| Leopard Gecko | |
|---|---|
| A 'High Yellow' morph leopard gecko. | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Lacertilia |
| Family: | Gekkonidae |
| Subfamily: | Eublepharinae |
| Genus: | Eublepharis |
| Species: | E. macularius |
| Binomial name | |
| Eublepharis macularius Blyth, 1854 |
|
The leopard gecko is a nocturnal ground-dwelling lizard naturally found in the deserts of southern Central Asia, and throughout Pakistan, to the northwestern parts of India. Unlike most geckos, leopard geckos possess movable eyelids. It has become a well-established and popular pet in captivity.
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Leopard geckos were first described as a species by zoologist Edward Blyth in 1854 as Eublepharis macularius.[1] The generic name Eublepharis is a combination of the Greek words Eu (true), and blephar (eyelid), as having eyelids is what distinguishes members of this subfamily from other geckos. The specific name, macularius, derives from the Latin word macula meaning "spot" or "blemish", referring to the animal's natural spotted markings.
Leopard geckos are related to many different geckos including the African fat-tailed gecko. There are five subspecies, including the nominative species: Eublepharis macularius macularius,[1] E. m. fasciolatus (Günther 1864),[2] E. m. montanus (Börner 1976),[3] and E. m. smithi (Börner 1981).[3]
The native habitat of the leopard gecko is the rocky, dry grassland and desert regions of south-Asian Afghanistan, Pakistan, north-west India, and parts of Iran. Winter temperatures in these areas can be quite low, below 10 °C (50 °F), forcing the animals underground into semi-hibernation, called brumation, living on fat reserves. As nocturnal creatures, they spend the day hidden under rocks or in burrows to escape the daytime heat and emerge at dusk to feed by hunting insects.[4] These Geckos are solitary, and do not usually live with other animals.[5]
These geckos are insectivores that feed on insect larvaes like mealworms, and other insects,. In captivity most individuals will prefer hunting food for themselves. The majority of captive Leopard geckos will also refuse to eat dead prey. Crickets are the most common food source to give them as they can hunt them in their enclosure the way they would in their natural environment. When food is scarce in the desert, they can rely on their ability to store excess fat in their tails. Sufficient calcium and vitamin D3 is also very important for their diet: How they obtain it in the wild is still unknown, although they likely receive this from their varied prey (moths, spiders,ants and other insects). In captivity, it is near impossible to completely duplicate the diet they will have in the wild, so the most nutritious insects known are offered, usually dusted with a fine calcium powder with added vitamin D3 and sometimes gut loaded by feeding. Also, their keen sense of smell and sight allow them to search for food in the wild, they will stalk their prey, just like an actual leopard will, and then strike when they are satisfied it is an edible prey item. [5]
Leopard geckos are typically large for a gecko. Hatchlings tend to be 6.5 to 8.4 cm (2.6 to 3.3 inches) in length and weighing about 3 grams while the adult geckos are about 20.5 to 27.5 cm (8.1 to 10.9 inches) in length and weigh about 45 to 65 grams. Those found in the wild typically have a darker, dull, and drab coloration than those kept in captivity as pets. Those in captivity generally have an assortment of skin colors and patterns. The skin of a leopard gecko is very durable, which provides protection from the rough sand and rocky terrain of their dry environment. Their dorsal side is covered with small bumps, which gives a rough texture and appearance while their ventral side is thin, transparent, and smooth. Like all reptiles, leopard geckos shed their skin. In the few days before the shedding, the skin will turn color to a translucent whitish gray.[6] Adults shed an average of once a month, while juveniles will sometimes shed twice as much.[7] The gecko will eat its old skin after shedding, revealing a brighter colored one.[6] Eating the shed skin is a means for obtaining protein and vitamins for growth.[7]
Leopard geckos are ectothermic. They absorb warmth and energy during the day as they are sleeping, so they can hunt and digest food at night. In addition, they have short legs, which enable them to be quick and agile while their small nails allow them to climb twigs and rocks. Leopard geckos have openings on either side of their head as ears. A tympanic membrane covers and protects it. They use their ears to locate their prey. Healthy leopard geckos have thick, fleshy tails while a thin tail is an indication that the gecko is not healthy and may be lacking nutrition. Although, when in captivity, the tail can be fattened by the feeding of Wax Worms (The Wax Moth Larvae), but these worms are typically too fatty for the Gecko to get the nutritional value it needs. They can also be fed 'pinkys', a one day old mouse to fatten up the tail, but again, these are very low in nutritional value.[8] It is highly suggested by breeders and pet enthusiasts that you coat your crickets in a nutritional powder before serving them either live or dead. Their thick tails can regenerate when lost. However, the regenerated tails appear stumpy and never has the same appearance as the original tail.[5]
