100% Leopard Gecko Care Sheet - Geckos Unlimited

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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#140---'Lighting' Locations & Links in/near Portland, Oregon USA . . . . . . Irish Eyes -- May 2023 (update)

(1) "Elizabeth, I don't know if you've ever visited Sunlan Lighting, but they carry every kind of bulb under the sun, and probably a half dozen or so under Alpha Centauri as well. They're on N. Mississippi, and when you're done there, the whole street is full of interesting shops and places to eat or drink. Z and I often spend many hours in the area after "just" going to Sunlan to get bulbs. Then again, since you live in PDX, you probably already know about the place, but perhaps there are other Portland locals who don't, so I'll list the site address anyway:

Click: Sunlan Lighting - Light bulb Store | Portland, OR
Thanks to IrishEyes!!!
  • Sunlan Lighting, Inc.
    3901 N. Mississippi Ave.
    Portland, OR 97217
    Email: kay @lightlady.com
    Tel: 503-281-0453

(2) Lamps Plus in Beaverton, Oregon
LampsPlus.com may carry 20 watt halogen pucks online.
  • Lamps Plus #41
    8748 SW Hall Blvd.
    Beaverton, Oregon 97223
    503-641-7456
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
26 May 2023 -- (updated regularly)
Hey there, Geckophiles ~
This thread, Linked Gecko Care Articles, contains random articles that may benefit your geckos or add to your expertise keeping them.

This thread is informative only! Most other Geckos Unlimited threads are interactive.

Enjoy!

Liz


PS:

"The 2023 NARBC GECKO SYMPOSIUM took place from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm on Thursday, October 5th at the Tinley Park Convention Center in Tinley Park, Illinois. It is supported by the North American Reptile Breeders Conference (NARBC), the largest gathering of reptile enthusiasts, suppliers, artists, & herpetoculturists in the United States. This year's event will feature presentations by top gecko biologists herpetoculturists, including Philippe de Vosjoli, Frank Colacicco, Steve Sykes, Joe Hupp, Frank Payne, Justin Julander PhD, Jonathan DeBoer, Houssam Istanbouli, Kevin Johnson, Mark Finke PhD, & Tony Gamble PhD."

What an incredible speaker lineup!


#142 = Linked Gecko Care Articles
Click each link to open that article!

For link 0 click: Leopard Gecko Care Sheet

For link 1 click: Leopard Geckos: From Mating to Egg Laying to Incubating . . . . . . Saskia

For link 2 click: Fecal Sample Collection Procedure

For link 3 click: Leopard Gecko Genetics: Morph Calculators, et cetera

For link 4 click: 7 Stuck Shed Humidity Box Assists for a gecko's toes, body, head, & eyes -- March 2022 (update)

For link 5 click: Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Phoenix/calci/repti worms & NutriGrubs) Care

For link 6 click: Gecko Slurry Recipe...by Marcia McGuiness

For link 7 click: Tips for Impaction . . . . . . PoppyDear -- July 2017 + others

For link 8 click: Assist Feeding for Off-Foods Geckos (+ Oxbow's Critical Care CARNIVORE) -- May 2022 (update)

For link 9 click: Leopard Gecko Echo: vermiculite in eye --"Pirate Echo" wearing eye patch ;-)

For link 10 click: Raising Awareness re “Big Box Quality” Pet Store Leos, et cetera -- May 2015

For link 11 click: Articles: "Dehydration in Geckos" & "Insect Hydration"

For link 12 click: Superworm Feeding Caution (Zophobas morio) . . . . . . cricket4u – Jan 2012

For link 13 click: Exemplary Custom Leopard Gecko Habitats: Zelda & Yoshi’smom (Kelly)

For link 14 click: Phosphorus Interactions with Calcium . . . . . . Melissa Kaplan

For link 15 click: Nutrobal multivitamins -- March 2022 ??? (update)

For link 16 click: Nekton-Rep vitamins -- April 2016

For link 17 click: Homemade Incubator Instructions

For link 18 click: Gut Loading Clarifications -- January 2019 (update)

For link 19 click: Repta+Boost Instructions for Severely Malnourished 1-5 gram Geckos

For link 20 click: Purchasing a Leopard Gecko

For link 21 click: Cryptosporidiosis: disinfecting, Mail Order test, + links

For link 22 click: GU’s Admin Hilde on Calcium, Vitamin A, & D3 Interactions, et cetera: posts 22, 48, 85, ***96: vits + CaCO3***

For link 23 click: Cricket Care Guidelines I . . . . . . with detailed thread -- April 2021 (update)

For link 24 click: Calcium powders with D3 ONLY + Sticky Tongue Farms Miner-All Indoor with D3 -- July 2021 (update)

For link 25 click: All about Dandelions + other nutrition links

For link 26 click: Tony Perkins’ product links for his 4th Grade Class Leo Cleo. Watch Tony’s “Leopard Gecko Care Sheet” YouTube video right at the beginning of this Leo Care Sheet

For link 27 click: Seramis Incubation Medium

For link 28 click: Pros & Cons of Common Substrates . . . . . . Melissa Kaplan -- Jan 2014

For link 29 click: Zoo Med's ReptiVite™ multivitamins with Scott Stahl, DVM

For link 30 click: Proven Trap for Catching Escaped Geckos

For link 31 click: Other Custom Leo Cage Furniture

For link 32 click: Sticky Tongue Farms Miner-all (Indoor, Outdoor) & Vit-All Supplements

For link 33 click: Hornworm Care Guidelines

For link 34 click: Powdered Assist Foods: Oxbow’s Critical Care CARNIVORE, Lafeber's Emeraid for Carnivors, & Fluker's Repta+Boost

For link 35 click: Cleaning Reptile Cages . . . . . . cricket4u thread inc BBB steam cleaner link -- March 2012

For link 36 click: Reptile Supply Co (Lodi, California) Contact: info@ReptileSupplyCo.com "Wholesale Reptile Supplies & Feeders" Products include Cricket Crack, Zoo Med's Natural ADULT Bearded Dragon Food, Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins withOUT D3, Superfoods ABCss: alfalfa meal, bee pollen, chlorella powder, spirulina powder, & strawberry powder

For link 37 click: Necropsy/Histopathology Protocol

For link 38 click: CagesByDesign.com's Internal Mounting Hardware

For link 39 click: 100% Pure/Plain Precipitated Calcium Carbonate Powders

For link 40 click: Exo Terra Enclosures: 36 x 18 x 12 inches tall

For link 41 click: Senior Leos (10 yo & older), Giants & Super Giants, your First Leo

For link 42 click: Repashy Products: Calcium Plus--all-in-one multivitamin, RescueCal+--calcium + magnesium supplement, Bug Burger, Grub Pie

For link 43 click: Zoo Med Under Tank Heat Mats are NOT reusable

For link 44 click: Bean Farm's Flexwatt Heat Tape Info Sheet. Stick on with (heat resistant ?) aluminum tape around the edges & with tape rolls all over (shawn101). Check Aliza’s Nashua tape.

For link 45 click: Mark D. Finke, PhD's, Feeder Insect Research: 2015 & 2005

For link 46 click: Heat Mats (UTHs): Zoo Med Repti-Therm, Ultratherm, Fluker's, IntelliTemp, & Kane

For link 47 click: Are Waxworms Addictive? . . . . . . Zux -- July 2017

For link 48 click: Can plain calcium carbonate be overdosed?

For link 49 click: (Missing forever)

For link 50 click: Health Questionnaire . . . . . . February 2015 (update)

For link 51 click: Leopard Gecko Research . . . . . . Hilde

For link 52 click: Silkworm Guidelines I

For link 53 click: Golden Gate Gecko's Bug Slurry . . . . . . comments by Mark Burgess, DVM

For link 54 click: Miscellaneous Facts about Leopard Geckos

For link 55 click: UVB lighting . . . . . . Zoo Med & Arcadia -- July 2018 (update)

For link 56 click: Significantly Increasing Ambient Humidity in a Leo Enclosure . . . . . . GU's ebross67

For link 57 click: Harmful Wood for Reptiles

For link 58 click: TetraFauna Supplements -- Tetrafauna's ReptoCal's all-in-one multivitamin has changed. The new label shows different values.

For link 59 click: Thermostats: Hydrofarm's Jump Start MTPRTC, Inkbird, Apollo, & Zilla

For link 60a click: Heating Melamine & Wooden Enclosures: Hilde, mecoat, acpart, JIMI & 60b (post 117) -- continues with JIMI’s leopard gecko Theseus’ enclosure

For link 61 click: Female Leopard Gecko (very slight tremors when walking) . . . . . . dbott67 + Zux

For link 62 click: Vitamin D/D3 Dosage Research ~ Douglas R. Mader, DVM & Mark Burgess, DVM

For link 63 click: Wooden Enclosures for Leopard Geckos

For link 64 click: Why won't leos chase crickets? . . . . . . cricket4u -- June 2013

For link 65 click: Treating Reptile Mites -- needs updating

For link 66 click: Leopard Geckos not eating? . . . . . . acpart -- 2009 & 2010, cricket4u -- 2013, & kholtme’s sticky -- 2015

For link 67 click: Cannibalism in Leopard Geckos . . . . . . Hilde -- March 2013 (+ pdf)

For link 68 click: Enigma Syndrome Information

For link 69 click: Minimum Leopard Gecko Enclosure Dimensions . . . . . . cricket4u -- July 2013

For link 70 click: Why are 10 gallon kits inadequate for leopard geckos? . . . . . . Muffins94 -- Aug 2013

For link 71 click: The Importance of Regular Fecal Exams

For link 72 click: Three Common Causes of Thin Tail, Anorexia, Lethargy, et cetera

For link 73 click: How to configure heat cables? . . . . . . kholtme -- Aug 2015 with link

For link 74 click: Pakistan: A Leopard Geckos' Homeland

For link 75 click: Caught! . . . . . . dbott67's night videos of leo Mushu eating & drinking

For link 76 click: Establishing Photoperiods for Leopard Geckos

For link 77 click: Gecko Multivitamins -- August 2022 (update)

For link 78 click: Update pending ----> "Locusts: Nutritional Comments"

For link 79 click: Beneficial "Pests"---natural mite solution: USA & UK links . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer

For link 80 click: Repashy SuperLoad Insect Gutload Formula

For link 81 click: Leopard Gecko Care Sheet (abbreviated show handout) -- January 2021 (update)

For link 82 click: Why does my leo hide all the time - there is hope! . . . . . . GU's congener329 -- 2014

For link 83 click: Albers' All Purpose Poultry Feed

For link 84 click: cricket4u's Customized Leopard Gecko Husbandry

For link 85 click: Vitamin D3 + Calcium = Healthy Reptile Bones

For link 86 click: Nutrition Links . . . . . . GU's JIMI -- May 2014

For link 87 click: Leopard Gecko Care Sheet ("bare bones only") -- November 2020 (update)

For link 88 click: "Assessing Reptile Welfare Using Behavioural Criteria" -- March 2013 (with cricket4u link)

For link 89 click: Reptile Gout . . . . . . Kenneth Lopez, DVM & others

For link 90 click: Sand Removal Surgery on a Leopard Gecko – LIVE video coverage!

For link 91 click: Articles: "Vitamin D3 & Calcium" & "Vitamin A" . . . . . . Kenneth Lopez, DVM

For link 92 click: Nutritional Analyses of Feeders charts . . . . . . Mark Finke, PhD + DubiaRoaches.com

For link 93 click: Springtails . . . . . . Hilde -- Aug 2014 & CrestedRick -- May 2015

For link 94 click: Successful Rescue Thread links

For link 95 click: "Vitamin A in Chameleons: Friend or Foe?" . . . . . . Ivan Alfonso, DVM

For link 96 click: Supplementation & Diet: bugs, worms, & geckos . . . . . . Hilde - July 2014

For link 97 click: Butterworms: Nutritional Content & Care . . . . . . Frank Indiviglio, herpetologist

For link 98 click: Common Mealworm & Superworm Dry Diets & Beddings -- Use something else!

For link 99 click: Mealworm & Superworm Breeding . . . . . . acpart, Hilde, & swisswiss -- April 2021 (update)

For link 100 click: Shipping Tips . . . . . . December 2020 (update)

For link 101 click: Cork Round Planters . . . . . . CrestedRick -- June 2014

For link 102 click: Particulate Substrates & Impaction Cautions for Leopard Geckos!

For link 103 click: Balancing Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 + Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamins without D3 -- with Scott Stahl, DVM

For link 104 click: Is a hamster ball/wheel good exercise for a leopard gecko?

For link 105 click: Yellow Urates: Potential Causes . . . . . . DVM feedback -- Jan 2015

For link 106 click: Under tank heat mats (UTHs): Dimensions versus Wattages

For link 107 click: UVB lighting versus powdered D3 for leopard geckos? . . . . . . Geckologist.tj

For link 108 click: Ceramic Heat Emitters (CHEs)

For link 109 click: Vionate Powder & Osteo-Form SA Powder

For link 110 click: My ~10.5 yo leo Cha's enclosure tour . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer -- Jan 2015

For link 111 click: Repashy's Calcium Plus: vitamin D content + forms of vitamin D . . . . . . Hilde

For link 112 click: Updated Cricket Care Guidelines II -- April 2021 (update)

For link 113 click: Gecko Time articles . . . . . . acpart (Aliza Arzt), editor

For link 114 click: Awesome Leo Hides Handmade with River Rocks . . . . . . GU's JessJohnson87

For link 115 click: Insights on Ovulating Leopard Geckos . . . . . . GU's arawn from France -- 2015

For link 116 click: Proportional Thermostats

For link 117 (& 60a) click: Placement of UTHs & Heat Cables Inside Melamine & Wooden Leo Enclosures

For link 118 click: Calcium + Magnesium: Repashy's RescueCal+ Instructions -- Summer 2015

For link 119 click: UVB Lighting for Leopard Geckos: Only with ~48 inch + long vivarium . . . . . . GU’s JIMI

For link 120 click: 2010 Metabolic Bone Disease PDF: Improvement is Possible!!!

For link 121 click: "Leopard Gecko Diseases and Care" . . . . . . 2015 Pacific Veterinary Conference

For link 122 click: Water Treatment Precautions . . . . . . GU's amsdadtodd (Todd) -- Jan 2016

For link 123 click: Taming your Leopard Gecko . . . . . . GU's mecoat, Zux (Shane), & others

For link 124 click: Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 124 for leopard geckos 0-12 months old

For link 125 click: Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 125 for leopard geckos 12-18 months old

For link 126 click: Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 126 for leopard geckos 18 months old+

For link 127 click: Housing Leopard Geckos Alone . . . . . . GU's Zux (Shane) -- July 2016

For link 128 click: Natural History & Biology of Eublepharis macularius . . . . . . Hilde -- August 2016

For link 129 click: Geckos' Night Vision

For link 130 click: An Exceptional Custom Built Leo Terrarium! . . . . . . GU's srm2069 -- Sept 2016

For link 131 click: DIY Incubator . . . . . . GU's Black Swamp Reptiles (Jake Schoen)

For link 132 click: Why I use & highly recommend Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 & Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamins without D3 for geckos . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer

For link 133 click: Leo Merlin's struggles with gout . . . . . . GU's Samurai Drifter -- December 2016

