Hello there!

Hi! I've been lurking around here for a few days and have been reading up as much as I could on leopard geckos. I have been debating getting one on and off for a little over a year now, and have been thinking about getting supplies to set up a tank tomorrow. However, I don't want to rush into things because I want to make sure that not only am I concerned if this is the right choice for me, but the thing I am considering to get is a living creature and I want to make sure no stone is left unturned.

Currently, I have a vet in my area that I take my three ferrets to that specializes in exotic animals with a specialty in reptiles and amphibians. The vet also teaches herp classes to vet students in the area.

I also understand that a leo needs a 10g tank minimum...three hides...food, water, calcium dish...calcium powder with D3 and vitamin powder without D3...paper towels as substrate (never sand)...UTH with the hot side around 91ºF and the cool side around 75ºF...and they can eat meal worms as a staple (I have a slight to extreme phobia of crickets due to an unpleasant encounter when I was raising fire bellied toads). If I'm also not mistaken, I think they don't need a UV light?

What I want to know is if I'm missing anything...I don't want to approach raising such a cute and beautiful creature negligently. Also...what are the pros (other than being cute! Haha ) and the cons of owning a leopard gecko? (By cons, I mean tail-dropping, certain common illnesses, dangerous circumstances...etc. I'm a worry wort).

Sorry for the amount of questions and ranting! I look forward to chatting with you all and learning something from this community!

Hey

Sounds to me like you got everything sorted Except you forgot to mention a moist hide leopard gecko need a place where they can go to find humidity.. they use it to help them shed their skin Just get a plastic tub and cut a hole in for a door, fill it with paper towels or sphagnum moss.. and spray it with water. You put it on your hot side or in the middle because it needs heat combined with water to make like a little sauna

Welcome to the world of leopard geckos!! They are one of the most amazing little creatures you can own The pros are they are fascinating, interesting, they all have little personalities, so much to learn about them the cons.. hmmm.. i can't think of any, except it costs abit to buy their set up and they can go through stages of fussy eating.

it's okay you are asking questions which means you want the best for your pet! theres nothing wrong with asking questions.. i know i asked loads when i first got my leo.

Oh! A moist hide of course. I remember seeing a few pictures with a hole cut out of the front of a plastic tub! But that is one thing that also worries me...sometimes if you cut plastic the edges can get sharp, right? Will it hurt the leo or cut it? I'm not exactly sure how tough their skin is...they look kind of soft from the pictures. ^^;

Thanks for understanding how many questions I have! I'm a huge animal person so I always ask a bunch of questions when I'm uncertain about things.

Also - do leos tend to jump out of your hands? Is it something I need to worry about if I handle one? Also, what causes them to lose their tails other than pulling on it? Do they get sick easily? Can they get valley fever like some animals in Arizona? We have a lot of dust here and I don't know if it's a problem...

I just put some clear tape around the entrance I cut They are quite soft skinned but it will only cut them if it's like proper sharp.. like a spike or something. Just use some sand paper to remove the rough edges of the entrance or stick some tape around like i did

No problem I'm the same.. animal obsessed and I ask loads of questions hahaha ^ ^

When they are little, they are jumpy and I think you should only handle babies in their tanks so if they jump, they wont fall a long way and injure themselves. When they get older they become very tolerate of handling and won't jump. Depending on their personality, some will sit still in your hand and others will go on a mission and crawl around on you like mine

Leopard geckos will drop their tail if they are extremely scared or feel threatened as in the wild they use it as an escape technique.. they will drop their tails so that the predator will go for the tail and they can run away. They will drop their tails if they damage it too.. like heavy things falling on it or trapping it under something.

They don't get sick easily if they are given the proper husbandry.. they are little hardy animals but like all animals who are given perfect care, they could still become ill.

I don't know much about valley fever as I'm in England.. but one of the other members should be able to help you with that question later today

Sounds like you got things all sorted here Sarah. I just wanted to pop in and say hello and good on you for doing your research. Please ask ANY and ALL questions that you have. That is what we are here for and we all love doing it

Good Job sarah



So I'll just say Hi and Welcome to the forum

Seeking information is the best possible thing you can do for your future leo.

Welcome to the forum!

Hi and welcome to the forum! It's so exciting when considering a new friend, but one like a leo that can live upwards of 20 years is QUITE a commitment... we have a great sticky in the housing section on proper housing for leopard geckos. It explains EVERYTHING you could possibly want to know about their housing neesds.



