Leopard eublefar content. Leopard gecko - an exotic pet

Eublefaras are lizards which belong to the eublefar family. The genus Eublefar has 5 species: Spotted, Iranian, Hardwick, Afghan, Turkmen. The most popular for home keeping is the spotted eublefar, which attracts with its amazing leopard coloration, it is often also called the “leopard gecko”, but to see for yourself, it is still recommended to look at his photo. But the spotted eublefar has also earned popularity among terrumists because it is quite easy to care for it, even if you decide to start a lizard for the first time.

a brief description of

Adult eublefaras have a body length of 20 to 30 cm: males are larger and longer than females.

Did you know? The first description of geckos was made by the British zoologist Edward Gray in 1827.

The body of the eublefar is covered with scales, the structure of which may vary depending on the habitat. Lizards have limbs of medium length: a feature is that the front legs are longer than the hind legs.

The scales on the front paws of the animal are uniform and flat, on the forearms of the geckos they have scaly protrusions, outwardly similar to the dorsal tubercles of geckos. The hind legs are characterized by scales that have a tuberous and conical shape.

Animal claws have an upper, lower and two side plates. Thanks to the claws, animals can easily move on soft surfaces and surfaces.

The head of the animal is completely covered with large, but flat scales. Its structure is heterogeneous, has a polygonal structure; also, approaching the eye area, the granularity of the scales decreases.
Eublefar has enough a long tail, it is 1/3 of the entire body of the animal. The tail is characterized by a sharp end and a bulge, which is located in the middle.

Like other lizards, this animal can drop its tail, in its place a less beautiful and smaller process appears.

Depending on the type of lizards, they have characteristic colors that differ in a variety of shades and patterns in the form of spots, stripes and other shapes. The eyes of the animal are convex, round, slightly elongated.

What to look for when buying

When going to a specialized store, you need to remember that these animals cannot be very cheap, therefore, if you are offered to purchase an animal at a discount or at a symbolic price, it is better to refuse.

Eublefars are considered the cheapest, which have a “Normal” color, and if you want to buy a rarer copy, then it will cost, respectively, more expensive.
Before buying an animal, it is important to find out about the conditions of its maintenance, the genetics of the parents.

Of course, it will be very difficult to confirm the words of the seller, so it is better to take care of getting a guarantee for the return of the animal in case of an incurable infection that may show up after some time.

It is necessary to examine the eublefar well at the seller: check the tail, paws, and also the eyelids so that they do not have dried skin. Pay attention to the absence of wounds and scratches.
Animals at first should be very active, slightly aggressive, because with a stranger the animal is stressed.

Important! If you buy a eublefara, which will not be the first animal of this family for you, then you must observe a temporary quarantine in order to play it safe and make sure that the animal does not have helminths or infections. Quarantine should last at least 2 weeks, as symptoms of the disease may appear during this time.

gender difference

As mentioned above, males have a larger size, as well as a more powerful and wider neck, a massive head, a thick tail, which has a number of anal pores, as well as bulges behind the cloaca.
But you can accurately determine the sex of eublefar after 6 months of age. There is also a Wagner method that allows you to determine the sex of a eublefar immediately after birth.

To do this, you need to use a powerful led flashlight and shine into the cesspool area. If you see red lines of arteries in this place, then this is a male, if there are no such lines, this is a female.

Choosing and arranging a terrarium

In order to ensure proper maintenance and care for eublefars, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to the choice of a terrarium, as well as its arrangement.

To do this, consider the following indicators:

• volume;
• lighting;
• heating;
• shelters;
• priming;
• humidity;
• ventilation;
• the presence of water.

Lighting

It is forbidden to place the terrarium in the sun, but eublefars should be provided with a clear daylight hours, strictly 12 hours, so a special lamp should be purchased for the terrarium, which will imitate sunlight and emit ultraviolet light.
You should also take care of a night light that will imitate moonlight. During the day, the lamp is used to provide additional heating.

Heating

In a favorable microclimate, the eublefar will feel great, so you need to take care of heating the home on one side of the terrarium.

