Care Tips
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Housing Your Leopard/Fat Tail Geckos
A single adult will do fine in a 10 gallon aquarium, 2-4 adult geckos can live comfortably in a 20 gallon long or 30-gallon long aquarium, NEVER have more than one male gecko per aquarium. Males will fight, sometimes to the death, single male with several females, as long as they're kept in an appropriate sized cage.
However, we house most of our Leopard / Fat Tail geckos in rack systems and plastic containers. Rack system tubs, are very easy to clean and maintain. We recommend using paper toweling or newspaper for the cage bottom. The cost is low and it is easy to change. Use sand with caution, we personally don't recommend it, but since some poeple like to set up terrariums, approximately once a month, we recommend sanitizing the gecko's aquarium.
Leopard Gecko Care & Fat Tail Gecko Care
20 gallon long aquarium
We recommend providing a screen top for your cage. This will help you prevent crickets from escaping the aquarium. We use plastic container (such as Tupperware). Leopard / Fat Tail are cold blooded and require a heat source. This heat helps them regulate body temperatures
as well as aid in digestion. Ensure you provide a hot spot between 88-90 F. and a cool side of 74-78 F.
Leopard geckos do not require any light source.
Use an under tank (UTH) heater on one side only of the Leopard Gecko's enclosure.
Feeding
Leopard Geckos mainly eat live crickets, mealworms, and silk-worms. Be careful not to feed them anything larger than about 3/4 the size of their heads to prevent choking. mealworms can be put in a small bowl with added calcium at all times. Babies should be fed 5-7 small crickets or roach nymphs every day until they reach about 4 inches in length, then larger prey every other day until they become full-grown in about 10 -12 months. Adults can be fed 6-7 large crickets or roaches 2 or 3 times a week. Waxworms should be fed only occasionally because they are high in fat.
Supplements
Gut loading our crickets regularly with fresh produce and commercial cricket food is one of the steps we take to ensure our geckos are receiving a highly nutritional diet.
They live from 6 to 20 years.
Fat tailed geckos
These geckos are native to West Africa, where they inhabit savannah and scrublands. Captive fat tailed geckos originated from wild caught lineages which were mainly imported from Benin, Ghana, and Togo. Most wild caught specimens today come from Benin. Fat tails require well regulated humidity and temperature. Humidity levels between 50% and 70% are ideal, so daily misting should be done.
Leopard Gecko
Leopard Geckos are originally from the arid, high desert mountains of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, and India.
Shedding
Adult geckos shed once or twice a month, the gecko eats its own shed skin. The skin is very nutritious for them. Babies shed much more often than adults. A moist shelter should be provided so your gecko can have access to high humidity when it is shedding.
Breeding Leopard /Fat Tail Geckos
The breeding season starts in December and January.
It's generally through September, depending on your location and season. Geckos will typically lay 3 to 8 clutches a year. They usually lay two eggs at a time. Incubation time for eggs at 79-83 degrees is normally 55 to 70 days and typically hatch females.
Eggs incubated at 88 to 90 degrees will normally
range from 43 to 48 days and typically hatch males.
Eggs incubated at 85 degrees will hatch both sexes.
Crickets
Leopard / Fat Tail Geckos assimilate calcium D3 and vitamins from their diet. Feeder insects must be "dusted" with a mixture of ultra-fine calcium D3 powder every 3 or 4 feedings, and reptile vitamins once a week. Add calcium D3or vitamin powder in a zip-lock bag or commercial cricket duster and "dust" live food items prior to feeding by shaking them gently in the bag or container. The health of your Leopard Gecko is dependent on the proper supplementation of calcium D3 and vitamins; otherwise, serious diseases can result. Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) is caused by calcium deficiency, and can permanently disfigure or ultimately kill your Leopard Gecko. A calcium dish containing a small amount of calcium D3 powder may be beneficial allowing the gecko to regulate its own intake of calcium. This can be left in with your gecko at all times.
Leopard /Fat Tail geckos come from a dry environment, but require some humidity and water. Water should be made available two or three times a week.
Water
Life Span
Reptile Under Tank Heat Pad
Aptor male / Torrid female
GrandMaster Gecko
