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ludothegreat
Guest
Hey guys, I just opened up a leopard gecko chat room and made a bot that would answer frequently asked questions to make it easier on people asking/answering questions. I put all the FAQs into an article on my website and figured I would post it here as well. Let me know what you think and please feel free to ad to it or correct it. Also I'm wanting to make a bigger list of breeders. These are not necessarily my only favs, just the ones I could think of off the top of my head. If yours is missing or you know of some that are please please feel free to let me know and Ill add them.
LudoTheGreat.com Leopard Gecko FAQ
General Care FAQ
Q: What size enclosure do I need for my gecko(s)?
A: 20 gallon long aquarium minimum. A 10 gallon can be used for babies, but once they reach adulthood they need more space. A long aquarium is required instead of tall because leo’s need more floor space than head space behind non climbers (they can and do climb some things though).
Q: What temperature should my cage be at?
A: 88-92F on the warm side and about 10F degrees cooler on the cool side. They need the gradient to ensure proper digestion. Reptiles including leopard gecko’s cannot maintain their body temps like humans and need the gradient to do so.
Q: What is a humid hide?
A: A humid hide is a hide with high humidity. A simple cool whip bowl or Tupperware bowl with damp paper towels or moss in it will work just fine. Leo’s need humid hides to ensure proper shedding or else they could get some stuck.
Q: Where can I find a good XXX morph leo?
A: Check out some of my favorite leo breeders:
http://www.paulsagereptiles.com/
http://www.usageckos.com/
http://www.hisss.net/
http://www.goldengategeckos.com/
http://www.rainingredstripe.com/
http://www.theurbangecko.com/
http://www.crestedgecko.com/
http://www.leopardgeckobreeder.com/
http://www.jawsreptiles.com/
http://www.hotgeckos.com/
http://www.thebestgeckos.com/
http://groovygeckos.com
Q: Are heat rocks good or bad?
A: BAD BAD BAD ! They can over heat and cause very bad burns. DO NOT BUY/USE HEAT ROCKS!
Q: My leo looks pale or white, why is this?
A: It is about to shed. The white milky look is the old skin releasing over the top of the new skin. With proper temps and a humid hide your leo should be able to take care of it all on their own.
Q: How do help my leo shed?
A: You don’t. Once they start shedding (actually peeling off the shed and eating it) they should be able to get it off. Give them a full 24 hours before trying to help them. If they do not get their entire shed off after 24 hours then give them a nice warm soak. Water no higher than their belly and about 90F is fine. Let them soak for about 10-15 min and then use a damp q-tip to help roll the shed off gently. If the shed does not come easy DO NOT force it. It will hurt the gecko and could even tear their new skin off and cause bleeding and possible infection.
Q: How do I tell if my leo is male or female?
A: Leopard geckos can be sexed at about 6 months of age. The males possess a pair of bulges, or lumps (hemipenes) just in back of the vent at the base of the tail. They also have a row of V-shaped preanal pores before the vent. The females have no bulges and only a slightly visible row of scales that look like pores, but are actually just modified scales. Once you see the bulges of a male, it is pretty easy to sex one that is of age. For more info on sexing your leo with pics and all check out:
http://www.reptilerooms.com/Sections+index-req-viewarticle-artid-3-page-1.html
Q: Can 2 leopard geckos live together?
A: As babies, yes. Some people will say having a couple of females together is fine, but I will not take the chance. Males will definitely fight once they hit maturity. If you decide to keep 2 females together, and then make sure you keep an eye on them. NEVER keep 2 males or a male and female together unless you want babies.
Q: My leo lost its tail. What do i do now?
A: First thing first, make sure your leo lives in a clean environment. Sand, bark, or any lose substrate should be taken out immediately (they shouldn’t be in there in the first place). Make sure they are properly fed until the tail is completely grown back as leos store most of their fat in their tail and could starve very easy without it. The most common reason for leos dropping their tail is improper handling or accidental improper handling. Also they may drop their tail if living with another leo or animal in the same cage and they are fighting. If your leo drops its tail it will grow back. Regenerated tails tend to look different than normal tails.
Q: Do I need UV light?
A: No. Leopard Gecko’s are nocturnal. They prefer no light. If you a light for night time viewing or heating I suggest a pure red Bulb (not a painted party light). Leo’s cannot see the red spectrum of light and are usually not bothered by it. Although I have noticed some difference in behavior with my albino leo and red light.
Q: Is sand as bad as they say it is?