This can be done with a thermal cord or thermal mat. Such specimens are attached outside and protected by special shells from moisture. Also, heating elements can be placed inside the terrarium.
The temperature near the heating element in daytime day should be up to 31 ° C, at night - up to 27 ° C. On the opposite side of the heating element, the air temperature should be up to 27°C during the day, and up to 21°C at night.

shelters

Due to the fact that geckos lead a fairly secretive lifestyle, they need to provide special shelters where they can hide. Pieces of bark, bamboo pipes, large stones are suitable as shelters.
The main thing in creating a shelter is that it is well attached., otherwise the eublefar can bring it down and harm itself. A lot of copies for shelter, which can also be purchased for the terrarium, are presented in specialized stores.

Important! Shelter must be placed in different areas - both heated and cold, so that the eublefar can choose for himself where he wants to be.

Priming

In order to create favorable living conditions for a pet, it is recommended to use coconut fiber, pebbles, sphagnum moss, sawdust, bark from a tree.
It is better to choose large objects as bedding so that the animal cannot swallow them. Often the lower part of the terrarium is simply covered with sand, but it is important to remember that the sand must be sifted and boiled before this.

Humidity

To provide the necessary humidity for pets, you can use a ceramic pot or a regular one. Plastic container. You will need to make a hole in the container so that the animal can enter there.

The humidity chamber should be located on the opposite side of the heating area to avoid excessive water evaporation.
Wet coconut flakes, wet substrate or vermiculite are placed at the bottom of the chamber. To constantly measure the humidity in the terrarium, you will need a hygrometer.

There are also special climate control systems that provide the necessary humidity. Such devices are very expensive, so if you can provide proper care for the eublefar, then such a camera will not be needed.

Ventilation

To ensure good ventilation in the terrarium, it is necessary to make holes in its lower part - on the opposite side from the place of heating, and in the upper part - in the place where the heating is located.
In this way, it will be possible to ensure good air ventilation: it will be able to circulate throughout the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe terrarium and exit through the top hole.

Poor air circulation or its absence can provoke the occurrence of fungi, dermatitis, and inflammation in the eublefar.

Water

As a drinker, you can use a small and low capacity. Eublefar does not need to provide any fountain, as for chameleons, he can drink ordinary stagnant water.
If you spray the terrarium daily, then it is not necessary to install a drinker, because geckos are very fond of licking drops of water from the surface of the terrariums. If you forget to carry out constant spraying, then of course it is better to provide a terrarium with a drinking bowl.

What to feed

After acquiring and arranging a home, it is worth figuring out what exotic animals like eublefaras eat.
Eublefars, like any other lizards, in nature are used to eating spiders, insects, rodents and smaller lizards. Optimal View crickets are considered food for eublefar at home.

You can also sometimes pamper your pet with zoophobuses and flour worms. However, you should not get carried away, because they are considered very high-calorie. IN summer period time you can feed eublefars with locusts, grasshoppers, green caterpillars of butterflies.

It is important to pay attention to butterfly caterpillars so that they are without hairline: There is a possibility that they are poisonous. You should always remember: if you feed an animal with insects of unknown origin, then there is a huge risk that such food will not suit the animal. It is strictly forbidden to give earthworms and maggots with eublefar. Adults can sometimes be given pieces of fruit in small quantities, but it is worth remembering that citrus fruits should not be offered.

The amount of food for eublefars depending on age:

• under the age of 1 month, geckos are fed up to 2 times a day, giving 1 small cricket at a time;
• up to 3 months give 2 medium-sized crickets 1 time per day;
• up to 6 months fed every other day, giving 5 large crickets at a time;
• up to a year, 6 large-sized crickets should be given at a time 3 times a week;
• starting from a year, you can give up to 10 large crickets at a time and feed up to 3 times a week.

How to handle

Eublefars are considered very sociable pets, especially when they get used to their owners. If you often take it in your arms, then over time the reptile will get used to it and will not resist, but on the contrary, it will willingly go in your arms.
It is not necessary to squeeze the animal strongly during communication, so as not to injure it. Also, do not grab the eublefar to pull it out of the terrarium - you can simply substitute your hand, and it will climb into the palm of your hand.