For link 134 click: Leo Merlin's struggles with gout (continued): Vitamin D3 Overdosage in an Actual Leopard Gecko! . . . . . . Samurai Drifter -- 2017 threads

For link 135 click: Supplement Overdose Cure for leopard gecko leg tremors . . . . . . Zux + -- April 2021 (update)

For link 136 click: Important Links

For link 137 click: Arcadia Reptile's EarthPro-A (multivitamin/multi-mineral) & EarthPro Calcium + Magnesium

For link 138 click: More Info -- Feb 2017

For link 139 click: Silver SulfaDiazine (SSD) 1% Creme . . . . . . Yossarian -- April 2017

For link 140 click: Lighting Locations & Links in/near Portland, Oregon USA . . . . . . Irish Eyes -- May 2023 (update)

For link 141 click: Leopard Geckos Respond to 5 Types of Environmental Enrichment . . . . . . pdf -- 2016

For link 142 click: Linked Gecko Care Articles

For link 143 click: UVB and Nocturnal Reptiles . . . . . . Andy Tedder (UK)

For link 144 click: Schedule(s) 144: Repashy's Calcium Plus (all-in-one) multivitamins for Leopard Geckos

For link 145 click: Shipping Guidelines for Geckos . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer -- May 2022 (update)

For link 146 click: Albey's How to Incubate Leopard Gecko Eggs

For link 147 click: UVB for Leopard Geckos & other herps . . . . . . Frances Baines DVM + others -- December 2020 (update)
For link 148 click: Gutload Ingredients for Bugs & Worms . . . . . . thanks to Olimpia -- August 2013

For link 149 click: Clinical Effects of Short-term UVB Exposure in Leopard Geckos -- 2015

For link 150 click: Preventing Diseases in our Leopard Geckos . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer -- April 2020 (update)

For link 151 click: How much UVB does my reptile need? . . . . . . Dr. Frances M. Baines (GU's lilacdragon),+ -- January 2016

For link 152 click: Evaluation of β-carotene assimilation in leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) -- 2015/2016 research

For link 153 click: Quarantine Recommendations . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer -- February 2019

For link 154 click: UVB Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 154 for leopard geckos 0-12 months old

For link 155 click: UVB Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 155 for leopard geckos 12-18 months old

For link 156 click: UVB Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 156 for leopard geckos 18 months old+

For link 157 click: ***** Best Practices using UVB through mesh with a 20 gallon long enclosure: 30 x 12 x 12 inches tall for a leopard gecko . . . . . . GU's Marillion, Fran Baines DVM, & Elizabeth Freer -- June 2022 (update) *****

For link 158 click: Gaze following in an asocial reptile (Eublepharis macularius) -- March 2019 pdf

For link 159 click: Q & A with Scott Stahl, DVM -- June 2019 Herpeton Conference (video by Brian Kusko -- Triple B TV Episode 194)

For link 160 click: First Records of the Common Leopard Gecko . . . . . . in Nepal -- April 2019 (IRCF Reptiles and Amphibians Journal)

For link 161 click: Arcadia Reptile's heating & lighting products -- August 2021 (update)

For link 162 click: Top 10 Safe Plants for Leopard Geckos | BIOACTIVE ARID TANK . . . . . . British Lady LeopardGecko -- February 2020

For link 163 click: Slate Cheese Trays 16" x 12" (ACTUAL measurements = 15 & 5/8" x 11.8" x 0.3 inches thick) for Leo Substrate . . . . . . Gutler & Odinsmom -- May 2022 (update)

For link 164 click: Keeping & Breeding Multiple Feeder Roaches + Kyle's self-cleaning dubia roach setup -- May 2020

For link 165 click: Managing Egg-binding (dystocia) in Leopard Geckos . . . . . . Doctors Foster & Smith Information

For link 166 click: Persistent Gecko Tail Biting Behavior (with accompanying Problematic Tail Sheds) . . . . . . Remedy -- 18 November 2022 (update)

For link 167 click: Arcadia Reptile's Interactive UV Index Lighting Guide for Crepuscular Species

For link 168 click: State-of-the-Art practices using UVB through mesh with an Exo Terra 36 x 18 x 18 inch tall for a leopard gecko . . . . . . Ben Van Nest, Fran Baines DVM, & Elizabeth Freer -- May 2021

For link 169 click: Do ALL Reptiles NEED FULL Spectrum Light? | Dr. Frances Baines -- 26 September 2021

For link 170 click: Best Gut Loading Plan Using Modern Science . . . . . . Liam Sinclair -- 29 July 2021

For link 171 click: Esther Laue's ~42 yo female leopard gecko Grossmutterchen who lives with her in Germany . . . . . . Esther Laue -- Updated August 2024

For link 172 click: The Art of High-Level Gut Loading . . . . . . Reptiles and Research Podcast 1 (Liam Sinclair) -- 2022

For link 173 click: Water Crystal/Gel Alerts! Are water crystals SAFE for hydrating our geckos' feeder bugs & worms? -- March 2023

For link 174 click: X X X X X


Products & Services Resource List
* Arcadia products:
In USA stores: Light Your Reptiles, Reptile Basics, Reptile Supply Company (?), Pangea Reptiles, & PetSmart [as of ~June 2022]
* Armstrong's Cricket Farm:
800-658-3408 (Georgia)
* Avian Biotech International: 800-514-9672 [mail order crypto tests & fecals]
* Bean Farm: 866-708-5882 The Bean Farm has new owners. Their home base is now Norman, Oklahoma.
* Big Apple Pet Supply: 561-397-3977 [Beats advertised prices by 5%]
* Coastal Silkworms: USA East Coast & USA West Coast facilities
* Fluker's Cricket Farms: 800-735-8537 (Louisiana)
* Ghann's Cricket Farm: 706-863-8758 (Georgia)
* Great Lakes Hornworm: Chief Hornworm = Rob
* Josh’s Frogs: 800-691-8178 Carries Repashy's Superhorn(worm) gutload diet/gel premix & may have Brewer's yeast in bulk.
* Light Your Reptiles: In the USA: Arcadia's ShadeDweller UVB lighting + Arcadia's Deep Heat Projectors (50 watts & 80 watts): 207-588-7210 LightYourReptiles@yahoo.com
* Northwest ZooPath: Michael Garner DVM (Monroe, Washington) -- Does necropsies & histopathologies. Be sure to refrigerate your animal immediately after death; do NOT freeze it! Bring this animal to your vet ASAP for most definitive results. You may have to go through your vet to receive Dr. Garner's services.
* Oxbow's Carnivore Care:
800-249-0366 (info@OxbowAnimalHealth.com)
* Pangea Reptiles: Carries Arcadia ShadeDweller UVB fixtures
* PetSmart: Added some Arcadia products as of ~June 2022; carries Repashy too
* Purina Layena Crumbles: 800-227-8941
* Rainbow Mealworms: 310-635-1494 Carries only Gryllodes sigillatus crickets + other bugs & worms
* Repashy: 855-737-2749
* Reptile Basics: (336-308-5767) Carries some Arcadia products like Arcadia ShadeDweller UVB lighting. Also carries Ultratherm 11 x 17 inch heat pads/mats. Still $21.99 each as of April 2022. Click: https://www.reptilebasics.com/
* Reptile Supply Company: 916-226-4089 Use e-mail for customer service ---> info@ReptileSupplyCo.com Click: https://www.reptilesupplyco.com/8-products
* SuperiorShippingSupplies.com: 818-787-7794
* Timberline: 800-423-2248
* TSK Supply: 801-794-2247 Click: http://www.tsksupply.com/brands/UniHeat.html
UniHeat Heat Packs, bulk egg flats (35 & 70 count), Cryopak's Phase 22s, et cetera
* Zoo Med: 888-496-6633

UK members can order from:
OnlineReptileShop:
https://www.onlinereptileshop.co.uk/
Swell Reptiles: https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#143---UVB and Nocturnal Reptiles . . . . . . Andy Tedder (UK)

Click: UVB and Nocturnal Lizards - *BambooZoo

UVB and Nocturnal Reptiles . . . . . . Andy Tedder
[*** Interactions between Vitamin D3, Calcium Carbonate, & UVB]
Andy Tedder
[www.glasgowgecko.co.uk]

Andy Tedder explores a subject where much has been learnt over recent years, and one that is of increasing significance to reptile keepers, especially given the widespread popularity of leopard geckos today.

