*All morphs can be Het (see below) for some geckos above. These are the more commonly known stuff. If I have missed one please let me know. Thanks.
In this segment I will do my best to explain the difference in the genes. I will be as basic as I can because it was confusing for me when I did my research on it.
- Dominate gene - a dominate gene is when the genes show even if its mixed with other genes.
- Hypo
- Engima
- Giants
- Enigma
- White n Yellow
- Recessive genes - are when both parents need to have the gene in their DNA in order for them to show in the off spring.
- Tremper Albino
- Las Vegas Albino
- Bell Albino
- Blizzard
- Patternless
- Raptor
- Eeclipse
- Co-Dominate genes - are when two different genes are blended and they become equal dominates.
- Line Breeding - this is when the gene is bred over and over to achieve the desired trait or color.
- tangerines
- high yellow
- jungles
- Heterozygous - also know as het. This is when the parents have different genes and the offspring inherits both genes. This offspring becomes a carrier for both genes.
In this segment I will do my best to explain the difference in the genes. I will be as basic as I can because it was confusing for me when I did my research on it.
- Dominate gene - a dominate gene is when the genes show even if its mixed with other genes.
- Hypo
- Engima
- Giants
- Enigma
- White n Yellow
- Recessive genes - are when both parents need to have the gene in their DNA in order for them to show in the off spring.
- Tremper Albino
- Las Vegas Albino
- Bell Albino
- Blizzard
- Patternless
- Raptor
- Eeclipse
- Co-Dominate genes - are when two different genes are blended and they become equal dominates.
- Line Breeding - this is when the gene is bred over and over to achieve the desired trait or color.
- tangerines
- high yellow
- jungles
- Heterozygous - also know as het. This is when the parents have different genes and the offspring inherits both genes. This offspring becomes a carrier for both genes.
General Information: The scientific name of the leopard Gecko is Eublepharis Macularius. Leos come from the middle east (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and India). Their habitat is made of mostly rocky and semi-arid desert areas. The terrain is sandy and desert like. The temperature can range around 105 degrees to as low as 75 at night. The winter in these regions range from 60 degrees during the day and as low as 40 at night. Geckos will go in to a hibernation like manner during December through February relying on their fat reserves during the cool down. In the wild leopard geckos will live in colonies. Geckos are nocturnal preferring to hunt at night for insects. Insectivore diets consists of spiders, worms, and really any small insects. Their homes consist of a holes in the ground or cracks and crevices in rocks. In the wild it is assumed that the sand has something to do with intake of calcium for the geckos. Scientists are still researching this subject. In captivity a gecko's life span is over 20 years.
Anatomy: Leopard geckos come as a male or a female. To tell the difference just turn the gecko so that you can see the vent (where the stool comes out). If it is a male there should be two bulges at the base of the tail in between the back legs. there will also be an upside down v ( ^ ). These are called pre anal pores. Males are a dark brown or grey. The female lack the v shaped pores, although I have seen some females that are fat and look like they have bulges, they lack the darker pre anal pores.
The geckos use their tail to hold nutrients, that is why they are fat (or at least should have a good size tail). Much like lizards, they have the ability to break away their tails on demand. this is a defense mechanism for predators. They will regrow the tail but it will never be the same. It will be bigger, smaller or a different color. The Leos have great hearing ability, their 'ears' are located right above the neck below the head in a small hole that is some what transparent.
Geckos are swift so be careful when you take them out of the cage. They have the ability to bite and yes it hurts a little. They don't have teeth, but hard gums. The gecko has a need to shed, they will shed about once every couple of months or so. I have a nest box or (a hide box) in all of my geckos tanks which makes it a lot easier for them to shed. We use just a Tupperware container with a hole cut in it with peat moss or forest bed in it. I keep its consistency like you would for a plant (not wet), which can cause mouth rot, a fungus that forms at the opening of the mouth. An adult Leo should be about 6 to 7 inches long and weigh around 45 to 65 grams. The standard color patterns are banded (the stripes go left to right not up and down) and they have lots of spots. These are yellowish in color or sometimes brown. There ae many differnt color patterns for leopard geckos from all white to stripes and random circles all over the gecko. Some with all red eyes others with black eyes and black n white color some pink or lavander and my favorit deep orange redish color.
Health / Diseases: Geckos are a good pet, but they do require some certain things (feed your geckos!!!) I see a lot of geckos that are not on the right feeding habits. They need to eat! I dust my insects with calcium and put calcium in all of my animals habitats. If you just put the calcium in a dish in their habitat that should be good.
