Leopard geckos - some q's I didn't find answers to

[Cirith Ungol]

I did search, but not all I wanted to know turned up...


1. Do they eat insects all their lives?
2. Should the tank provide for safe climbing (not too high, big branches)?
3. Do they like to swim?
4. How long can they be left alone if I was to go arround the world in 80 days?

Thanks!

 

[Sequin]

mmm i will give you answers to the best of my knowledge

1. I dont really understand this question? Are they fed on vegetation you mean? If that is the question then no. i feed mine a variety of mealworms, crix and pinky mice... but i've heard too much pinky mice can be bad for them... so i only feed about once or twice a month

2. I suppose you could... mine arent much of climbers... dont need climbing spots... just places to hide

3. mmm... provide them with a large enough water dish to soak in.... i find mine in the mornings bathing sometime... and its good when they are shedding.

4. Not long? They need fresh water every day if you are keeping a few together... they go through water quick... and i feed mine every second day...

Sorry couldnt get into too much detail.. in a rush.. hope i helped some
~Meagan~

 

[Cirith Ungol]

No problem and thanks!

With the first one I basically meant if they eat veggies later in life, like the bearded dragon for example.

I find the leopard geckos quite cute and I'd need something to gobble down loads of roaches, since my colony is starting to get a bit too big

 

[OldHag]

They do not eat veggies later in life. They stick strictly to the bugs.

 

[Thoth]

For climbing, it really depends on you leos personality, I have two one is very inqusitive and will climb all over the decor in the tank, the other won't climb at all. (Funny thing is the one that is inquistive won't eat from my hand but would climb up the hand thats offering the food and up my arm. The non climber will readily eat from my hand but wants nothing else to do with me.)

I've left mine alone for a week with a full bowl of water and full dish of mealworms with no problems (when I got back the water was running low due to evaporation but there were plenty of mealworms in the dish.) Presumably they can go a while with out food living on the fat reserves in their tails. If there was some way to ensure there was enough water you might be able to leave them for longer than a week if there a was a need to.

You've probably know this already but a humid hide with them is a must. Mine spend all their time in theirs.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Thanks a lot for that info!

Yeah, if they could spend 5-7 days alone (or if IT could) that would be great. I guess I'd also have to think about that beforehand then and feed it enough during the week before I go, right? I have a cat and unless I get somone to look after him (cat) I never stay away longer than said 5-7 days, and even that only happens once to twice a year.

But I guess there wouldn't be any big trouble for me finding somone who'd feed the little guy, since they're a lot cuter than T's 'n' snakesos... At least to the general public.

I came up with another question: Is there really a 100% need for vitamin powder or should it be enough with my roaches which are well fed on lots of fruit and dogfood? I guess this might be a bit hard to tell, but maybe one of you knows?

 

[OldHag]

I would use the vitamin and calcium powder, especially for young ones and gravid females. Why chance MBD? DO gut load the roaches as well. Then you can just dust the bugs every two feedings or so. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Better safe than sorry.

Yeah... absolutely!

 

[Thoth]

The calcium (without D3), you can leave in a little dish or bottle cap in the enclosure and they'll lick it up as they need. So one less thing to worry about.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Is the calcium in powder form or does it come in little bits and pieces or something? And what's D3?

 

[Thoth]

The calcium comes in powder form very similiar in texture to flour. D3, or I should have wrote Vitamin D3, its necessary for calcium metabolism. Nocturnal creatures can synthesize enough on their own plus if you dust with vitamin powder they will have more than enough of it. If it is the calcium powder as well there is a chance of it building up to toxic levels. I use JurassiCal.
Most diurnal creatures including us need exposure to UV to synthesize it, thats why UV light is essential for some lizards.

 

[WhyTeDraGon]

oh, and dont forget to leave a small bowl full of calcium laying out 24/7 in their cage, they will lick this up from time to time as they need it. But do dust crickets for them also with calcium and also vitamins occasionally.

The calcium and vitamins you can find at almost any pet store. I buy Herptevite (blue label) for vitamins, and RepCal w/vit D3 (pink label) for calcium.

 

[Sequin]

mmmm... what ive heard you have to be careful with vitamin D3, It is fat soluble and can cause many problems including death.... Kinda like vitamin A with humans... I try to avoid over using any powders with D3. I just leave a dish with the powder, they lick it up when they need it... but i wouldnt dust the crickets as well.... One or the other.... This is the uneducated version ... maybe someone with more knowledge could explain it better.... im sure it takes drastic amouts to over dose on it... Id just be careful.

~Meagan~

 

[xelda]

The problem with leaving calcium in the cage is that people usually forget to replace it regularly. Leopard geckos tend to disregard calcium powder that's caked or gone stale. So if that's the only way you're relying on for your geckos to get supplementation, you're walking a fine line.

I recommend dusting most of the time with plain calcium (no phosphorus, no D3), leaving a bottle cap or jar lid full of plain calcium in the cage, then dusting once in awhile (every 1-2 weeks) with D3 calcium and a multivitamin. Keep in mind that some of the foods you gutload with already contain D3, so it's not as necessary to supplement with it as often as you might think.

 

[GootySapphire]

I did search, but not all I wanted to know turned up...


1. Do they eat insects all their lives?
2. Should the tank provide for safe climbing (not too high, big branches)?
3. Do they like to swim?
4. How long can they be left alone if I was to go arround the world in 80 days?

Thanks!

1) Yes they enjoy meal worms and crickets and things of that nature.
2) Do not make it a high cage, Leopard Geckos dont have the pads on their hands to allow them to stick to things to climb, hence why they are ground dwellers so much.
3) I dont know about the swimming, but I wouldnt put something in there where there's possibility for them to drown.
4) I wouldnt suggest it, at all.

 

[JohnxII]

> 1. Do they eat insects all their lives?
Basically they are insectivores, but will attempt to engulf any tempting small vertebrates such as lizards and rodents. So never attempt to house any baby Leo's with adults.

> 2. Should the tank provide for safe climbing (not too high, big branches)?
They certainly enjoy the ups and downs. In their natural rocky habitat, they do have plenty of climbing to do with their claws. However, if you have a number of them, I'm sure a minimalistic approach would suffice.

> 3. Do they like to swim?
I would think not. I would imagine the soaking is due to their need of rehydration, but not for the sake of swimming... after all, where they came from, swimming pools are a bit of an extravaganza

> 4. How long can they be left alone if I was to go arround the world in 80 days?
I'd say a healthy adult, when well watered and fed and left with a fresh water bowl, can survive reasonably well for a couple weeks unattended in a contained environment. For travellers, I say a 7-10 day trip would be fine. On the other hand, after ye round da world in 80 days...

 

[fangsalot]

heres mine.he loves climbing on his rocks

he doesnt go too high up though

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Nice gecko ... knowing that a well fed and watered L-Geck can be left alone for up to 7 days if absolute need be makes me really really really wanna get one soon... :drool: