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Zoo Med’s Guide to Leopard Geckos by Jim Morgan Table of Contents Introduction.

Zoo Med’s Guide to Leopard Geckos by Jim Morgan Table of Contents Introduction. ...........................................................1 Native Habitat, Range & Anatomy........................1 Choosing a Leopard Gecko. ...................................2 Morphs...................................................................3 Handling & Enclosure. ...........................................6 Lighting, Heating...................................................6 Substrate, Feeding & Watering..............................7 Health. ....................................................................8 Sexual Dimorphism & Breeding. ...........................9 Incubation............................................................10 Hatching Care, Similar Geckos. ...........................11 Summary, Books..................................................12 ISBN 978-0-9652471-7-7 Copyright ©2013 Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc. by Jim Morgan Zoo Med's Guide to Leopard Geckos Zoo Med's Guide to Leopard Geckos Zoo Med’s Guide to Leopard Geckos ©Zoo Med Laboratories Inc., 2013 1 Introduction: Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macu- larius) are one of the best reptile pets available and are a great choice for be- ginner reptile owners. Leopard Geckos were first described as a species by British zoologist Edward Blyth in 1854. Leopard Geckos and other members of the subfamily Eubleph- aridae are different from most other geckos because they have eyelids. The name Eublepharis macularius refers to Leopard Geckos having true eyelids and spotted markings. The Leopard Gecko is a long-lived reptile. They can live an average of six to ten years; however, with proper care they can live twenty or even twenty five years. The oldest known Leopard Gecko in captivity was recorded at twenty nine years old. Native Habitat and Range: Leopard Geckos are native to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Southeastern Iran, and Northwestern India. They inhabit the dry grasslands and rocky deserts of their range. The climate of this range is very hot and moist during the summer and cool and dry during the winter. They are a nocturnal, ground dwelling gecko that spends the day hiding under rocks or in humid burrows to escape the daytime heat. At dusk they emerge to hunt for insects. Leopard Geckos are common in their native range and have been captive bred in the United States since the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Captive bred leopard geckos are readily available; however, breeders in the United States would benefit from adding wild bloodlines to their current breeding colonies. Anatomy: The average Leopard Gecko grows to 8-10 inches long. They have a broad head and large ear cavities. Leopard Geckos have rough, bumpy skin. The “normal” wild type is covered in black spots with brown bands inter- spersed with the spots. The background color may be tan or yellowish. As hatchlings, Leopard Geckos are more vividly marked. Hatchlings will have alternating broad black and yellow bands across their back and black and white rings on their tails. The black bands will break up and become spots as they mature. Unlike many geckos, Leopard Geckos have five toes on each foot with small claws as an alternative to toe pads, which prevent them from climbing smooth vertical surfaces. On the other hand, their claws give extra traction in terrain and are helpful in digging burrows. Zoo Med’s Guide to Leopard Geckos ©Zoo Med Laboratories Inc., 2013 2 A Leopard Gecko’s tail retains nutrient-rich fat. In times of famine they metabolize this fat reserve and can endure a period of weeks without food. Similar to other lizards, Leopard Geckos have the ability to drop their tail. When frightened or grabbed by the tail, muscles at the base of the gecko's tail contract and sever the vertebrae of the tail. The tail continues to wiggle, distracting a potential predator, and gives the gecko time to make a getaway. The Leopard Gecko will grow a new tail; however, it will be different than the original, appearing bulbous. Choosing a Leopard Gecko: There are a few important things to look for when choosing a Leopard Gecko. First, is the animal healthy? A Leopard Gecko should have a thick, robust tail. A fat tail is a good indication that the gecko is hydrated, eating well, and in good general health. Healthy Leopard Geckos may also have small fat reserves behind its front armpits. This is an especially good sign in female geckos. The gecko’s eyes should be open and clear, and the gecko should be alert. Ensure that all toes are accounted for as shedding