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Post by Nocash13 on Dec 28, 2007 2:17:57 GMT -5
So what's the low down on leopard geckos. I'm looking into buying a few from a woman close to my town but i'm unsure about the needs of the geckos and whatnot. She has kept one of the males and the female together and i was hoping to find out as much as i can about that and all other information i can get. Thanks guys
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Post by bear24 on Dec 28, 2007 20:06:20 GMT -5
Well holy smokes, there is almost to much information on the web about leopard geckos, or "leos". They are very easy to keep with the right setup and usually tolerate handling after awhile. Some leos even learn when feeding time is. There are so many colours available they have come a long way from the dull brown imports originally available. A plastic rubber maid with a few small holes poked in the lid and sides will be a suitable home for a leos entire life. When estimating size get a big enough tub to give a proper heat gradient, also my personal choice is under tank heating. Aquariums can be used but the are not designed for humidity retention. A small plastic box must be included inside the enclosure with a small hole big enough for the gecko to fit through, inside the box will be a water holding medium ex. vermiculite, perlite, sphagnum moss, news print. This box must remain moist and the material inside be changed frequently so your gecko can shed and get clean. Ideally one warm wet hide and one cold wet hide are provided, this allows a choice between temperatures while shedding.
It is ideal to provide a medium for your gecko to walk on besides the bare floor of its enclosure. Almost any substrate is tolerated by leos ex. news print, calcium sand, silica sand, paper towel, coconut expanding brick material, reptile safe wood chips. Some of these materials are better than others but this is just a starting point for your info I'm sure you will discover your own preference.
The feeding and watering of your gecko is essential to its health and possible future breeding. The staple food for your gecko will most likely be crickets, which must be fed and watered themselves. A cricket has very little nutritional content if it does not have a full belly. You must set up a vitamin and supplement plan for your geckos. A fresh dish of water is very important even if you don't see them drink all the time, keep it full and keep it clean. Some more fatty foods that my geckos love are wax worms and butter worms. A few other food choices are meal worms, super worms, roaches, silkworms, and maggots. Every food has pros and cons so research anything you want to give your geckos and make sure it is the treat right for them.
This is only a quick off the top of my head on the care of leos. This should only be used as a piece of the puzzle you construct, after doing your own research. They truly are a wonderful little creature and can live 15+ years if they are not excessively bred or neglected.
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Post by Nocash13 on Dec 28, 2007 23:57:52 GMT -5
thanks for the help... does anyone have any info on when they usually breed(season wise) and how to incubate eggs and such?
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Post by joeysgreen on Dec 29, 2007 12:52:33 GMT -5
Hey, I like these ones the best!
There are some other things that while I don't disagree with you, I do differently. If these guys are pets first, breeders second, then go with an enclosure that will display them a little. I like aquariums for these guys. You don't need the humidity retention of a rubbermaid because these are dryland dwellers. With this said, it is still important to have a humid hide or burrow as would be used in nature.
I use a substrate heater, but don't disagree with overhead heating during the day with sole use of heat retention for the night (provided your background room temperature allows this).
For substrate, I like compacted, dry dirt. It looks natural and is what they'd be walking around on "back home". It's also convenient to clean and stool can be scooped with a spoon.
Ian
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Post by Nocash13 on Dec 30, 2007 1:02:45 GMT -5
if i were to keep a male and female together in the same tank, what would i need to keep them together and when should i expect eggs? also, any incubation tips?
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