This is Dude. He’s a male leopard gecko, and I’ve had him for about 11 years. He came from a local big chain pet shop when he was just old enough to bring home. He was only a few inches long at the time, and fit entirely in the palm of my hand.
One of the things you’ll notice about your gecko if you start with a juvenile is how their spots and markings change over time. You can see in the photos throughout The Habitat website how Dude originally had stripes across his body and a dark helmet like markings on his head. As he grew, the stripes spread into more of a traditional leopard pattern. You can see his progression in this series of photos:
Dude started out in a 10 gallon tank, and after a few years I moved him up to a 20 gallon long tank to give him more room. Leopard geckos don’t climb glass and don’t climb high, so the extra floor space was beneficial.
For the first week or so, he had paper towel down on the floor of his enclosure. While this was easy to clean and replace, it just didn’t look cool (not that Dude has ever complained about aesthetics.) I soon moved to using reptile carpet. We’ve changed up his enclosure from time to time to let him explore and keep things fresh.
I started the Leopard Gecko Habitat to share my experience and information with all of you, as well as a shared activity and interest with my children.
Here at the Habitat, you can expect to find:
- Care Guides
- Facts, information, Stats
- Answers to common questions
- Suggestions and reviews for gear and accessories
- Stories and Anecdotes
Bookmark us and check back often for the latest posts.
Leopard geckos are long lived reptiles. Looking back over the past decade plus, it’s amazing the life changes, (promotions, marriage, kids, friends dying, starting businesses) and think that Dude has been with me through it all.
He’s provided a low key constant, and never asks too much. He doesn’t say much, but is a great listener. Here’s to hoping he’ll be around for the next decade, and that you’ll be with us for the journey.
You can reach us at info [at] leopardgeckohabitat.com
About the Author: H. Evan Miller is the founder of the Leopard Gecko Habitat. Like many young boys, he developed an early fascination with dinosaurs and, by extension, reptiles. He’s been keeping reptiles as pets since he was a kid (we won’t count the decades) and enjoys sharing his enthusiasm, experience, and knowledge on the topic.
You can read more about his ongoing adventures with science, technology, and a couple of curious kids over at STEMtropolis.com.