problems commonly lead to missing toes. Second, consider what morph to acquire. Leopard Geckos are available in hundreds of different colors and patterns called morphs. Take some time to research all the morphs available. Finally, is it a male or female? This may not make a differ- ence if only one Leopard Gecko is to be kept, but if more than one Leopard Gecko are housed together, this may be an impor- tant thing consider. Two male Leopard Geckos will fight and cannot be housed together. Mul- tiple females will live together in harmony. A male and female pair or a harem (a male with mul- tiple females) can also be kept Eye Ear Tail Mouth Toes Vent Hemipenile Bulge (male) Pre-anal Pores (male) Zoo Med’s Guide to Leopard Geckos ©Zoo Med Laboratories Inc., 2013 3 together. Leopard Geckos have a high level of social tolerance but do not necessarily require a companion. Morphs: There is an astonish- ing variety of Leop- ard Gecko morphs available in the reptile hobby. Each of these morphs has its own specific genetics and traits that affect color, pattern, and even the size of Leopard Geckos. Multiple morphs can be 'mixed' or 'bred' together to make combina- tion morphs. Due to the extensive list of Leopard Gecko morphs, only a few of the most popular will be described here. Wild Type or Normal This is the typical form as it occurs in nature. Coloration is typically tan to medium yellow with stripes or bands of gray or lavender with black spots. High Yellow This morph is very similar to a normal but with a higher amount of yellow pigmentation. Tangerine "Carrot Tail" This describes the varying degrees of orange coloration on a Leopard Gecko. Animals labeled as Tangerine (or "Tang" for short) will have orange as a background color as opposed to the typical light yellow color seen on normal Leopard Geckos. The intensity of the orange color may vary from a yellow-orange to nearly red on some specimens. "Carrot Tail" is a term used to describe a Leopard Gecko that has an area of orange that starts at the base of the tail. The amount of "carrot" varies from just a small band at the base of the tail to a solid orange tail. Albino There are three strains of albinos. Albinos are generally recognized by their lack of black pigment. Having red eyes is not a requirement in Leopard Geckos to be considered albino. Wild Type Leopard Gecko Albino Leopard Gecko High Yellow Leopard Gecko photo courtesy of Steve Sykes, geckosect.com Zoo Med’s Guide to Leopard Geckos ©Zoo Med Laboratories Inc., 2013 4 Albinos are usually characterized by their light-colored eyes and tendency to have brownish markings on them. The three types of albino Leopard Geckos are called Tremper Albino, Rainwater Albino, and Bell Albino. Patternless "Murphy's Patternless" Patternless Leopard Geckos may also be referred to as leucistic. They are known for their lack of pattern as adults, and as babies they have a unique spotted appearance. The color of a Patternless is generally yellow over the whole body. They may have orange coloring at the base of the tail. Blizzard The Blizzard morph is pat- ternless and white or gray in color. Blizzards are similar to the Patternless morph in ap- pearance. They may occasion- ally have varying degrees of a yellow on the body. Blizzards do not have any pattern, at any stage of maturity, and do not exhibit a noticeable amount of "carrot tail" like the Patternless morph. Mack Snow and Super Snow Mack Snows exhibit reduced or eliminated yellow and orange color with reduced banding. Mack Snows can be black and white, although some specimens show varying degrees of yellow. Super Snows are characterized by their unique, high contrast black and white pattern and their solid black eyes. This pattern does not pres- ent itself on a hatchling Leopard Gecko, but usually develops within a month or so. Jungle, Bold Stripe, and Reverse Stripe Jungles are characterized by their broken bands of pattern and no two are identical. A Leopard Gecko is only a true Jungle if the rings around the tail are broken. Bold Stripes appear similar to Jungles, although the dark pig- ment runs only along the outside ventral surface of the animal's body and Super Snow Leopard Gecko Patternless Leopard Gecko photo courtesy of Steve Sykes, geckosect.com Blizzard Leopard Gecko photo courtesy of Steve Sykes, geckosect.com Zoo Med’s Guide to Leopard Geckos ©Zoo Med Laboratories Inc., 2013 5 tail. The amount of striping can vary, and some geckos will have a striped body without a striped tail and vice versa. Reverse Stripe appear similar to Bold Stripe although the darker pigment runs down the spine. Hypomelanistic "Hypo" and Super-Hypo Hypomelanistic is a term used to de- scribe the lack of dark color on non-albi- no uploads/Geographie/ leopard-gecko-guide.pdf