Leopard Geckos Don't Live in Deserts?

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

This is a great video man! We’ve got a need for “have you considered this wildly different information compared to what you think you know” type presentations in this hobby and you’ve done just that here, and without being pretentious. I will consider this information when making my own enclosures and when presenting leopard gecko information in my own videos. Well done!

[@Mace2124]

Damn you got props from WWR, you're doing something right!

[@w9nted]

💯

[@ccclcl6911]

Now apply this mindset to the ridiculous economy of ball python breeding in bin systems. This community must change to be ethically better

[@HerpHQ]

I completely agree! En masse breeding conditions are often totally inadequate for thriving - only the absolute minimum to procreate.

[@lotion1431]

this is THE best video on leopard geckos ive seen please make a part 2

[@HerpHQ]

Thanks so much! Is there anything in particular you'd like to see covered? Or other species/topics?

[@ohno4458]

​@@HerpHQ please do some edcuational content on more true desert dwellers like desert iguanas, collared lizards, uromastyx, and chuckwallas please 😭. thatd be amazing

[@exxzxz]

@@HerpHQ where they like to hide at and humidity and heat levels in those places i try to make deep burrows for the geckos i have and they seem to love the deeper areas with higher humidity really love this videoit may encourage others to make bioactive enclosure i also appreciate how you show the wide variety of places they have ben found in rlly made me go all out on my own enclosures i would say make a part 2 but this video is genuinely a 20/10

[@exxzxz]

@@ohno4458i agreee!!!!

[@darcieclements4880]

Zero surprise. I work with western heterodons and most of the natural history and biology and ecology basically everything about them commonly repeated by pet owners just doesn't match reality. It's not that hard to provide animals choices and record what they choose. It's not hard to go back and read all the studies on a species in the wild and while it can be tricky to do fieldwork, it is worthwhile. What is hard is getting the real data to stick in people's minds when there is so much misinformation repeated and the truth can't be boiled down to just a sound bite. Thanks for working to get information out there.

[@HerpHQ]

Thanks for the comment Darcie! Ultimately I feel the way the information is presented is just as important as the information itself. My aim for these videos is not to list lots of boring data, but to get people thinking and wanting to go and look at the quoted information themselves. :)

[@e-villegeckos4443]

Best quote is from the guy studying them actually. “I think leopard geckos may actually be so far removed from its wild counterpart’s that some serious thoughts and planning would have to go into keeping them in truly naturalistic conditions” This is probably because captive leopard geckos are so far removed from there wild counterparts they are often listed as there own subspecies or generalized by the E. Macularious macularious definition It’s just a generalized definition/description of a leopard geckos in captivity. This is due to subspecies being crossed at the budding stages of the leopard gecko hobby to create what we now know today as the common leopard gecko you see in all pet stores. Eublepharis macularius macularious So just like what works best also for various subspecies the same can be said for the current captive form of the species when it comes to care.

[@thebelovedtree]

I love this! It's so difficult to find this type of information for more common species because your results are clogged with captive individuals.

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you! Absolutely! Please help spread this about. 😀

[@krysdoran]

I found the first paper you talked about a few days ago, before finding this video. I've been looking to upgrade my leopard gecko to a bioactive enclosure and finding ANY research on the habitats of wild leopard geckos is surprisingly hard! Seeing the pine forest photo in that paper really inspired me, and it's great to see others in the hobby doing this kind of research!

[@KatieDeGo]

Holy crap... I apparently need to change my leopard geckos habitat a bit (yes she has fresh water!)

[@HerpHQ]

What matters is that you seek good information, and make informed changes from that. :D

[@KatieDeGo]

@@HerpHQ I'm grateful that there is scientifically backed info out there! Thanks so much 🥰 she's loving her new habitat by the way.

[@LoriTorrini]

Excellent information and thank you for emphasizing the point of offering options and allowing the animals to make choices!