As the experienced amongst us (and by ‘experienced’, I mean older keepers!) will agree, our understanding of the care requirements of reptiles has progressed faster in the last 15 years than any time in the past. There is a good reason for this - namely, a concerted effort by both the herpetology and herpetoculture communities to gain better insights into the biology and physiology of this group of animals.

These advances have not been easy to achieve however, and nor has it always been simple to persuade keepers to accept and implement the resulting findings in the first instance. A current example of this is the use of lighting, specifically UVB lighting, for crepuscular and nocturnal lizards. The positive benefits of UVB exposure as most reptile keepers will know, UVB radiation (290–315 nm), either via unfiltered natural sunlight or artificial vivarium lighting, causes pro-vitamin D (7-dehydrocholesterol) in the animal’s skin to form pre-vitamin D. This is then thermally isomerised into vitamin D₃ D3 [Holick et al., 1995]. After undergoing hydroxylation in the liver, it becomes 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ [Holick and Clark, 1978], which is carried by the blood to the kidneys, where it is converted to its hormonally-active form known as 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D or calcitriol [Holick et al., 1971].

This hormone’s main function is to facilitate uptake of calcium from the gut of the animal. The importance of this chemical pathway should not be under-estimated. A failure to accumulate adequate active vitamin D₃ in the blood stream means that the body’s largest calcium reserve - the skeletal system - will otherwise become weakened. If not remedied, this can then soon lead to a calcium deficiency, generally described as metabolic bone disease (MBD).

For this reason, it is not an over-statement to suggest that calcium metabolism is one of the most important concerns for all reptile keepers, as far as their animals are concerned. Considering the importance of calcium metabolism to the overall health and well-being of reptiles therefore, it is somewhat surprising that UVB light is still often overlooked by many keepers of nocturnal species.

There are doubtless various reasons for this, although I am convinced the benefits that this type of supplementation bring far out-weigh any extra monetary costs. Perhaps the main argument advanced for not using a UVB source is that nocturnal lizards would not be exposed to sunlight for any length of time in the wild, and anyway, their diet is being supplemented with active vitamin D₃.

For me, however, having studied the evidence, it is clear that the use of lighting is beneficial. Many keepers may instead choose a vitamin supplement with a source of active vitamin D₃. Typical supplementation regimens will usually include two or three days of multivitamin use (which includes D₃) and then the addition of pure calcium or a multivitamin supplementation with each feed on the remaining days.

Does it work?
Anecdotal evidence suggests that using a routine as set out above can be effective. Many experienced keepers and professionals will tell you that this type of method has consistently worked for them, and indeed, in many cases, it would appear that it is possible to achieve correct calcium metabolism in this way. However, there are also some potential problems with it:
  • The vitamin D₃ source in many commercial supplements is subject to decay (as are all the components), with the rate of decay being unknown. This means that the supplement you purchase ‘new’ in the reptile shop could already have become less potent than was initially intended. Unfortunately, this means that without altering your previously effective supplementation routine, you might possibly be unknowingly under supplementing your animals.

  • Designing a supplementation regimen which is appropriate for your animal and provides optimal vitamin D₃ is very difficult, having noted the potential problems if this is not achieved. While it is important that both vitamin D₃ and calcium are not under-supplemented, it is also equally vital that they are not over-supplemented.

  • Gauging the amount of vitamin D₃ that your animal is actually receiving without blood testing is impossible. This means that incorrect supplementation may easily go un-noticed, and can potentially lead to problems. This difficulty can also be amplified by a variation in D₃ and calcium requirements within a species. For example, it is conceivable that females during ovulation and rapidly-growing juveniles require higher levels of D₃ than adult males.
Bearing these problems in mind, it becomes very difficult to see how a general oral supplementation regimen can suit all individuals within a species, let alone all species within a collection.

Further problems caused by vitamin D₃ deficiency
Calcium metabolism in both adult and juvenile lizards is not the only reason that UVB is important for captive lizards. Many studies have demonstrated a link between vitamin D₃ and captive hatching rates in reptiles. Over many years, both professional organisations concerned with conservation and private keepers have observed a problem with the failure of their captive-produced eggs to hatch at term [Zwart et al., 1992; Ferguson et al., 1996].

Seemingly viable eggs are produced by apparently healthy captive-raised adults, and incubate to full term but then fail to hatch. On further inspection, the fully developed, dead embryos appear normal but have poorly-mineralized skeletons. This problem has also been documented in various non-reptilian species and has been verified experimentally to be a the result of a deficiency of vitamin D in the egg yolk caused by hypovitaminosis D (a lack of this vitamin) in the mother [Narbaitz and Tsang, 1989; Packard and Clark, 1996]. This problem can be corrected in many species by providing sufficient UVB lighting for the adult female prior to egg-laying [Ferguson et al., 1996; Ferguson et al., 2002].

Is a UVB source really the answer?
We frequently hear that nocturnal species do not naturally expose themselves to UVB light for prolonged periods in the wild, and this is likely to be true. As a result however, the skin of nocturnal reptiles allows for greater conversion of pro-vitamin D to photoproducts when exposed to UVB from a lamp. This means that nocturnal species can utilize UVB in a much shorter space of time than their diurnal counterparts, whose reduced skin efficiency in terms of vitamin D photobiosynthesis probably reflects their increased exposure to sunlight. Basically, they don’t need to be as efficient in utilising UVB, as they are active throughout the period when UVB is most readily available - during the day.

This evolutionary adaptation allows nocturnal lizards to utilize UVB radiation in very short periods of time, and has been demonstrated experimentally in recent studies on diurnal species. These have concluded that a short period of UVB exposure (two hours) enables adequate concentrations of plasma vitamin D₃ metabolites to be maintained. On the other hand, it has also been shown conclusively that oral supplementation of D₃ does not allow this to happen [Oonincx et al. 2010; Fraser, 1983]. Unfortunately, what this study suggests is that although many keepers may not be experiencing problems when using oral supplements, they may nevertheless still not be fulfilling their reptiles’ requirements adequately.

What does this mean for your nocturnal species?
Well, while it is clear that there are plenty of examples where current supplementation regimens appear to be working, and according to many keepers, working well. I think it is also fair to say, however, that there are also situations where it is not working. The benefits to using UVB for short periods in each 24 hour cycle are also great. Allowing your animal to regulate its own vitamin D₃ and calcium metabolism may remove some of the guesswork associated with this type of supplementation, and reduce the number of cases of MBD.

It is also important to note at this point that changing the supplementation routine will be necessary, when you introduce a UVB source. This change would ideally involve a switch to a product which does not contain active vitamin D₃, but one that still meets the animal’s calcium and micro-nutrient requirements in general, incorporating other essential vitamins and minerals for example.

Behavioural impact of UVA
Beneficial lighting for reptiles is not restricted to UVB, and it can be important to allow for more natural behaviour and increase breeding success. Indeed, studies on the effects of UVA radiation have been shown to have a profound impact on certain behavioural traits in reptiles. In particular, UVA is responsible for an increase in behavioural traits associated with reproduction or courtship, along with social behaviour in certain species and territorial behaviour in many others. I believe that these traits are very important for many species, and lack of UVA light may explain why their behaviour may differ, certainly when compared with their wild counterparts.

