Yesterday I got a new friend; she is a leopard gecko! Her name is Kashmir :3 she’s a bell albino with lovely brown stripes and spots all over her body.
I have a few other reptiles so I’m not a beginner to their care, but none of them are leos so I have a few questions!
First of all, should I get a heating bulb for her? She has a warming pad on the hot side of her tank, but her terrarium is a little dark and I’m scared the pad will only warm where it is placed, making the rest of the terrarium too cold for her. Her terrarium is set in a room where the temperature is at around 22°C (71°F).
Also, how should I set up her moist hide? I have a little cave for her, but what should I do for it to stay humid? Her « substrate » is linoleum, it’s basically like fake floor. It’s great to keep her environment clean and avoid any possible impaction with sand or dirt, but it doesn’t keep the hide moist at all!
Should I put the same dirt I use in my crested gecko’s tank just in the hide? I heard she would use it in case she had to lay eggs, and that the humidity would help with her shedding.
Is feeding mealworms as staple (with some variation of course) okay? I was told the chitin was difficult to digest and could cause constipation.
How often should I dust her food with calcium and vitamins? I don’t want to overdo it or not give enough supplements...
And finally, I don’t want to scare her or anything but how long do you think it will take for her to get used to handling? I don’t want to force her but I’m a bit lost there. Handling seems to make her very anxious and I’ve never experienced that before, my bearded dragons and my crestie are all okay with it. I think I’m going to go slowly, try handling her mainly before or after feeding, so that she can associate me with food and good stuff, if that makes sense.
I’m sorry, this is so long! I hope that I get a few replies from people who are more experienced with those beautiful creatures than I am.
Thank you very much!
I have a few other reptiles so I’m not a beginner to their care, but none of them are leos so I have a few questions!
First of all, should I get a heating bulb for her? She has a warming pad on the hot side of her tank, but her terrarium is a little dark and I’m scared the pad will only warm where it is placed, making the rest of the terrarium too cold for her. Her terrarium is set in a room where the temperature is at around 22°C (71°F).
Also, how should I set up her moist hide? I have a little cave for her, but what should I do for it to stay humid? Her « substrate » is linoleum, it’s basically like fake floor. It’s great to keep her environment clean and avoid any possible impaction with sand or dirt, but it doesn’t keep the hide moist at all!
Should I put the same dirt I use in my crested gecko’s tank just in the hide? I heard she would use it in case she had to lay eggs, and that the humidity would help with her shedding.
Is feeding mealworms as staple (with some variation of course) okay? I was told the chitin was difficult to digest and could cause constipation.
How often should I dust her food with calcium and vitamins? I don’t want to overdo it or not give enough supplements...
And finally, I don’t want to scare her or anything but how long do you think it will take for her to get used to handling? I don’t want to force her but I’m a bit lost there. Handling seems to make her very anxious and I’ve never experienced that before, my bearded dragons and my crestie are all okay with it. I think I’m going to go slowly, try handling her mainly before or after feeding, so that she can associate me with food and good stuff, if that makes sense.
I’m sorry, this is so long! I hope that I get a few replies from people who are more experienced with those beautiful creatures than I am.
Thank you very much!