[@HerpHQ]

Thanks Tori! The issue of teaching gradients is difficult. It's simple, yet complicated for those who've not thought about it before! Thinking of doing a more in depth explanation in future, with HOWS!

[@jaydagr87]

Thank you! For the last 3 years I've owned my Leo and I am planning out a vivarium for him and I just thought that all desert was too bland. When I went and reached out for some advice when it came to certain features like water or humidity, even flora, I've always been met with restrictions like "they will have respiratory issues" or "you can't have more than one different kind of plant". After watching this I can go and start sketching and over all redesigning the vivarium with more liberty then I've ever had!

[@randomrazl4215]

Love this info! I’m setting up a new enclosure for my Gecko and will definitely be applying this info to his set up! Pls keep these videos coming!

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you, I will! Have fun setting your enclosure up! 😀

[@simplebioactive4017]

Excellent. This idea needs to be applied to many species. To often we simply dont know how the species really interacts with the microclimates of their broader habitat. Providing these broad gradients allows us to actually observe and learn and adapt the enclosure to the animals needs and preferences.

[@HerpHQ]

Absolutely! I hope to make similar videos for the other most commonly kept species! 😀

[@archaeopteris]

I loved your interview about reptile emotions on Animals At Home podcast and looked up your youtube channel and I am STOKED. This is exactly the kind of reptile content I want to see. Thank you for taking the time and energy to produce this channel!

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you so much Audrey! This is great to hear. I hope I can keep the quality up, for that reason I will not have a very strict upload timeframe - so I can get things right! Please let me know if there are any topics you'd like me to cover. :)

[@Tolemy111]

I listened to a podcast talking about a very similar topic in herpticulture. It was fascinating, this was put it a far more digestible way. Loved the video. Very interesting information.

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you! I'm so glad to hear that the information is easily digestible - it's one of my biggest worries!

[@williamwallace2472]

This is the first time I have come across one of your videos and I would just like to say, I would say this is some of the most valuable information in the hobby!!! Not all hero's wear capes.. you my friend need one! I wish this had 6 million more likes!

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you so much! Please let me know if there's any particular content you'd like covered for when I get back to making videos (career comes first unfortunately!)

[@wildbores8965]

You will probably never see this comment, but the chance that you do. Your comment at the end, "never stop learning", is why I'm subscribing 🤙 much respect for that

[@HerpHQ]

I do see it! Thank you so much for the feedback. More videos will come, career is just currently coming first. :)

[@michaelxmckinlay]

I'll be constructing my first Leopard Gecko enclosure soon. Thanks to your presentation I think I'm now better educated than before. Great work.

[@angelamose9418]

Thank you for this! Its valuable information for those of us who truly wish to provide the most natural habitat possible for all of our captive reptiles.

[@christiansaravia7865]

This is the best video about leopard geckos I’ve seen, thank you so much. I have a 4yo female leopard gecko named Noodle, I’m building her a new enclosure soon and I’ve been trying to make it as naturalistic as possible

[@herpdiversity9152]

This is awesome. I will say it is rather challenging to find much wild information in English. I have setup large biotopes for them based on specific locations from specific small biodiversity parks so i am a big proponent of this video.

[@FranacondaAHH]

Another one knocked out of the park!

[@HerpHQ]

Thanks Francis! Especially for your help in this episode too. 😀

[@horsemanshipper]

Very nice episode. Although I don't keep leopard geckos, the information is very useful for all species as microhabitats are often overlooked in most species. All the while they should be key for our husbandry.

[@HerpHQ]

Absolutely Jens! There are very few species that don't take advantage of a plethora of different microbiomes in any given day. 😄

[@zaba1959]

Excellent Ricky.

[@HerpHQ]

Thanks Rom! Your opinion means a lot to me.

[@lagestita]

Thank you so much for taking the time to educate me. I can imagine I'll be sharing this video many times in the future

[@HerpHQ]

That is great to hear Cristina! And sharing would be so helpful, thank you. 😀

[@JDWhite]

Great video! Saw it shared on a Leopard Gecko facebook group so the info is spreading! Wonderfull

[@HerpHQ]

This is great to hear, thanks John! The further this information goes, the better.

