Leopard Gecko Care Guide

Housing Requirements

• Terrarium Size: 36 x 18 x 18 Exo Terra or similar minimum for a single adult; a 40 gallon breeder tank works well. Larger is always better, and 36 x 18 x 24 gives space for a proper thermal gradient. Do not house multiple males together
• Tank Mates: Best kept singly. Two females may cohabit in a large enough enclosure if temperament allows, but singles are always the safer choice. Never house males together, and never house a male with a female outside of a controlled breeding introduction
• Temperature: Warm-side basking surface 88 to 92 degrees F (31 to 33 C), measured with an infrared thermometer on the substrate under the basking area. Cool side 72 to 78 degrees F (22 to 26 C). Night drop to 65 to 72 degrees F (18 to 22 C) is fine. Use a low-wattage ceramic heat emitter or halogen basking bulb on a thermostat, never an unregulated heat mat. Belly heat from a substrate-warming under-tank heater on a thermostat is a traditional setup and still valid, though overhead heat with a warm basking surface more closely matches natural behavior
• Humidity: 30 to 40 percent ambient, low and stable. A humid hide (moist sphagnum inside a covered container) on the warm side is essential for shedding and is used year-round
• Lighting: Low-output UVB (Arcadia ShadeDweller 7 percent T5, or Zoo Med Reptisun 5.0 T5) on a 12 hour photoperiod is current best practice and improves long-term bone and eye health. The species can be kept without UVB if calcium plus D3 supplementation is meticulous, but UVB is recommended for any long-term keeper

Substrate & Environment

• Tile, slate, repticarpet, paper towel, or a bioactive desert mix (topsoil, play sand, and excavator clay over a drainage layer) are all acceptable
• Do not use loose calcium sand, crushed walnut, or bare sand for juveniles, impaction risk is real
• At least three hides: warm dry hide, cool dry hide, and warm moist hide. A fourth hide midway across the gradient adds security
• Cork rounds, low rock stacks, and driftwood give climbing enrichment. Leopard geckos are terrestrial but do climb low structures and appreciate elevation options
• Live plants (pothos, snake plant, tolerant succulents) can be used in bioactive setups but are not essential
• Fresh water in a shallow dish, changed every day or two

Diet & Feeding

• Staple insects: crickets, dubia roaches, and mealworms are all good staples. Rotate two or three insect types for variety
• Treats and variety: hornworms, silkworms, black soldier fly larvae, and the occasional superworm. Waxworms are high-fat, use sparingly
• Juveniles under 6 months: feed daily, offer as many appropriately sized insects as they eat in 15 minutes
• Adults: feed every other day, 6 to 10 insects per session depending on size
• Never feed pinky mice, they are too high in fat and are unnecessary for the species
• Supplements: dust insects with plain calcium (no D3) at every feeding if UVB is present, or calcium plus D3 3 to 4 times per week without UVB. Multivitamin once weekly. A small dish of plain calcium in the enclosure lets the animal self-regulate
• Feeder insects should be gut-loaded 24 hours before feeding on quality greens, oats, and commercial gut-load
• Insect size rule of thumb: never feed a prey item wider than the space between the gecko's eyes

Breeding

Leopard geckos are one of the most reliably reproduced reptiles in captivity, and their breeding biology is well documented.

• Sexual maturity: females at roughly 45 grams and 9 to 12 months of age; males at 50 grams and a similar age. Do not pair earlier, undersized females risk egg-binding and long-term reproductive damage
• Sexing at 6-plus months: males show prominent hemipenal bulges at the tail base and a distinct inverted-V of enlarged pre-anal pores just forward of the vent. Females lack the bulges and have very small, faint pores. Juveniles under 4 to 5 months cannot be reliably sexed by eye
• Cycling: a 6 to 8 week winter cool-down in the low to mid 70s (22 to 24 C) with reduced feeding and a 10 hour photoperiod cues breeding. Return to normal temperatures and 12 to 14 hour photoperiod in late winter triggers ovulation. Cycling is not strictly required in a well-conditioned female but improves fertility and clutch consistency
• Introduction: place the male into the female's enclosure or a neutral tub, watch the interaction. A receptive female will hold still or wave her tail slowly; the male will grip the female's neck and copulate briefly. If the female is aggressive, separate immediately and try again in a few days
• Clutch schedule: females typically produce 2-egg clutches every 2 to 4 weeks through the breeding season (January to September for most collections). 5 to 8 clutches per year is normal, 10-plus is possible in a strong, well-conditioned female
• Lay box: a covered plastic container roughly 6 x 6 inches with 3 to 4 inches of moist vermiculite, coco fiber, or a 1:1 vermiculite and coco mix, kept constantly available to the female through the breeding season. She will dig and lay in it. Check every 1 to 2 days once she is gravid
• Incubation: vermiculite or perlite mixed 1 to 1 with water by weight, at approximately 79 to 90 degrees F. Incubation runs 45 to 60 days depending on temperature. Warmer runs shorter, cooler runs longer
• Temperature-dependent sex determination: incubation at 79 to 80 degrees F (26 C) produces primarily females; 87 to 90 degrees F (31 to 32 C) produces primarily males. Mid-80s (83 to 85 F) produces a mix. This is one of the most predictable TSD systems in reptiles and lets breeders plan sex ratios
• Hatchling care: house hatchlings singly in small tubs (shoebox-size), paper towel substrate, a small hide, and a shallow water dish. First shed within 2 to 4 days, first meal usually after the first shed. Feed small crickets or 1/4-inch mealworms daily, dust every feeding with calcium plus D3
• Retained eggs (dystocia): a female straining without laying for more than 24 hours, or a gravid female that stops eating and goes lethargic, is a veterinary emergency. Ensure a proper lay box, calcium supplementation, and a warm basking spot are all in place before pairing
• Slug (unfertilized) eggs: females can lay unfertilized eggs even without a male, this is normal and does not require intervention. The eggs are soft, small, and often yellow-tinged
• Female recovery: a hard-breeding female should be given at least 3 to 4 months of rest per year to rebuild body condition. Females typically breed productively for 5 to 7 years before fertility declines

Genetics and morphs: the leopard gecko color and pattern hobby is deep. Established genetic lines include albino types (Tremper, Bell, and Rainwater, three separate loci that do not cross), Mack Snow (incomplete dominant, with a Super Snow homozygous form), Enigma (dominant, homozygous is non-viable and heterozygous can show mild neurological quirks), Eclipse, Marble Eye, Bold Stripe, White and Yellow, and named lines like Black Knight and Korean-line Mandarin. Combination morphs (RAPTOR, APTOR, Diablo Blanco, Dreamsicle) stack multiple loci and are among the most sought-after animals in the hobby.

Special Notes

• Handling: leopard geckos tolerate regular handling well and often become quite tame. Support the full body, never grab or lift by the tail (they will drop it defensively, and a dropped tail regenerates but is never as clean as the original). Let hatchlings and new arrivals settle and eat consistently for 2 to 3 weeks before beginning handling
• Tail drop: caudal autotomy is a defensive reflex; the dropped tail regrows but the regenerated tail is shorter, thicker, and lacks the original banding pattern
• Shedding: expect a full shed every 2 to 4 weeks in juveniles, every 4 to 8 weeks in adults. Retained shed on toes or eyes points to insufficient humid hide use; a warm soak in shallow water for 15 minutes softens stuck shed
• Quarantine all new animals for 30 or more days before introducing them near existing collection
• Long-lived, plan for a 15 to 20 year commitment