Creating an ideal habitat

There are many different factors we have to take into account when trying to create the ideal habitat for our leopard geckos. the main factor is ensuring your gecko feels safe and secure in his environment we can do this by giving them multiple places to retreat into. by doing this it will give them the option to get out the way of anything they fear keeping there stress levels to a minimum.

another key factor to take into account is temperatures, there must be a warmer and a cooler side to your geckos vivarium this will allow it to move around its environment to regulate its body temperature. this must be taken into account when placing décor around the vivarium as they will need a hide in both the warmer end and another in the cooler end this will enable them to retreat and thermo regulate at the same time.

although many keepers and books will say that leopard geckos will not often climb I do often see my own climbing around their vivarium's so giving them multiple levels and larger secure pieces of wood to climb up on.

Another factor that can be a problem for many people is the cost and many setups can be very expensive with all the other equipment it often does not leave much room for décor. many things can be handmade out of safe equipment. for example I chose to create a humid hide from an empty take away container I left it to soak in Milton to allow it to fully clean and then covered this in polystyrene and grout leaving this to dry before painting with non toxic acrylic paints and although these may not look as nice as many manufactured products.

this is Dewey on his Diy hide.

For my vivarium I chose to use a 36x18x18 full glass vivarium. using this as an example of the correct way to set up a vivarium for a leopard gecko this will vary depending on your style and your choice of décor but the equipment should generally be used in the same way.



this is a basic starting point on how a vivarium should be set up.

firstly the heat mat should be no larger than 1/2 of the vivarium size but ideally around 1/3 of the total vivarium floor space, this allows your pet to move around the vivarium finding hotter and cooler places to thermo regulate.

other important factors when setting up a vivarium is where to place the thermostats and thermometers. on the back wall I used a blue suction cup to make the thermostat temperature sensor really stand out. this should be placed in the middle of the vivarium so it is getting the best temperature reading. (it should never be placed in the substrate or inside décor as this could give a false temperature reading).

At the top there is a screw fitting to allow a light to allow your gecko to differentiate between day and night or as a separate basking area for other reptiles.

A hydrometer is used to measure the humidity of the vivarium as to high or to low humidity levels can often lead to respiratory infections so it is vital to keep a reading of these daily.

Although most do work fine you can always just rely on your thermostat to maintain the correct temperature you must also check the temperatures using a thermometer I have attached this onto the cooler side to ensure that the temperature never drops too low again ideally this should be checked daily.

The next step is adding décor and equipment into the vivarium. This is entirely up to you on what items you would like in your vivarium for this I have chosen some simple décor items that meet a leopard geckos requirements.

In this simple set up I used two separate hides firstly on the left (the cool side) is a shop brought magnetic hide this allows me to view him without going into his vivarium and waking him up.

the second hide is the D.I.Y hide I made this is placed over the heat mat for a warmer hide.

Directly in the middle is a piece of bogwood with a hole in the middle and multiple layers this again allows your gecko to feel secure but also allows him to climb around .

In the back right I have used a exo-terra waterfall this keeps water fresher as it is constantly flowing. this will encourage drinking more than standing water in a bowl as well as raising humidity slightly in the vivarium.

Simple placement of natural look leaves and plants will cover wires that may be unpleasant to the eye.

Please ensure when placing anything in your vivarium that it is safe to use with your chosen reptile but also that it is placed securely so when your reptile climbs on it or moves around it, it will not fall over or fall onto your beloved pet.

I hope that this helps with setting up a vivarium of your own. If you have any further questions please comment and I will reply as soon as I can.



Leopard Geckos

Leopard Geckos are one of the most common Lizards kept as pets in the UK, they have such docile personality's making them easy to handle as well as having beautiful colouration with today's wide variety of morphs available, these can vary in colour from being all white to being bright orange with patterning in different parts of the body. The leopard gecko is a relatively small lizard which often grow anywhere between 15 cm and 25 cm in length (including their tail). taking on a Leopard gecko is a big commitment as they can live well into their teens and some have even been recorded to be as old as 20+ making them just as long lived as many cats and dogs.  

When choosing a leopard gecko there are many things you must consider. Firstly the size of the habitat is crucial as this is where it will be spending its entire life. I would recommend a minimum tank size of around 45 x 45 x 45 cm vivarium one such as the Exo-Terra glass terrarium  for one leopard gecko. Secondly they require light and heat in there quarters in the day and heat at night, this can be controlled by using a thermostat along with a heat mat ensuring that the temperature is constant. leopard geckos do not require a UV light or a basking spot but they do require some form of light to allow them to differentiate between night and day. Leopard geckos are carnivores and should always be fed on live insects such as crickets and meal worms which should also be dusted with a supplement powder. The cost of a leopard gecko a long with the set up can be quite a lot at first but the maintenance cost for these wonderful lizards is very low and once the temperature is right then caring for a leopard gecko is very easy. When deciding on a leopard gecko its self it is important to really have a good look at it and even hold it before you buy it, this will allow you to see the temperament of the gecko and if its right for you as well as ensure there are no lumps bumps or other problems that could occur with the leopard gecko.