Leopard Gecko

From Pets Wiki

The Leopard Gecko, Eulepharus macularius, is a small lizard that is a popular reptile pet. Reasons for its popularity include: They are very easy to take care of, they tolerate being handled quite well, and they come in many attractive colors.

[edit] Description

The leopard gecko grows to approximately 8 inches in length. On rare occasions, adults have grown to be 10 inches long. Its usual coloration is yellow, black, and white, although through careful breeding, new, exotic colors have been introduced. Babies are typically yellow with dark bands. These bands become spots later in life. These spots have not been known to be symmetrical.

The male is slightly larger and more brightly colored than the female. Leopard geckos rarely vocalize, but when cornered, they will emit a very loud, high-pitched scream. Babies often scream in early life, as well as hiss and snarl. Overall, however, these small geckos usually communicate via head bobs and tail wags.

The leopard gecko has a large head and big, "curious" eyes; perhaps these features have helped endow the gecko with its "cute" reputation compared to other reptile pets. The leopard gecko's diet includes a variety of insects as well as young mice. In captivity, baby mice are sometimes fed to a pregnant female to help her produce healthy eggs.

Males are fiercely territorial, and past the juvenile stage they will begin to battle for territory. In rare cases, one male will submit to the other and the two will share a territory.