If the animal is afraid, then you should carefully put your finger under the belly, and grab the body with the other and confidently take it, you can hold it with the other hand. Very small eublefars are not recommended to be picked up until they get stronger and get used to their habitat. Approximately 2 weeks after birth, you can accustom the animal to your hands. Toddlers are especially active, they can run around hands very quickly and accidentally slip off, so it is important not to hold them on. high altitude because during a fall they can be severely injured.

A very frisky animal can also run away and hide in the apartment, but it is not recommended to move furniture in search of an animal so as not to crush it: it is better to wait a while and the eublefar will definitely appear on its own.

It is better to pick up a pet before feeding, because geckos, although small, are quite smart animals: they build clear relationships between your appearance and food intake.
That is, when you appear, it is a sign to the eublefar that they will feed him soon. Another reason not to take a eublefar after feeding in your hands is that it can simply regurgitate food or empty itself.

Possible diseases

The most common diseases and problems that can occur in eublefar are:

• Defeat by helminths

For this, a drug such as Profender or ReptiLife is suitable. It is also necessary to provide pets with a plentiful drink with Regidron, which must be diluted in water according to the instructions.

• Rickets

This disease is non-contagious, but very dangerous if not treated on time. A sign of rickets is the deformity of the paws: such a symptom can occur as in early age, and in a more mature one, with a lack of calcium.
Watch the animal: if it touches the ground with its belly, moves very slowly, or does not stand up well on its paws, treatment should be started immediately.

At further development rickets may cause a curvature of the spine, which over time can completely collapse and lead to the death of the animal.

If you start the disease and wait until the animal stands poorly on its paws or cannot move at all, only special injections in a veterinary clinic will help. For the treatment of rickets, you must contact your veterinarian so that he prescribes the treatment and attributed essential vitamins and minerals that the body of eublefar lacks.

• The animal can also develop fungal diseases. that require a referral to a specialist for diagnosis and treatment. In this case, it is better not to try to treat the animal on your own, so as not to worsen the condition.

Breeding of young animals

The mating season for geckos starts at the end of February and ends at the beginning of May. Females can lay eggs until the end of August.

In order to breed the offspring of eublefars, it is necessary to prepare them for mating. You should especially pay attention to the nutrition of females and feed them well.
Also, females must be at least 11 months old. It is important to provide females with supplements that contain calcium to ensure the health of the offspring and the animal itself.

When the female is prepared and ready to mate, you can begin to plant a male next to her. After mating, the eggs appear in a month.

Further laying may occur at intervals of 10 to 20 days. The female should be provided with a constant meal.

Natural way

After laying eggs by the female, they need to provide sufficient temperature for offspring to appear from them. Without an incubator, this will be extremely difficult, but you can still try to warm the eggs with around-the-clock artificial lighting.
Due to the fact that maintaining desired temperature in this case - a very difficult process, at home, most likely, you will not succeed.

If you want to get young eublefars, it is recommended to purchase an incubator that will provide the eggs with the necessary heat and other conditions for raising young animals.

Incubation

During laying, the female independently digs holes in the substrate and lays her eggs there. After that, the eggs should be taken and placed in an incubator for 45-55 days and kept at a temperature of up to 33 ° C. The temperature in the incubator directly affects the sex of the young: if the eggs are kept in the incubator at a temperature of 27-28.5 ° C, then females are likely to hatch. And if you keep at a temperature of 28.5 to 33 ° C, then males will hatch.

Young Animal Care

When the babies hatch, they must be immediately moved to a separate container that has artificial heating. Provide wet bedding in a container to make the first shedding easier for babies.
After molting, and it occurs within 4 days, food should be offered to babies. Young animals can be kept separately or in groups, but subject to the same age.

Did you know? Eublefara in wild nature live less than in captivity. At the same time, females live up to 8 years of age, and males - up to 10 years. At home, eublefaras live up to 30 years of age.

