Please help me idetify this gecko :)

[Angi]

What is a UTH and I have not heard of giving a bowl of calcium. I have been dusting the worms. Do I just put calium powder in a bowl?
At the reptile show the lepard geckos like your with the black bands cost more than the others. My son really wanted one.....he did not get one.
I said no

 

[NudistApple]

Yes, you just put calcium in a dish. Leopard Geckos are pretty unique in that they will go and eat the calcium on there own. Little self-regulators
A UTH is an Under Tank Heater. Leo's are nocturnal and do not bask in the sun in the wild, so having a heat lamp is really meaningless for them (in terms of light). The UTH provides the belly heat they need for digestion!

That being said though, they need a "basking" spot of at least 90 degrees in order to digest the chitin in the exoskeleton of mealworms.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

A UTH is an Under Tank Heater. Leo's are nocturnal and do not bask in the sun in the wild, so having a heat lamp is really meaningless for them (in terms of light). The UTH provides the belly heat they need for digestion!

That being said though, they need a "basking" spot of at least 90 degrees in order to digest the chitin in the exoskeleton of mealworms.

I wouldn't say that a basking lamp is meaningless. I have seen captive leos basking under bright heat lamps. You are correct in that they are nocturnal, but it doesn't mean that they absolutely will not be seen during daylight hours. Many "nocturnal" herps will bask during the day to recharge their batteries so that when night falls and the sun goes down, their core body temperature at optimal levels to hunt.

Which brings me to my next point...Unless you keep your room/house exceptionally warm (78'F +), I would not really on an under tank heater as the primary heat source. UTHs are only useful if the lizard is actually sitting on top of them. They do not warm up large areas of the enclosure as a basking lamp would. So for example, one could keep their house at 65'F and only have a UTH on their gecko's set-up, this would not be an ideal habitat. Leopard geckos shouldn't be kept at an ambient temp of 65'F.

I would suggest a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) or a infrared heat bulb to use in a basking lamp to warm up half of the enclosure, thus providing more of a temperature gradient within the habitat.

 

[NudistApple]

I wouldn't say that a basking lamp is meaningless. I have seen captive leos basking under bright heat lamps. You are correct in that they are nocturnal, but it doesn't mean that they absolutely will not be seen during daylight hours. Many "nocturnal" herps will bask during the day to recharge their batteries so that when night falls and the sun goes down, their core body temperature at optimal levels to hunt.

Which brings me to my next point...Unless you keep your room/house exceptionally warm (78'F +), I would not really on an under tank heater as the primary heat source. UTHs are only useful if the lizard is actually sitting on top of them. They do not warm up large areas of the enclosure as a basking lamp would. So for example, one could keep their house at 65'F and only have a UTH on their gecko's set-up, this would not be an ideal habitat. Leopard geckos shouldn't be kept at an ambient temp of 65'F.

I would suggest a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) or a infrared heat bulb to use in a basking lamp to warm up half of the enclosure, thus providing more of a temperature gradient within the habitat.

It's true, Leopard Geckos are up and about throughout the day, and if you want to provide a light you can, but regular ambient light is really sufficient.

As far as UTH's not being worthy single heat sources...I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here! In our 20L a UTH that is 1/3 the size of tank sets up an absolutely beautiful temperature gradient. It's about 93*F on the warm size to about 74*F on the cool side (measured via digital thermometer with a probe as well as a temperature gun, obviously it varies a little throughout the course of the day), and that is in a room that's kept at a steady 70*F. Little 'shack thermoregulates like a champ in there.

The only time I have found supplemental heating to be necessary for them is in the winter, and even then a low wattage incandescent light more than covers it.

Basically what I'm saying is that YOUR room temperature doesn't equal their cool end, as long as you are using an appropriately sized UTH. They do a phenomenal job.

 

[Angi]

Whew...got the UTH just didn't know the acronim (sp?) now to add a bowl od calcium. Should I stop dusting my worms? I just love my gecko <3

 

[BowandWalter]

Did you find out what it was

I'm not certain what your asking? The lizard I worked with was a leopard gecko.

 

[lisa127]

I wouldn't say that a basking lamp is meaningless. I have seen captive leos basking under bright heat lamps. You are correct in that they are nocturnal, but it doesn't mean that they absolutely will not be seen during daylight hours. Many "nocturnal" herps will bask during the day to recharge their batteries so that when night falls and the sun goes down, their core body temperature at optimal levels to hunt.

Which brings me to my next point...Unless you keep your room/house exceptionally warm (78'F +), I would not really on an under tank heater as the primary heat source. UTHs are only useful if the lizard is actually sitting on top of them. They do not warm up large areas of the enclosure as a basking lamp would. So for example, one could keep their house at 65'F and only have a UTH on their gecko's set-up, this would not be an ideal habitat. Leopard geckos shouldn't be kept at an ambient temp of 65'F.

