100% Leopard Gecko Care Sheet - Geckos Unlimited

[Elizabeth Freer]

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Click: Albey's How to Incubate Leopard Gecko Eggs

[Elizabeth Freer]

Click: UVB lighting debate

[Elizabeth Freer]

Click: #6---Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms.....contributed by Olimpia -- August 2013

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"Lettuce (except dark, leafy greens) is just water and nutritionally irrelevant. People don't even give lettuce to tortoises and iguanas because it's worthless as food. The same could be said for potatoes. Fish flakes are very high in protein and this can lead to a build-up of uric acid in feeders/reptiles and end up causing gout. A little now and then is fine but this should never be the bulk of any gutload.

"A commercial gutloading food like Bug Burger or Superload (both by Repashy), Cricket Crack, Dinofuel, etc. is going to make your life easier AND provide a nutritious diet to your crickets at the same time. Avoid Fluker's gutloads, as they are super feeble in their formulas.

"If you opt for making your own gutload at home, here is a list of great ingredients to use:
Best: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress, and alfalfa.
Good: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy, and green beans.
Dry food: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed, and organic non-salted almonds.
Avoid as much as possible: potatoes, cabbage, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, spinach, broccoli, tomatoes, corn, grains, beans, oats, bread, cereal, meat, eggs, dog food, cat food, fish food, canned or dead insects, vertebrates.

------>"As far as how to keep crickets, a large plastic storage container will work well, but really anything with smooth sides. On a large plastic container you can cut out a panel on two sides and glue on aluminum screening (and do the same on the lid) and this will provide plenty of air flow. Bad air is the #1 killer of crickets, along with poor hydration, so having good airflow will make the difference if you start getting into bulk orders of crickets.

------>"And I just dust mine using a large plastic cup. You don't need to coat crickets in a thick layer of calcium. Just put a pinch of calcium into the cup, get some crickets into the cup, swirl, and dump. The crickets end up evenly but lightly coated and there isn't any excess calcium left over."

"Hope that helps!"

(Last edited by Olimpia; 08-21-2013 at 02:03 PM.)

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Thanks to GU's SpottedDragon on 30 April 2019:

Click: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/commu...tml#post492403

"Yeah, I'd also avoid tomato, I'm glad you pulled it.

"For explanation - it is a deadly nightshade, and the leaves contain a mild (in small amounts) poison that is meant to keep insects and grazing animals from eating the plant. The toxin is called Solanine and in mammals causes hypersalivation, inappetence, severe gastrointestinal upset, depression, weakness, dilated pupils, slow heart rate...in a reptile I'm not sure what would happen - but it could upset the system."

[Elizabeth Freer]

See Dr. Fran Baines' Advancing Herpetological Husbandry Facebook group for a July 2018 discussion and the complete pdf. Join Advancing Herpetological Husbandry to read this pdf.

Click: Evaluating the Clinical Effects of Short Duration
Ultraviolet B Radiation Exposure in Leopard Geckos
(Eublepharis macularius)

Contributed by Bas Veth:

"Leopard geckos are a popular pet reptile, and nutritional disease, especially NSHP, is a common finding in these animals. The results of this study demonstrate that short- term exposure to UVB radiation is sufficient to increase circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations in leopard geckos. Because the prey species offered to leopard geckos in captivity are naturally low in vitamin D (e.g., crickets, mealworms), exposure to UVB may help offset dietary deficiencies, or concerns about hypervitaminosis associated with supplements. However, there remains much we still need to learn about this subject. Prospective, longitudinal studies are required to determine reference intervals for 25- hydroxyvitamin D3 in leopard geckos, as well as how much UVB exposure and dietary vitamin D are required to achieve these concentrations. In addition, it is important for us to determine the role vitamin D plays in the pathophysiology of NSHP in this species. Until further research is done, the authors believe that leopard geckos should be provided protected UVB exposure to ensure that they can behaviorally control their vitamin D concentrations."