Thus, it is worth noting that eublefar is a rather unpretentious animal, and its maintenance at home should not cause much trouble, of course, only if it is provided with a normal habitat.

Eublefars are considered one of the easiest lizards to keep. They make great pets for older children and adults. Basically, they live on the ground and although they can climb slopes, their abilities are limited. Being nocturnal animals, they become most active at this time of day. Little geckos can be gentle and sensitive, so children younger age must be very careful when handling.

Eublefars can live for about 20 years or more. They do not need much space and their needs can be easily met in any home. As for the color, it can be either monophonic or spotted. However, there is no difference in care and maintenance between ordinary and spotted geckos.

Eublefar: maintenance and care

Once a lizard recognizes its owner, it will not mind being interacted with. reptiles rarely bite or scratch but they will try to defend themselves if they are scared. Geckos are more at risk if they are dropped. Gentle, regular handling of small lizards is essential. When the lizards rise, they need to be supported by the hand.

Eublefars no smell if they are properly cared for. It is important to make sure they eat the food they were given before giving more. You need to learn as much as possible about your pet's diet, as if you give them more food than they need, problems can arise. Their droppings are too small and dry and should be removed as soon as they are found. They do not produce urine, so if their home is cleaned regularly, it does not need to be cleaned as often as another animal home. It is recommended that you regularly clean and disinfect them at home using a reptile-safe disinfectant, but under normal circumstances you will need to do this once a month.

It is important to always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water immediately after feeding or handling a lizard. Also wash your hands after contact with any of their equipment. Always supervise children to make sure they don't bring the gecko near their mouths.

You need to start by disinfecting the terrarium, it can be wiped white vinegar. Do not use bleach or other harsh chemicals to clean the terrarium.

Geckos are easy to feed as they only eat insects. Try to avoid feeding one type of insect all the time and change their diet between:

• crickets;
• locusts;
• wax worms;
• Mealy worms.

Insects that are included in the diet of the gecko must be in good condition and fed well in advance before they are given to the lizard. There are several foods available for insects that ensure they are nutritious. It is better to feed in the evening when the gecko is more active. Providing a small amount calcium powder may be beneficial for the gecko as it promotes healthy growth and bone development. Feed as a guide small lizards every other day, whereas adults should be fed every two to three days.

Although they do not drink water as often as other animals, fresh water should be available at all times in a small bowl. Spraying baby geckos with water is also helpful until they learn how to reach a bowl of water. Lizards will drink small drops just like they would drink morning dew in the wild.

Eublefar breeding

Typically, female leopard geckos are not sexually mature until they weigh 45 grams and are 9-10 months old. North of the equator, geckos experience a breeding season that runs from January to September. Lizards hatched late in the year may not start laying eggs until April of the next season. Females should be stopped feeding 10 days before chilling and then kept at cool temperatures with water present 24/7 for six to eight weeks. These geckos require a box.

When introducing a female gecko to a male, the first thing that can be heard is the male making a tail vibration. It sounds like a very fast crackle. The receptive female is completely immobile while the male grabs her neck and engages in copulation. Successful mating takes two to three minutes. After that, you need to pick up the female eublefar from the male.

The females of this gecko lay their eggs 16-22 days after mating. When the breeding season begins, females can be expected to lay eggs every 15 to 22 days for four to five months. Eublefars can lay one or two eggs after the first mating in their lives, resulting in 8 to 10 eggs maturing in the first year. Eublefar geckos can produce 80 to 100 eggs in a lifetime.

How to determine gender?

Eublefars of both sexes are very similar, especially if it is not possible to take them and look at the stomach. Having bought a gecko directly from a breeder, they may already know the gender of the animal, as males and females incubate at different temperatures. But if you don't know the gender, don't worry. Determining gender is easy.

Sometimes the hardest part about sexing a gecko is just keeping them still. Young geckos, unlike adult geckos, often have less pronounced differences. As a rule, you can determine the sex of geckos at the age of three to four months. Differences between geckos in males and females are quite noticeable. There are several key traits to look for in order to determine the sex of a gecko.