A: YES YES YES . Sand and Calci-sand are proven to cause impaction in leopard geckos. Please do me and your leo a favorite and not use sand at all. Calci-sand is even worse for you leo. It is not digestible like the manufacturer says it is. There is no law preventing people from putting whatever they want on labels for reptile products. Many just put what sounds good with no testing or even care for the animals. They are just out to make money.
Feeding FAQ
Q: How much do I feed my leopard gecko?
A: Whatever it will eat. Leo’s know when they are full. I give my leo’s as much as they will eat in a 15-20 period.
Q: What do Leopard geckos eat?
A: Leopard geckos are insectivores. They eat bugs.
Q: What size cricket or mealworm will my Leopard gecko eat?
A: A general rule is no crickets bigger than the leo’s head is wide and no mealworms longer than 1.5 times its head.
Q: What can I feed my leo besides crickets and mealworms?
A: Lots of things! Super worms, roaches, butter worms, phoenix worms, wax worms (rarely), silkworms, and a ton of other things are all great feeders.
Q: Why will my leo not eat?
A: There could be a number of reason why your leo is not eating. The number 1 reason I see is stress. People get there leo home from the store/breeder and expect them to eat right away. Leo’s need time to adjust to their new environment. I’ve seen leo’s go up to a week without eating when first brought home. Give them a couple of days if you are just bringing them home.
Another reason for them not to eat is there temps. If temps are too low or too high they will not be able to digest properly, therefore they stop eating. Temps are very important for proper eating.
A third reason for a leo to stop eating could be parasites. A number of parasites could be the cause of a leo not eating. If your temps are right and you have had the leo for a while and/or it was eating before, then it might be time to take it in to see the vet. Be sure to bring in a fresh fecal for them to test for parasites.
One of the other reasons could be impaction. If your leo is on sand or any other loose substrate like bark, then there is always the possibility that it is impacted. If they swallow something like sand or bark it can build up and/or block there digestive track making it impossible for them to eat and poop. It is really important you remove the lose substrate from there cage and get them to the vet immediately!
Q: Do I need to give supplements like calcium and vitamins?
A: Yes you do. You should have pure calcium in there cage at all times for them to lick if they need to. With baby leo’s you should dust with pure calcium 5 times a week, calcium with D3 once a week, and a Multivitamin once a week.
Q: What brand of calcium/vitamins should I get?
A: I have had good luck with Rep-Cal brands. They come in pure calcium, calcium with D3, and a Multivitamin. Other brands people use are JurassiPet/JurassiCal, T-Rex, and Tetrafauna ReptoCal.
Breeding FAQ
Q: How hard is it to breed leopard geckos?
A: Leopard geckos are extremely easy to breed. They are probably one if the easiest, if not THE easiest to breed.
Q: Do you know of any good breeders?
A: Yes many, here is a list of some of my favs.
http://www.paulsagereptiles.com/
http://www.usageckos.com/
http://www.hisss.net/
http://www.goldengategeckos.com/
http://www.rainingredstripe.com/
http://www.theurbangecko.com/
http://www.crestedgecko.com/
http://www.leopardgeckobreeder.com/
http://www.jawsreptiles.com/
http://www.hotgeckos.com/
http://www.thebestgeckos.com/
http://groovygeckos.com
Q: What sex is my leopard gecko?
A: Leopard geckos can be sexed at about 6 months of age. The males possess a pair of bulges, or lumps (hemipenes) just in back of the vent at the base of the tail. They also have a row of V-shaped preanal pores before the vent. The females have no bulges and only a slightly visible row of scales that look like pores, but are actually just modified scales. Once you see the bulges of a male, it is pretty easy to sex one that is of age. For more info on sexing your leo with pics and all check out:
http://www.reptilerooms.com/Sections+index-req-viewarticle-artid-3-page-1.html
http://www.reptilecare.com/leopardgender.htm
Q: How long between each laying?
A: It can be between 14-28 days (give or take) between egg laying. Each leo is different. It seemed to take my young females on their first breeding season a little longer than the older ones. During their first season some just stop, too; they’ll have a couple clutches and just stop.
Q: How can I tell if the eggs are fertile?
A: Fertile eggs are soft and wet when they’re laid, but firm up to about the toughness of a stale marshmallow within a little while. Usually, no more than one egg a day is laid. After a few days or a week, hold the egg up to a penlight and shine the light through it. If you see veins or a reddish glow, chances are that your egg is fertile. The only way to know for sure, though, is to incubate it and see if it hatches.
Q: How do I set up an Incubator?
