Leo Question....

...I'm getting my first leopard gecko very soon - adopting a possibly 8mo-1.5 year female (she was rescued from a crap-home and as a result has no toes..) I really want to take the best care of her.

i've been reading up on them considerably and only need the tank to put everything in before I take her home. But because there are many of you who own reptiles other than snakes and may have experience with leos, I thought it'd be good to ask some questions I've been thinking about.

For one, what should I use as a Shed box? I know to put moist potting soil or peat moss in it, but should it be made of wood? Are there some on the market, or can I make one cheaply myself? (that would be perferred if I could do that.)

Also, about their food items. I was told that this leo eats mainly crickets, likes them best. But because she eats them live, where would I store the crickets? I was told that some people just keep them in jugs, but it seems that many would escape each time I tried to feed. I do plan to gutload the ones I'll get with potatos and things.

Also, how long would I be able to keep crickets, if I were feeding 3-5 a day (or every other day, depending on what she'll eat) ..
...would I have to buy new crickets for each feed, or are they ood to be stored for longer periods of time without dying. I've heard they smell quite a bit, - anything you do to keep the smell down at all?


Alright those were a lot of questions. I just figured I can trust anyone here and many of you have experience, so thanks a lot for answering those questions. If you have any tips you picked up to add to this, please do..

You can use a plastic butter tub or any simular container for a humid hide. They will eat lots of different insects and live pinkie mice. Meal worms are a good steady meal as are crickets. Meal worms are easier to keep alive. Crickets can be kept in a fishing bait cricket container and will last a while if you provide a way for them to get moisture. A slice of orange works well for that. I would gut load the crickets with fish food. Meal worms can be kept in a container of cornmeal with a slice of potato for moisture. We've got a rescue leo without finger on one hand, we've had him for 10 years now. Good fortune, they make good pets.

Back when I had my leos I used small tupperware type of containers for shed boxes. I just made sure to get one that was large enough for them to get in and turn around in.

I don't know what size of container you're going to put her in, but I had mine in a 20 gallon long and a 6"x4"x2" leftover container did me quite well for a shed box. Some of those shallow Ziplock/Gladware storange containers are good too, and they're cheap enough that I didn't mind cutting holes in them.

As far as food, I honestly found crickets a pain in the butt to keep, and still do. I never used enough of them to make ordering large quantities rational and most of them died before I could use them. That and they STUNK..the smell of dead crickets is all alone a very disgusting smell, it permeates everything. I reserved crix for treats only.

So I raised mine on meal worms. They keep for a couple of months in the fridge provided you don't freeze them. Or you can leave them out at room temp and they'll produce beetles that'll breed and lay eggs. I found those really easy to handle.

Here recently I've been raising lobster roaches for my bearded dragon. Provided that they're kept warm and plenty of food and moisture, they breed like mad. I got my starter colony of 30 last July and they're still going strong.

The upside to them is that they eat anything. I currently make up my own food comprised of: fish flakes, whole wheat flour, dried/crushed dandelion leaves, corn meal, and RepCal Calcium powder. They seem to do pretty good on this. For moisture I use the EctoTherm Cricket Yummies or a carrot stick.

Unlike crickets, they will climb anything you put them in. So you have to purchase a product called Bug-Stop!. It's a teflon based product that you "paint" around the top edge of the container and they can't climb past it.

If you decide to start some roaches and can't find the Bug-Stop! stuff, let me know and I'll send you mine.

Hope that helps. =)

I use a small ziplock disposable container for my leos and i use either moss or paper towels(if i'm out of moss-both moist of course) in the humid hide and i have two so it is larger than you would use for one and i have about 3 in their 55 gal. Mine also enjoy a misting when i see them deep in shed and it helps for extra water once in a while although with a dish of water they don't really need it...

I highly recommend using mealworms as a staple unless she won't eat them regularly enough. Along with mealies i give mine crickets, waxworms, and lobster roaches as treats and the occasional pinky mouse if they want it(mine only eat live ones and get wierded out by the pinky's movement so they only end up eating one every two months or so)

I have tried keeping crickets a few times but they stink too much but mealworms on the other hand are easy to keep and breed which makes them a good choice for a staple diet

Good Luck with the rescue and let us know when you get her!

thanks!

Thank you so much for all of that help! I think I'll try to get her used to eating mealworms by giving her crickets, then a mix, then just the worms. Those sound a LOT easier to care for and keep. I plan to keep her in a 10 gal. tank, I'll make that shed box, too.

I tell you when she arrives, and how she does when she's here..

i dont use a humid hide, i just spray him, with warm water, i also have a chunk of wood, quite jagged, that is very helpful for shedding, i sat down and watched him shed, he rubbed up and down on it for all of his shed. I just get him out the day after he sheds, and check him all over.
you can keep crickets in the fridge, they go into a deep sleep, (like when winter comes) and then will stay in there for as long as you want, then when re-heated, wake up.
i wouldnt suggest feeding then potatoes, they suck the juices out of things, so oranges work well, i sometimes use cucumbers coated with the calcium powder:
You MUST have calcuim powder otherwise he will die young with fragile bones.
you can keep the crickets in the tub you buy them in, if your scared of them jumping out, just tile the box to one corner, tap the opposite corner, then open the tilted corner and then the ones who have fallen from your tap, will fall out of the open tilted corner, if you get me :awcrap:
My crickets dont smell, what does smell is the fruit you put in ther for them to eat, and then goes rottern, that REALLY smells.

Hope this helps ya.