Among the things to consider when caring for leopard geckos is where to house the leopard gecko. An aquarium or enclosure of at least 20 gallons should be provided. If there are 2 - 4 leopard geckos that need to be housed together then an aquarium of at least 20 gallons (preferably bigger) should be provided. Please remember that two male leopard geckos should not be housed together in the same enclosure because they will become aggressive towards each other. The enclosure should have the proper amount of ventilation so that the leopard gecko can breathe fresh air.
The leopard gecko enclosure should contain hiding spots, which are a necessity, for the leopard gecko. Leopard geckos need hiding places. The presence of such hiding spots help them reduce stress because they will frequently run into these places when they feel they are in danger. There are boxes sold which are hide boxes which can serve as hiding spots. If there are several leopard geckos then each should have it's own box or hiding spot.
Another thing to consider when caring for leopard geckos is the temperature inside the gecko's enclosure. The temperature should be monitored closely and should be maintained in the mid 80 degree Celsius during the day and it should not be less than 75 degree Celsius at night. A thermometer should be used to monitor the temperature conditions in the enclosure.
An important requirement is providing a temperature gradient within the enclosure. A temperature gradient simply means one area of the leopard gecko enclosure is warmer than the opposite end of the enclosure. By providing a temperature gradient, this allows the leopard gecko to self regulate it's body temperature by moving from one area of the enclosure to the next. This is especially important considering the fact that leopard geckos are reptiles and they depend on the environmental temperature to help them maintain their body temperature. Bulbs that give off heat can help provide the necessary temperature gradient.
Humidity is essential for leopard gecko care. Leopard geckos use humidity for many of their life processes. One important purpose of humidity is it's use by geckos during skin shedding. Humidity can be provided for leopard geckos by lightly spraying water mist in their enclosure.
Leopard geckos like any living creature require water for survival. Leopard geckos should be provided with a small shallow dish of water. Some of the water in the dish will evaporate, in the heat of the enclosure, and provide some level of humidity for the leopard gecko.
The bottom of the enclosure, whether it be an aquarium or other material, should be covered with a substrate. The substrate is simply the material placed on the flooring of the leopard geckos living quarters. Various types of substrates are used by leopard gecko owners. Some use sand as a substrate, but the sand should be chosen carefully. The sand can be eaten by leopard geckos and can result in serious health consequences. There is often discussion about the use of sand. Baby leopard gecko should not be put in an enclosure containing sand. Baby leopard geckos are often put in enclosures that use paper towels as the substrate. Other types of substrates are used and one such substrate is reptile carpet.
Leopard gecko care would not be complete without feeding the leopard gecko. Leopard geckos prefer to eat live insects such as crickets. The crickets should be gut loaded before being fed to the leopard gecko and gut loading simply means that the cricket should be fed a healthy diet before being fed to the leopard gecko. In addition, at feeding time the crickets should be put in a bag with powdered vitamins and calcium from time to time. The bag containing the insect and calcium and supplements should be shaken so that the insects are dusted in the nutrients before being fed to the leopard gecko. The powdered nutrients should have instructions on the packaging to indicate how often the food should be dusted. Of course crickets are just one type of insect which can be fed to leopard geckos. Another insect which can be fed to leopard geckos are meal worms. Keep in mind that there are pros and cons to feeding each insect.
Besides feeding leopard geckos, providing suitable substrates and correct housing keep in mind that leopard geckos should also have access to medical care. They should be taken to the veterinarian from time to time. There were just a few of the things to consider when caring for a leopard gecko.