How to maintain the health of eublefars?

As long as they are given proper food care, attention and appropriate environment, geckos are generally problem-free. Providing warmth, food and vitamins is the most important aspect of their care to avoid long term problems.

The representative of this species will be bright, with a dense tail, with strong legs and will also be active foraging at night. It used to be that reptiles could carry diseases that could infect humans. This is true for all animals, including dogs and cats, and this is no exception when it comes to reptiles. Personal hygiene is just as important for reptiles as it is for all other types of pets. Pet owners should always wash their hands after contact with an animal, and pet food bowls should be washed separately.

Naturally, all lizards lose their skin, which comes off in small pieces. Sometimes you have to help them get rid of their skin. This helps them access the wet area. This action may be to provide the terrarium with moist moss to help them shed their old skin. This is especially important if it becomes noticeable that the skin does not peel off around the eyes or legs.

It's unusual a pet, which is a favorite of many terrorists. Spotted (leopard) eublefar is one of the representatives of a large family of geckos.

Connoisseurs in a narrow circle call it "leopard" for It's funny, but this lizard even drinks water like a cat - laps its tongue. Eublefar spotted is popular not only for its extraordinary appearance, but also for its unpretentiousness - even a child can take care of a gecko.

Two subspecies of eublefar are known - Afghan and typical.

Spreading

This cute gecko (spotted eublefar) comes from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan. He lives on the slopes of low mountains, in dry steppes.

Such a lizard in natural conditions is no more than 10 years old, and in captivity it can live up to 30 years.

Lifestyle

The spotted eublefar, whose photo you can see in our article, prefers to lead twilight or night image life. During the daytime, he takes refuge in the rocks.

Its diet consists of arthropods, their larvae, various insects, newborn mice, and smaller lizards. It often happens that geckos eat their own young. The spotted eublefar is social, settles in groups. They consist of several females and one male. Males protect their territory and drive their relatives out of it.

External features

It is interesting that the spotted eublefar kept in captivity may look different from its counterpart living in natural conditions. Experts say that this is a consequence of gecko selection.

The main difference between the eublefar and other lizards is the spotted color. These animals are small. The length of their body does not exceed 20 cm. Rarely, but larger individuals (up to 30 cm) are also found.

Eublefar spotted has a thick massive tail, in which it stores moisture in natural conditions and the Lizard is able to easily discard it, then it grows back, but already narrower and shorter.

The head of this gecko is large, having a triangular shape. The body is covered with small scales, among which there are pimply ones. Paws are thin, with five fingers. The eyes are bulging, elongated, slightly reminiscent of a cat in shape.

Color

The body of this lizard is colored yellowish-gray with dark spots. There is a pattern on the tail. Usually these are transverse rings.

Eublefar spotted: maintenance, nutrition

This gecko is quite unpretentious. Therefore, its content is not difficult. In food, these harmless and even cute-looking lizards can show a real predatory instinct, because in nature they prey on insects. They can be given crickets, cockroaches, grasshoppers, mice, so that eublefar satisfy their hunter instinct.

The gecko is fed once a day. After three months, you can switch to once every two days. For several days, the gecko may refuse food, but this should not bother the owner, since he has a reserve in his tail. nutrients. It is sometimes necessary to add calcium powder to the feed.

Spotted eublefar a small terrarium is needed, a dwelling measuring 50 × 40 × 30 cm is suitable for one or two animals. Sand should not be used for soil, as the lizard can swallow it with food. It is preferable to use small pebbles, pebbles.

Eublefar spotted needs to be heated. For him optimum temperature during the day - 31 °C, at night - 27 °C. The most important thing is not to let the temperature drop sharply. In this case, your pet may lose its appetite. It is desirable to constantly maintain air humidity of 40-45%. To do this, spray the terrarium from time to time.

Since eublefaras are twilight animals, they do not need illumination. You can install a mirror lamp with a power of no more than 25-40 W, which will simulate solar heating, but only at one point in the terrarium. Solar radiation is necessary for animals to synthesize vitamin D3. You can purchase a special lamp for reptiles that emits ultraviolet light.