I would suggest a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) or a infrared heat bulb to use in a basking lamp to warm up half of the enclosure, thus providing more of a temperature gradient within the habitat.

It's true, Leopard Geckos are up and about throughout the day, and if you want to provide a light you can, but regular ambient light is really sufficient.

As far as UTH's not being worthy single heat sources...I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here! In our 20L a UTH that is 1/3 the size of tank sets up an absolutely beautiful temperature gradient. It's about 93*F on the warm size to about 74*F on the cool side (measured via digital thermometer with a probe as well as a temperature gun, obviously it varies a little throughout the course of the day), and that is in a room that's kept at a steady 70*F. Little 'shack thermoregulates like a champ in there.

The only time I have found supplemental heating to be necessary for them is in the winter, and even then a low wattage incandescent light more than covers it.

Basically what I'm saying is that YOUR room temperature doesn't equal their cool end, as long as you are using an appropriately sized UTH. They do a phenomenal job.

I agree. I live in northeast Ohio. We're not usually known for our warm temps. And I always heated leo enclosures with UTH's only. I used to breed them and never had a problem. Seeing as none of my enclosures was larger than a 20 long it was enough heating. And none of my leo's ever would have appreciated white daybulbs for basking. If I ever had to use an incandescent for a leo I would use one of the nightglo bulbs.

 

[neuroticpreschoolteachers]

I absolutely LOVE this site!! There is so much information to be found here! My newest gecko "Speedy" is a Leopard Gecko and is now on a regular diet of one cricket once a day or two a day depending if he ate the day before
This morning he was outside his hide even waiting for me I tried meal worms and he wasn't that interested...I am going to try again soon...now that he is in the pattern of getting fed, maybe he didn't know what to do with it :/
I added the UTH....I don't see him use it all that much...he is really timid so he stays in his hide ALOT! Today though he is venturing out The temp is usually about 70-72 throughout the day at night the heater in the classroom is set to 72 because of the animals and they aren't next to a cooling vent
I would like to give everyone a HUGE thank you....you guys have been such a help!!

 

[lisa127]

One cricket once a day is not enough food for him. I would start out with half a dozen crickets per day and see how that goes. But one cricket is no where near enough. And also make sure you are gutloading and dusting them. As a growing juvenile feed him daily. As a fat adult he will probably only eat two to three times a week. Please, please feed him more. He is starving. Also, you can try other worms you can order online. Butterworms, hornworms, etc

That being said, don't leave roaming crickets in his cage that he doesn't finish. Remove any he doesn't eat in a reasonable time period, or leave food in the cage for crickets if you can't. They will chew on a lizard if they get hungry and have no food in the cage. Carrots, cricket feed, etc. left in a small jar lid will work.

http://www.reptilechannel.com/media/care-sheets/leopard-gecko.aspx.pdf
http://www.crestedgecko.com/leopard-gecko

A couple of care sheets.

 

[neuroticpreschoolteachers]

One cricket once a day is not enough food for him. I would start out with half a dozen crickets per day and see how that goes. But one cricket is no where near enough. And also make sure you are gutloading and dusting them. As a growing juvenile feed him daily. As a fat adult he will probably only eat two to three times a week. Please, please feed him more. He is starving. Also, you can try other worms you can order online. Butterworms, hornworms, etc

That being said, don't leave roaming crickets in his cage that he doesn't finish. Remove any he doesn't eat in a reasonable time period, or leave food in the cage for crickets if you can't. They will chew on a lizard if they get hungry and have no food in the cage. Carrots, cricket feed, etc. left in a small jar lid will work.

http://www.reptilechannel.com/media/care-sheets/leopard-gecko.aspx.pdf
http://www.crestedgecko.com/leopard-gecko

A couple of care sheets.

I put out three crickets in his tank daily, he usually eats just one and doesn't eat them all so I remove them and then offer them again the next day I am dusting the crickets and I do have a small dish of calcium out for him too.
What does gutloading mean?
Thanks for the care sheets!

 

[lisa127]

The care sheets should explain what gutloading means. But it is essentially feeding the crickets a healthy diet for a full day before offering them to the gecko. If the crickets do not have good nutrition, neither does the gecko.

He should have an appetite for more than one cricket. What are his temps in his cage? I would suggest having a temperature gun to measure temps in all reptile cages. But one cricket is not enough. How long has he been in his new enclosure?

 

[neuroticpreschoolteachers]

I have had Speedy for about 3 weeks....they family I got him from was starving him....maybe his appetite will grow? His temps range from
70-72.

