Leopard gecko

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Eublepharis macularius, commonly known as the Leopard Gecko, is a nocturnal ground dwelling gecko commonly found in the desert areas of Pakistan, Northwestern India and Afghanistan. The etymology of their name is 'eu' = Good (=true) |'blephar' = Eyelid | 'macularius' = Spotted.

The leopard gecko gets its common name from the adult coloration of wild specimen, which is generally a cream to yellow ground color with black spots. Leopard geckos are considered one of the easiest lizards to breed. In captivity, a number of distinct color morphs have been created possessing many varied colors and patterns. Some of these include: High yellow, orange, striped, patternless (no spots or stripes), lavender, "blizzard lizard" (which are solid white), and amelanistic (no black pigments in markings).

Leopard geckos, along with a few other old world geckos are one of only a few gecko species that have eyelids. This helps the gecko keep its eyes clean and particle-free in its dusty environment. Most geckos clean and moisten their eyes with their tongues. Another interesting difference in leopard geckos from most other gecko species is the absence of adhesive toe pads. Instead, they have small claws. Leopard geckos cannot climb walls or glass, although their claws give extra traction on the ground, the same applies for the same group of old world geckos having eyelids. Like all geckos, they shed their tail if chased or grabbed, though they will eventually grow a new one. However, the new tail will look nothing like the old one, having a monotone color and bulbous shape.

In its natural environment, the leopard gecko lives under rocks or in small caves to avoid temperature extremes. Like many desert dwelling species it is most active at night, hunting insects, scorpions, spiders, and small rodents as its prey.

Leopard geckos are only slightly sexually dimorphic, with the males being somewhat more heavy-bodied than females. Males possess a V-shaped row of enlarged pre-anal pores and a pair of hemipenal swellings at the base of the tail. Females have pre-anal pits and lack paired swelling at the base of the tail. Gender is differentiated during egg incubation and is dependent on the incubation temperature, but gender characteristics are not visible in young geckos.

Leopard geckos as pets

Leopard Geckos are widely considered to be a very good pet for a beginning herpetologist for several reasons: their small size, ease of care, cleanliness (they defecate in one corner of their enclosure), long life span (20+ years), and wide color range. They can usually be handled well by older children with the close supervision of an adult, as their tails can fall off if stressed or frightened. Feeding a gecko bottled gecko food is not enough; live food such as crickets and mealworms should be offered as they will promote exercise and offer better nutrition. Supplements are also necessary for captive animals. Force feeding should only be done in the most extreme situations and even then only by an expert, as this can result in injuries and/or stress, which may cause a gecko to bite and scratch.