Modern UVB guidance for leopard geckos is often expressed as a target UV Index range for the basking zone rather than a bulb wattage alone
Because bulb output varies by brand, age, and distance, measuring the actual UV Index at gecko level with a meter gives a more reliable picture than assuming a given bulb automatically delivers a safe, adequate dose.
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Most active at dawn and dusk when temperatures in their native Pakistan and Afghanistan are ideal.
A widespread misconception is that the tail acts like a camel's hump storing water.
Autotomy — voluntary tail shedding — is a defence mechanism.
Unlike most gecko species which use van der Waals forces to climb smooth surfaces, leopard geckos have conventional claws.
The moveable eyelid is unusual among geckos.
Hold your gecko up to a light source and look through one ear opening — you can see light through the other side.