 

[lisa127]

What about the hot spot though? His hot spot needs to be about 90 degrees. Ideally, I like the cool end to be 73 or above. Do you have a temp gun? They are not that expensive.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

I was a lot like you, randomly had a leopard gecko thrown into my hands from a similar situation. A local pet shop had closed down about four months prior and were trying to sell all their dry goods and display tanks and such. I went in, just to check it out, since I have always been a major aquarium person, and there was this gecko sitting underneath a heat lamp that was turned on to light up one of the display tanks. The poor guy had some how mananged to survive in a cold, dark, and damp run down pet shop on wild caught or no food for 4 months (someone later told me that based on his size, they would have guessed he wasn't more than a few weeks old). I was told that if I caught him, I could take him home, and that he probably wouldn't make it more than a week or two anyways. A little over a year later, despite many ups, downs, accidents, and scares, The Gecko (as I have so uniquely named him) is doing really well, and is full grown!)

At any rate, the best advice you can have is to keep him warm, and to keep him fed. The Gecko's warm side is heated by a UTH, which is actually the best heat source for a leopard gecko, since they are completely nocturnal and get their warmth from laying on the warm rocks after the sun goes down. It's really important that they get their heat from below, because that also helps them digest their food. They should have a temperature gradient, though, and while the warm side gets to about 92ish, the cool side can be around 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do get an Under Tank Heater, get one that will fit on one half of the bottom of your enclosure. Ideally, leos should have at least two hides, although the perfect enclosure would have 4. They need at least one humid hide and one regular hide. If you have room in your enclosure, your leo would appreciate having a humid hide and a regular hide on both the warm side of the tank, and the cool side. Most leos spend the majority of day time in their regular hide, but a humid hide is important especially for shedding, they will go in there and it will make shedding go a lot smoother for them. I made a humid hide out of an old tupperware container, I cut a little "doorway" out of the top of the container, then glued the lid on with a hot glue gun. I fill this with paper towels and The Gecko loves that thing... the only downside is that he will sometimes try to rearrange his enclosure, and the tupperware is light enough for him to move, so in the middle of the night, I will hear strange "rubber on cement" sounds that sound like they are coming from a garbage can moving outside, and it's actually just The Gecko moving his humid hide

Now The Gecko only eats every other day, but when he was little he ate a little bit every day. Pinhead crickets dusted in calcium were his staple diet. Since he was so malnourished, as yours probably is as well, I bought a liquid vitamin supplement as well as Fluker's Repta-Boost which is designed to be syringe fed to malnourished reptiles. It is very high in calories and contains all the nutrients that insectivores need to stay healthy, as well as being a great way to rehydrate dehydrated animals. Definitely worth the $10 I paid for it and with a small Leo, it lasts forever!

 

[Mojo's Mom]

I put out three crickets in his tank daily, he usually eats just one and doesn't eat them all so I remove them and then offer them again the next day I am dusting the crickets and I do have a small dish of calcium out for him too.
What does gutloading mean?
Thanks for the care sheets!

Gut-loaded crickets are crickets that have been recently fed, if people haven't already answered you. I give mine a cube of this orange cricket food, it has vitamins and stiff along with the all important water and food. I think it is called something like "Orange Cube Complete Cricket Diet"
or some weird thing like that. I got it at the pets store where I got my gecko. He is pretty young, and eats a lot more than one to three crickets a day, more like six, sometimes more like eight if he had a shortage the day before (like when we only have three, feed him that, and go to pet store the next to get more)

And as others have previously said, NO SAND. The pet store told me to get it, but luckily I knew before hand from reading some other threads on here that sand and other loose stuff is bad for juvenile leopards because they might swallow it when pouncing on crickets, that leads to gut blockage. It's somewhat of a risk to keep adults on it too for the simple fact. I know mine would have gut blockage if I hadn't known that, because the crickets are somewhat smarter than it and it ends up face-planting itself numerous time in a feeding session !

I haven't myself gotten one, but you may want to get an account on the Gecko Talk forums.

Any ways, good luck with Speedy I hope you enjoy him. I enjoy mine quite a bit. Such a good thing you did accepting him from a sad situation.

 

[neuroticpreschoolteachers]

I was a lot like you, randomly had a leopard gecko thrown into my hands from a similar situation. A local pet shop had closed down about four months prior and were trying to sell all their dry goods and display tanks and such. I went in, just to check it out, since I have always been a major aquarium person, and there was this gecko sitting underneath a heat lamp that was turned on to light up one of the display tanks. The poor guy had some how mananged to survive in a cold, dark, and damp run down pet shop on wild caught or no food for 4 months (someone later told me that based on his size, they would have guessed he wasn't more than a few weeks old). I was told that if I caught him, I could take him home, and that he probably wouldn't make it more than a week or two anyways. A little over a year later, despite many ups, downs, accidents, and scares, The Gecko (as I have so uniquely named him) is doing really well, and is full grown!)