Furthermore,

"In the research article it also states that when observed all geckos were hiding during daytime, yet those with access to UV light were able to bask in this matter enough to increase their D3 levels significantly over the control group. These geckos simply bask by sticking a leg or tail under the light, they’ll likely not lay in a rock for full exposure unless fully comfortable, and the rest they just receive while walking around during lights on.

"It’s a huge misconception that people believe that
1) reptiles need long term deliberate exposure to UV (ie basking) to get UV
2) they need full body exposure

"Nobody would deprive a beardie from UV light because they so obviously bask, but those species that do not do that, like Leos or Cresties, somehow people believe it’s not that necessary."

[Elizabeth Freer]

We never know precisely what's in store for our geckos or for us down the road.

• Keeping our leopard geckos in tip top shape by feeding them a varied and highly nutritious diet is one good preventative. Then one doesn't need to play "catch-up".
• Knowing our leopard gecko's thermal gradient and keeping it in good proportion is important too. A leo will be out and about more when he has a nice warm floor. (Not a wee warm spot with a huge cool area!)
• Feeding our leo's bugs and worms the best diet you can is vital. What's inside the feeders is passed on to our geckos.
• Carefully using good and appropriate supplements!
• Having a large enclosure like Exo Terra's 36 x 18 x 12 inches tall is another preventative. Then a leo has space to exercise.
• If our leo's enclosure is 30 inches long or longer, Arcadia or Zoo Med UVB lighting are the best options. Arcadia's ShadeDweller lighting and Deep Heat Projectors are available in the USA from (207-588-7210): LightYourReptiles.com
• When we use appropriate UVB rays at 1-2 feedings per month also lightly dust all feeders with a backup dose of a reputable powdered calcium with D3 supplement.
• Use a reputable powdered multivitamin supplement without D3 if you're using UVB (+ pure calcium carbonate with D3 as described above). Lightly dust all feeders @ 1 feeding per week with that multivitamin.
• Consider adding Arcadia EarthPro's CalciumPro Mg (pure calcium + magnesium) in addition to UVB or to a calcium with D3 supplement. CalciumPro Mg is available in the USA from LightYourReptiles.com
• Quarantine new animals to avoid introducing diseases to your captive animals.
• Never return uneaten feeders that have been in an enclosure back to the feeder bin.

[Elizabeth Freer]

Click: How much UVB does my reptile need?......Dr. Frances M. Baines, + -- January 2016


For the abstract and CV click: https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150

[Elizabeth Freer]

I shared this research with someone knowledgeable. That person indicated that this study should be "taken with a grain of salt" for multiple reasons.

• Very small study groups -- only 5 animals per group.
• ((Liver biopsies should have been done before and after.))
• Group #1 = Cod liver oil group Retinol should have been used.
• Group #2 = Beta carotene group
• Group #3 = There was NO control group.
• This research was finally published in a relatively obscure journal.

Based upon chameleon research prior to this 2015/2016 study, it was discovered that some lizards didn't absorb beta carotene very well, that some lizards needed a little retinol first. Leopard geckos still DO require a wee bit of pre-formed Vitamin A (retinol) @ 1 feeding per week in order to metabolize pro-formed Vitamin A (beta carotene).

Click: https://www.researchgate.net/publica...ris_macularius

Abstract

"Although leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) are commonly kept under human care, their vitamin requirements are largely unknown. Many invertebrate preys display a low vitamin A concentration; thus, gut-loading insects with vitamin A or carotenoids is a common practice. The objective of this prospective experimental study was to investigate whether dietary supplementation with β-carotene, including prey gut-loading, leads to sufficient vitamin A hepatic storage and prevents epithelial squamous metaplasia development in leopard geckos. Ten clinically healthy female leopard geckos were randomly divided in two groups with various supplementations: a group receiving vitamin A supplementation and a group receiving β-carotene. Insects were gut-loaded continuously with a supplement containing vitamin A or β-carotene, depending on the group. Oral supplementation with cod liver oil or carrot juice was administered weekly to each lizard from "vitamin A group" and "carotenoid group" respectively. After 10 weeks of supplementation, surgical hepatic biopsies were obtained in three geckos of each group while the two remaining geckos were euthanized to undergo complete necropsy. Hepatic vitamin A concentration was determined for each lizard (n = 10) by ultra-performance liquid chromatography. Histopathology revealed hepatocellular vacuolization and vitellogenic follicles in five females. Epithelial squamous metaplasia was not observed in any of the geckos. Hepatic vitamin A concentration was significantly higher in the carotenoid-supplemented group than in the vitamin A-supplemented group (p = 0.03). Our results suggest that in leopard geckos, dietary supplementation with β-carotene allows sufficient vitamin A hepatic storage."

