Leopard Geckos: Care And Feeding - VCA Animal Hospitals

Leopard geckos are small reptiles that are relatively easy to care for. They can reach an adult size of 5–10 inches (12–25 cm), and can live 10–15 years with good health care, a clean environment, and proper feeding.

What type of housing is needed for geckos?

A single leopard gecko can be housed in a 10-gallon aquarium or container. The cage should be a minimum of 6 inches (15 cm) high. Screen tops are essential to prevent your lizard from escaping the enclosure.

A hide box or hut should be provided, as well as wet sphagnum moss, cypress mulch, or vermiculite to help with moisture control and shedding. The cage floor can be covered with reptile carpet, bark, paper towels, or newspaper.

Never use coarse sand, corncob bedding, or crushed walnut shells, as these bedding materials can be swallowed and will block the intestines.

Does my gecko need extra heat or special lighting?

Leopard geckos do best when the environmental cage temperature is in the mid-80s Fahrenheit (about 30°C). Geckos can tolerate nighttime temperatures as low as 70°F (21°C). Heat tapes, under-tank heaters, or low-level basking lights are great heating sources for the cage. In-tank hot rocks are not recommended as they may create “hot spots” that can burn your gecko.

"Make sure your gecko cannot get closer than 6 inches (15 cm) from a heat light, as the light can cause thermal burns. "

Ultraviolet B (UVB) light is not required, but is recommended for geckos. Dome light covers should never be placed on plastic surfaces when the light is on, as they can melt plastic. Also, make sure your gecko cannot get closer than 6 inches (15 cm) from a heat light, as the light can cause thermal burns. UVB lights should be 10–12 inches (25–30 cm) away from your gecko to allow for the best absorption of ultraviolet light.

What should I feed my gecko?

Leopard geckos feed primarily on live, moving, insect prey. An appropriate diet may consist of commercially raised crickets with smaller numbers of silkworms, dubia roaches, mealworms, superworms, waxworms, and other live insects. Juveniles should be fed every 1–2 days and adults 2–3 times per week.

Insects should be lightly dusted with a phosphorus-free calcium powder before they are fed to the gecko. Additionally, prey items should be fed a high-quality diet (“gut-loaded”) for at least 24 hours before they are fed to your gecko. Commercial cricket diets are available, but fresh greens can also be fed to crickets and mealworms e.g., turnip greens, collard greens, parsley, carrot tops/slices, broccoli, cauliflower) to improve their nutritional value when they are fed to your gecko.

Clean, fresh water should be provided in a shallow container and changed daily. A shallow dish containing calcium powder should also be provided, so your gecko always has access to calcium - an essential mineral for proper nutrition.

Can I house multiple geckos together?

Male geckos can be territorial, so you must be careful when two or more male geckos are in one cage. The more geckos there are, the larger the cage must be.