At any rate, the best advice you can have is to keep him warm, and to keep him fed. The Gecko's warm side is heated by a UTH, which is actually the best heat source for a leopard gecko, since they are completely nocturnal and get their warmth from laying on the warm rocks after the sun goes down. It's really important that they get their heat from below, because that also helps them digest their food. They should have a temperature gradient, though, and while the warm side gets to about 92ish, the cool side can be around 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. If you do get an Under Tank Heater, get one that will fit on one half of the bottom of your enclosure. Ideally, leos should have at least two hides, although the perfect enclosure would have 4. They need at least one humid hide and one regular hide. If you have room in your enclosure, your leo would appreciate having a humid hide and a regular hide on both the warm side of the tank, and the cool side. Most leos spend the majority of day time in their regular hide, but a humid hide is important especially for shedding, they will go in there and it will make shedding go a lot smoother for them. I made a humid hide out of an old tupperware container, I cut a little "doorway" out of the top of the container, then glued the lid on with a hot glue gun. I fill this with paper towels and The Gecko loves that thing... the only downside is that he will sometimes try to rearrange his enclosure, and the tupperware is light enough for him to move, so in the middle of the night, I will hear strange "rubber on cement" sounds that sound like they are coming from a garbage can moving outside, and it's actually just The Gecko moving his humid hide

Now The Gecko only eats every other day, but when he was little he ate a little bit every day. Pinhead crickets dusted in calcium were his staple diet. Since he was so malnourished, as yours probably is as well, I bought a liquid vitamin supplement as well as Fluker's Repta-Boost which is designed to be syringe fed to malnourished reptiles. It is very high in calories and contains all the nutrients that insectivores need to stay healthy, as well as being a great way to rehydrate dehydrated animals. Definitely worth the $10 I paid for it and with a small Leo, it lasts forever!

I have a humid hide and a regular hide, small dish of Calcium, and a water dish in his tank....I think I need a bigger one...it's kind of cramped!
I had been removing the crickets like two hours after feeding because I didn't want them to hurt Speedy so I tired leaving them out all day and he ate them throughout the day, a total of 4 I kept checking on him I think it will just take some time for us to get to know each other That being said he let me hold him! Whenever I fed him I would rub his head and then try to pick him up, he would scurry away. Yesterday he let me pick him up!
I don't live close to a pet store...it's an hour away so the next time I go there I will look for that nutrient stuff Thanks so much!!

---

Gut-loaded crickets are crickets that have been recently fed, if people haven't already answered you. I give mine a cube of this orange cricket food, it has vitamins and stiff along with the all important water and food. I think it is called something like "Orange Cube Complete Cricket Diet"
or some weird thing like that. I got it at the pets store where I got my gecko. He is pretty young, and eats a lot more than one to three crickets a day, more like six, sometimes more like eight if he had a shortage the day before (like when we only have three, feed him that, and go to pet store the next to get more)

And as others have previously said, NO SAND. The pet store told me to get it, but luckily I knew before hand from reading some other threads on here that sand and other loose stuff is bad for juvenile leopards because they might swallow it when pouncing on crickets, that leads to gut blockage. It's somewhat of a risk to keep adults on it too for the simple fact. I know mine would have gut blockage if I hadn't known that, because the crickets are somewhat smarter than it and it ends up face-planting itself numerous time in a feeding session !

I haven't myself gotten one, but you may want to get an account on the Gecko Talk forums.

Any ways, good luck with Speedy I hope you enjoy him. I enjoy mine quite a bit. Such a good thing you did accepting him from a sad situation.

I have those same orange cubes I removed the sand right away after someone told me that and he is now on paper towels
I am loving having him and the children are too!!

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

Yay! I'm glad you got to hold him! My leo's first week home was very traumatic, as I almost lost her twice, and I had to help her through her first shed (which was just DISGUSTING, by the way)

This is what she looked like the day I got him (yup, on sand, I think we all make that mistake as beginners )



She couldn't even open her eyes, then, and I had to handfeed her crickets. She has now grown into this monster:



tripled in size, at least, with a nice fat tail, and still growing

I hear you, about the tank size issue. The Gecko is only in a ten gallon tank and I have somehow managed to stuff it all in there, even leaving room for stalking ground

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

Leopard gecko!

 

[Ethan D]

leopard gecko......... lol