All About Me-Lucky!


I am a leopard gecko.  A leopard gecko makes an excellent pet!  I am nocturnal, ground-dwelling and my relatives and I have been found in the deserts of Pakistan, northern India, Afghanistan, and parts of Iran.

I have a triangular head and a large tail.  My tail is very fragile and can break off very easily.  If it does, it usually re-grows but may not look the same. My skin has many knoblike bumps, giving it a rough appearance, though my skin is soft to the touch.  Young geckos have a striped pattern that fades to the spotted pattern with age.  Am I young or older?

 Unlike most geckos, I have eyelids.   This helps me keep my eyes clean and particle-free in my dusty environment. Like most other geckos, I can clean and moisten my eyes using my tongue.

I live on land and generally do not climb.  As a nocturnal (awake at night) creature, I spend the day hidden under rocks or in dry burrows to escape the daytime heat, emerging at dusk to hunt insects.  

I can be fed insects including crickets, mealworms, grubs, grasshoppers, and any living insect that is no bigger than the width of my head. In order to properly digest my food, I need a warm spot of 93-100°F. I will also use my tail as a storage device. When I eat, I store part of my food and convert it into fat, which goes to my tail. In times of hunger, I can get nutrition by using this fat reserve and can survive a period of weeks without food.  Many people believe that geckos eat only insects, however in the wild we can eat anything we can overpower, including mice.

 I do not have a bladder so my excretions are solid.  

I am not as vocal as other geckos and will rarely make noise. 

Unlike other species of gecko, I have small claws which prevent me from climbing smooth vertical surfaces. However, my claws give extra traction on the ground and are helpful in digging.

I can live 15-20 years.  The oldest recorded Leopard Gecko in captivity is a 25 year old male who lives at a zoo.

Reptiles (meaning me) are not social animals so I don't need to have people touching me.

And, did you know my scientific name is Eublepharis Macularius?