Spotlight on Leopard Geckos

As a child, I was crushed when I found out dinosaurs were extinct. At story time, I always rooted for the dragon instead of the knight, and at the movie theater, I felt sorry for Godzilla. It's no surprise, then, that I fell in love with lizards and other reptiles. There's something magical about having a pet that bears such a striking resemblance to creatures of myth and bygone eras.

Today, a wide variety of lizard species are available, but not all of them are recommended for beginners. Anoles, for example, are adorable and fun to watch, but most if not all of the anoles in the pet trade are wild caught, and their tiny size, agility and flighty temperament make them difficult to handle and easy to lose. Iguanas, on the other hand, are intelligent lizards with big personalities that are fun to interact with. However, they grow extremely large, are difficult to house properly, and can be dangerous if they become aggressive. If you're looking for a lizard that is small enough to live comfortably in a 20 gallon tank, docile enough to be handled, and not prone to leaping out windows or tail whipping house guests, a leopard gecko would be a good choice.

 This is Nimue (pronounced Nim oo way), named after a character from Arthurian legend. I purchased her from a breeder when she was five months old. She just celebrated her seventh "hatch day" in June, so she's an old lady but could potentially live into her teens. Here's a shot of her a few years ago when her spots were still coming in:

Let me address a few common questions. Yes, her tail is supposed to be that fat. Just as camels store fat in their humps, leos, as they're commonly called, store fat in their tails to survive when food is scarce. The only skinny leo is a starved one.

No, I did not feed her a box of crayolas to make her that color. Leos have been selectively bred for many generations and come in an amazing array of patterns. Here are just a few, courtesy of Ron Tremper:

And finally, no she is nothing like the Geico mascot, who is modeled after a day gecko. While day geckos are sleek, diurnal, arboreal rainforest dwellers, leos are chunky, nocturnal, ground-dwelling desert lizards. Despite not having a career in TV commercials, Nimue is still a bit of a ham. Here she is posing with Santa at a SPCA fundraiser and making a Valentine's Day appearance:

Because a gecko's needs are very different from those of a cat or dog, I recommend doing some thorough research before bringing one home. You can find basic care sheets here and here. In addition to the recommendations these breeders make, here are a few things I've learned along the way:

1. Geckos and sand don't mix. Nimue has always lived on paper towel, but I've known other geckos who suffered fatal complications from calci-sand as well as regular play sand. Pet stores and even some books recommend keeping leos on calci-sand because it is a source of calcium. Don't believe it. What the company that sells it fails to mention is that the sand is in no way digestible and can cause intestinal blockage. Leos do need a source of calcium to prevent metabolic bone disease, but it should be given in the form of supplements.

2. Geckos are clumsy. Unlike most of their cousins, leos do not have the ability to walk on vertical surfaces. Their little claws allow them to scramble over a rock or log, but that's the extent of their athletic prowess. Nimue has no concept of heights and will walk right off the edge of my kitchen table if I don't watch her. It's best to handle leos while sitting on the floor so they don't have far to fall.

3. Geckos only eat live bugs. I knew this from the start, but some owners have tried to trick their geckos into eating freeze-dried insects or cat food. That won't cut it, even if you use one of those gimmicky vibrating dishes. Leos need a steady diet of crickets and meal worms who have been fed a nutritious diet themselves. If the thought of wrangling crickets or keeping a tub of hibernating meal worms in your fridge sends shivers up your spine, a leo is not the pet for you.

4. You can lead a gecko to crickets, but you can't make her eat. Nimue once went several months without eating (though her tail was still plump). Improper housing conditions are usually to blame for anorexia, but I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. I dragged her to multiple vets before I discovered she was ovulating. Female leos produce eggs even if they've never been bred. Most are content to lay them in a nesting box, but Nimue always holds onto hers until they reabsorb. If your leo goes on a hunger strike every year between March and June, this may be the cause. Be sure to consult a vet who has experience with exotics to determine the best course of treatment. In Nimue's case, she needs to be syringe fed until she starts eating again.

5. Moisture is important. Most sources will say that leos are desert lizards who need a dry environment and that a box of moist peat moss is all that is necessary. That may be adequate, but if your apartment is particularly dry, your gecko may have trouble shedding her skin. Nimue started having problems recently when she retained the skin on her eyes and couldn't open them. The problem cleared up when I started giving her warm baths twice a week and leaving a moist cloth in her tank.

6. Consider using UV. Some lizards get their vitamin D from sunlight, so they require a UV light when kept indoors. Because leos are nocturnal, they need to get their vitamin D from their food. Recent research, however, has shown that leos may benefit from UV light, so I decided to add a light fixture. So far, Nimue seems completely indifferent.

I hope you enjoyed learning about my baby. I'd love to hear from other exotic pet lovers out there.