As far as UV lighting they DO NOT need external lighting, they don't bask the way a bearded dragon does so the UV bulb serves them no good and can stress them out to the point of refusing food. Any lighting can stress a leo. All you should need is an under the tank heat mat (UTH) because belly heat is what is most important to leos. They are crepuscular, they are most active directly after dusk and dawn so they don't use UV the way some ectotherms do. They are a thigmatherm (spelling right from our quiz last week? ) which means they lay on hot objects to get their heat, heliotherms bask like beardies and monitors (and various other lizards).


Suppliments can be a tricky deal so I usually recommend an all in 1 suppliment such as Repashy calcium plus icb or T-Rex complete leopard gecko dust icb by sandfire foods. All you have to do with those is dust every feeding or every other feeding depending on the age and condition of your leo. You also don't need to leave an extra calcium dish in your viv if you go with an all in 1 suppliment. If you do opt to go for seperate suppliments, plain calcium, calcium with D3, and a good multi vitimin (with or with out D3, it's really hard to overdose D3 but it is crucial to leo's well being as with out it your leo can't absorb calcium). For new inexperienced owners it is usually best to go with an older leo such as a sub adult (6-11 months old) insted of a juvie. Juvies are a bit harder to handle, take a lot more care and taming than a sub adult. Properly gut loading your feeders with fresh veggies is also a great way to make sure your leo has nutritional balance. Just don't use spinach. It has a chemical that blocks the absorbtion of calcium in it. Carrots, potato and apples (minus the core and seeds) are readily available, inexpensive, and sufficient to use for gutloading as well as some citrus fruits.


The size of your tank... a 10 gallon is acceptable but not very much floor space to move around in for an animal that can get upwards of 8 inches long... imo a 20 long would make your leo much more happy plus it isn't that much more expensive than a 10 gallon. There's a review in our product review section on a wonderful little 20 long with lid that was done by KodieH if you would like to familliarise yourself with a great little habitat. If that one is too pricy a regular 20 long and screen lid shouldn't cost too much, they should both be around the same price once you get everything you need.



As far as the moist hide goes, they're easier to cut than you might think and I haven't had a problem with sharp edges. I use the glad ware disposeable tupperware dishes for Eros' moist hide. Like sarah mentioned tho, if it concerns you you can put some electrical or duct tape on the edges or you can use a nail file or emory board to smoothe the edges.



Feeders... depending on the size of yuor leos you can feed a diet of varied worms. Mealworms can be used as a staple for young leos but as they grow and are eating `15-20 mealies a sitting it would be better to switch them to superworms. Less shell to constipate or impact them, and a better nutritional breakdown than mealies (there's a few threads in the feeding section about the pros and cons of supers versus mealies). There's also a thread about the potential harm of feeding crickets to your leo. Many parasite infestations of your pet can stem from feeding crickets as they tend to carry them (altho your leo can get parasites from ANY feeder that is kept in unsanitary conditions). If you use a diet of supers your leo will only need 1-4 per feeding, my boy Eros eats 1-2 supers a week and he turned a year old in march.



Hazards and illness for your leo... leaving feeders in the viv overnight or unsupervised is your boggest concern as they can nibble on and harass your leo. Make sure to remove all feeders after an hour or so to avoid that, or keep a piece of carrot or potato in the viv for the feeder to eat insted of eating your leo. You can try keeping worms in a dish for your leo but it limits movement of the feeder and may not be as attractive to your herp. Movement is what triggers feeding response so it's important. I prefer dropping worms in with tweezers in front of Eros. the thud and subsiquent squirming tend to grab his attention. You can use a variety of worms to make sure your leo has optimum bnutrition. bouncing between a regimin of mealies/supers, wax worms, phoenix worms, butter worms, and silk worms would be awesome. You can usually find a wide array of worms at your local bait store (where fishermen go. Not sure how many there would be in Arizona being a desert community) or at a pet shop that specializes in herps. The biggest threats to their health are internal parasites and protozoa, gout, psudo gout, and traumatic injury. Most of which (aside of traumatic injury) can be avoided with proper husbandry.