In conclusion
In the past, the idea of UV lighting for nocturnal reptiles appeared something of a contentious issue, with keepers on both sides of the debate proposing alternative arguments. The evidence presented here gives firm evidence that both UVA and UVB may have a profound positive impact on the health, behaviour and reproductive success of nocturnal reptiles.

As with all changes in husbandry practices however, this evidence may not be universally accepted at present. Nevertheless, all keepers should strive to provide the best conditions possible for their animals, and in the case of vitamin D₃/ calcium metabolism, it would appear that oral supplementation may not be the best answer. In my experience, the positive benefits of using a UVA and UVB source in a vivarium housing nocturnal species far out-weigh the costs associated with using this type of lighting.

References
Ferguson GW, Gehrmann WH, Chen TC, Dierenfeld ES, Holick MF. 2002. Effects of Artificial Ultraviolet Light Exposure on Reproductive Success of the Female Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) in Captivity. Zoo Biology 21(6): 525-537.

Ferguson GW, Gehrmann WH, Karsten KB, Hammack SH, McRae M, Chen TC, Lung NP, Holick MF. 2003. Do Panther Chameleons Bask to Regulate Endogenous Vitamin D3 Production? Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 76(1): 52-59.

Ferguson GW, Gehrmann WH, Karsten KB, Landwer AJ, Carman EN, Chen TC, Holick MF. 2005. Ultraviolet Exposure and Vitamin D Synthesis in a Sun Dwelling and a Shade Dwelling Species of Anolis: Are There Adaptations for Lower Ultraviolet B and Dietary Vitamin D3 Availability in the Shade? Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 78(2): 193-200.

Ferguson GW, Jones JR, Gehrmann WH, Hammack SH, Talent LG, Hudson RD, Dierenfeld ES, Fitzpatrick MP, Frye FL, Holick MF, Chen TC, Lu Z, Gross TS, Vogel JJ. 1996. Indoor Husbandry of the Panther Chameleon (Chamaeleo [Furcifer] pardalis): Effects of Dietary Vitamins A and D and Ultraviolet Irradiation on Pathology and Life-History Traits. Zoo Biology 15(3): 279-299.

Fraser DR. 1983. The Physiological Economy of Vitamin D. Lancet 321: 969-972.

Holick MF. 2003. Vitamin D: A Millennium Perspective. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry 88(2): 296-307.

Holick MF, Richtand N, Mcneil S, Frommer J, Clark MB, Henley J, Holick SA, Potts JT. 1978. Mechanism for Synthesis of Vitamin-D3 in Skin During Sunlight Exposure. Clinical Research 26(3): A417-A417.

Holick MF, Schnoes HK, Deluca HF. 1971. Identification of 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol, a Form of Vitamin-D3 Metabolically Active in Intestine. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 68(4): 803-7.

Holick MF, Tian XQ, Allen M. 1995. Evolutionary Importance for the Membrane Enhancement of the Production of Vitamin-D3 in the Skin of Poikilothermic Animals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 92( 8 ): 3124-3126.

Narbaitz R, Tsang CP. 1989. Vitamin D Deficiency in the Chick Embryo: Effects on Prehatching Motility and on the Growth and Differentiation of Bones, Muscles and Parathyroid Glands. Calcif Tissue Int. 44: 348-355.

Oonincx DGAB, Stevens Y, van den Borne JJGC, van Leeuwen JPTM, Hendriks WH. 2010. Effects of Vitamin D-3 Supplementation and Uvb Exposure on the Growth and Plasma Concentration of Vitamin D-3 Metabolites in Juvenile Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps). Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology B-Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 156(2): 122-128.

Packard MJ, Clark MB. 1996. Aspects of Calcium Regulation in Embryonic Lepidosaurians and Chelonians and a Review of Calcium Regulation in Embryonic Archosaurians. Physiol Zool 69: 435-466.

Zwart VP, Langerwerf BWA, Claesson H, Leunisse JJC, Mennes J, Riel CV, Lambrechts L, Kik MJL. 1992. Health Aspects in Breeding and Rearing Insectivorous Lizards from Moderate Climatic Zones. Zool Garten 62: 46-52.


Andy Tedder, an enthusiastic breeder of geckos, had a keen interest in their genetics.
Sadly Andy has passed away.
Andrew Tedder, 49, from Emley in West Yorkshire was killed as he descended Ben Nevis when he slipped from a tourist path & fell down a steep river gully on Britain's highest mountain about September 24, 2012.
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#144---Schedule(s) 144: Repashy's Calcium Plus (all-in-one) multivitamins for Leopard Geckos . . . . . . acpart (Aliza Arzt)

Click: Schedule(s) 144: Repashy's Calcium Plus (all-in-one) multivitamins for Leopard Geckos . . . . . . acpart (Aliza Arzt)


*** Oftentimes experienced keepers & breeders tweak supplements more than the manufacturer suggests based upon the health of their leopard geckos.

*** Powdered supplements stick to crickets & to dubia better than they do to mealworms or to superworms.

Here's the Repashy's Calcium Plus (all-in-one multivitamins) schedule that GU's acpart (Aliza Arzt) has used for all her leopard geckos ----> breeders & non-breeders. You'll need 2 different powders.

-----> February 2019 -- "I've been using an 'every other' feeding schedule with Repashy's Calcium Plus multivitamins since 2009. Adults get fed Mondays & Thursdays. They get Repashy on Thursdays.

"I fed juveniles & hatchlings 3 times a week. (They would be getting mealworms so there would always be some in their bowls.) For juveniles I'd dust with Repashy's Calcium Plus multivitamins at every other feeding. For hatchlings 0-2 months old & any slow-growing leopard gecko under ~6 grams, I would also dust every other feeding with Repashy's Calcium Plus multivitamins."

Updated September 2022: Regarding supplemental plain calcium carbonate & breeding!
What acpart/Aliza actually did when she bred leopard geckos:
"You could say 0-2 months. When I was breeding geckos, I put a small dish of calcium in with all newly hatched leopard geckos & didn't replenish it when they finished it, but saying 0-2 months is easier. I used only Repashy Calcium Plus multivitamins which already contains the minerals & vitamins that they need. For slow growing leopard geckos I wouldn't add any calcium in the cage, though I would put more care into hand feeding. If they showed any sign of MBD I would add the calcium in the cage."

Aliza

Schedule(s) 144: Repashy's Calcium Plus (all-in-one) multivitamins for Leopard Geckos
(withOUT UVB)
The medical term for Metabolic Bone Disease = Nutritional Secondary HyperParathyroidism. NSHP symptoms include leaning to one side when walking, walking on one or both "elbows", bowed limbs, belly dragging, & an underbite. Hind leg weakness or paralysis can also be a MBD symptom. Difficulty chewing should be closely monitored.
The Reptile Supply Company (916-226-4089) now based in Bonham, Texas stocks Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins withOUT D3.

2119013-center-1.jpg + 5774.jpg OR 49151.jpg
(click to enlarge)

1. Feeding & Supplementing HATCHLING leopard geckos - 0-2 months old & any slow-growing leopard geckos under ~6 grams ~ Feed 3x per week.
  • Feed Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays
  • Dust prey with Repashy's Calcium Plus (all-in-one) multivitamins at every other feeding
  • ALSO: See above for plain calcium carbonate usage.
  • [See dusting chart below]
2. Feeding & Supplementing JUVENILE leopard geckos ~ Feed 3x per week.
  • Feed Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays
  • Dust prey with Repashy's Calcium Plus (all-in-one) multivitamins at every other feeding
  • [See dusting chart below]
3. Feeding & Supplementing ADULT leopard geckos ~ Feed 2x per week.
  • Mondays ~ feed (no dusting)
  • Thursdays ~ feed & dust prey with Repashy's Calcium Plus (all-in-one) multivitamins

Dusting Schedule for Repashy's Calcium Plus multivitamins
For HATCHLINGS & JUVENILES, dust prey at every other feeding
\/ \/ \/


R = Repashy's Calcium Plus, Cc = pure precipitated calcium carbonate (withOUT vitamin D3)

Week 1 Repashy dusting (for HATCHLINGS & JUVENILES):
M-------T-------W------Th-------F-------Sat-------Sun
.................R...............................................................R...................
Week 2 Repashy dusting (for HATCHLINGS & JUVENILES):
M-------T-------W------Th-------F-------Sat-------Sun
..................................R..........................................


