Is it normal for a leopard gecko to sleep durning the night?

Question

Baby juvenile, hasn't been eating that much. Her tail and body seem smaller. Hasn't been eatting crickets,mealworms and I even tried waxworm. I don't know what else she would eat?

Answer 1

The Leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) is a nocturnal ground-dwelling gecko found in the deserts of Pakistan, Western India, Afghanistan, and parts of Iran. Unlike most geckos it possesses eyelids. Leopard geckos have become well established in captivity, particularly the pet industry.

Contents [hide]

1 Taxonomy

2 Distribution

3 Anatomy and morphology

4 Diet and longevity

5 Reproduction

5.1 Number of eggs laid by age

6 Color morphs

7 References

8 External links



[edit] Taxonomy

Leopard geckos were first described as a species by British zoologist Edward Blyth in 1854 as Eublepharis macularis.[1] The generic name Eublepharis is a combination of the Greek words Eu (true), and blephar (eyelid), as having eyelids is what distinguishes members of this subfamily from other geckos. The specific name, macularius, derives from the Latin word macula meaning "spot" or "blemish", referring to the animal's natural spotted markings.

There are five subspecies including the nominative species:Eublepharis macularius macularius ,[1] E. m. afghanicus(Börner 1976),[2] E. m. fasciolatus (Günther 1864),[3] E. m. montanus (Börner 1976),[2] and E. m. smithi (Börner 1981).[2]

[edit] Distribution

Leopard Geckos are native to south-eastern Afghanistan, throughout Pakistan, north-west India, and into Iran where it inhabits the rocky, dry grassland regions of these countries. As nocturnal creatures, they spend the day hidden under rocks or in dry burrows to escape the daytime heat, emerging at dusk to hunt insects.[4]

[edit] Anatomy and morphology

The leopard gecko is a cream to yellow colored lizard with black spots and/or stripes similar to the markings of a leopard attaining a total length of 6 to 11 inches. However, selective breeding in captivity has produced different color morphs, including high yellow, tangerine, striped, patternless (no spots or stripes), lavender, blizzard (which are solid white or gray), and albino (no black pigments in markings) in addition to some captive specimens measuring 11 or more inches in length.

A Leopard Gecko's markings at birth are different from those of an adult. The skin has no spots, instead large dark bands and intermittent light yellow bands cover the body from head to tail. These bands fade within one year.



Adult female Leopard GeckoThe leopard gecko is one of only a few gecko species (all of them members of the subfamily Eublepharidae, a small family of tropical/subtropical species found in the Americas, Africa, and Asia) that have eyelids.[5] This helps the gecko keep its eyes clean and particle-free in its dusty environment. Like most other geckos, the leopard gecko can clean and moisten its eyes using its tongue.

Unlike other species of gecko, leopard geckos have small claws instead of adhesive toe pads, which prevents them from climbing vertically. However, their claws give extra traction on the ground and are helpful in digging.[5] These differences have been cited as a possible reason to name Eubelpharinae as a different family apart from geckoes.[5]

Like most lizards, the leopard gecko can drop its tail, in a process called caudal autotomy. When frightened or disturbed, muscles at the base of the gecko's tail constrict and snap the vertebrae, severing most of the tail. The detached and wriggling and spasming tail distracts the predator as the gecko makes its escape. Although the leopard gecko will grow a new one in time, the regenerated tail will differ from the original, appearing bulbous and inferior. The new tail will have spots instead of lines. Some regenerated tails may still have a "carrot-tail." When a leopard gecko drops its tail, there will be a pinkish stump. When the tail starts to grow it will start out as a pink cone shape. When the tail gets fatter, it will turn a red-violet color. As it grows larger it will become lavender, eventually a very light gray color.

Answer 2

They won't eat for a couple of reasons.  First, make sure you are NOT using sand or other loose substrate which will cause impaction.  Second, what are your belly temps?  They need Under Tank Heat mats (UTH) and they must be plugged into a dimmer switch or thermostate so surface temps are 88-91F.  Measure these only with a digital probe thermometer.  Stick on and dial thermometers only measure air temps and are very inaccurate for measuring belly heat or basking temps.  Also, have an experienced vet check for intestinal parasites.  

http://www.drgecko.com/index.html

Answer 3

they sleep a lot. Try playing with it. Mine loves to just walk around with me.

Answer 4

Sometimes my gecko will go through a period of time (a week or so) that it won't eat anything no matter what.

It's usually right after she gets stressed out about something, like cleaning the cage or handling her.

If you just got the gecko, it is probably stressed out about the new habitat.

leopards can go for a very long time without eating because sometimes they have no choice in the wild. so don't worry about it starving to death. make sure it still has plenty of water though. that will help the tail.

eventually, if you don't handle the gecko and you keep the light on during the day, and give it lots of places to hide, it will get better. you should see an improvement in a week or so.

If it doesn't improve, consider using black construction paper to black out the front and side of the tank. This helps the gecko feel more private and relaxed. Again, hiding places are the leopard's most favorite thing, so provide lots of them.

If it still doesn't improve after that, bring it to the vet and have it tested for reptile diseases.