[@muscleformonsters-david6085]

Amazing video! We need more of this, I have a hard time finding accurate information on many commonly kept herptiles. These videos you all are putting out are so important to create a better relationship between our pets and ourselves!

[@rickcroney1286]

Very interesting video! I will be upgrading my Leopard Gecko shortly and this has given me many things to consider with respect to the build! I was already going bigger than "recommended size" but now have to consider how to create differing micro habitats than the standard arid environment. Thank you for this information!

[@HerpHQ]

This is so great to hear! I hope your upgrade goes well, and ultimately you both enjoy a brilliant complex environment! :D Feel free to return and update us on it!

[@Lizardliker]

Loving these. More please.

[@HerpHQ]

Great to hear! I'll keep them coming! If you have any topics you want covered, do let me know! 😀

[@zakhatchell5344]

Best video on the subject that I have see so far. I wounder if any of these opinions have changed over the past two years.

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you so much! I'm not sure! Wow it's been 2 years... I need to get back on this.

[@sailorfox4548]

this is like how red knee tarantula do not live in deserts but commonly in woodlands

[@HerpHQ]

Hi there! Lots of species across all taxa have had their care requirements & wild ecology horribly slimmed to just a small portion of the truth. Many animals use many areas of the complicated habitats that they may benefit from having replicated in captivity. :)

[@jamielovesjohn]

Great video! I think the research you've found just strengthens the idea that bigger is better when considering enclosure size. It's just too hard to meet lighting, humidity, and temperature ranges in a small area. I am convinced, after watching this video, that a 40 gallon is the way to go. Definitely subscribed to your channel. 😊

[@mkuc6951]

Wow i've been and stayed for a couple of months hiking in the area mentioned in the video called 'Himchal Pradesh' @3:53 at the 'foot hills' (lol, its epic in reality) of the himalayas. They have massive mountains, cliffs, forests, green fields. Himalayan cedars - Cedrus deodora, pines, etc. They get massive snow falls at times and minus temperatures. But there are lots of caves and rocks to hide in between for a lizard to live. I didn't really see any drier areas there at all IMO, until you went above elevations of 2500m / 8200ft where the landscape becomes a dry highland desert.

[@HerpHQ]

Amazing insight! Thank you so much! It is so important to consider the various used habitats used in a species' range. Especially one with such a huge range!

[@tiadaniels2074]

Great video , thanks .

[@gpjp8999]

Thank you!!!

[@chrisinutahpagano6774]

Thank you for posting this! I've really appreciated Khan's research paper over the years and what it reveals about the diversity of their environs and life cycles of leopard geckos. I've applied a bit of those findings to my charges but would be kidding myself to say it is a "more natural" way to keeping them

[@ThePenguin369]

omg love it. i would like to advance the dietary considerations of snakes(and other reps i guess) who are only reallly eating one or two food items.

[@pawang_game_id]

very informative, thank u

[@lunacardinal2271]

Thank you for this!

[@HerpHQ]

My pleasure!

[@pamhouweling7141]

Awesome video. Thank you. More like this of crested, gargoyle and bearded dragons please?😊

[@dans2727]

Another excellent video Ricky, thanks! Very informative and making me think more and more about my husbandry.

[@WilliamBradfordPR]

Incredible video, thank you for this. Really changed how I am designing a chambered ecosystem for my leppies

[@HerpHQ]

Great to hear! Thank you so much!

[@IncredibleInvertsOtherAnimals]

Another great video with great information keep it up guys

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you dude! Your channel is awesome too, congrats on your sub growth - roll on 1k!

[@juliac3933]

Very interesting, thank you for sharing

[@donnagoray3551]

We have a standard leopard and a fancy leopard gecko !! LOVE THESE PETS!!