For link 144 click: Schedule(s) 144: Repashy's Calcium Plus (all-in-one) multivitamins for Leopard Geckos
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#145---Shipping Guidelines for Geckos . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer -- July 2023 (update)


Click for Reptiles2You shipping information:
Important
  • Have the box HAL (Held at Location) for the recipient's pick up!
  • ONLY ship Tuesdays or Wednesdays.
  • Monitor temperatures at FedEx Ship Center locations along the way as well as sending & receiving cities' airports.
  • Use https://weather.com/ (The Weather Channel) to monitor current temperatures along the shipping route.
  • I only ship geckos in April, May, (maybe early June), & then in September, October, & maybe early November.
  • As summer approaches, strongly consider waiting or using Cryopak's Phase 22 packs if any temperature exceeds 80*F (26.7*C)!
  • As winter approaches, strongly consider waiting or combining your 72 hour heat pack with a Phase 22 pack that will keep temperatures in the "SAFE" zone!

These methods work well for 12 x 9 x 6 inch shipping boxes with 1/2 inch styrofoam insulation. In winter definitely use 3/4 inch styrofoam insulation!

I highly recommend using UniHeat's 72 hour heat pack for shipping. Several years ago I switched to 72 hour UniHeat packs for all shipments at any time. A "2-day delay" = 72 hours from shipping time. The 72 hour UniHeat is the best heat pack by far for shipping, because it peaks at a much lower temperature than all other UniHeats do!

31693243_10211937870950778_5418841490107400192_n.jpg
(click to enlarge)​

96 hour & 120 hour UniHeat packs are also available!

Gecko(s)
Make certain the gecko(s) are especially well-hydrated for several days right before their trip!

*** Activate your 72 hour UniHeat pack 6 hours prior to the time you'll seal the shipping box. *** That's at 6 AM if you plan to seal up the box about noon. That gives ample time for the heat pack to peak and then begin to level off.

Prepping Sequence for Gecko's 16 ounce Deli Cup
  1. First melt ventilation holes around a 16 ounce plastic deli cup with an electric soldering iron.
  2. Fill this 16 ounce deli cup with loosely packed DRY paper towel strips to prevent your gecko from bouncing around.
  3. Now place one gecko into your 16 ounce ventilated deli cup.
  4. Carefully snap on the deli's lid.
  5. Place this deli cup into your styrofoam-insulated cardboard shipping box.
Box
Caution
-- Make certain the paper towel strips surrounding the gecko in the deli cup are DRY. If the paper towels are damp at all, they cause the UniHeat pack's contents to clump. “Clumping”/hardening kills the UniHeat very quickly.

Surround each deli cup with styrofoam "peanuts" as packing. Some "peanuts" dissolve when wet. Don't use those.

Using a Phillips screwdriver poke 1---> 4 small hole(s) through the cardboard shipping box & through the styrofoam. These holes can be offset some (or not). Place one inch-wide strip of nylon-reinforced tape on the edge of each top & bottom flap (8 strips in all). Seal the top & bottom flaps' center with Scotch Heavy Duty Shipping Tape. Be careful NOT to tape over the box ventilation hole(s)!

Loosely wrap the UniHeat heat pack with 1 layer of paper towels.

With the heat pack’s ventilation holes facing towards the gecko(s), place the heat pack against the far long wall of the box or in between the gecko deli cup(s). Do NOT cover any of the styrofoam box's ventilation hole(s).

Box Enclosures
Include care sheet(s), extra shipping label, extra box label identifying contents & number of lizards, & complete emergency details on reaching sender, recipient, & shipping company's contact person

Box Labels
Include common name(s), scientific name(s), numbers, & sizes (weights and/or lengths)

Actual Shipping
Use a company that specializes in shipping reptiles. That reduces shipping costs & provides tender loving care & safety from your home to a gecko's next home.

Reptiles2You is awesome. Debbie Price offers top notch customer service!

ShipYourReptiles & Reptiles Express are other shipping options.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cryopak's Phase 22 recs

Cryopak's Phase 22 low temperature packs aren't supposed to raise the temperature above 72*F.

Click: Cold Chain Packaging, Data Loggers & Monitoring and Package Testing
  • Cryopak Phase 22 packs are great for applications that need to maintain a controlled room temperature
  • Phase change temperature is 22°C /71.6°F
  • Provides thermal protection when shipping products at various temperatures
  • When used as liquid, acts as gentle heat source (keeping the contents warm)
  • When used as solid, acts as a heat sink (protecting the contents from heat)

Click: Ship Your Reptiles with Cool Packs from Reptiles2You.com
"These packs are not only high quality but also HIGH TECH! They are designed to undergo "phase change" (to freeze or melt) at 22°C / 71.6°F. If you think the temp inside your box might rise ABOVE this, use a frozen Phase 22 pack. It will absorb the heat energy in your box as the pack changes from solid to liquid, thereby keeping the contents of the box cooler.​
"If you are concerned that the temp inside your box might dip slightly BELOW 22°C / 71.6°F, use an un-frozen pack. It will release it's heat energy inside your box as the pack tries to "phase change" from liquid to solid, thereby keeping the contents of the box slightly warmer.​
"HOWEVER - note that the warming properties of this process are NOT as powerful as true Shipping Warmers (Heat Packs).​
"If you expect your shipment to encounter temps below 60°F we recommend using a true Heat Pack shipping warmer."​


For link 100 click: Shipping Tips for Geckos . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer -- July 2023 (update)
For link 145 click: Shipping Guidelines for Geckos . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer -- July 2023 (update)
 
Last edited:

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#148---*** Gutload Recommendations for Bugs & Worms *** . . . . . . Olimpia Martinotti -- September 2023 (update)

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

We can build/create more nutritious insects & worms by also feeding them a balanced DRY diet 24/7/365 days per year.
A commercial gutloading food like Bug Burger or Superload (both by Repashy), Cricket Crack, Dinofuel, etc. will make your life easier & provide a nutritious diet for your crickets at the same time. Avoid Fluker's gutloads, as they are super feeble in their formulas.
Here are Olimpia Martinotti's lists of great ingredients to feed your gecko's bugs & worms:
Best: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress, & alfalfa.
Good: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy, & green beans.
Dry food: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed, & 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:

"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

Well-known member
149---Clinical Effects of Short-term UVB Exposure in Leopard Geckos -- 2015

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.


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."
 
Last edited:

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#150---Preventing Diseases in our Leopard Geckos . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer -- April 2020

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 & highly nutritious diet is one good preventative. Then one doesn't need to play "catch-up".
  • Knowing our leopard gecko's thermal gradient & keeping it in good proportion is important too. A leo will be out & about more when he has a nice warm floor. (Not a wee warm spot with a huge cool area!)
  • Feeding our leo's bugs & worms the best diet you can is vital. What's inside the feeders is passed on to our geckos.
  • Carefully using good & appropriate supplements!
  • Having a large enclosure like Exo Terra's 36 x 18 x 18 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): http://www.lightyourreptiles.com/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.
 