However, there is an opinion of experts that by providing the lizard with bottom heating and adding the necessary vitamins and minerals to its food, UV can be dispensed with. Today, there are many vitamin complexes with vitamin D3 developed for leopard geckos.

The use of ultraviolet light is shown in medicinal purposes. For example, with developing rickets in a reptile, when vitamin D3 is poorly absorbed, and to stimulate reproduction. In the case of rickets, it is enough to irradiate eublefar for 10 minutes a day, and to stimulate reproduction, it is necessary to regulate it by changing it upwards. The longer the day, the more actively the lizards mate, so in this case the length daylight hours can be extended up to 12 hours.

Hibernation

Today spotted eublefar is so domesticated that it does not have an urgent need for wintering, for the same reason it does not hibernate. Wintering is needed to stimulate reproduction (activity in the male). Therefore, if you are not breeding these lizards, then do not strive to ensure that they will certainly hibernate.

It must be remembered that only a healthy, well-fed animal endures wintering without problems. At home, it is enough to lower the temperature very smoothly, reducing the heating time. You should reduce the length of daylight hours to 8 hours. These changes in the gecko's life should last at least two months. At the peak of wintering it should be +18 ... +22 ° С.

Accordingly, the gecko's nutrition should also be gradually reduced. The rest period is about two months. Then a gradual exit from this state is carried out in the reverse order. Don't forget about vitamins and minerals.

Under natural conditions, in the middle of winter, the mating season begins in eublefars, which subsides by the end of May. At home, you can maintain the same mode, but this is not necessary.

reproduction

Eublefar spotted reaches puberty by 12 months. They begin to breed immediately after hibernation. And eggs are laid 3 weeks after mating. As a rule, there are 1-2 eggs in one clutch. There can be up to 10 clutches per year.

The incubation period depends on the air temperature in the terrarium. Cubs appear after 40-65 days, provided that the temperature is regulated. The sex of the cubs largely depends on it. At temperatures below 26 ° C, females hatch, and at temperatures above 31.5 ° C, males are born. In nature, cubs appear no earlier than 100 days later. They weigh 2-3 grams, the length of newborn geckos is 80-85 mm. They are brownish in color with light stripes. By eight months, they become colored in the same way as adults.

Among lovers of observing the life and habits of reptiles, the most common and popular is the leopard gecko, or spotted (leopard) eublefar - an unpretentious manual domestic lizard.

Spreading

These lizards are widespread in Asia - India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Iran. They prefer dry areas of these territories, perfectly adapted to local climatic conditions. Eublefar spotted is a nocturnal animal: in the hot time of the day, he hides from the scorching southern sun. Only with the onset of dusk do the lizards go hunting.

IN natural conditions eublefar habitat eats different insects, small vertebrates, including and more small lizards. During dry periods, cases of eating their offspring have been recorded.

Variety of species

Eublefar was described by the British zoologist Edward Gray in 1827, but even today this lizard causes a lot of controversy about their belonging to certain kind. This is probably due to the fact that some of them have not been fully explored. Today, five types of zublefars are distinguished:

• Iranian

Lives in Iraq and Iran. Much less common in Turkey and Syria. Differs in the largest sizes in the family and long legs.

• Eublefar of Hardwick

Sometimes this species is called East Indian spotted. It is a native of India and Bangladesh. To date, little studied. Individuals of this species are distinguished by reddish-brown stripes on the back, and in addition, in case of danger, they can make shrill sounds.

• Afghan eublefar

Scientists conditionally consider it a separate species, although some zoologists prefer to consider it a subspecies.

• Turkmen

This lizard lives in the southern regions of Turkmenistan. It is considered an endangered species, which is listed in the Red Book of the Republic. A feature of this species is the presence of scales (pholidosis) and the ability to make loud sounds. A rather controversial species, most likely a subspecies of the leopard gecko. It is distinguished by yellow transverse stripes on the tail and back.

