Lizzie's Royal Transformation: From Shy to Sassy Gecko
A journey from shy to sassy. Meet Lizzie our first pet reptile. In this post we will give her backstory along with how we care for her along the way.
When we picked up Lizzie from Petco, armed with a 10-gallon tank and a kit that seemed like a good idea at the time, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. Lizzie, tiny and timid, came with big expectations we weren’t prepared for. That reptile carpet? Turns out it’s a no-go for her delicate toes. The 10-gallon tank? An absolute starter home that didn’t match her queenly aspirations. And Lizzie herself? She was more "introverted artist in hiding" than "reptilian social butterfly." For two months, I practiced what’s called choice-based handling, coaxing her to climb onto my hand on her terms. Pair that with some gourmet tong-fed insects, and Lizzie started warming up—slowly but surely.
Fast forward to today, and Lizzie is living her best life in a palatial 40-gallon bioactive setup, complete with all the trimmings a gecko could dream of. Her shyness has given way to what I can only describe as attention-seeking diva behavior. She no longer hides when someone enters the room—in fact, she seems to enjoy coming out to say hi, possibly angling for her next treat. From fumbling gecko newbies to proud reptile parents, we’ve grown just as much as Lizzie has. It’s safe to say she’s no longer just a pet; Lizzie is a part of the family and the reigning queen of her lush, leafy kingdom.
Here are some basic facts on how we keep her and hopefully they may help you if you decide a cute leopard lizard is for you!
Tank Size: 40 Gallon Thrive (Front opening is best!)
Heat: 50 Watt Arcadia Deep Heat Projector.
UVB: 12” - Arcadia Shadedweller 7% (Check and replace once per year or so!)
Light: 15” – Repti Zoo 6500 Lumens LED.
Substrate: 40% Organic Topsoil, 40% Play Sand, 20% Excavator Clay.
Drainage Layer: Exo Terra Sub Stratum
Plants: Aloe, Non-Spiny Cactus, Spider Plant, Rubber Plant, Snake Plant, Golden Pothos, and Elephant Feed.
Hides: Various from cork bark to dug out burrows.
Humid Hide (Helps with shed): 3 in 1 Hide cave with detachable base and humidity dish.
Temperatures: Warm side (80-90 degrees), Basking Surface Slate (92-95 degrees), Cool side (75-80 degrees)
Key things to note: Leopard Geckos come from arid environments. You want to make sure you mimic that and ensure the plants you get can survive. Leopard Geckos aren’t typically plant eaters but ensure you do your research and get reptile safe plants when purchasing. If I had to do this again, and I will sometime in the near future, I would not utilize a drainage layer as with arid environments the substrate should not be very wet, but moist to the touch about midway down or so, and drier on the top.
Leopard Geckos can drop their tail if they feel like they are in danger, but they will regrow it fully, it will just look a little different. We were told by Petco that Lizzie most likely dropped her tail as a baby. Today she has a full tail, and it doesn’t look odd or anything. A good sign of health is a nice full Leopard Gecko tail, as that is where they store their fat reserves! Too fat of a tail can be a sign of obesity and you want to avoid that.
Lizzie feeds on about 4-6 medium size Dubia roaches every three days. Crickets are generally pushed on people who buy reptiles from big box stores. They stink, are not bred well and can contain parasites, don't keep well, and make a ton of noise if they aren't gobbled up quick! We found Dubia roaches to be less of a mess, quiet, and easy to keep alive, and it's not your typical house cockroach that you may be thinking. They look more beetle like in my opinion. She has access to fresh water, and we keep a bowl of Calcium without D3 powder that she will frequent if she requires it. The Dubia roaches are dusted with Calcium with D3 each feed and a multi-vitamin powder every third feeding.
Great Resources:
Bioactive Supplies – The Bio Dude or NEHERP.
Care Guides - ReptiFiles and we like Chief Sweets Universe on YouTube.