Some diseases and health issues are as follows:
- MBD (calcium deficiency)
- Coccidia (intestinal track parasite)
- Dystocia (egg binding)
- Dysecdysis (shedding problems)
- Pneumonia (respiratory problems)
- Sand impact (sand is stuck in the gecko)
- Prolapse (in males one of the reproductive organs has issues)
- Anorexia (stress cleanliness or too many in one tank)
- Infections (any kind of wounds from breeding
MBD - Is when the animal is not getting the correct amount a calcium. The bones become brittle, but does not mean that the gecko will die or needs to be put down. Many times it just needs to go to a veterinarian and then needs to be pumped full of calcium.
Coccidia - This is a parasite that is in the intestinal track and can be passed trough the stools to other geckos. The parasite will look for new hosts. A veterinarian is needed in this case. They will give the gecko medication. The gecko needs to be separated from the rest of the group and the others need to be checked out as well. A good indication of this sickness is runny stools, shed bulges shedding problems and weight loss. There is no cure for this so far. Some geckos can be carry the parasite and not show sings. This PARASITE will infect you whole collection. I would recommend asking the breeder if they test or if they have any wild caught animals in their facilty this is common for wild caught geckos to have this not leopard geckos but fat tailed geckos please just be careful not all breeders are out for the hobby.
Dystocia - is when the female is either to small or does not have enough nutrition to pass the eggs. In some cases the eggs are too big this requires surgery.
Dysecdysis - This is a shedding problem in which the gecko does not shed correctly. This can be caused from not enough humidity or nutrition. The gecko should be put in a nest box for a few days. If that does not work try helping the gecko with some wet paper towels and tweezers to try to peel some of the skin off. If that does not work seek a veterinarian.
Pneumonia - This when the enclosure is too cool or too wet and it causes a bacteria to form in the lungs of the gecko. This will need the help of a veterinarian.
Sand Impact - This is when the gecko ingests the substrate (sand) and it becomes impacted. Sometimes it can not pass the sand and they will need surgery to remove it.
Prolapse - It is when one or more reproductive organs prolepses (it will not go back in ). Put them in warm sugar water (only enough water to cover the belly) for a few hours if that does not work take them to the veterinarian.
Anorexia - I have had some of my geckos do this before. This is caused by stress. Geckos are all different just like people. Some don't mind others in the enclosure with them and some do. This is something you will have to watch. If you see them not eating and/or not being active, separate them from the other geckos and provide the gecko with wax worms and lots of calcium for about a month or so. Once you get some weight back on them try to put them back with other geckos. Additionally there might be a dominate female in the tank you might have deal with.
Infections - All living things have the ability to get an infection and basically the only thing to battle from wounds or breeding wounds. Sometimes husbandry can cause an infection. If there is a wound take the gecko out of the tank and put it by itself and clean the wound with water and apply Neosporin once a day until it is healed.
Housing: Housing your Leo is easy. A 10 gallon can hold an adult leopard. for two leopards I would put them in a 20 gallon. this is better for them. I put a nest box in all of my tanks and it helps them shed. In my opinion you need three dishes; 1 for worms, 1 for water, and 1 calcium. The substrate can be sand, paper towels, newspaper, or forest bed. I personally use forest bed by Eco Earth. It's easy to clean up and it holds moisture, plus it is cheaper than sand.
You will need a screened lid for the tank as well as a heat light or heat pad. that should be a good little set up. Of course you can get cage furniture if you would like for some curb appeal. Temperature for the geckos needs to to be around the high 80s during the day and should be in the low to mid 70s at night. It is also important that the geckos are on a 12 hour light schedule. Humidity is ok at the 50% mark but if you have a nest box you don't have to worry about it. Geckos need to be fed every couple of days. Worms are the easiest as they live longer, do not make any noise, are cleaner, and do not stink. Crickets carry parasites and are dirty and I do not like them, but I still use them for fat tailed geckos and crested geckos as they prefer them.
If you want to handle your gecko, take your time and let it get used to you. Geckos are like a dog at the park, they want to run! Do not hold them tight, hold them loose like sliding your hands over a rope. I keep an open hand and let them walk hand over hand. Dont tighten your hand around your ecko they might bit or eject their tail. The good thing is that they always go to the bathroom in the same part of the tank making it easy to clean! I clean about every 3 days to a week depending on the habitat. Its up to you and how many geckos you have in the habitat. Having more than one gecko is a good idea as in the wild they are found in colonies. So I believe they do better with a buddy. One rule is to not house two males together. I have talked to a few people that have done it for years and have had no problems, but I wouldn't risk it. Getting two females would probably be a wiser choice. I have found that they are less aggressive. When you clean your tank or handle your geckos I recommend using rubber gloves, especially to clean. I handle my geckos, but always wash your hands before and after with antibacterial soap.
