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Hatchling Happenings – Beautiful Eclipse Leopard Geckos

A couple of weeks ago, a clutch of eclipse baby geckos hatched at the same time. I wanted to share this because they are so cute. One of the clutch mates actually got stuck in the egg for awhile, I had to help pull her tail and hind legs out. Here are some pictures, please enjoy them.

Adorable eclipse hatchlings, both hatched at the same time:

Isn’t she the cutest thing or what? Solid black eyes, great body color:

This hatchling’s tail and hind legs got suck inside the egg:

Continue reading “Hatchling Happenings – Beautiful Eclipse Leopard Geckos”

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Did You Know? Leopard Geckos Do Not Urinate They Excrete Urates

leopard gecko urate feces

Did you know that leopard geckos do not urinate?  Leopard geckos are arid creatures.  In the wild, they have evolved to adapt to dry environment.  They do not urinate, they excrete urates as means of water conservation.  When urates are created, there is minimal water loss in leopard gecko’s body, while waste such as uric acid and other chemical compounds are excreted.  Urates are the soft but solid white chunks that get passed usually along with feces.  When crushed urate often turn into powdery substance.  A healthy leopard gecko should pass white urates, as yellow urates often indicate dehydration.

Can leopard geckos pass urate without feces?

Yes, you see it quite often during the breeding season when both male and females stop feeding.  They will still excrete urates without feces.  Do not be alarmed if you see a white urate by itself. Continue reading “Did You Know? Leopard Geckos Do Not Urinate They Excrete Urates”

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Did You Know? Leopard Geckos Are Crepuscular

leopard geckos are crepuscular super giant tremper sunglow apollo

Did you know that leopard geckos are crepuscular?

It has long been thought that leopard geckos are a nocturnal species.  But leopard geckos have been observed to come out at fading light during dusk & dawn, the very definition of a crepuscular species.  Where as nocturnal animals only come out at night, and they shy away from light completely.  Nocturnal species also have distinct features such as very large eyes and ears so they can see & hear at night.  So the next time someone tells you leopard geckos are nocturnal, you can correct them by saying leopard geckos are crepuscular, they are most active around dusk & dawn during twilight.

What about diurnal species?

Leopard geckos are very much different from diurnal species such as iguanas, bearded dragons, and chameleons.  Diurnal species are awake during the day and sleep at night.  They bask under full spectrum sunlight, using UVB for Vitamin D3 synthesis.  They absorb light and heat through their backs.

Since leopard geckos are crepuscular, do they need basking light?

Do leopard geckos require basking light?  The answer is no. They get very limited exposure to sunlight in the wild, as they are only active during dusk/dawn and at night.  So the little UVB they get, they would get during fading light.  Leopard geckos burrow deep under ground to sleep during the day, and they wake up in the afternoon/evening to go hunt for food.  They are also able to navigate at night using natural moonlight. Continue reading “Did You Know? Leopard Geckos Are Crepuscular”

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Hatchling Happenings – Total Eclipse – SG Snow Eclipse – Radar – SHTCTB

It’s time to do another update on our hatchling happenings.  Here are some of the hatchlings we currently have growing in our collection.  We are expecting some of these geckos to grow to an acceptable weight and health to be shipped to good homes soon.  Expect to see some of these geckos to start showing up on our website OnlineGeckos.com within the next month.

Below is a beautiful radar male.  He looks wet because he had just hatched from a humongous egg:

Continue reading “Hatchling Happenings – Total Eclipse – SG Snow Eclipse – Radar – SHTCTB”

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So You Want To Breed – Do’s and Don’ts of Breeding Leopard Geckos

I initially made this post on a gecko forum, but figured it may be helpful to those that find my blog via google search in the future.   In this “So You Want To Breed” blog article, I’ll list the do’s and don’ts of breeding leopard geckos.  This is a general guide for new breeders.  Feel free to add comments to what I may have missed.

Don’t:

-Don’t mix the 3 albino strains (tremper, bell, rainwater), they are not compatible.

-Don’t breed if you are not sure of the genetics behind the parents.

-Don’t breed if you can’t afford to feed, house, and care for the hatchlings. From one single pairing you can expect 6-16 eggs.

-Don’t breed if you can’t afford unexpected vet costs when/if you should need to take your geckos to see a vet. Things happen, sometimes they get sick, sometimes they need specialist help. Make sure you have money stashed away for emergencies.

-Don’t breed if you see any abnormalities or genetic defects on your geckos, these include but not limited to tail kinks, eye crinkles, over/under-bite, crooked spine, etc.. Also don’t breed if your geckos suffer health issues such as MBD (metabolic bone disease), or severe enigma syndrome. Continue reading “So You Want To Breed – Do’s and Don’ts of Breeding Leopard Geckos”