A: Setup is pretty easy for the Hovabator or other similar poultry incubators. Follow the following steps:
1. Set the incubator to your desired temperature, BEFORE your pet lays her eggs. If the temps in the house fluctuate a lot, the incubator will too, so you’ll have to check every once a while.
2. Put the eggs in a Tupperware container filled with an inch or so of either Vermiculite or Perlite (this is called the incubating medium). Make the medium damp enough that it sticks to your hands when you squeeze it, but it doesn’t drip any water out. The eggs should be halfway in and halfway out.
3. It’s important that the you put the eggs in the medium exactly as you found them. I mean, that you don’t lay them upside down or anything.
4. Put the top on the Tupperware with a couple holes in it. Or, better yet, just put a piece of saran wrap over the top with a hole or 2 in it. It will keep the humidity up. You’ll probably have to add a little water every few days or so. Just add it down the side of the container, as you don’t want to drip water directly onto the eggs. You could also put water in the bottom reservoir of the incubator, or in a small cup inside.
When the eggs are a little too dry, they will start to dimple and dent in.
To counteract this, you should up the moisture in the incubator and in an
emergency; you can cut a little section of paper towel about 1-2inches
square, wet it and lay it directly on the egg that’s dimpling. This will
plump them back up.
Q: Can I keep my male and female together, or do I need to separate them?
A: If you do this the male leopard gecko will continue attempting to mate with the female even after she is gravid. This causes a huge amount of stress on the female and I have heard of stories where the females have died because of it. This is likely to happen in enclosures that have only one female for the male. In another case, the female may reject his attempts and they could fight
Q: What will I get if I breed X phase to X phase leopard geckos?
A: Here’s the general lowdown on breeding for different phases of leopard geckos. Phases or color morphs that are NOT genetic, such as Tangerine, Snow, Hypoxanthic, High Yellow and Lavender are all produced by selective breeding. That is, they were created by breeding parents who also had those traits, but the offspring may or may not exhibit these traits.
Phases such as Patternless, Albino, Blizzard, and Jungle are recessive genetic traits and will be passed down from two parents who are carrying AND exhibiting this trait, (homozygous). This is not the case when you breed one parent who has and exhibits the gene with one that carries but doesn’t exhibit (heterozygous), or a normal leopard gecko. The following are statistical outcomes of breeding pairs of Albino leopard geckos:
Albino to Albino = All Albino offspring (provided they are same strain of albinism)
Albino to Het Albino = 50% Albino / 50% Het for Albino
Albino to Normal = All Hets
Het to Het = 25% Albino / 50% Het / 25% Normal
LudoTheGreat.com Leopard Gecko FAQ
General Care FAQ
Q: What size enclosure do I need for my gecko(s)?
A: 20 gallon long aquarium minimum. A 10 gallon can be used for babies, but once they reach adulthood they need more space. A long aquarium is required instead of tall because leo’s need more floor space than head space behind non climbers (they can and do climb some things though).
Q: What temperature should my cage be at?
A: 88-92F on the warm side and about 10F degrees cooler on the cool side. They need the gradient to ensure proper digestion. Reptiles including leopard gecko’s cannot maintain their body temps like humans and need the gradient to do so.
Q: What is a humid hide?
A: A humid hide is a hide with high humidity. A simple cool whip bowl or Tupperware bowl with damp paper towels or moss in it will work just fine. Leo’s need humid hides to ensure proper shedding or else they could get some stuck.
Q: Where can I find a good XXX morph leo?
A: Check out some of my favorite leo breeders:
http://www.paulsagereptiles.com/
http://www.usageckos.com/
http://www.hisss.net/
http://www.goldengategeckos.com/
http://www.rainingredstripe.com/
http://www.theurbangecko.com/
http://www.crestedgecko.com/
http://www.leopardgeckobreeder.com/
http://www.jawsreptiles.com/
http://www.hotgeckos.com/
http://www.thebestgeckos.com/
http://groovygeckos.com
Q: Are heat rocks good or bad?
A: BAD BAD BAD ! They can over heat and cause very bad burns. DO NOT BUY/USE HEAT ROCKS!
Q: My leo looks pale or white, why is this?
A: It is about to shed. The white milky look is the old skin releasing over the top of the new skin. With proper temps and a humid hide your leo should be able to take care of it all on their own.
Q: How do help my leo shed?
A: You don’t. Once they start shedding (actually peeling off the shed and eating it) they should be able to get it off. Give them a full 24 hours before trying to help them. If they do not get their entire shed off after 24 hours then give them a nice warm soak. Water no higher than their belly and about 90F is fine. Let them soak for about 10-15 min and then use a damp q-tip to help roll the shed off gently. If the shed does not come easy DO NOT force it. It will hurt the gecko and could even tear their new skin off and cause bleeding and possible infection.
