Leopard Geckos: The Lizard That Wants To Be Your Pet! Part 1
Leopard Geckos in the Wild
Leopard geckos are nocturnal lizards, natively found in the deserts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and parts of India. They absolutely adore the heat and love rocky terrain, making their dwelling under the ground during the dry, desert daytime. Leopard geckos are quite unique because they have real eyelids – which is extremely uncommon to most gecko species – and they also lack flat, adhesive pads on their toes. Instead, leopard geckos use their claws to climb, making them unable to cling to slippery surfaces – as many other reptiles can – though it is extremely useful when digging in the dry, desert landscape.
In the wild, lizard geckos tend to live under large rocks or inside subterranean caves, emerging at night to hunt insects such as spiders and crickets – and if they’re feeling exceedingly adventuresome, some leopard geckos may even seek out tiny mammals such as baby field mice.
A well-fed gecko can actually live between 19 and 22 years, with the oldest confirmed leopard gecko living all the way to 27 years old! For this reason, they make good pets for children since your child will be able to grow up with the same animal over the course of many years. In the wild, this means that leopard geckos will breed many times during their life, making it an ethical pet choice, as it is not an endangered species.
The natural coloring of these reptiles tends to be a yellowish, creamy color with black stripes, but years of captive breeding have altered the natural coloring of leopard geckos and caused the introduction of new colors to the species, such as: tangerine, lavender, solid white, and even black spots. Though it may seem strange, leopard geckos have adapted remarkably well to captive breeding programs, and are now one of the premier choices for reptilian pets today.
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Leopard Gecko
at http://www.leopardgeckoguide.com/
Leopard Gecko White Spots
Whangarei City Attractions – enriched by diversity
Whangarei city is the regional capital of the Northland region located in the northernmost corner of New Zealand, about 160km from Auckland. Northland is composed of 3 main districts; Far North District, Kaipara District and Whangarei District.
Whangarei district is a diver’s paradise, with stretches of unspoilt coasts and offshore islets such as the world famous Poor Knights Islands – an archipelago sited only 50km from the Whangarei city. It’s an uninhabited region renowned as a nature reserve offering warm waters, crystal clear visibility and a spectacular marine life thriving within vibrant coral reefs. The purpose built dive boats will take you to specific diving spots that best suits your skills and interests, presenting you with a unique diving experience.
If you prefer Kayaking in a secluded bay, Tutukaka harbor offers just the right place for you. Not only kayaking, you can also snorkel, paddle and even trek and fish. Tutukaka is also famous for surfing as well as for stretches of sandy white beaches with a rocky landscape. You can also find other attractions here, such as game-fishing and numerous sporting facilities including tennis and golf, dotting the area.
If you fancy mechanical devices, Claphams Clocks will definitely pique your interest. It is the Southern hemisphere’s largest timekeeper collection claiming to about 1,400 clocks and timepieces. The museum was founded by a resident of Whangarei by the name Archibald Clapham in the 1940s and later in 1961 the collection was bequeathed to Whangarei District Council. It’s located at Quayside, Town Basin where international yachts are gathered, along with a multitude of shops, galleries and restaurants.
You can trek through a nature trail by visiting the A.H. Reed Memorial Kauri Park, which is the remnant of the original Kauri forest that used to span across Northlands. The specialty of the park is the canopy walkways, where you can capture a breathtaking view of the park which includes 500 year old Kauri trees. And just 5km from downtown Whangarei, you can capture the stunning scenery of Whangarei falls – renowned as the most photographed cascade in New Zealand.
And how about a first hand encounter with world’s most endangered big cats? Visit Zion Wildlife Park to discover these fascinating felines reared personally by New Zealand’s famous Lionman Craig Busch. The site houses endangered big cats such as the Barbary and white lions, Royal white and orange Bengal tigers, Serval cats and a black leopard among others.
And for a historical tour capturing New Zealand’s renowned Kiwis, try the Whangarei Museum and Kiwi House at Heritage Park. The museum features numerous collections of Maori taonga, treasures of the Maori – the indigenous people of New Zealand. The Kiwi house is home for nocturnal kiwis, morepork owls and native geckos.
There are also a number of theaters in Whangarei, including the Octagon Theatre which hosts various interesting shows and events. The Repertory Society hosts their shows at the Octagon theatre offering regular classic live shows. There are many hotels in Whangarei, including the Kingsgate Hotel Whangarei, where you can relish modern conveniences and scrumptious delicacies while residing close to the city center.
About the Author
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.
Can you get sick from a leopard gecko???!!!?
many people in my family including myself that live in my house got a gastro-intestinal infection, and are wondering if this could be caused by our baby leopard gecko. We hold him a lot but usually wash our hands afterwards. I got sick the day after cleaning the gecko’s tank. The gecko seems fine, he eats normally, poops normally, but he has a bluish-purple spot on his belly with like a little white dot in the middle. Do you think that the gecko could have gotten us sick with a parasite or something, or is it practically impossible?? Because now Im afraid to clean the poor geckos tank again because I got sick after cleaning his tank the last time, unless that was just a coinsedence.
By the way, Ive cleaned his tank one time before also and did not get sick, but others in the house who have barely held him at all did.
Almost all reptiles have the ability to carry salmonella, and a lot of geckos who are sold at chain pet stores are infected with it. I would recommend going to your doctor and getting tested for salmonella, as it is a really bad one, especially if it moves into your blood stream. Salmonella is pretty contagious so it could have passed from you to the rest of your friends. It might also be wise to take a stool sample of your gecko to a local vet and have him test it for parasites.
Once you have a disease, you can’t get it again, at least not the same strain, so don’t be afraid of cleaning your gecko’s cage. The best way to prevent it spreading is to keep it clean. Keep him on paper towels in order to keep him safe and make clean up easier.
Like the previous answerer said, the blue spot could be an organ, baby geckos have very transparent skin. However, it could also be impaction. Is he pooping ok? Is there debris in his stool?