So I hope some of that helps, Sarah you did a great job with your responses hon



Welcome again to the forum. Feel free to PM any staff (there's a members list in the top toolbar where you can find us all) or post a thread in the appropriate section with any questions or problems you might have

Oh my goodness that's a lot of information! I appreciate the warm welcomes from everyone and how much I've learned in less than 24 hours!! As for a bait shop...I'm not exactly sure if I'd be able to find one within a two hour drive. I live in Mesa so I'm stuck riiiight in the center of the valley. ^^;

Leopard geckos can get gout? That's definitely unique... I have gout myself, actually (which is surprising for my age, but all I can do now is manage it). For humans, gout is caused by certain foods...is it the same with Leos? I know that pinkies are an iffy topic, but that's the only thing I would imagine that could cause gout if fed regularly (which I won't! Mealies and other treat worms for a leo!)

So juvies are a little more difficult to care for? Is it because they're skittish and have smaller heads, making finding the proper sized worms a little more difficult? I have a local reptile shop that I called up and the only variation of age is juvies at 2-4 months, 4-5 months, and adult breeders. I was aiming around the 4 month range...is that acceptable?

What I'm really concerned is a thing called Valley Fever in Arizona. It's basically a lung infection and the thing that causes it lives in the dirt and dust here...and since it's monsoon season, we get a lot of dust storms and haboobs...it's nearly impossible to keep ALL of the dust out of the house or off of my clothes since if one kicks up while I'm at work, I have to stay outside to make sure other people are safe. Could it affect my leo if I get one? Would there be a safe way to protect it if it can get the infection? (For statistics...1 out of 33 people catch valley fever...it's even higher in my area because of all the open desert). Dogs, horses, and cattle sheep can also get it as well....so that's why I'm nervous.

I don't know how close it would be, but for all your local questions like Valley Fever; I found Reptile Center at 2025 W Broadway Rd # 1, Mesa, AZ 85202.

Like I said, I'm not sure how close it is, but it says Mesa, so; haha.

Hi Cerra,



Welcome to LGF, I am sure that you are going to enjoy being a member here. And by what I just read, an active member at that.



I am soooo jealous that you have ferrets cause they are adorable and I always wanted one but they are illegal to keep here in SA.



Leopard geckos are also fabulous pets that don't require much upkeep so long as your setup is correct. I got 2 leos in April this year and just adore them. One was only 3.5 weeks old which is not advisable for a first time keeper but I did my research and asked plenty of questions. He is now 5mths old and perfectly healthy. The other one was around 4 months when I got her and she was much easier to care for. The choice is yours and if you know the basics then you will be fine. Besides, if you have any problems you can ask the forum staff what to do and I am sure they will be able to help you. The LGF staff are very knowledgeable and helpful so you will always have expert advice available to you.



We look forward to chatting to you and hope to see pictures of your leo as and when you decide to get one. Trust me you will not be disappointed cos they are unique and all have their own personalities. All in all a leo makes a great pet.

As far as valley feaver goes I really don't think you would need to worry too much about tha twith your leo... body temperature and incubation periods and teh proper host is what will permit a person/animal to become infected with a certain disease. If your dog can't get valley feaver than your leo shouldn't either since it's a cold blooded animal and not a mammal that makes the host demands even more restricting. It's like zoonotic disease... can't survive in certain hosts with out the operfect conditions and likely won't mutate to suit the host.

"Many reptiles live in this area and had to be considered possible
sources of the vegetative phase-even while alive. We obtained 35 lizards,
11 rattlesnakes and two other snakes, all common inhabitants of the
southern end of the valley. We instilled suspensions of the arthrospores
of C. immitis intratracheally in the snakes and 25 lizards and injected
10 lizards intraperitoneally. Neither at room temperature or at 8-15'C.
did any of the reptiles receiving intratracheal instillations of arthrospores
show evidence of infection either by symptoms or on autopsy following
sacrifice three months later. About 30% of the lizards showed a small
localized infection at the site of the needle puncture of the intraperitoneal

injection". [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]



Some useful reading...

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] read section 11.6.4 page 542-543



[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]



I dont think you need to worry about that one

Holy moly! Thank you so much Kermit! You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that. I'll have to read up some more on that.

On another note, I went to a reptile shop in my area and purchased a Super Snow =x I will be picking it up tomorrow...so expect a lot of pics!

look forward to seeing pics and we have a lovely showing picture area for you to put as many pics in as you like in the leo section

Hello and welcome to the forum.



Im charlie. I look forward to seeing some photos of your setup and gecko when s/he settles

hello and welcome