[@gecko86]

So Wonderful

[@draeci]

Definitely a thoughtfully made video, that many more folk should see! I wish more people could be this open minded about the substrate and environment for their geckos. :) ( have to disagree with you saying we don't keep Eublepharis Angramainyu though! I have two and I'm just in the UK Midlands. Researching and adjusting their care from the Leo baseline has been interesting, to say the least)

[@HerpHQ]

Hi Benny! Thank you for your comment! :D If you pop back through the video, I clarified in post with "*commonly". As they are kept but so so few in comparison! :) I am in the UK Midlands also!

[@draeci]

@@HerpHQ a sincerely lovely thing to change. ❤️ If you have any interest in Angramainyu, consider this an open invitation to drop me a line, as I welcome the conversation! I was sold a hatchling and a yearling, with a very accurate but Leopard-gecko-specific care sheet. I've had to adapt various care outside of those parameters which was *incredibly* stressful, given their ages. Their behaviour is also markedly different, and their intelligence / observation skills are intense.

[@jjhill001]

Fantastic content. A lot of this brought me to thoughts of caution I heard from Terry Phillip (One of the managers of Reptile Gardens SD here in US) on a snake podcast and he pointed out that snakes/reptiles in general endure the extremes of their environments. But that doesn't make that a good thing, IE Tree Python gets rained on constantly to the point of extreme, but that's objectively not a good idea to just constantly spray a snake. I think that thought process can be applied to a lot of species where sometimes the temp/humidity parameters may be doing more harm than good. Anyways, getting a little long winded, look forward to more of this kind of deep dive into natural ranges of other species if you can find the time. HMU if you want I can maybe find that old podcast if you're interested.

[@GeekyGeckoCreations]

what a great episode! Where did u get this info or passionfor researching this out further than most?

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you so much! I have a passion for how we keep herptiles, and felt over time that what we provide is often SO inadequate! So my frustration has pushed me to do this. On top of that I do work in the industry teaching how to care for these animals, and recently became a lecturer in the area at a college! So not only my frustration and interest but now a professional need! :) - Ricky

[@louisemoss7142]

Awsome video, thanks as we all want our repi's to live there best life!!🦎🐸🐌🕷🐍. Xxx

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you so much!

[@kyleegan2830]

This has given me a lot to think about. You should make more videos about enclosure reccomendations, and should tell other content creators as well

[@leafystreet]

great watch. I think herp keeping is on the verge of a huge change for the better

[@milkyslug]

Thank you for this. Super interesting information! I have three leopard geckos :)

[@ThePenguin369]

I have never understoon not providing water. you are keeping naimals in a box, they have no choices to leave for water, only what you provide. I'm pretty sure there's only really been one species considered to *only* depend on water from its food and its some kind of dessert rodent... a mammal!

[@HerpHQ]

I believe you're referencing Jerboas! I care for one of those at work. They can have water but not a constant drinking source, more the odd spray and constant access to food that can provide it. This is due to the sensitivity of their kidneys (adaptation to arid life!). We do not see this at all in arid reptiles! Thank you for your comments Emma. 😀

[@sneekyalexa2657]

This is so interesting to know! I've been working on a bioactive set up and made a moist hide, but I wonder if I could go further and make more small humidity pockets for the microclimate aspect! I also plan on misting lightly daily or every other day, depending how it goes when finished!

[@beebhabie]

This video needs so many more views wish I saw it earlier!

[@kyora1030]

thank you for the nice video✨ I learned a lot

[@samanthahalfacre5100]

Our AC unit went out this summer and we have been roughing it. It has been so humid in our house. (We live in TN, USA) My gecko is reaping the benefits. Her skin has turned an entire different texture. She was way more rough on top of her back. Now she is much more soft. Now I feel bad cause I feel it was too arid in her habit for her and drying her out. This video makes sense and I do believe they need a more humid environment.

