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General Information About the Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
Leopard Geckos are among the largest gekcos with adults reaching lengths of up to 8 or 9 inches. Most non-morph leopard geckos have a yellow body with brown or black spots covering it. Juveniles tend to have a striped pattern that later fades into the spotted pattern of the adult. They alos have a very obvious outer ear which you look through their head and out the other ear when you shine a light behind them. Cool! They differ from toher geckos in that they have eyelids (unlike most geckos) and lack the lamellae, meaning they cannot walk up vertical surfaces.
As with most lizards, leopard geckoi's will "throw" the end of their tail off is they feel threatened or are handle roughly. So do be careful when handling htem and do not grab one by the tail. They also have a fascinating habit of only using one corner of their enclosure for a "litter box", leaving the rest of the cage unpolluted from dropping.
If you plan on keeping more than one Leopard Gecko in an enclosure, make sure you have only one male. Two males will fight and injure each other. You can have as many females as you want with the one male. My colony consists of 1 male with 8 females.
Leopard Geckos make the ideal first lizard. They are relatively easy to care for and have not many special requirements. You will never really see them until after the sun goes down. Then they are out walking around looking for food.