Last edited:

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#152---Evaluation of β-carotene assimilation in leopard geckos -- 2015/2016

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/public...tion_in_leopard_geckos_Eublepharis_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!
 
Last edited:

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#153---Quarantine Recommendations . . . . . . Elizabeth Freer -- January 2023 (update)

Any new gecko should be quarantined for a minimum of 90 days. That gives adequate time to check for parasites, cryptosporidiosis, & 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 & 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!
 
Last edited:

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#154---UVB Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 154 for leos 0-12 months old

Here goes:
UVB Weekly Schedule 154 for Leopard Geckos 0-12 months old
(with UVB)

***** 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.

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. *****

These schedules depend upon feeding a good quality dry diet to your insects & worms 24/7/365. Finely grind Zoo Med's Natural ADULT Bearded Dragon Food (or an equivalent high quality dry diet) to feed bugs & worms. That covers the basics. Then supplement this 24/7/365 dry diet frequently with high calcium, low phosphorus, leafy greens: collard, mustard, turnip greens, pesticide-free dandelion flowers/greens, fresh carrots, & sweet potatoes. Vary your leopard gecko's diet. Crickets, Blaptica dubia, hornworms, Phoenix worms, & silkworms are all good.


The medical term for Metabolic Bone Disease = Nutritional Secondary HyperParathyroidism. NSHP symptoms include leaning to one side when walking, walking on one or both "elbows", bowed limbs, belly dragging, & an underbite. Hind leg paralysis can be due to a narrowing of the spinal column. Difficulty chewing should be closely monitored.
*** A Ferguson Zone Index of 0.5-1.0 based upon measurements from a Solarmeter 6.5R is required at a leopard gecko's UVB basking site! ***
The Reptile Supply Company (916-226-4089) based in Bonham, Texas stocks Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins withOUT D3.

Dust the prey 3x per week even when your leopard gecko eats daily. When your leo graduates to eating ~3x per week, still dust the prey ONLY 3x per week.

During this time (0-12 months old) your leopard gecko will be transitioning from daily feeding to feeding ~3x per week. This all depends upon how fast your leo grows!


For now check out Schedules 155 or 156 for supplement images
View attachment 47458 + View attachment 47459 OR View attachment 47457

+ View attachment 47468
(click to enlarge)

  • Monday > > crickets or dubia dusted with Zoo Med's Reptivite multivitamins withOUT D3
  • Tuesday > > mealworms, superworms, or black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix worms) > > no dusting
  • Wednesday > > crickets or dubia dusted with pure precipitated calcium carbonate withOUT D3 (Zoo Med's Repti Calcium or NOW's human-grade pure calcium carbonate)
  • Thursday > > mealworms, superworms, or black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix worms) > > no dusting
  • Friday > > crickets or dubia dusted with pure precipitated calcium carbonate withOUT D3 (Zoo Med's Repti Calcium or NOW's human-grade pure calcium carbonate)
  • Saturday > > mealworms, superworms, or black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix worms) > > no dusting
  • Sunday > > no food or free choice > > no dusting
***** When your leopard gecko is taking advantage of appropriate UVB rays, Dr. Fran Baines DVM 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. *****
 
Last edited:

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#155---UVB Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 155 for leos 12-18 months old

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

***** 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.

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. *****

These schedules depend upon feeding a good quality dry diet to your insects & worms 24/7/365. Finely grind Zoo Med's Natural ADULT Bearded Dragon Food (or an equivalent high quality dry diet) to feed bugs & worms. That covers the basics. Then supplement this 24/7/365 dry diet frequently with high calcium, low phosphorus, leafy greens: collard, mustard, turnip greens, pesticide-free dandelion flowers/greens, fresh carrots, & sweet potatoes. Vary your leopard gecko's diet. Crickets, Blaptica dubia, hornworms, Phoenix worms, & silkworms are all good.


The medical term for Metabolic Bone Disease = Nutritional Secondary HyperParathyroidism. NSHP symptoms include leaning to one side when walking, walking on one or both "elbows", bowed limbs, belly dragging, & an underbite. Hind leg paralysis can be due to a narrowing of the spinal column. Difficulty chewing should be closely monitored.
*** A Ferguson Zone Index of 0.5-1.0 based upon measurements from a Solarmeter 6.5R is required at a leopard gecko's UVB basking site! ***
The Reptile Supply Company (916-226-4089) based in Bonham, Texas 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 & 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
(click to enlarge)

Feed dusted prey 3x per week.
  • Monday > > crickets or dubia dusted with Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins withOUT D3
  • Wednesday > > crickets or dubia dusted with pure precipitated calcium carbonate withOUT D3 (Zoo Med's Repti Calcium or NOW's human-grade pure calcium carbonate)
  • Friday > > crickets or dubia dusted with pure precipitated calcium carbonate withOUT D3 (Zoo Med's Repti Calcium or NOW's human-grade pure calcium carbonate)
  • 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 DVM 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. *****
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#156---UVB Weekly Feeding & Supplement Schedule 156 for leos 18 months old +

Here goes:
UVB Weekly Schedule 156 for leopard geckos 18 months old +
(with UVB)

***** 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.

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. *****

These schedules depend upon feeding a good quality dry diet to your insects & worms 24/7/365. Finely grind Zoo Med's Natural ADULT Bearded Dragon Food (or an equivalent high quality dry diet) to feed bugs & worms. That covers the basics. Then supplement this 24/7/365 dry diet frequently with high calcium, low phosphorus, leafy greens: collard, mustard, turnip greens, pesticide-free dandelion flowers/greens, fresh carrots, & sweet potatoes. Vary your leopard gecko's diet. Crickets, Blaptica dubia, hornworms, Phoenix worms, & silkworms are all good.
The medical term for Metabolic Bone Disease = Nutritional Secondary HyperParathyroidism. NSHP symptoms include leaning to one side when walking, walking on one or both "elbows", bowed limbs, belly dragging, & an underbite. Hind leg paralysis can be due to a narrowing of the spinal column. Difficulty chewing should be closely monitored.
*** A Ferguson Zone Index of 0.5-1.0 based upon measurements from a Solarmeter 6.5R is required at a leopard gecko's UVB basking site! ***
The Reptile Supply Company (916-226-4089) based in Bonham, Texas stocks Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins withOUT D3.
Leopard geckos usually reach maximum size at about 18 months old.


5777.jpg + 5774.jpg OR 49151.jpg
+ repticalciumwd3.jpg
(click to enlarge)

Feed dusted prey 2x per week.
  • Monday > > crickets or dubia dusted with Zoo Med's ReptiVite multivitamins withOUT D3
  • Thursday > > crickets or dubia dusted with pure precipitated calcium carbonate withOUT D3 (Zoo Med's Repti Calcium or NOW's human-grade pure calcium carbonate)
  • 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 DVM 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. *****
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#157---Best Practices using UVB through mesh on top of a 20 gallon LONG enclosure: 30 x 12 x 12 inches TALL for a leopard gecko . . . . . . GU's Marillion, Fran Baines DVM, & Elizabeth Freer -- June 2024 (revision)


Ideal products for a leopard gecko's 20 gallon long enclosure: 30 x 12 x 12 inches tall:
Scroll down right here.
\/ \/ \/


25 June 2021: Regarding leopard gecko Mango's Thrive 13 watt Desert Compact Fluorescent UVB Bulb Frances Baines says ---> "I don't like the look of that discoloration on that Thrive compact lamp. It's the result of strong UVB radiation, I've seen it often when testing very cheap Chinese lamps. Some, but only a few nowadays, thank goodness, still do emit more hazardous short-wavelength UVB so without having seen any test results for the lamp, I wouldn't recommend it. . . . . . "
  • 25 June 2021: Mango's screen top grid seems OK. Mango's screen top brand is unknown.
  • 15 March 2021: Yesterday I heard that Thrive brand enclosure lids block most UVB rays.