[@JackieFuckingChan]

A nice video. I know that I have a larger than recommended tank for my leopard gecko, have a deep heat projector to emulate a natural heat gradient, and a UVB bulb for extra vitamin d/calcium, have a digging cave, and also have a few thin drown proof topper water bowls that they can walk around on but don't terribly increase humidity. I definitely think we should try to be as naturalistic as possible

[@wigi-gum6093]

I really appreciated this! Ive been trying to gather information to get ready to make upgraded enclosures for my Geckos but it's hard as all get out to find information

[@hiveminds2988]

This video makes me feel better about having my gecko because its been hard controlling the humidity in my room since i live in the midwest USA, and ive been desperately trying to get it below 40% bc people keep saying if it gets over 40% they will give them URIs.

[@kirkvj8330]

Great Video! Very informative!

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you!

[@NoaLeighMaxwell]

Fantastic! I always thought it was bizarre that Leopard Gecko care was always suggested to be purely arid, when if you compare morphology to say beardies, well. Bit strange is all haha.

[@themotions5967]

I absolutely love this it’s very thought provoking and has change her my outlook on keeping my own animals drastically. I have always aimed for making my habitats to replicate semi arid forest with humid and well vegetated pockets. So I’m happy my research by searching for habitat information from their wild range was successful. I would also love to see a breakdown on specific eublepharis macularis (common leopard gecko) subspecies! As while these are all technically the same species I think it’s interesting to break down the habitat use and potential preferences of E. macularis macularis E. Macularis afghanicus E. macularis fasciolatus E. Macularis montanus E. Macularis Smithi And then we have the wide range of other species with that are in desperate need of reviving attention as well with. E. Turcmenicus E. Angramainyu E. Fuscus E. Hardwickii E. Satpuraensis

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you so much! Yes a more in-depth look into the genus would be fantastic - but I think it might be bloody difficult and time consuming to cover it all! I'll see what can be done and what information can be garnered for each species. :) -Ricky

[@BarokaiRein]

I wish I saw this 16 years ago because like all animals geckos get used certain types of enclosure and that's where they feel at home. I have actually tried all sorts of different bedding materials but the only thing he's comfortable in seems to be fine sand. I do have some dirt in there as well but he never goes there unless he's shedding so I guess he doesn't like the more moist terrain. I'd love to rework his habitant into a mossy,rocky area but he'd just be stressed and refuse to eat for weeks and probably never happy unless I still keep his sandy cave in there. That said I had no idea some people thought that they only need moisture gotten from eating, thought everyone knew they needed a water dish, that's why pet stores are full of the ones that look like rocks.

[@Tog-saigon-buidoi]

Thank you im from vietnam i love you video

[@evelynpurple]

Maybe another way would be to go through cycles of varied humidity and temperature levels. Like "seasons" would progress in the wild. I think few enclosures would fit all the conditions at the same time.

[@baylee8909]

I’ve often seen people talk about how their leopard gecko has troubles shedding and this made me wonder if it’s the fact that the leo doesn’t have anything to cram itself into? Like in the wild it would be squeezing it’s way into cracks and that would help the gecko get that skin off. I’ve seen tons of hides that have open space and nowhere for them to squeeze in to

[@faithschue9420]

That can definitely help but the big problem is they need humidity! Lots of people neglect that. Or they don’t provide as much as they should. I remember getting my first leopard gecko and humidity was not treated as an highly important part of their care lines it should be. Also people should bed regularly giving their gecko warm soaks! this video is awesome in highlighting the amount of moisture in their environment (they said 2/3 of the time roughly). MORE MOISTURE. It is the key to helping a gecko shed properly

[@puppyboyray5322]

This video relaxed my anxiety a huge amount as I live in a humid area, but it is winter 8/12 months so it will drop once the heat leaves. I have a 40 gallon for my Leo that has a nice heat range and medium humidity range :) I really wish this was more talked about because when I tried doing research on humid climates for leopard geckos I found nothing !! (My humidity peaks at 65%)

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you so much! I'm glad to have reduced your anxieties - the information out there is so fractured and confusing that I totally understand the worries! -Ricky

[@sircygnusx]

i made my tank 2 sided ... one with rocks and sand and the other side with moss, soil and wood after keeping them for a few month i could see them preference the dry desert side so expanded that side a bit further ...