Leopard geckos have predators, such as snakes, frogs, or foxes and other large reptiles. Their keen sense of hearing and sight help them escape from them during the night. Along with their exceptional sight and hearing abilities, their skin helps camouflage themselves from their predators. Their sense of taste and smell also helps them with survival. The shedding of their skin also removes any scent markers left behind for potential predators to discover. When they feel threatened, startled, or scared, leopard geckos hiss to ward off predators. Also, they stay in underground holes and burrows during the daytime, not only avoid the heat, but to also avoid the risk of getting eaten.[5]
Leopard geckos also have the ability to voluntarily detach their tails if it is attacked, grabbed by the tail, bitten during copulation, or nipped by another during feeding. This is called caudal autotomy. Its tail holds a fraction of its weight and when it is lost the speed of the gecko is quicker. Fractures in the tailbone allow the tail to separate easily and rapid vasoconstriction allows the gecko to have minimal blood loss. This detaching of the tail does not harm the gecko in any way. It will regenerate its tail immediately because it is needed for survival. A lost tail may cause sickness to the gecko and in some cases kill it, but this is very rare.[5] Regenerated tails often retain similar colors to the original tail [though there will most likely be a wide variance from the vibrancy and patterns of the original], however they are often smooth and lack the rigid qualities and length of a normal tail. The tail will also be shorter and often fatter than the previous tail.
Sexual dimorphism is defined as a phenotypic difference between males and females of a species. It can be commonly found in animals, such as the leopard gecko and other reptiles.[9] It exists in adult males and females, but can be difficult to determine in young geckos. The underside of a gecko truly determines the sex of the gecko. Males have pre-anal pores and hemipenal bulges while females have less and smaller pores and do not have external bulges.[5]
Males can determine the sex of other leopard geckos by smelling pheromones on their skin. Males respond to males with aggressive behavior while they demonstrate courtship behavior towards females. Towards other males, the male would raise itself up from the ground, extend his limbs, and arch his back with the swelling of the tongue in aggression. He will then make short dashes and quick, vigorous bites, which frequently lacerate the skin and sometimes severely injure his opponent. Males behave the same way towards females while they are shedding their skin. Before and after the shedding of the skin, the males still express courtship behavior towards the females.[10]
They are also known to have temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). Research shows that more females can be produced in predominantly cool temperatures (about 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)) and very warm temperatures (about 34–35 °C (93–95 °F)). It was recorded that males can be produced at the intermediate temperatures (about 31–33 °C (88–91 °F)). Females born in the higher temperatures differed from those who were born in the lower temperatures hormonally and behaviorally. Those born in the warmer temperatures expressed more aggressive behavior.[11] These are known as "hot females" and are often determined to be infertile, that is unable to reproduce.
Sexual maturity occurs between eight to nine months of age. Leopard geckos will breed as single pairs or in a group consisting of one male and several females.[5] Females may need to interact with a male and assess him before she chooses him as her mate.[12] During breeding, the male will rattle his tail, which tells the female he is ready to mate. He will chase her and when she is caught, he will mount on her for mating. The male will continually bite the top of her head. At this time, her tail may become detached. Both these mechanisms are normal.[5] Though a "dropped" or "detached" tail will grow back, its regenerated form may be slightly malformed and will most likely look very different from the original. Regenerated tails are often smooth and short, with a bulb-like appearance. (See image in the bottom left of the "Characteristics" section.) Tail dropping is highly discouraged.
Leopard geckos will breed typically from January to August or September. Females can store sperm over the course of their breeding season, so they can produce up to 3 clutches from one or two copulations, therefore, the male is not needed for reproductive success after the first or second copulation.[12] Once the female is pregnant, she will need an abundance of calcium for health and to ensure that the eggs calcify properly. She can lay about 6 to 8 clutches, which consists of two eggs in each clutch. They will normally lay two eggs approximately 21 to 28 days after mating. After 45 to 60 days, droplets of moisture will appear on the shell and the shell will begin to shrink and partially collapse. These are indications that the eggs will hatch. Baby leopard geckos will have an “egg tooth,” a calcareous tip at the end of its snout to help break their egg shell. Their “egg tooth” will fall off within one to two days. In addition to this, their skin will shed within 24 hours of hatching.The leopard gecko hatchling will not be able to eat until after the first shedding.[5]
There are several common diseases that leopard geckos may experience.