Leopard Gecko

Eublepharis macularius

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing leopard geckos. You’ve probably heard of the leopard gecko, but how much do you actually know about them? Do you know where they come from? Do you know what makes them unique from other geckos? Most geckos do not have eyelids. Instead, they have to lick their eyes to keep them free of debris. Leopard gecko's, however, along with other members of their genus, do have eyelids and can actually close their eyes! Of course, their tongues are still long enough to lick their eyes just in case they want to! And, unlike most geckos, the leopard gecko does not have toe pads for climbing, so they're unable to climb smooth surfaces. They do have claws, though, and these are excellent for climbing trees.

Since their prevalence in the pet trade beginning in the 1960s, these little lizards are well known around the world, but they originally hail from dry, desert-like areas of Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and India. These are ground dwelling animals and live in sandy, desert-like regions along with arid scrublands and grasslands. It's not uncommon for a leopard gecko to climb a tree in order to catch some sun rays to warm up. They may also hide under tree bark! During colder parts of the year, leopard gecko's dig into the substrate and enter a low energy state where they live off fat reserves stored in their tail.

Leopard gecko's get their common name from their leopard-like appearance. They're yellow with black spots and a striped tail. They also have lumpy skin. This helps them blend in with the environment and keep them safe from predators. Of course, captive bred individuals come in all sorts of colors because they don't have to worry about predators like snakes, larger lizards, birds, foxes, and more! If they are caught, a leopard gecko can autotomize, or drop, its tail so it can make an escape while the predator is distracted. A leopard gecko's dropped tail can wiggle for thirty minutes after it's dropped!

The tail does grow back, but usually looks different than the original tail. They use their tails to store fat. In fact, some sources indicate that a leopard gecko will return to a dropped tail to eat it once the threat has passed so they can regain the lost fat. They also eat their own skin while they shed. Their typical diet is insect based and they consume beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, and insect larvae as well as scorpions and baby mice and birds. They may shallow small stones for minerals, as well. Leopard gecko's are crepuscular, meaning they're most active during twilight hours.

Like tokay geckos, leopard gecko's produce sounds. When they're annoyed or disturbed they'll let out an alarm call that sounds like this: (audio). They also communicate with their tails. If they're distressed, they wave their tail around, and if they're excited they'll shake it like a rattlesnake. This often happens before mating.

Leopard gecko's begin breeding somewhere between one and two years of age. Males fight each other if encountered and they'll breed with multiple females. Eggs are buried in loose soil. These are laid two at a time a handful of times each year. It takes about 50 days for the eggs to hatch and the sex of the babies is temperature dependent. Leopard geckos are about 3 inches (8cm) long when they hatch and reach around 8 inches (20cm) in length from nose to the end of the tail as adults, though males can be slightly longer. In the wild they only live about five to ten years old, but they can double this age in captivity if properly cared for!

For more facts on leopard geckos, check out the links below. Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today. Thank you to our Patrons SpikeSpiegel93, Dad, and everyone else for their support of this channel! And thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!