[@nathanrupley]

just curious why you wouldn't recommend feeding lizards to your leopard geckos?

[@HerpHQ]

Hi Nathan! Good question. Mainly due to ethical issues surrounding supplying said feeder lizards. There is currently no retail or large scale source of ethically bred and dispatched lizard feeders, and when breeding feeder lizards for one's self there can be issues around dispatch of them. I believe the welfare risks for the feeder lizards outweighs the benefit to the Leopard Gecko - we can provide their nutrients in other natural ways. Of course this comment does not extend to ALL saurophagic species - as some snakes absolutely require lizard feeders for survival. :)

[@nathanrupley]

@@HerpHQ Thanks for the response. Makes sense

[@peterreynolds8827]

Great video Ricky. I'll be trying to put some this information to my staff and customers. Not always easy when people are so fixed on feeding their animals so much. What would you say is an acceptable night temp for these guys. Should the temp just be allowed to fall to what ever the room temperature is. Or would this be too much for leopard geckos raised in captivity if they have ot experienced this.?

[@HerpHQ]

Hey Peter, how's it going? Thanks for checking the video out dude! I would say that so long as the temperature is not dropping lower than noted in the video, and is never dropping that way suddenly, I do not think it would cause them issues. Frankly human 'room temperature' is often perfectly comfortable for night time. Going cooler may even encourage basking behaviour each day. :)

[@alexanderadams4011]

Small nitpick at 0:40 there are many species that are only native to 1 environment like a type of cave fish that exists in 1 cave in Kentucky with less then 100 living members

[@tawnyanderson3582]

I researched for almost a year before I got my Leo, Ember is a tangerine leo.. This kind of info was nowhere to be found.. I do try to give my critters the best life.. from my Beta to my Leo.. my guy absolutely lives in his humid hide but he does use his entire enclosure. Would love for this kind of info to be expanded on.. thank you. How ever he NEVER comes out to bask or soak up the UVB so whats the perk of letting it on..

[@HerpHQ]

Hi Tawny, thank you for commenting! I wonder if you'll experience something I'll cover later on - cryptic basking. Small prey species tend to make massive use of this, where they will expose small parts of their body like a leg, tail, patch of skin. Which allows them to bask and utilise low amounts of UV without fear of predation! They do not have to sit whole body directly under it to benefit from it. Hope this helps. :)

[@ConnorLongDVM]

Great video, has Ben discussed or written about how he found those leopard geckos - (time of day/night, field technique, etc)?

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you Connor! Yes Ben has gone into further depth, please do head over and check his stuff out on social media and at Captive & Field Herpetology. :)

[@bangem1988]

Holy shit this is a good video

[@jeremystancil]

Awesome video! I have been planning my bioactive enclosure and think I’ll go with a 48x24x36 with a 12” lip for substrate. I can use the bottom for a more lush type of environment and make it more rocky and arid up towards the top closer to the heat and see where she likes to spend her time. What do you think about a miniature fountain feature that will serve as the water source as well as adding some humidity to the enclosure and splashing a little water into the substrate for the isopods?

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you so much! With regards to a fountain- like feature, I would be wary but not against it. It would risk mistakes that could flood the enclosure but if designed and managed well in a large enough space (the feature should be small) then it could work! I would theme the idea as sometimes having the feature on to replicate rain water cascading down rocks. So not having it on all the time would be a good option! :) -Ricky

[@GibbonLord]

Just look up an nature reserves where they are kept. Emulate it Visually and keep an eye for weather forcasts of that region often you can also find a chart of temprature and humidity at different times of the year. Then emulate that, I also like to use plants of the same region because its hard wired in most reptiles what plants are poisonous if its from their natural range.