• Leopard (spotted) eublefar

The type that is most often kept at home. We will talk about it in more detail.

External features

It should be noted that appearance spotted eublefar can differ significantly from counterparts living in natural conditions. This is due to the fact that in nature this gecko lives in deserts, and the domesticated spotted eublefar is the result of selection. But this is one of those rare cases, when human intervention was beneficial: it was possible to achieve a more saturated bright color compared to the natural one.

Today, there are about a hundred different color variations - from very light to very dark. An indispensable condition is the presence of dark rings on the tail and spots on the body. It is for the spots that the gecko got its name - leopard. In addition, he drinks water like a cat, lapping it with his tongue. The eyes of the spotted eublefar also look like a cat's - they are slightly bulging and elongated.

It's pretty large lizards- length adult averages from 20 to 25 cm, but sometimes there are representatives up to 30 cm. The head is triangular in shape, the paws are small with five fingers. The tail is massive. During the period of drought, zublefar spotted accumulates the necessary liquid in it. Like most lizards, in case of danger it can shed its tail, which grows back over time, but is no longer as massive as before.

Sex determination

Inexperienced owners of these lizards are interested in: "How to determine the sex?". Eublefar spotted (male) is noticeably larger than the female, it has a more powerful build, a broad neck, a massive head, a tail thicker at the base with several preanal pores (yellowish-brown small dots). It is possible to accurately determine the sex of eublefar at the age of six months.

Eublefar spotted: content

Undoubtedly, eublefar is an exotic pet. However, this does not mean that he needs complex care. Even an inexperienced owner will not cause big problems eublefar spotted. Keeping it in an apartment is not difficult at all. Some who wish to purchase such a lizard fear that it is a natural predator, but at home it does not pose a danger to humans, because, born in captivity, these lizards are not aggressive, quickly get used to a person and very soon go to his hands. It's time to find out what you need to keep a spotted eublefar.

Terrarium

Of course, the first thing you need to think about is a home for your pet. The terrarium for eublefar must be at least 30 x 30 x 30 cm in size. As a rule, young animals are kept in a container of this size. For older individuals, the size of the terrarium should be larger - 40 x 40 x 40 cm. For three eublefars, a horizontal terrarium measuring 50 x 30 x 30 cm is suitable.

You can also use a vertical container, but on condition that the side or back wall is designed in such a way that the lizards can move freely along it, hide in shelters built into the wall, and sit on the shelves. For young animals, it is not at all necessary to immediately acquire a large volume: it is difficult for them to hunt there, so they feel much more comfortable in small spaces.

However, after six months, geckos begin to travel and explore the territory with interest. Many owners believe that in a large volume, spotted eublefar grows much faster.

shelters

It is necessary to create several shelters for your pet throughout the terrarium: in a warm corner where the heating is located, and in a cold one. The gecko will choose for himself comfortable place for relax. Eublefar needs a wet chamber for molting. It should always be in a warm corner, otherwise the gecko will hibernate itself and may refuse to eat. We will describe below how the wet chamber is equipped.

Coconut halves can be used as practical, eco-friendly, inexpensive shelters.

Temperature

Since the leopard eublefar is a cold-blooded lizard, it needs heat to digest food. The most popular option is the bottom heating. For this purpose, you can use a thermal cord or a thermal mat purchased from a specialized store.

In the place of heating, the temperature must be maintained within the range of +28 to +32°C. Heating is placed in one corner of the terrarium, thereby heating from a third to a quarter of the area of ​​the bottom of the terrarium. If the air temperature in the room does not fall below +22 °C, then the heating can be turned off at night. For young animals up to three months, the heating must be turned on all the time.

Humidity

The terrarium for eublefar does not require constant maintenance of the humidity level, since it is a desert lizard for which dry air is a normal habitat. But to create a small wet zone(camera) is necessary. To do this, take any container, fill it with wet sand (paper, sawdust) and place it in a cool area. It is necessary for the gecko in order to more easily endure the molt, or for rest.

