifically for the type of parasite found.

It is not very easy to diagnose shedding problems of leopard geckos. You need to be very keen in observing the changes in the appearance of your pet. The best thing to do is to avoid these problems in the very first place. Make sure that you avoid the three most common cause of shedding problems and provide your gecko with all the necessary specification that he needs in terms of his environment and diet.

Albinos have recessive traits which mean that the recessive trait of one gecko will not be evident if it is combined with another dominant trait. In order for the recessive trait to become evident, the leopard tail gecko must carry two copies of the genes. These recessive traits are found in all three strains of the albino leopard geckos. The three strains include the rainwater, tremper, and the bell leopard gecko. The recessive traits came from the morphs from a particular gene which happens during a specific time in the development of the animal. Identifying this gene is very hard.

Albino leopard geckos are highly sensitive to bright lights. In fact feeding them during the day is not advisable. As a means of protection, albinos close their eyes impulsively once they get exposed to bright lights. Breeding the three strains with each other is not a wise decision to make because the three strains of albino leopard geckos are not compatible.

The three strains have specific differences in terms of their skin color. The tremper strain which is the original albino gecko has a dark brown appearance. Its skin color is probably because of its incubation process, although white and pink tremper albinos are still available. The tremper albino is the most common albino in the market at present. Next in popularity line is the rainwater albino.

It has been said that rainwater albinos are pinker; however this description is not always true. Sometimes, when proper incubation is achieved trempers can become bright pink in color. The least found among the three strains of albino is the bell strain. Contrary to the other strains, the pink shade of the bell strain albino has darker shade. However the eyes of the bell strain is the reddest among the three.

Apart from these three common strains of albino leopard geckos a certain “patternless” was known to have the first recognized recessive trait of an albino. The patternless has a body with black spottings. However, the spottings often change as the lizard grows. The variation of the color of their body ranges from neon yellow to a dull brown. The variation in their skin color has been brought about by the low temperature during incubation.

Another unique feature about leopard geckos is their capacity to sleep with their eyes closed. This happens because leopard geckos have eyelids, a characteristic not present in other geckos. Instead of pads on their toes, leopard geckos have claws which made them poor in climbing. This feature of a leopard gecko is another feature which is different from other geckos.

Apart from the physical attributes of a leopard gecko, it also has a special habit that sets him apart from other geckos. Leopard geckos choose an area of its habitat and select it as his toilet. The leopard gecko will always urinate and defecate in the same specific place provided that its enclosure will not be moved or disoriented. Another good thing about owning a leopard gecko is that its urine and feces are usually solid. Thus, cleaning up its mess is quite easy.

The tail of leopard geckos are also multi purposed. Its tail has many functions. It serves as the gecko’s defense against predator. Once leopard geckos are held on their tail, they literally break away from their tail. Their tail also serves as storage of needed nutrients intended in times of scarcity. They also use their stored fats during cold seasons were geckos eat less.

The leopard gecko also cleans its eyes using its own tongue. This trait of a leopard gecko is very interesting to look at.

Leopard geckos prefer to eat insects such as locusts and crickets. They also have love for meal worms and wax worms. Leopard gecko owners must know that wax worms are fattening and should not be given often.

The gender of the leopard gecko is determined by the temperature of their incubator. If the egg is incubated at a lower temperature of about 80 degrees Fahrenheit then most probably it will develop into a female leopard gecko. Eggs which are incubated at higher temperatures of about 90 degrees Fahrenheit develops into a male leopard gecko. This trait of a leopard gecko is highly beneficial to leopard gecko breeders.

Lastly, the leopard gecko lifespan lasts about 12 to 20 years provided that they are cared for properly from birth. Their life span is literally long so if you are considering owning one, making sure that you are prepared to care for this adorable reptile in a long span of time.  These special characteristics of leopard geckos are the reason why it is considered to be the most loved reptile in the world.

