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 Housing A Leopard Gecko:
Heating
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Leopard geckos are ectothermic which means we must provide them with
supplemental heat sources in captivity. They cannot produce their
own body heat and must rely on external or environmental heat sources.
These geckos need access to a basking area of approximately 88F and the
temperatures should drop as one moves away from the basking area.
Geckos need to have access to their Preferred Optimal Temperature
Zone (POTZ) for:
- Proper digestion of meals.
- Growth
- Healing
- Proper functioning of their immune system.
- Reproduction
The uptake and distribution of several drugs
are directly affected by the temperatures in the enclosure. Reptiles
on medication should definitely be housed within their POTZ.
Stressed, sick or injured reptiles often require their environmental
temperatures to be near the higher end of their POTZ to optimize their
immune system function.
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In the wild, leopard geckos typically inhabit regions that consist of
multiple areas with varying temperatures and humidity levels. As
with other reptiles, they control their core body temperatures to within a
few degrees of their POTZ by moving in and out of these areas. This
is called thermoregulation.
- It is critical that you provide your leopard gecko with temperature
gradients within the enclosure to allow them to naturally adjust their
body temperature.
- It is un-natural for the entire enclosure to be maintained at a
uniform temperature.
You should provide both horizontal and vertical temperature gradients.
- The hot spot of the enclosure should be at the upper end of their
POTZ - roughly 88F.
- This hot spot should only be on one side of the cage.
- Temperature gradients can be provided using either over-head heat or
substrate heat.
- As the gecko moves away from the hot spot, the temperatures should
start to decline.
- Be sure to provide hides throughout the temperature gradients.
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Always set up your leopard gecko's enclosure in advance of bringing the
gecko home. This will give you a chance to fine-tune the necessary
temperatures and ensure that you are providing the necessary temperatures
and temperature gradients.
Keep in mind that the best type and wattage of heat source that would
be most suitable for your gecko's enclosure will depend on:
- The ambient room temperature that the enclosure is in.
- The size of the gecko's enclosure.
Primary heat sources:
- Used to maintain an overall ambient temperature in the enclosure.
- These heat sources are generally set to the lower limit of the POTZ.
- Typically includes heat tapes, UTHs (under-tank heaters) as well as
overhead heat sources.
Secondary heat sources:
- Used to create more heat in a specific area of the enclosure in
order to provide the necessary temperature/thermal gradients.
- The proper placement of these heat sources is critical to the
overall health of the leopard gecko.
- Typically includes the use of a spot-light or incandescent light
that shines down on a particular spot such as a basking rock.
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Types Of Heating Equipment |
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Substrate heat:
- Includes under-tank heating pads (UTHs) and heat tape.
- Should never cover more than 25% to 35% of the floor area of the
enclosure.
- Substrate heat will accumulate in shelters - potentially turning
them into heat traps.
- Substrate heaters should always be hooked up to a thermostat control
and set for the minimum temperature for the POTZ. This can
typically be left on 24hrs/day.
- Dense substrates tend to limit the ability of the heat to reach the
surface. The less thick the substrate, the greater the heat will
be at the surface. Most people opt for a substrate depth of 1
inch or less.
- Can also be used with a substrate comprised of layered paper towels.
- Be sure to raise the enclosure to allow the necessary airflow under
the tank when using a UTH or heat tape.
Incandescent bulbs:
- These are placed on top of the enclosure and are often referred to
as overhead heating sources.
- These work best on enclosures that are at least 24 inches in
length. Remember that you want your gecko to be able to
thermoregulate.
- Typically involves the use or red or black bulbs - both of which can
be used day and night.
- The temperature at the heated area on the ground closest to the bulb
should be approximately 88F.
- Always place shelters away from direct exposure to an overhead
spotlight.
- Always use a ceramic light socket instead of a plastic one for
overhead lights and heat emitters - the plastic ones will overheat,
melt and can cause a fire.
- Ensure you are providing the necessary ventilation
for the enclosure.
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Monitoring and Controlling |
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The temperatures inside your gecko's enclosure and throughout the
temperature gradients should be monitored daily. How are
temperatures monitored?
- The best way to monitor the temperatures is with the use of a
digital thermometer.
- Typical aquarium adhesive thermometers are not recommended because
you will want to monitor the surface temperature where the gecko will
spend most of its time - instead of just the air temperature.
- Ensure you are monitoring the temperatures throughout the enclosures
and the temperature gradients.
One must take great care to not over-heat
their gecko and to not keep the environmental temperatures too cold.
There are several different devices that you can use to help
regulate/control the temperature of your UTHs and heat tape.
- On-off thermostats
- Involves the use of a probe that rests over the area that you want
to regulate the temperature at.
- Turns the heating systems on and/or off as needed to maintain the
temperature that you set.
- Pulse-proportional thermostats
- These can dim incandescent lighting.
- Regulates the temps of an UTH and heat tape.
- This device is preferable when compared to the other two listed
here.
- Rheostats
- These are essentially light dimmers or fan regulators.
- They can be used to control a ceramic heat emitter, UTH or heat
tape.
- Ensure you are using a rheostat that will handle the wattage of the
equipment you are trying to regulate.
If you find that the temperatures in the enclosure are too warm, you
can cool them by:
- Using a lower wattage spotlight/bulb.
- Turning down the sub-tank heaters.
- Opening a window or turning on a fan in the room that the enclosure
is in.
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Dr. Gecko does NOT recommend the use of hot rocks for leopard geckos!
- They do not heat the air adequately and if it is the only heat
source in the enclosure, the gecko will not be able to properly warm
itself or it may suffer serious thermal
burns.
- Most hot-rocks do not have any sort of temperature controls on them
- they are either on or off.
- Many are notorious for developing hot spots that can reach extremely
high temperatures which can also result in serious thermal
burns.
- Some people have used them effectively BUT only when buried under
the substrate, hooked up to a thermostat control AND used as a
secondary heat source.
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