Leopard Gecko Care Guide

Eublepharis macularius

Terrestrial Beginner-friendly Crepuscular

Leopard geckos are ground-dwelling insectivores from semi-arid South Asia. Modern husbandry should provide real floor space, overhead daytime heat, low-level UVB, secure hides, and opportunities to dig, climb, hunt, and choose among different microclimates.

Modern care note: the old 10-gallon tank, heat-mat-only, reptile-carpet setup is not our welfare standard. This guide emphasizes measured heat and UVB gradients, enrichment, appropriate loose substrate for healthy animals, and individual housing.

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Enclosure Requirements

Use at least a 36 x 18 x 18 inch enclosure for one adult; larger floor plans are preferred.
Provide at least three secure hides: warm, cool, and humid, plus sheltered routes between them.
Juveniles can use a full-sized enclosure when food intake and waste are easy to monitor and the habitat has abundant cover.

Heating, Lighting and UVB

Use overhead halogen or incandescent heat as the primary daytime heat source, with a basking surface around 94-97°F.
Target roughly UVI 0.5-1.5 for normally pigmented animals; keep albino or hypopigmented morphs closer to 0.5-0.7 with abundant shade.
Provide a clear day/night cycle and complete darkness at night; avoid colored night bulbs and heat rocks.

Humidity and Substrate

Keep the main enclosure relatively dry and ventilated, generally around 30-50% relative humidity.
Maintain a humid hide around 70-80% and inspect toes, tail tip, and eyelids after sheds.
After quarantine, a packed semi-arid mix around 60% organic topsoil, 30% washed play sand, and 10% clay provides safe digging opportunities for healthy animals.

Diet and Supplementation

Feed a varied rotation of appropriately sized live insects such as roaches, crickets, black soldier fly larvae, silkworms, and mealworms.
Gut-load feeders for 24-48 hours and adjust feeding frequency to age, body condition, season, and reproductive status.
Use calcium plus a reptile multivitamin containing preformed vitamin A; measured UVB reduces reliance on dietary D3 alone.

Enrichment, Handling and Cohabitation

Add cork, slate, low stable climbing features, textured rocks, leaf litter, and multiple feeding locations to encourage normal exploration and hunting behavior.
Let a new gecko settle and feed consistently before routine handling; scoop from below and never restrain or lift by the tail.
House leopard geckos individually for routine pet care. Breeding introductions are temporary managed events, not a normal cohabitation recommendation.