| It's a pretty common occurrence for people who | | | | plenty of 'natural-look' options. $5-15ea (don't forget |
| never saw themselves as reptile owners to | | | | you'll need at least two). |
| encounter leopard geckos and have a swift change | | | | 4. Water, food and calcium powder bowls. As for |
| of heart. If this has happened to you and you're now | | | | hide boxes, home-made bowls are fine, but don't look |
| thinking of looking after a leopard gecko (can you | | | | as good as the commercially-available options. |
| really ever 'own' a pet?), you might be wondering | | | | $0-15ea. |
| what it's going to cost you. That's what this article is | | | | 5. A heat pad. Heat pads stick on under your tank |
| all about. | | | | and radiate heat upwards. They plug into a wall |
| Of course there are ongoing costs with owning any | | | | socket and their output must be controlled. $20-25. |
| pet, but here we'll focus on the up-front necessities | | | | 6. A herpstat. A herpstat is a device which controls |
| you're going to need to get a hold of before you | | | | the output of a heating pad so that it produces the |
| rush off to a pet store or reptile show and purchase | | | | level of heat necessary to achieve the temperature |
| a leo. | | | | that you choose. While not absolutely essential, they |
| Here are the things you'll need, along with estimated | | | | take all the work of providing the right level of |
| costs (as at 2010): | | | | heating for your leo. $109. |
| | | | 7. A lamp dimmer switch. This is the much more basic |
| 1. A tank. First and foremost, your leo is going to | | | | alternative to a herpstat. $14. |
| need a place to live. A lone leopard gecko will need | | | | 8. An infrared temperature gun. These non-contact |
| about 20 gallons worth of space to run around in | | | | thermometers are ideal for measuring substrate |
| (the dimensions of a 30 gallon tank are about 30 x 12 | | | | surface temperatures so that you can ensure your |
| x 12" or 24 x 12 x 16"), and an acrylic tank this big is | | | | leo has perfect temperature conditions. $20-25. |
| around $100. | | | | 9. A reflector lamp with a timer switch and bulb. This |
| 2. Substrate. This is the floor of your pet's home. | | | | will simulate daytime for your leopard gecko when it's |
| There are several options here, including paper towel, | | | | on. The timer switch is important so that it gets a |
| play sand, reptile carpet, and slate tile. The price will | | | | regular and predictable daily 'photoperiod.' $23. So |
| vary depending on which you want, but none of | | | | adding all that up, looking after a leopard gecko on |
| them will cost more than $20-30. | | | | the high end is going to be around the $340-$350 low |
| 3. Hide boxes. It's easy enough to make your own | | | | side $240-$250 - that's for the basic necessities. |
| hide boxes out of plastic containers, or there are | | | | |