[@miapotter9070]

This video just singlehandedly saved my dissertation

[@HerpHQ]

Oh wow! Would you tell me more by chance? Glad it helped. :)

[@ryan.treckoreptiles3494]

Those were not Eublepharis Macualris in Nepal. Those were thought to be Eublepharis Angramainyu but were re discovered and are Eublepharis satpuraensis. Eublepharis Macualris live in rocky grass mountain environments.

[@Fingerwizard91]

I think this video brings alot of light to the subject and is very educational. To say what is the best terrain would have to be determined by the relative health in the different regions. If they can thrive in many terrain, then there must be one which has more benefits than others. I agree that leopard geckos are highly adaptable to the environment around them and that offering an array of options for your gecko is key for building a great enclosure for them

[@Tater4200]

I watched David attenborohs video on them in the desert. That's why I assumed dessert lol

[@eco-logicgecko112]

Et viola!! 👊 You have hit a lot of valid points in this video, which will eradicate the misconceptions of Leopard Gecko habitat in the wild that influences captive setups. Thank you for creating such a great video!! :) :)

[@HerpHQ]

Thank you! :D That's precisely the aim, very glad that's the case! -Ricky

[@pixeldeath5846]

Always give your reptiles a water dish! They will use it!

[@HerpHQ]

Absolutely! There is only one species I've worked with (Of well over a couple hundred!) that shouldn't be given standing water - and it's not even a herptile, but a niche mammal! The humble Jerboa! :)

[@xdcdave]

Hi just watching the video again. Just a question. I have a microclimate stat. At the moment I have it night and day. 32 degrees day and 24 degrees night. What would you recommend for the multi channel with time and temperatures to make it more natural Regards Dave..

[@brianpeck7901]

So what would be the recommended humidity range be for captive leopard geckos?

[@DivineSadist]

So on the topic of sand, is not general husbandry the most important part then, and some sand is probably ok in an enclosure?

[@HerpHQ]

Yes correct! Sand is safe to use, but a gecko kept in inappropriate conditions (Too hot/cool over too long periods of time), bad nutrition or poor/inappropriate UV access can become impacted with any particulate substance - even food! Blaming small loose substrate for impaction is moving the blame from the care.

[@DivineSadist]

@@HerpHQ thank you! I'm a new gecko owner so trying to absorb all the information I can. Is calcium sand always bad still, regardless of proper care?

[@le_synthesis2585]

Did Ben publish or deposit his DNA sequences somewhere? The case is that one mtDNA lineage dominates in a huge part of the leopard gecko range, making it impossible to track the origin of our captive animals by DNA. A peer-reviewed published study by Agarwal et al. 2022 (DOI 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107414) concluded that the most plausible origin locality of the captive lineage in near Karachi, Pakistan.

[@ollieconroy9707]

It does make sense considering how much they use humid hides and shed quite a lot they need humidity for that

[@PocketJammy]

i really need your help badly please respond so i have a leopard gecko my cousin got him from Petco i got to take him in 2020 and he's been fine he was eating and had a basking light and sand i changed the sand to carpet and other stuff and watched your videos but while I was gone he fell in love with wax worms and won't eat anything other than that we moved a couple of times and got a cat she jumps on his tank alot but she's in my room and his tank to I don't know what to do i think i caused stress he won't eat because I got kinda lazy but I'm working on that my mom said he's gonna die if i don't feed him so i tried he won't eat and he looked at the cricket like he wants to eat it then walks away my lamp recently broke that could be the reason and I'm getting that fixed we saw Petco people awhile back and they said does he needs sand but from watching your videos you said sand is bad for leopard geckos tomorrow where gonna try reptiboost and he's gonna get seen buy a vet to be tested with parasites i just really need your help please like even a simple reply please help!

[@abisheridee]

Join the Advancing Herpetological Husbandry group on facebook and ask there

[@PocketJammy]

I just joined ty

[@Liam-fk6ps]

Im writing down new things for my leopard geckos terrarium, what do you think would be a need to keep them more happy??

