Reptiles & Amphibians

24 Jul 2007 | Digg | Del.icio.us | Reddit | Print

Leopard Geckos: The Lizard That Wants To Be Your Pet! (Part 1)

By Adrian Adams

Leopard Geckos in the Wild

Leopard geckos are nocturnal lizards, natively found in the deserts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and parts of India. They absolutely adore the heat and love rocky terrain, making their dwelling under the ground during the dry, desert daytime. Leopard geckos are quite unique because they have real eyelids - which is extremely uncommon to most gecko species - and they also lack flat, adhesive pads on their toes. Instead, leopard geckos use their claws to climb, making them unable to cling to slippery surfaces - as many other reptiles can - though it is extremely useful when digging in the dry, desert landscape.

In the wild, lizard geckos tend to live under large rocks or inside subterranean caves, emerging at night to hunt insects such as spiders and crickets - and if they're feeling exceedingly adventuresome, some leopard geckos may even seek out tiny mammals such as baby field mice.

A well-fed gecko can actually live between 19 and 22 years, with the oldest confirmed leopard gecko living all the way to 27 years old! For this reason, they make good pets for children since your child will be able to grow up with the same animal over the course of many years. In the wild, this means that leopard geckos will breed many times during their life, making it an ethical pet choice, as it is not an endangered species.

The natural coloring of these reptiles tends to be a yellowish, creamy color with black stripes, but years of captive breeding have altered the natural coloring of leopard geckos and caused the introduction of new colors to the species, such as: tangerine, lavender, solid white, and even black spots. Though it may seem strange, leopard geckos have adapted remarkably well to captive breeding programs, and are now one of the premier choices for reptilian pets today.

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Learn all about the Leopard Gecko at http://www.leopardgeckoguide.com/.

Adrian Adams has written 1 other article

• Leopard Geckos: The Lizard That Wants To Be Your Pet! (Part 2)

There are 1 other article in the category

• Leopard Geckos: The Lizard That Wants To Be Your Pet! (Part 2)