i have brought a pair of lavender leopard geckos and am worried about temperature and heating? does the viv have to be kept damp? if so whats the best way to do this? thanx
2007-09-17 09:53:40 · 7 answers · asked by emily b 1 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
they like rocks right by a heat light i have some put a small bowl of water by the rock and artificial plants and logs to hide under
2007-09-17 09:58:24 · answer #1 · answered by lol_iamevil_lol 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The temps should be about 86F on the warm side and 78F on the cool side. No more than 90F and no less than 72F. Use an under-tank heat mat that covers around 40% of the bottom of the cage, and use a thermostat with the probe inside the cage to ensure the temperature is regulated and does not rise to dangerous temperatures. Use a digital thermometer to measure the temps and adjust the thermostat until they're correct.
You need a thermostat - don't let anyone convince you that you don't!
The viv should not be kept damp, these geckos come from parts of Asia that are very arid and high humidity will cause respitory infections. You should have at least two hides on each side (warm and cool) of the cage, and one of these should be half filled with damp sphagnum moss, available at most reptile pet shops, so that it is humid inside the hide. If the gecko needs humidity to aid in shedding they will use this hide without danger to their health. Make sure the moss does not dry out. Damp paper towel can also work but moss is really good.
Apart from hides, you need fresh water from a bottle, not tap and not distilled, available at all times. As a substrate (the stuff in the bottom of the cage) do not use sand - lots of people will tell you to lose sand, but it can kill them as described below - or anything that isn't solid like corn cob or wood chips. Use something solid like kitchen towel, tile or shelf liner. This is so the geckos don't swallow little bits which build up in their digestive systems and kill them.
Good luck with the geckos, feel free to contact me if you want to ask more about them.
2007-09-17 10:05:31 · answer #2 · answered by Snake Lady 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
A friend of mine had two leopard geckos and she kept them in a tank with a halogen lamp over it. In the tank she kept one of those fake hollow log things to let them have a shield from the heat when they wanted. She also had two large rocks and a dish of water in there.
Hope that helps
2007-09-17 10:00:10 · answer #3 · answered by krisy_80 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why in the world did you buy a pet and not have its enclosure set up correctly? And also, why did you buy a pet before doing any research on its needs? What I would do is take the animals back to the pet store and see if they can hold them for you until you know the basic needs and have your enclosure properly up and running. Have they been sexed? Are they male or female? And are they going to be in the same enclosure together? Then, before you get them back home... Take a giant wooden mallot, and strike yourself several times in the skull for being such a bone-head. Just kidding about the mallot dude. good luck... and for Gods sake.... do some research next time so you don't kill your pets. good luck
2007-09-17 10:03:25 · answer #4 · answered by Slow Hand 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Quite frankly you should have looked into what it takes to care for these guys BEFORE you got them, but here is a link to some general care.
http://www.reptilecare.com/LGcaresheet.htm
2007-09-17 10:01:43 · answer #5 · answered by bulldogclover75 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Snake lady above said it best. Also check out my 2 favorite websites for care info:
http://www.drgecko.com/index.html
http://www.thegeckospot.com/index.html
2007-09-17 12:18:44 · answer #6 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh dear...
In addition to the concerns stated above, I hope you did not buy two males!
2007-09-17 10:07:26 · answer #7 · answered by TURANDOT 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