[@bananaman8693]

I thought it wasn’t sandy, but very rocky and dry with little to no water.

[@HerpHQ]

Their habitats include a vast range of microhabitats, from drier loose substrates to lush damp ground. Even in drier population areas they see water, and weather changes - they are very adaptable! :)

[@Cavechomperproductions]

I have know idea what my super snow leopard gecko habitat should be 😬

[@HerpHQ]

Same as any other leopard gecko, the morph doesn't change that as it is captive made via captive breeding, except in extreme circumstances such as albinism, which might need slightly lower UV access. :)

[@Willis724]

I have a question though is it harmful or hard on the gecko in a dry un humid habitat?

[@HerpHQ]

Hi there! It could be if a gecko is left in an entirely arid enclosure, as even those that do live in drier wild locales still take advantage of humid microbiomes such as their tunnels. Risks include dehydration, dysecdysis (bad sheds) & kidney damage. I am talking about the extreme though, in an average size enclosure that has a water bowl, the humidity is probably a bit higher than you might think. :)

[@monsterkajiu1912]

i might keep my leopard gecko like a veiled chameleon, dry periods during the day, wet periods during the night.

[@HerpHQ]

That could be interesting. Perhaps look into weather patterns across their range? It may be more helpful to change conditions gradually over weeks and months following seasons! :)

[@monsterkajiu1912]

I actually been looking into air temperatures (not basking temperatures) lately, like for example In the natural range where my corn snake native to and do you know what weather site you recommend?

[@zombeast23]

😱 😱 😱 😱

[@teunvanderkooij359]

so can i build him a tropical paludarium?

[@HerpHQ]

Hi there! I would be tentative about a paludarium, I have not seen evidence of them living particularly around water they can submerge into. I would continue using a classic water bowl, but yes potentially consider different internal enclosure set up. Ensure they can access both damp & totally dry so as to choose!

[@Nibiru_-_Gen_Z_Warlock]

are you sure i could give a leopard gecko like a rainforest habitat? every other youtuber says otherwise. (perhapse it is possible though he barely moves could be the tempature is literally 90 LMAO)

[@HerpHQ]

Hi Corbin! I would say we need to look into the context a little further - we can see that they thrive in a wide range of environments, so in captivity it may be beneficial to provide them with as much choice as possible. So perhaps not designing a whole enclosure around a rainforest biotope - but rather allowing multiple massively differing microbiomes and letting them choose (and not removing some because you FEEL they aren't using it - we don't watch them all the time!). A bit of water, humidity, substrate and climbing opportunity is not a danger, but enriching. :) -Ricky

[@erikm8372]

Lol, Perhaps I'm being high-maintenance with this concept; it likely would be too much to ask, for everyone involved in this hobby (zoos, pet owners, researchers, bloggers, breeders, and the like) to do more than state the mere country that an animal is endemic to - it's important, for the animals' sake, to know what state they're endemic to, the region, areas, etc. I would be wondering if leopard geckos are truly arid, like in the Thar Desert? Gujarat? Rajasthan? Or Karnataka? Or are they somewhere subtropical, sort of middle-range tropical climate. Delhi or Maharashtra even. Vastly different biomes! Especially the Indian subcontinent as a whole...if they're native to Afghanistan; we'll... I'm pretty sure it snows there in winter. Do they Brumate with the onset of winter? I always say India has the world in one country. It's an incredible species diversity and many different biomes. And that's not even counting the human variations in language and cultures. It's a truly melting pot of the world! Makes sense, it's like the midway between "east" and "west," bridging the Arab world to the south Asian world.. Plus the Indian Ocean & Malagasy influence; Sri Lanka, Nicobar, Maldives, etc. Which isn't too far from Aldabra, and other unique islands w herps.

[@zombeast23]

🦎 🦎 🦎 🦎

[@pluralizor2957]

Ive always kept my gecko in effectively a tropical forest 😊