One that is only a few days old will be small enough for them to handle and only to full grown adults.  In fact, pinkie mice are a wonderful choice to offer breeding females.  You can also offer them waxworms as a treat.  Waxworms should be especially offered sparingly because they can become addictive to geckos.  They are chocolate in the leopard gecko world; fattening and generally un-healthy.  In order to avoid choking, the prey that you offer your leopard gecko should be no larger than half the width of the gecko’s head.

Part of understanding how to feed leopard geckos is knowing how much to give them to eat at one time.  You should only feed them as much as the gecko will consume at the time of feeding.  It depends on the size of the leopard gecko.  You might offer your gecko anywhere from 4 to 8 crickets at one time.  It is not good to leave crickets running around the leopard gecko’s enclosure for a long length of time.  It can cause the gecko to become stressed out and hungry crickets are known to nibble on the gecko.  Mealworms, superworms or anything else that can be contained in a dish on the other hand can be left within the cage without putting the gecko in danger.

Another part of keeping your leopard gecko healthy in regards to feeding it, is making sure that you gutload all food items for 24 hours prior to feeding it to your lizard.  Gutloading is feeding the crickets or other insects a very nutritious, high quality food prior to feeding to your lizard.  Offering your lizard a healthier insect in turn makes a healthier gecko.  You can offer the insects things like fruits, vegetables and grains.  They also offer commercially made products that come in a powdered form and can be offered to the prey.

Along with gutloading, you can offer your leopard gecko calcium and vitamin supplements by sprinkling the prey with powdered supplements before you feed them to your gecko.  Calcium and vitamins are very important to the overall health of the leopard gecko but make sure that you offer the crickets to your gecko right away after dusting before the cricket can clean itself off.  Dusting is also a good way to enrich the diet of baby leopard geckos and breeding females.

Water should also be offered to your leopard gecko and kept fresh at all times.  Stagnant water is a breeding ground for bacteria which can lead to illness in your gecko so the water should be changed regularly.

When referring to albino leopard geckos, there are three different strains the Tremper, Rainwater (Las Vegas), and Bell.  All three strains of albinos are recessive traits.  Meaning, if you were to breed a Tremper albino with a Rainwater or Bell albino, all of the babies would be normal looking but not albino.  Recessive traits are the result of a mutation of certain genes that control a specific part of the development of the animal.  These traits are usually discovered randomly, so there is nothing that can be done to increase the probability of discovering a new recessive trait.  This kind of specific breeding depends a lot on luck.

Typically, it is very difficult to tell the differences between the three strains of albino leopard geckos.  Sometimes, it is an educated guess as to which strain an adult albino leopard gecko is.  The most common of the three albino strains in leopard geckos is the Tremper strain.  They were the first of the albino strains to be seen.  A lot of times these albino geckos are actually brown and marketed as the “Mocha Strain”.  They can also be bright white or pink in color.  Eye color can range from slightly lighter than a “normal” non-albino leopard gecko eye, to bright red.  The color of the body as well as the eye color can differ in geckos incubated at different temperatures.  Typically, a higher incubation temperature leads to a leopard gecko that is darker in color.

Rainwater albinos are the next most common of the three albino strains.  It is thought that they are pinker then the other strains but that is not always true.  It is the Bell strain of albino leopard geckos that is still relatively rare.  They often have a high contrast, with “pink” areas that are a lot of the time much darker than other albino strains.  The eye color of the Bell albino leopard geckos is the reddest of the three strains.  While the red eye color of young animals often changes as the animal ages to the normal beige color in the other albino strains, the Bell albino eye color has a tendency to stay red or pinkish even in adult animals. All three strains of albino are sensitive to bright lights, and will close their eyes tightly if exposed to them.  Plus, many albinos will not feel comfortable eating during the daytime because of their sensitivity to light.

As leopard geckos continue to gain in popularity due to their easy to care for nature, the possibility of different color variations will grow.  It is possible that many more dominant recessives will be realized in the next few years.  The breeding of mutations with mutations will accelerate the rate of variation making these already unique animals even more unique.

Purchasing your leopard gecko from a breeder ensures that you are going to be purchasing a lizard that is healthy and of good stock.  The breeder will also be able to give you an accurate age of the lizard and with an animal that can live up to twenty years, this is very beneficial as well.  But finding a leopard gecko breeder is not always easy and ensuring that they are reputable is a challenge as well.