Buying a Leopard Gecko: Buying a leopard gecko is a good idea, they are easy to care for and fun, plus they look cool! If you decide to get a Leopard gecko; here are a few point to keep in mind:
- Does the gecko look healthy?
- Is its tail plump? It doesn't have to be massive, but at least the size of the ones in the pictures you have seen?
- Look at its stool, if you can. Make sure it is not runny. It should be dark brown or black with a white portion in it.
- Look for shedding problems.
- Look for missing toes this is not a big deal but when they have a hard shed it can cause dismemberment.
- Eyes should be clear and free of any discharge.
- See if the gecko is impacted sand. a lot of pet shops just read the book on the shelf and don't have the same amount of experience or knowledge as some. Try to buy from a breeder as they know a lot more about the gecko than a pet store does. Additionally there are usually too many in one enclosure and they do not know what is best for the animal. I suggest to buy from a reputable breeder. The geckos from a breeder are much better quality and they usually have a better selection.
Food / Diet: Leopard geckos are insectivores (they eat insects, live prey)
- meal worms
- wax worms
- silk worms
- butter worms
- super worms
- crickets (remember to try to gut load your crickets this can be accomplished by placing fruit or an orange in the cricket tank the night before. I also put calcium in there as it helps to supplement the geckos diet and the crickets love it!
*The most important thing to remember besides feeding is a calcium supplement.
You can find some of these insects at your local pet store. The others you can get online. I feed my geckos crickets once in a while but mostly meal worms. Once a week they get a few wax worms. I have read that it is not good to have your gecko on a complete diet of wax worms because they are high in fat and can cause liver and kidney problems; although it is good to use them on a female that has just laid eggs to get her back to the correct weight so she will be ready for the next clutch. I like meal worms as they have less maintenance. If you see your gecko eating their skin its ok there are supposed to do this. It allows them to absorb the nutrients from the shed. If you get a loose cricket in the house a little trick of the trade is to use a wet paper towel or wet toilet paper it works best.
Breeding leopards is actually easier than some other geckos, but still a lot of work. First you need a male and a female, more than one female is ok. Put them together in a tank or a sweater box (some type of enclosure) and he will eventually start shaking his tail rapidly and make a small noise on the ground letting the female know that he is a male. Then he will start biting her on the back or side of the head, but mainly on her neck. This can cause a break in the skin. If this occurs take her out immediately, this can cause an infection if you let it go untreated. Refer to above for care on this subject. If he does not do this right away that's ok, just let them be.
After fertilization the female will hopefully start to show signs of being fertile in about 2 to 3 weeks. She will be gravid (pregnant) for 30 to 45 days during this time the eggs should be visible on the belly of the female. The diet is very important during this time. Calcium should be available at all times and the insects should be dusted. I put the worms or crickets in a cup or container with calcium and shake it up or swirl it around a little prior to feeding. This will ensure that the female has an efficient amount of calcium to produce the eggs. If she doesn't consume enough calcium this may cause her to become unhealthy. Keep a record of the females and males that have been combined. then note how many eggs and the hatch ratio. This way you can monitor your group better.
The females will usually lay her eggs in the nest box, but I have seen where they have laid them in the water dish or in the enclosure somewhere. Watch your gecko as the 30 day mark gets closer, that way you can see if she has laid her eggs. One day you may notice that she looks a lot smaller in the mid section. Check the nest box, they will usually lay them in the corners. gently look through the forest bed. I start by shaving it away with my fingers in layers, then shift the extra to the other side. When you find them, there should be 2, but once in a while they will lay one at a time.
Eggs: DO NOT MOVE THE EGGS FROM THE ORIGINAL POSITION! This is important as the embryo might have all ready began to attach itself to the side of the egg. Take a Sharpe marker and put a line or a "X" on it to show yourself which is the right side to be up. Your incubator should have been running for a week or so to make sure it is at an accurate temperature. It is ok if it fluctuates a degree or so.
