SpeciesLeopard gecko
Leopard gecko
Eublepharis macularius
Probably the most commonly kept gecko: crepuscular, ground-dwelling and modest in its space requirements. It too needs a temperature gradient and several hides.
- Group
- Gecko
- Level
- Beginner
- Origin
- South and Central Asia
Where the species comes from
- World region
- South and Central Asia
- Countries
- Afghanistan, Pakistan, northwestern India and neighbouring regions
- Habitat
- Dry grassland, rocky semi-desert and stony scrub
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- A ground dweller. Floor area is what counts; height is secondary.
- Temperature
- Warm side 32 °C at floor level, cool side 24 °C, 20–22 °C at night. Bottom heat rather than a lamp.
- Humidity
- 40–50 %, plus a permanently moist hide.
- Lighting
- Weak UV-B is beneficial. Crepuscular, no strong lighting.
- Substrate
- Loam-sand mix, firm enough to dig. Loose sand can be swallowed.
- Furnishings
- At least three hides at different temperatures, one of them moist. Flat stones.
- Water
- Shallow dish, refreshed daily.
- Feeding
- Insects every two to three days, dusted with calcium and vitamins. Adults more sparingly.
- Behaviour
- Crepuscular and nocturnal, calm and unhurried. The tail serves as a fat store.
- Handling
- Well tolerated. Never grip by the tail: It is dropped and grows back only misshapen.
- Cohabitation
- Alone or one male with several females. Two males fight.
- Health
- Shedding problems on toes and eyes if kept too dry: The moist hide prevents them.
- Seasonal cycle
- A cooler phase of eight weeks at 18–20 °C.
- Safety
- No permit required.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The species does not belong to any of the groups listed in Art. 89 of the Swiss Animal Welfare Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
No CITES listing
Not listed in the CITES appendices: Import and transfer require no species-protection papers. Keep the proof of purchase nonetheless
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 5 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not prescribe centimetres but multiples of body length. For this species, item 31 (Nocturnal ground-dwelling geckos): floor area 6 × 6 body lengths, height 2 body lengths. The floor area applies to at most two animals; each further animal requires an additional 2 × 2 body lengths.
For this group, body length means the snout-vent length, without the tail. The largest animal in the enclosure is what counts. The enclosure may not be smaller even if fewer animals live in it than the table names.
| Snout-vent length | At least |
|---|---|
| 10 cm | 60 × 60 × 20 cm |
| 12 cm | 72 × 72 × 24 cm |
| 14 cm | 84 × 84 × 28 cm |
| 16 cm | 96 × 96 × 32 cm |
Animals may temporarily be kept in smaller enclosures: for quarantine, for the treatment of illness and injury, for acclimatisation, for breeding and rearing, and for winter or cold dormancy or aestivation (preliminary remark D on reptiles).
This is the legal lower limit, not a recommendation. An enclosure that meets exactly these dimensions is permitted, but not good for that reason. The details under “Husbandry at a glance” describe how the enclosure should be furnished, not how small it may be.
What the enclosure must provide
Ensure species-appropriate heat and light zones, UV-B where applicable, suitable substrate, places to retreat, opportunities to climb or dig, water, humidity and natural rest periods. The social structure of the species must be taken into account.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