In order to purchase the best leopard gecko possible, you must first be familiar with what you are buying.  Handle the gecko before you buy it and make sure that you look it over well.  It is very important to be able to tell the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy leopard gecko.  A healthy leopard gecko will have clear eyes and a clear nose and vent.  They will be active and alert with a full body and tail.

Leopard geckos store their fat in their tails.  This is what they rely on when food is scarce.  If the gecko has a full tall, most likely it has been well fed.  The leopard gecko should also have healthy looking skin.  Once they are home, they should show a healthy appetite, eating regularly.  A few red flags of a non-healthy gecko are swelling, bumps, sores or abrasions on the skin.  You should also make sure that there is no paralysis of any of its limbs or tail.  There should also be no mucus in the lizard’s mouth or nose.  Other signs of an unhealthy leopard gecko are that it might be lethargy, have labored breathing or abnormal feces.

When handling the leopard gecko, it should be friendly.  Good breeders take the time to tame their geckos so they will be friendly when they are purchased.  An unfriendly leopard gecko is a good indicator that this breeder is more interested in dollars and cents and a good turn over rather then supply pet owners with the longevity of a good pet.

Make sure you find out what sex the leopard gecko is before you purchase it as well.  Each gender requires different care needs.  If the breeder has not taken the time to sex the lizards, they are most likely not offering their animals the best care.  Plus, a knowledgeable leopard gecko breeder will have no problem identifying the sex of each lizard.

A good way to find a leopard gecko breeder is to go to a reptile show.  Reptile shows have become quite popular.  Very knowledgeable leopard gecko lovers, breeders, suppliers, and more attend reptile shows.  It  is reasonable to think that you will be able to find the right leopard gecko for you including the kind of color pattern that you are looking for.

Breeding first begins by making sure that you have a sexually matured male and female leopard gecko.  So, how can you tell the difference between the two sexes?  When it comes to leopard geckos, it is easy to tell which ones are male and which ones are female.  Turn the gecko over and look at the under side.

Male geckos will have two pronounced hemipenal bulges behind the vent on the tail side.  You can also tell if it is a male because it will also have pre-anal pores that will be in a “V” shape just above the vent between the hind legs.  Females will not have the hemipenal bulges behind the vent but they may have pre-anal pits rather than enlarged pores.  Be careful when sexing a female that is obese she may appear to have bulges but it’s just fat.

Before leopard gecko can breed, they should be full grown adults of the right ages and they should be healthy.  Male geckos should be at least 8 months old and should weigh a minimum of 45 grams.  Females on the other hand, should be at least 1 year old and weigh a minimum of 50 grams.  The actual mating for a breeder is as easy as just putting the pair within the same enclosure.  They may mate right away or it could take some time.  The best thing to do is to leave them together for a couple of days.

Once they are placed together, the male will become aggressive toward the female.  He will start biting her and if she is not receptive to mating she will bite him back.  Although it might look like they are fighting, it is actually normal behavior for leopard geckos.  The male will also shake the tip of his tail back and forth very quickly which might be loud at times.  If the pair still have not mated after a couple of days that they are together, separate them and try again in a few days.

Breeders need to supply their female with a suitable container for her to lay her eggs in.  You can use a humid hide that is filled with moist but not saturated bed-a-beast.  Within four weeks of a successful mating, the female will lay the first clutch of eggs.  One clutch normally consists of one to two white oval eggs.  Leopard geckos have been known to lay about eight clutches a year with each clutch being laid in two to four week intervals.  After the eggs are laid they should be removed and placed in an incubator.

Amazingly, the sex of leopard gecko babies depends on the temperature that the eggs are incubated at.  Of the eggs are incubated at a lower temperature, about 80 degrees, the clutch will be female.  If the temperature in the incubator is higher, around 90 degrees, the clutch will be male.  Incubating leopard gecko eggs at around 85 degrees will result in a clutch that is a mix of both sexes.