Take the egg and put in to a container (a deli cup works well) or a Tupperware container that you can see through, that way you can monitor the eggs and their growth process. The container should have a G.E.O with perlite, not soaking wet but wet there is a ratio of 8oz perlite and 5 oz water. I tilt it to the side and a little water builds up in the corner. That is enough as long as the eggs are not sitting in water. Now place your eggs in th G.E.O. Put the lid on the container and put it in the incubator.
Watch the eggs! If one becomes moldy remove the mold gently. The eggs should be plum and look like an egg. If it is flat or smells funny dispose of the egg. After about 2 weeks they should look leathery and plump (look like a egg). If you come across an egg that is stuck to the bottom of the nest box don't peel it off. Put some room temp water on the bottom and let it sit for a while. Try again in 15 to 20 minutes. This should work, but if it doesn't I have just left them in there and have had success.
Finally you have eggs in the incubator, watch the temperature, they say you can determine sex by the temperature.
- 78f to 82f (mostly female)
- 83f to 88f (a mix of males and females)
- 89f to 90f (mostly male)
The temperature is not a guarantee, but over time breeders have had a good experience with this formula. I have read that at higher temperatures the geckos have a bright intense color. I have also heard that after the first 3 weeks of incubation you can lift the temp to get better color, but not to exceed 90 f. The female will continue to lay eggs for the rest of the season. The seasons are January trough September, but you can breed year around as long as the conditions are optimal. The female will lay in what we call clutches; 2 at a time or one here one a few days later. The breeding weight is 45 grams and up 8 months to a year of age if the gecko is healthy.
The egg chart is as follows:
- First year - not so much success
- Second year - 8 to 10 clutches
- Third - 10 to 12 clutches
- Forth - 12 to 16 clutches
- Fifth or more - 10 to 14 clutches
As the gecko gets older its egg production goes down, but they will still lay up to 15 years of age. Most importantly keep them full of calcium! They need it. The eggs pull all the nutrition out of them so keep them fed and healthy. Do not bred an unhealthy gecko as you will probably lose the gecko.
Hatchlings: After waiting 45 to 60 days you wake up one morning and you see a little hatchling in the container (success!!!!!!!!!!!!), now wait 24 hours before removing the new addition. Set up a tank. I use paper towels (the thick ones) they hold better moisture. Put them on the bottom for substrate and put in a water dish (a shallow one, a Gatorade cap work best) along with a calcium dish the same size. The geckos will need a hiding place; a coconut hut or a small container with a hole cut in the side works good. They usually wont eat for the first couple of days as they are still living off the yolk from the egg.
You can feed them small prey, pin head crickets or small meal worms. it is a rumor that a meal worm can bore trough the stomach of a gecko, the jaws of a hatchling are powerful enough to consume the meal worm. Feed them one at a time or put a small dish of worms in the tank, that way they can eat when they want to. Do not leave the crickets in the tank. They will stress the gecko out. Watch the new ones food intake closely and keep it clean. Hatchlings are more prone to infections when they are young. Do this for about 4 to 5 months or until the gecko reaches 15 to 20 grams up from 2 grams at birth. If you have a gecko born with the egg still attached don't remove it. the shell will come off on its own. Keep the tank in high humidity during the hatchling stage. They should shed regularly, if they do not shed completely, help them using the suggestions above. Do not handle or play with the babies, they are too fragile. The temperature should range around 88 f and humidity about 40%.
If you do all this correctly you should have success with your hatchlings and then you can add them to your collection or sell them, it is up to you. most of the time you can sex the gecko at 6 months of age, but it depends on your experience in the trade.
Summary: Leopard geckos are good pets. They are easy and fun. If you do decide to go further and breed them it is very rewarding! If you do decide on getting a Leopard gecko, I hope this information helps you. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
FAT TAILED GECKO CARE SHEET
- The Fat Tails have a couple different morphs:
- Amelanistic (Albino)
- Caramel (Albino)
- White Scock's
- Norm - brown and tan banded
- Zero
- Super Zero
- Tang
- Abhernt
- Stripes - they have a stripe down their back.
- Ptternless
- Whiteout
- Oreo
- Ghost
- Zulu
- Graniet
- Axanthic
There are also combos for these morph's.
General Information: The African Fat Tail geckos scientific name is Hemitheconyx Caudicinctus. The Fat Tail, which is referred to in the herp world, is from west Africa, Nigeria and Senegal. The habitat is hot and humid and they live in the rocky hillside areas. They are also a nocturnal gecko, which means they sleep during the day and hunt a night. Their diet is like the Leopards, please refer to above in food and diet.
