Leopard gecko: lifespan, size, diet and care

How big it is

An adult is up to 25 cm (10 in) long.

Zoomed ×8: here you see the man up to 23.8 cm (9 in) off the ground

1Hamsterlong (head and body) 18 cm (7 in)2Tortoiseshell 23 cm (9 in)3Leopard geckolong 25 cm (10 in)4Tarantulalegs spread 15 cm (6 in)5Betta fishlong 7.5 cm (3 in)

1. Hamsterlong (head and body) 18 cm (7 in)
2. Tortoiseshell 23 cm (9 in)
3. Leopard geckolong 25 cm (10 in)
4. Tarantulalegs spread 15 cm (6 in)
5. Betta fishlong 7.5 cm (3 in)

All the pets next to a person

Before it arrives

• A vivarium at least 60 × 40 × 30 cm (24 × 16 × 12 in; long, high, deep) for one adult gecko, well ventilated and secure
• A guarded heat lamp with a thermostat: one end at 28–30 °C (82–86 °F) and one at 24–26 °C (75–79 °F), with two digital thermometers
• A low-output UVB tube (2–5%) and a timer for 12 hours of light
• Several hides at the warm and cool ends, plus a humid hide with damp moss
• A safe floor such as tile, slate or reptile carpet; no calcium sand, beech chips or corncob
• A shallow dish of clean water at the cool end
• Farm-raised live insects, plain calcium powder and a reptile multivitamin
• Set up and run the vivarium for at least a week before it arrives

Its home: temperature and light

Basking spot

28–32 °C (82–90 °F)

Cool side

23–26 °C (73–79 °F)

At night

18–25 °C (64–77 °F)

Humidity

30–40%

Light

12 hours a day

UVB lamp

needed

What it eats and how often

insects, every 2–3 days as an adult

• Juveniles: every 1–2 days
• Adults: every 2–3 days

Live insects (crickets, locusts, worms) no longer than its head and about half as wide: only as many as it eats in 15 minutes, then remove the rest. Feed the insects for 24 hours before offering them and dust them with calcium at least 3 times a week; twice a month use a multivitamin instead of calcium. Waxworms only now and then: they're fatty.

Vaccines and checkups

The care calendar

What to do, from the most frequent to the least.

• every dayFresh waterA shallow dish of clean water, washed and refilled every day (right away if it's dirty).
• every dayHumid hideMoisten the moss in the humid hide; replace it every week.
• every dayCheck the temperaturesWith two digital thermometers, one at the warm spot and one at the cool end: thermostats can be off.
• every 2 daysInsects dusted with calciumEvery other day as an adult, every day when young. Calcium on the insects at least 3 times a week.
• every 2 weeksMultivitaminOn the insects, instead of calcium.
• every monthFull clean of the terrariumRemove droppings as you see them.
• every 6 monthsUVB lampIt still gives light after the UVB has run out: replace it when the brand says (fluorescent tubes usually every 6 months).
• every yearYearly check-upWith a reptile vet.

Call the vet right away if…

If you see one of these signs, call your vet now: don’t wait for it to pass.

• Old skin still stuck to its toes, tail tip or eyes after a shed
• Its tail is getting thinner, or it is losing weight
• Twitching muscles, swollen legs or a misshapen jaw
• Abnormal droppings or none, together with weight loss

Ate something dangerous? What to do now