Much appreciation goes to Geckos Unlimited's Sg612 for sharing!

[Elizabeth Freer]

Any new gecko should be quarantined for a minimum of 90 days. That gives adequate time to check for parasites, cryptosporidiosis, and the beginnings of coccidia plus. 3-6 months quarantine are recommended if your new gecko is imported or wild caught.

Crypto is highly contagious! Any gecko or reptile suspected of having Cryptosporidiosis should also be immediately quarantined as far as possible from other reptiles. Handle that reptile last!

• Set up the new animal as far as possible from your current animals.
• Set up the quarantined animal as simply as possible -- with a paper towel floor and homemade plastic hides that can be tossed, if necessary.
• Feed the quarantined gecko last. (Maybe use vinyl gloves.)
• Toss uneaten prey.
• Never share prey between geckos or toss uneaten prey back into the feeding bin!
• Do not share any supplies such as thermometer probes or feeding tongs between cages.
• Wash hands thoroughly between handling geckos.

The quarantine area should ideally be in a separate room apart from your established geckos. Stringent sanitation methods MUST be followed!

[Elizabeth Freer]

Early stage metabolic bone disease (MBD) symptoms include uneven (lopsided) gait, walking on one or both "elbows", bowed limbs, belly dragging, and an underbite.

The Reptile Supply Company based in Lodi, California stocks Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins withOUT D3.

***** It's crucial for your leopard gecko to have an enclosure larger than a 10 gallon (20 x 10.5 x 12 inches tall) prior to experimenting with UVB. There are downsides to UVB too. *****

A 20 long: 30 x 12 x 12 inches tall IS the bare minimum enclosure size when providing UVB for any leopard gecko! A leo will need at least 3 hides to dodge the rays when he feels the urge.

For additional information click 157: Providing UVB for shade dwellers like leopard geckos......Elizabeth Freer -- April 2019

[Elizabeth Freer]

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Here goes:

UVB Weekly Schedule 155 for leopard geckos 12-18 months old
(with UVB)

Early stage metabolic bone disease (MBD) symptoms include uneven (lopsided) gait, walking on one or both "elbows", bowed limbs, belly dragging, and an underbite.

The Reptile Supply Company based in Lodi, California stocks Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins withOUT D3.

Powdered supplement recommendations for leopard geckos 12-18 months old depend upon how much your leo has grown thus far and whether he/she is walking strongly. Leopard geckos usually reach maximum size at about 18 months old.

5777.jpg + 5774.jpg OR 49151.jpg

+ repticalciumwd3.jpg @ 1 feeding per month
(click to enlarge)

Feed lightly dusted prey 3x per week.

• Monday > > crickets or dubia lightly dusted with Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins withOUT D3
• Wednesday > > crickets or dubia lightly dusted with pure precipitated calcium carbonate withOUT D3 (Zoo Med's Repti Calcium or NOW human brand calcium)
• Friday > > crickets or dubia lightly dusted with pure precipitated calcium carbonate withOUT D3 (Zoo Med's Repti Calcium or NOW human brand calcium)
• Saturday > > Optional: mealworms, superworms, or black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix worms) >> no dusting

***** When your leopard gecko is taking advantage of appropriate UVB rays, Dr. Fran Baines (Reptile Lighting group's lighting guru) strongly recommends a backup dose of powdered D3 @ 1-2 feedings per month! Just substitute 1 D3 calcium dusting for 1 plain calcium dusting during those 1-2 weeks only. *****