Leopard Gecko Care and Husbandry

ENCLOSURE

Glass terrarium with ventilation – minimum recommended dimensions: 45x45x30 cm (length x width x height) for one animal. Leopard geckos are solitary animals and should be housed individually.

SUBSTRATE

The best substrate to start with leopard geckos is paper towel, as it is easy to replace and helps keep the enclosure clean.

In general, the use of sand or any other loose substrate is not recommended, as it can be ingested by the gecko, posing a serious health risk and potentially leading to death.

However, if the terrarium is set up so that food is only offered in bowls and the gecko has no direct contact with the substrate during feeding, this risk can be significantly reduced.

Paper towel should be replaced weekly.

HEATING

Leopard geckos require a warm zone between 30 and 32 °C (86–90 °F) and a cool zone between 23 and 25 °C (73–77 °F). The warm area should cover about ¼ of the terrarium floor to create a thermal gradient that allows the gecko to regulate its body temperature (thermoregulation).

For heating, it is recommended to use a heat mat placed underneath the terrarium (never in direct contact with the animal), connected to an on/off thermostat that maintains the temperature between 30 and 32 °C.

To monitor the temperature, a thermometer should be installed in the warm zone, directly above the heat mat.

The recommended power for the heat mat is usually 7 W or 15 W, with higher wattages rarely needed.

FEEDING

A leopard gecko’s diet can include mealworms, crickets, or roaches. Ideally, their diet should be varied, but it is possible to feed them exclusively with mealworms.

All feedings should be dusted with a calcium supplement containing vitamin D3. I recommend using Repashy Calcium Plus.

Feeding frequency depends on the gecko’s age:

Adult geckos: 2 times per week

Juvenile geckos: 3 times per week

Mealworms should be placed in a feeding dish — about one teaspoon per gecko. Crickets can be placed directly in the terrarium or offered with feeding tongs.

A water dish should always be available to the animal.

GIT-LOADING

Before being offered to the gecko, insects should be well-fed for at least 24 hours. This practice, known as gut-loading, ensures the gecko receives additional nutrients through the insects.

You can use commercial insect diets or natural foods such as carrot, kale, apple, etc...

HIDES

Two hides should be used in the terrarium: one on the cool side (dry hide) and one on the warm side (humid hide — green-lid hide in the photo).

The humid hide should contain a moisture-retaining substrate — usually coconut fiber or sphagnum moss — as it helps the gecko during the shedding process.

Humid hide

CHOOSING YOUR LEOPARD GECKO

The price of leopard geckos varies depending on their genetic mutation (which determines the animal’s colour and pattern), as well as their overall appearance.

There may also be a price difference between adult geckos and hatchlings, although this is not always the case.

However, the required care is the same — whether the gecko costs €50 or €300 — so the choice depends entirely on personal preference, you can check the projects we work with here.