Q: How do I tell if my leo is male or female?
A: Leopard geckos can be sexed at about 6 months of age. The males possess a pair of bulges, or lumps (hemipenes) just in back of the vent at the base of the tail. They also have a row of V-shaped preanal pores before the vent. The females have no bulges and only a slightly visible row of scales that look like pores, but are actually just modified scales. Once you see the bulges of a male, it is pretty easy to sex one that is of age. For more info on sexing your leo with pics and all check out:
http://www.reptilerooms.com/Sections+index-req-viewarticle-artid-3-page-1.html
Q: Can 2 leopard geckos live together?
A: As babies, yes. Some people will say having a couple of females together is fine, but I will not take the chance. Males will definitely fight once they hit maturity. If you decide to keep 2 females together, and then make sure you keep an eye on them. NEVER keep 2 males or a male and female together unless you want babies.
Q: My leo lost its tail. What do i do now?
A: First thing first, make sure your leo lives in a clean environment. Sand, bark, or any lose substrate should be taken out immediately (they shouldn’t be in there in the first place). Make sure they are properly fed until the tail is completely grown back as leos store most of their fat in their tail and could starve very easy without it. The most common reason for leos dropping their tail is improper handling or accidental improper handling. Also they may drop their tail if living with another leo or animal in the same cage and they are fighting. If your leo drops its tail it will grow back. Regenerated tails tend to look different than normal tails.
Q: Do I need UV light?
A: No. Leopard Gecko’s are nocturnal. They prefer no light. If you a light for night time viewing or heating I suggest a pure red Bulb (not a painted party light). Leo’s cannot see the red spectrum of light and are usually not bothered by it. Although I have noticed some difference in behavior with my albino leo and red light.
Q: Is sand as bad as they say it is?
A: YES YES YES . Sand and Calci-sand are proven to cause impaction in leopard geckos. Please do me and your leo a favorite and not use sand at all. Calci-sand is even worse for you leo. It is not digestible like the manufacturer says it is. There is no law preventing people from putting whatever they want on labels for reptile products. Many just put what sounds good with no testing or even care for the animals. They are just out to make money.
Feeding FAQ
Q: How much do I feed my leopard gecko?
A: Whatever it will eat. Leo’s know when they are full. I give my leo’s as much as they will eat in a 15-20 period.
Q: What do Leopard geckos eat?
A: Leopard geckos are insectivores. They eat bugs.
Q: What size cricket or mealworm will my Leopard gecko eat?
A: A general rule is no crickets bigger than the leo’s head is wide and no mealworms longer than 1.5 times its head.
Q: What can I feed my leo besides crickets and mealworms?
A: Lots of things! Super worms, roaches, butter worms, phoenix worms, wax worms (rarely), silkworms, and a ton of other things are all great feeders.
Q: Why will my leo not eat?
A: There could be a number of reason why your leo is not eating. The number 1 reason I see is stress. People get there leo home from the store/breeder and expect them to eat right away. Leo’s need time to adjust to their new environment. I’ve seen leo’s go up to a week without eating when first brought home. Give them a couple of days if you are just bringing them home.
Another reason for them not to eat is there temps. If temps are too low or too high they will not be able to digest properly, therefore they stop eating. Temps are very important for proper eating.
A third reason for a leo to stop eating could be parasites. A number of parasites could be the cause of a leo not eating. If your temps are right and you have had the leo for a while and/or it was eating before, then it might be time to take it in to see the vet. Be sure to bring in a fresh fecal for them to test for parasites.
One of the other reasons could be impaction. If your leo is on sand or any other loose substrate like bark, then there is always the possibility that it is impacted. If they swallow something like sand or bark it can build up and/or block there digestive track making it impossible for them to eat and poop. It is really important you remove the lose substrate from there cage and get them to the vet immediately!
Q: Do I need to give supplements like calcium and vitamins?
A: Yes you do. You should have pure calcium in there cage at all times for them to lick if they need to. With baby leo’s you should dust with pure calcium 5 times a week, calcium with D3 once a week, and a Multivitamin once a week.
Q: What brand of calcium/vitamins should I get?
A: I have had good luck with Rep-Cal brands. They come in pure calcium, calcium with D3, and a Multivitamin. Other brands people use are JurassiPet/JurassiCal, T-Rex, and Tetrafauna ReptoCal.