***** Ideal products for a leopard gecko's 20 gallon long enclosure: 30 x 12 x 12 inches tall:
  1. Dr. Fran Baines recommends Arcadia Reptile's 12 inch long T5 7% ShadeDweller UVB linear tube light with a reflective fixture to ensure a 0.5 - 1.0 UVI (UV Index) rating at a 12" depth through "Exo Terra or Zoo Med grid" mesh.
    Let me or FB Reptile Lighting's group know which mesh brand you have or take a close-up image of your mesh for FB's Reptile Lighting group. That way you'll know what % UVB your particular mesh blocks. I have 2 vital Reptile Lighting graphics made by RL group members Dr. Baines & Thomas Griffiths that should answer those questions.
  2. Your UVB tube with fixture should = one third to one half the enclosure's length.
  3. Center your halogen bulb in the middle of the UVB tube fixture & about one inch away.
  4. * For a 12 inch TALL enclosure use slate substrate covering at least half the enclosure's length: flat slate & slate chunks randomly arranged. Slate is a superior stone for absorbing heat.
    * For a 16-18 inch TALL enclosure use several inches of loose substrate: 70 topsoil/30 play sand with flat slate & slate chunks to create a basking area.)
  5. Place the suitable wattage halogen flood bulb on a thermostat to create "a blanket of sunlight".
  6. An ON/OFF thermostat COULD be used. A proportional dimming thermostat like USA's Herpstat or Europe's Habistat (rather than a non-proportional ON/OFF thermostat) for a halogen flood bulb (or a Deep Heat Projector) is supposed to extend the life of the bulb or DHP.
  7. When providing UVB for shade dwellers like leopard geckos, Dr. Fran Baines (DVM & lighting expert) recommends a backup dose of a powdered D3 + plain calcium carbonate supplement @ 1-2 feedings per month. I use Zoo Med's Repti Calcium with D3 as one of my leo's supplements.
  8. The Ferguson Zone UV Index requirement for a shade dwelling gecko like a leopard gecko = 0.5 - 1.0 UVI (UV Index) rating at a 12" depth through the mesh.
26 August 2020: Marillion -- "I use an Arcadia DHP bulb. The DHP bulbs are quite focused in their heat direction. If your DHP bulb is pointing downwards and towards a slate rock (as it should be to help diffuse the heat throughout the terrarium) there will not be an excessive amount of heat going towards your foam background. The amount of heat that would harm your background would be harmful for your gecko as well if it got that hot...just make sure to use a thermostat with the bulb, like with any heat bulb. So that it shuts off when the desired temperature is reached."
22 April 2020: Marillion heard back today from Dr. Baines. "Dr. Baines told me that based on her testing with my dome on a mesh cover, it is a certainty that my gecko would not be receiving enough UVB. She recommends that I use Arcadia's 12" T5 7% Shade Dweller UVB bulb with a reflective fixture to ensure a 0.5 - 1.0 UVI (UV Index) rating at a 12" depth through the mesh. Guess I'll have to go shopping soon..."
5 March 2020: (from Gutler's thread about leo "Iggy")
by GU member Marillion


"From the conversations I have had with the folks at Arcadia, if your enclosure is 12" high, the 50 Watt Deep Heat Projector (DHP) should be sufficient. I myself use a 50 watt for my 20 Gallon long enclosure and with a few slate rocks underneath the DHP I find the ambient air and local temps on top of the slate rocks to be perfect when used with a thermostat. Without a thermostat, it would get far too warm!

"There is however a short "break in period" after which the bulb functions at full efficiency. The key thing to remember here, is that to get enough ambient air heat you will need slate rocks or something similar underneath the lamp to reflect the heat and warm up the surrounding air. These DHP bulbs are not like Ceramic Heat emitters in the way they work heating the air only. The deep penetrating heat waves that a DHP produces are not as efficient at heating the surrounding air unless there is something dense underneath to store those waves and reflect it back as ambient heat."
& right here:
\/ \/ \/


UVB & heat go together. Place the precise UVB tube inside an aluminum coated reflector & directly above the warm end of your gecko's enclosure. Center your halogen bulb in the middle of your UVB tube & about one inch away. Strength of UVB tube lighting depends upon both the exact mesh top grid & the UVB fixture's distance from your leopard gecko's basking area. Be sure that basking area = "a blanket", NOT a "spot". Your gecko should be able to stretch out its whole body in that area! That way your gecko receives full benefit of UVB rays. Leopard geckos often engage in "cryptic" basking, only exposing their tail or other body parts under UVB. That's effective too! At this time ALL compact fluorescent bulbs provide ineffective UVB rays! (I've not read about minimum temps which facilitate UVB absorption.)

***** Make certain your UVB light fixture has an aluminum coating. White lamp coatings don't reflect UVB.

In 2018 Arcadia developed ShadeDweller lighting. Now Arcadia also offers Deep Heat Projectors.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

If you wish to check UVB output on your own, purchase a Solarmeter 6.5R (or equivalant) to measure the UV Index.

Related links:

  1. https://zoomed.com/wp-content/uploads/Choosing-Correct-UVB-Lamp-2018-07.pdf
  2. https://zoomed.com/wp-content/uploads/Reptiles-and-UVB.pdf
  3. Reptile Lighting Information
  4. An In-Depth Look At UV Light And Its Proper Use With Reptiles
  5. https://www.arcadiareptile.com/lighting/shadedweller-prot5/
 

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#158---Gaze following in an asocial reptile (E. macularius) -- March 2019 pdf

68273833_10217252007603657_1756443432798126080_n.jpg
"Case in Point: Actually leos Cheeto & Alberich were just watching TV with keeper Susan."
Photo & link credits to: Susan Kaisaki​

"Gaze following is the ability to utilise information from another’s gaze. It is most often seen in a social context or as a reflexive response to interesting external stimuli. Social species can potentially reveal utilisable knowledge about another’s future intentions by attending to the target of their gaze. However, in even more fundamental situations, being sensitive to another’s gaze can also be useful such as when it can facilitate greater foraging efficiency or lead to earlier predator detection. While gaze sensitivity has been shown to be prevalent in a number of social species, little is currently known about the potential for gaze following in asocial species. The current study investigated whether an asocial reptile, the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius), could reliably use the visual indicators of attention to follow the gaze of a conspecific around a barrier. We operated three trial conditions and found subjects (N = 6) responded significantly more to the conspecific demonstrator looking up at a laser stimulus projected onto an occluder during the experimental condition compared to either of two control conditions. The study’s findings point toward growing evidence for gaze-following ability in reptiles, who are typically categorised as asocial. Furthermore, our findings support developing comparative social cognition research showing the origins of gaze following and other cognitive behaviours that may be more widely distributed across taxonomic groups than hitherto thought."

 
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Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
#159---Q & A with Scott Stahl, DVM -- June 2019 Herpeton Conference

Q & A with Scott Stahl, DVM -- June 2019 Herpeton Conference (video by Brian Kusko -- Triple B TV Episode 194)
Published: 17 October 2019

"Today we're bringing you back to herpeton.org for another great presentation. This week we are going to hear from Scott Stahl. Scott is an exotic vet here in the United States and has one of the largest practices out there that is dedicated to reptiles. In today's talk he is answering questions from the crowd and will cover topics such as the possibility of vaccination against disease in reptiles, metabolic bone disease or what I should probably refer to now as nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, and even IBD. Scott was one of my favorite speakers at the event. He had a great attitude which goes a very long way with me and is really has a wealth of information for all of us keepers, breeders and hobbyists alike.

Check out Scott's book https://amzn.to/35FC1xd"


 
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