Printable owner manual
The belly heat number that actually matters.
A 52-page printable manual with belly heat, thermostat and probe placement, the three-hide humidity system, feeding by age and gut-loading, choosing a healthy gecko, the law in every state, and health triage, not a forum-average guess.
Not sure yet? Download the first 5 pages free, contents page included.
- 52 pages, print or view
- Beginner friendly
- No external links inside the PDF
Edition 3.1
Oct 2026 路 52 pages
Care-sheet roulette
- Belly heat ranges that swing 10 degrees between sources
- No mention of humidity until shed already gets stuck
- Cryptosporidiosis warning signs buried three replies deep
- Diet advice that never changes by age or size
This guide
- One belly heat target, with where the thermostat probe goes
- The three-hide humidity system built in from day one
- Stick tail disease and metabolic bone disease called out where you cannot miss them
- Feeding broken out by age, with gut-loading on its own page, not one generic list
What's inside 路 52 pages
Everything from first setup to daily routine.
Housing and setup
The enclosure and where it goes, the temperature gradient and belly heat, heat mats, thermostats and probes, optional UVB (ultraviolet B), substrate, the three hides and cleaning.
Diet by age
Feeding by age, feeder insects and gut-loading, treats, refusals and the never-feed list, calcium, vitamin D3 and multivitamin on their own page, and growth and body condition.
Health and red flags
Stick tail disease, metabolic bone disease, impaction, dehydration and prolapse, respiratory infection, parasites and mites, stuck shed, tail loss, burns, and reading poop.
Handling and behavior
Handling and taming, the tail, sounds and posture explained, and enrichment that works.
Arrival, eggs and the law
Choosing a healthy gecko and quarantine, sexing, eggs and egg binding, the shed cycle and brumation, and where a leopard gecko is legal.
Owner tools
Setup checklist, emergency card, budget and shopping list, first 30 days, symptom reference, routine, outage plan, pet-sitter sheet, and the logs.
Every page, section by sectionThe package's own contents page, all 52 pages of it. Nothing here is a teaser for something sold separately.
Getting Started
- How to Use This Package
Profile
- Quick Profile & Cost Overview
- The Species, Morphs, Size & Lifespan
Housing & Environment
- Enclosure Size, Type & Where It Goes
- The Temperature Gradient & Belly Heat
- Heat Mats, Thermostats, Probes & Timers
- UVB: Low Output, Optional & Worth It
- UVB: Meter & Schedule
- Substrate, Furnishings & the Three Hides
- Cleaning & Hygiene
Feeding
- Diet & Feeding by Age
- Feeder Insects: Staples, Treats & Never
- Gut-Loading: What to Feed the Feeders
- Treats, Refusals & the Never-Feed List
- Supplements: Calcium, Vitamin D3 & Multivitamin
- Growth, Weight & the Tail
- Body Condition: Thin, Ideal & Overweight
Handling & Behavior
- Handling & Taming
- Body Language: Tail, Sounds & Posture
- Enrichment & Common Mistakes
Arrival & Life Stages
- Choosing a Gecko, Quarantine & the First Vet Visit
- Sexing & Females That Lay
- Egg Binding
- The Shed Cycle & Brumation
The Law
- Is a Leopard Gecko Legal Where You Live?
Health & Common Issues
- Red Flags & Finding a Vet
- Cryptosporidiosis: Stick Tail Disease
- Metabolic Bone Disease
- Impaction, Dehydration & Prolapse
- Respiratory Infection, Parasites & Mites
- Stuck Shed, Tail Loss & Burns
- Reading Poop, Urates & Hydration
Quick Reference
- Setup Checklist & Targets
- Emergency & Quick Targets Card
Owner Tools
- Budget: Setup & Shopping List
- Budget: Monthly Costs
- First 30 Days
- Symptom Quick Reference
- Daily, Weekly & Seasonal Routine
- Power Outages, Heat, Travel & Transport
- Pet-Sitter Sheet
- Owner Log
- Equipment & Vet Log
- Enrichment Checklist & Log
Reference
- Glossary, A to H
- Glossary, I to Z
- Sources
- Sources, Continued
- Where the Sources Disagree
- Version History & About
Take a look inside
Print-first pages, clearly marked.
Click a page to see it at full size. The contents page is complete; the others fade out where the paid content starts.
The first 5 pages, free
Pages 1 to 5 as a PDF: the contents page and the opening pages before the care sections start, so you can see every page the full package covers.
Who this is for
- New leopard gecko owners setting up their first habitat
- Keepers who want one consistent standard
- Anyone who prefers a printable manual over scattered advice
What it's not
- Not a substitute for a reptile-experienced veterinarian
- Not a live website mirror, a clean printable package instead
- Not a subscription, one purchase and every corrected edition is free
What changed
This is edition 3.1.
Bought before? Re-download free from your library. State legal status as of October 2026.
- 3.1, Oct 2026. Now 52 pages. Safety: UVB is a 24 in low-output tube, about two-thirds of the enclosure, with its own heights: 8 to 14 in over mesh or 10 to 18 in inside, 12 to 14 or 14 to 18 for pale morphs. Costs: every item priced and rounded to the nearest $5; setup $315 to $760, monthly $30 to $85, the budget now over two pages. Other changes are wording only.
- 3.0, Oct 2026. Rebuilt on the current outline, 49 pages. Safety: probe on a clip or suction cup, never tape; lamps 4 to 6 in above the gecko; cool side 70 to 77掳F (21 to 25掳C); nights in the 70s, outage floor 65掳F (18掳C); lights 14 hours in summer, 12 in winter; UVI 0.6 to 1.4 at the basking spot; 7% T5 tube 10 to 18 in over a screen lid or 12 to 20 in inside, 16 to 18 and 18 to 20 in for pale morphs, replaced every 6 to 12 months; first vet exam within 72 hours; laying over in under 48 hours, past that a same-day vet; appetite loss with a thinning tail to a vet; stuck shed in a 30-minute soak; slow tail swish with arched back is the warning; pinky mouse once a week at most; no corncob or walnut shell bedding. Legal: a new page, all 52 jurisdictions. Costs: equipment $175 to $495, $325 to $710 with the first vet exam, $20 to $82 a month. Other changes are wording only.
- 2.1, Sep 2026. Safety: quarantine for a new gecko 3 to 6 months in a separate room; second thermometer read daily; full Salmonella hygiene rules; dehydration soak 15 to 20 minutes. Other changes are wording only.
- 2.0, Sep 2026. Rebuilt, 34 pages. Safety: calcium with D3 as a backup for setups without UVB, not a routine dust. Other changes are wording only.
- 1.0, 2026. First edition, 22 pages. Replaced by 2.0.
Ready when you are
Leopard Gecko Care Package
52 pages. PDF. Print it or keep it open on your phone, tablet, or computer. Yours the moment you check out.
Edition 3.1, published October 3, 2026. Paid through Stripe. The download link arrives on the next page, and it stays in your library for as long as the package exists, always as the current edition. Not a substitute for a vet.
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The free leopard gecko guide is still free
This package is the same research as our leopard gecko care guide, reformatted into an offline manual with the checklists, logs, and triage tables the web pages do not carry. Read the free guide first and buy this only if you want it in your hands.