Breeding FAQ
Q: How hard is it to breed leopard geckos?
A: Leopard geckos are extremely easy to breed. They are probably one if the easiest, if not THE easiest to breed.
Q: Do you know of any good breeders?
A: Yes many, here is a list of some of my favs.
http://www.paulsagereptiles.com/
http://www.usageckos.com/
http://www.hisss.net/
http://www.goldengategeckos.com/
http://www.rainingredstripe.com/
http://www.theurbangecko.com/
http://www.crestedgecko.com/
http://www.leopardgeckobreeder.com/
http://www.jawsreptiles.com/
http://www.hotgeckos.com/
http://www.thebestgeckos.com/
http://groovygeckos.com
Q: What sex is my leopard gecko?
A: Leopard geckos can be sexed at about 6 months of age. The males possess a pair of bulges, or lumps (hemipenes) just in back of the vent at the base of the tail. They also have a row of V-shaped preanal pores before the vent. The females have no bulges and only a slightly visible row of scales that look like pores, but are actually just modified scales. Once you see the bulges of a male, it is pretty easy to sex one that is of age. For more info on sexing your leo with pics and all check out:
http://www.reptilerooms.com/Sections+index-req-viewarticle-artid-3-page-1.html
http://www.reptilecare.com/leopardgender.htm
Q: How long between each laying?
A: It can be between 14-28 days (give or take) between egg laying. Each leo is different. It seemed to take my young females on their first breeding season a little longer than the older ones. During their first season some just stop, too; they’ll have a couple clutches and just stop.
Q: How can I tell if the eggs are fertile?
A: Fertile eggs are soft and wet when they’re laid, but firm up to about the toughness of a stale marshmallow within a little while. Usually, no more than one egg a day is laid. After a few days or a week, hold the egg up to a penlight and shine the light through it. If you see veins or a reddish glow, chances are that your egg is fertile. The only way to know for sure, though, is to incubate it and see if it hatches.
Q: How do I set up an Incubator?
A: Setup is pretty easy for the Hovabator or other similar poultry incubators. Follow the following steps:
1. Set the incubator to your desired temperature, BEFORE your pet lays her eggs. If the temps in the house fluctuate a lot, the incubator will too, so you’ll have to check every once a while.
2. Put the eggs in a Tupperware container filled with an inch or so of either Vermiculite or Perlite (this is called the incubating medium). Make the medium damp enough that it sticks to your hands when you squeeze it, but it doesn’t drip any water out. The eggs should be halfway in and halfway out.
3. It’s important that the you put the eggs in the medium exactly as you found them. I mean, that you don’t lay them upside down or anything.
4. Put the top on the Tupperware with a couple holes in it. Or, better yet, just put a piece of saran wrap over the top with a hole or 2 in it. It will keep the humidity up. You’ll probably have to add a little water every few days or so. Just add it down the side of the container, as you don’t want to drip water directly onto the eggs. You could also put water in the bottom reservoir of the incubator, or in a small cup inside.
When the eggs are a little too dry, they will start to dimple and dent in.
To counteract this, you should up the moisture in the incubator and in an
emergency; you can cut a little section of paper towel about 1-2inches
square, wet it and lay it directly on the egg that’s dimpling. This will
plump them back up.
Q: Can I keep my male and female together, or do I need to separate them?
A: If you do this the male leopard gecko will continue attempting to mate with the female even after she is gravid. This causes a huge amount of stress on the female and I have heard of stories where the females have died because of it. This is likely to happen in enclosures that have only one female for the male. In another case, the female may reject his attempts and they could fight
Q: What will I get if I breed X phase to X phase leopard geckos?
A: Here’s the general lowdown on breeding for different phases of leopard geckos. Phases or color morphs that are NOT genetic, such as Tangerine, Snow, Hypoxanthic, High Yellow and Lavender are all produced by selective breeding. That is, they were created by breeding parents who also had those traits, but the offspring may or may not exhibit these traits.
Phases such as Patternless, Albino, Blizzard, and Jungle are recessive genetic traits and will be passed down from two parents who are carrying AND exhibiting this trait, (homozygous). This is not the case when you breed one parent who has and exhibits the gene with one that carries but doesn’t exhibit (heterozygous), or a normal leopard gecko. The following are statistical outcomes of breeding pairs of Albino leopard geckos:
Albino to Albino = All Albino offspring (provided they are same strain of albinism)
Albino to Het Albino = 50% Albino / 50% Het for Albino
Albino to Normal = All Hets
Het to Het = 25% Albino / 50% Het / 25% Normal
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