Priming

We have already said that spotted eublefar at home does not require complex care. So he does not apply too strictly to the soil in the terrarium. Sand, newsprint is better, especially for young lizards - perfect option. But if the owner wants beautiful design terrarium, you should use small pebbles with rounded edges.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that eublefar is an extremely curious creature and almost everything that comes in its path is tried on the tongue. In this regard, it is better to refuse various mixtures and fillers.

Lighting

Eublefars are twilight animals, so they do not need lighting. You can install a regular 40 W incandescent lamp (mirror), which will help create an imitation of solar heating.

Water

Any low capacity is suitable for a drinker. Eublefaras drink clean settled water, lapping it with their tongues like kittens. Meanwhile, these lizards, like all geckos, love to lick off drops of fresh water, so there is no urgent need for a drinker when spraying every day, although it will not become superfluous.

Nutrition

At home, eublefara can be fed with the following foods:

• flour worm;
• crickets;
• locust;
• mice;
• food cockroaches.

Calcium must be constantly present in the terrarium. To do this, it is mixed with a vitamin mixture (for better absorption), placed in a low container.

To control the amount of food eaten, it is better to use tweezers than free feeding. With proper care and maintenance, the leopard eublefar lives in captivity for up to twenty years or more.

The spotted eublefar, or leopard gecko, is one of the most popular and beautiful lizards kept in captivity. Eublefar is valued for its amazing coloring and peaceful disposition.

Description

The main color of eublefar varies from pale beige to rich yellow. The upper part of the head, back and tail of adults are covered with dark spots. irregular shape, reminiscent of the colors of a leopard. The belly has a soft pink tint. Sides are almost white. There are also eublefaras - albinos, which are relatively expensive. The color of the cubs is striped. At the age of 8 months, eublefaras acquire adult colors.

Eublefar gecko has amazing soft skin and large, almond-shaped, cat-like eyes. The body length of this lizard reaches 16 cm. The length together with the tail reaches 25 cm. The head is massive. The tail is thick and swollen, it is deposited and stored reserves nutrients. An adult weighs up to 80 g.

Lifespan in captivity reaches 20 years. Eublefara lizard reaches sexual maturity at the age of 1-2 years. Females are slightly smaller than males.

The nature of this lizard is flexible. Captive geckos bred calmly allow themselves to be picked up and can even distinguish the owner from other people.

In nature, spotted eublefar lives in dry steppes and on the mountain slopes of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. This lizard often rises to a height of up to 2500 m above sea level. Males actively defend their territory.

Temperature in the terrarium should be 28-31 ºС during the day and 20-21 ºС at night. in winter backlight should be turned on 12 hours a day, in summer - 14 hours a day. Spotted eublefar requires relative humidity 40-50%. Spray the terrarium once a day drinking water from a spray bottle. Healthy eublefaras molt 2 times a month. At this time, it is especially important for them high humidity. Eublefar also needs in large numbers various shelters.

Feeding

Eublefar adults are fed every other day, and cubs and pregnant females are fed daily. Sometimes an adult may refuse food a week or even longer. These lizards feed on crickets, cockroaches, flour worms, centipedes, termites, wood lice. Some individuals eat mice. They can also hunt for their own cubs and other small lizards. Feed should be sprinkled several times a week calcium powder.

It is better to remove uneaten insects from the terrarium, otherwise they may disturb the lizards. It is also important to ensure that eublefars always have a bowl of clean water. The health indicator of the eublefar is its tail. If the tail is thin, then the lizard is exhausted.

reproduction

Eublefaras breed from January to April. During this period, the female can postpone up to 10 clutches, each of which contains 1-2 eggs. The eggs are buried by the female in moist sphagnum. Incubation period egg development, as well as the sex of future lizards, depend on the temperature in the terrarium. At a temperature of 26-28.5 ºС, females hatch, at a temperature of 29-30 ºС, the chances of hatching females and males are approximately equal, and at temperatures above 30 °С, males are born.

The Cubs are starting feed after first molt(usually this happens on the 5th day of life). Adults and cubs are kept separately so that the former do not eat the latter.