Apr 30, 2022 - By Pet Central : Haely

Leopard Geckos

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Things to Know About Your Leopard Gecko

Origin

Leopard geckos are native to dry desert regions in Asia and throughout the Middle East. When constructing your gecko’s habitat, it is best to keep this in mind!

Lifespan & Size

On average, a captive leopard gecko can live 10-15 years and grow to about 8 – 11 inches in length!

Diet

Leopard geckos are carnivores! They eat a bug-only diet consisting of many different types of insects, with the most popular being mealworms, crickets, and dubia roaches, all of which you can get here at Pet Central.

Behavior

Leopard geckos are known for having an excellent temperament. They can be a little standoffish as babies, but they are generally very calm reptiles with proper care and handling. We recommend a leopard gecko as an excellent starter reptile!

You can watch some of our TikTok’s here:

Leopard Gecko Tik Tok : Hello

Leopard Gecko Tik Tok: Dangerous Parody

Leopard Gecko Tik Tok: Cute

Habitat

Since leopard geckos are native to desert regions, especially with a rocky landscape, we recommend a terrestrial (longer rather than taller) desert landscape. They are primarily nocturnal and, in the wild, come out as the sun is setting to scavenge and bask on rocks. We recommend a substrate that is easy to clean and not too fine to avoid compaction; here at Pet Central, we use Excavator substrate.

The terrarium should have a warm side and a cool side. The warm side would have your heat pad, hide, and any other décor you prefer. The cool side would have another hide with moss inside to allow for a high humidity zone which helps regulate your gecko’s shedding. On this side, we would also place your food and water bowl.

*Pet Central strongly recommends using a thermostat with your heat pad so that you can control the amount of heat that is released. The recommended temperature is 87-90°

*You can also use a heat lamp & dome as an alternative to the heat pad

Supplements

Since leopard geckos are nocturnal and don’t have to have a light on top of the cage, they need a calcium supplement with D3 dusted on their food daily.