ALTHOUGH WE CURRENTLY HAVE MANY BREEDS WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW VARIETY'S BOTH TO EXPAND OUR KNOWLEDGE AND OF COURSE OUR STOCK.

Rabbits

We currently have baby cross-giant rabbits for sale these are all agouti coloured but are crossed between a Continental Giant and British Giant rabbit. As soon as possible we will update thi s page with pictures of the babies for you to view. If interested please contact Anthony at ajackmanuk@yahoo.co.uk or on 07880642516. These rabbits will be ready for sale on the 6th of July 2007.

RANGE
Leopard geckos are found in Iran, Afghanistan, Western India and Pakistan. Most of today's captive bred leopard geckos are descendants of geckos imported from Pakistan. They reside in deserts and arid grasslands. Leopard geckos are nocturnal animals sheltering themselves during the day beneath rocks and in burrows.
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DESCRIPTION
The name Eublepharis Macularis, roughly translates as

• Eublepharis meaning real or true eyelids
• Macularis meaning spotted.

Unlike other geckos, the leopard gecko and his relatives have moveable eyelids and lack the toe pads which allow other geckos to climb vertical surfaces.

Leopard Geckos reach a size of 8 to 10 inches. Most adults are yellow with dark brown spots.

Juveniles are generally are banded yellow and dark brown which fades into the spotted pattern as the gecko matures. Today, breeders also have developed the "designer" and leucistic geckos.
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SEXING
There is little visible sexual difference between male and female leopard geckos. The male seems to have a broader head and neck than the female and their body is usually somewhat larger. However, looking at the undersides, adult males have a prominent V-shaped row of pre-anal pores while the pre-anal pores of the female are barely noticeable. Adult males also have hemipenile swellings and a wider tail base.

The sex of the leopard gecko seems to be determined by the temperature at incubation.
Eggs incubated between 79-83 are generally female, 84-86 are about half of each sex, and above 87 are usually male.

New hatchling, about 1 hour old.

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KEEPING THE LEOPARD GECKO AS A PET
Leopard Geckos are among the easiest of lizards to maintain given the proper conditions. They rarely bite and tame easily. Leopard geckos that are handled regularly, remain relatively calm. However, be careful how you hold the gecko. Never by its tail! Geckos tails break off rather easily as a defense mechanism. They will grow back, but never as nice looking as the original tail.

They are relatively clean animals. The majority will define one area of their tank as the "bathroom" and only use that one area, making it easy to clean.
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HOUSING REQUIREMENTS
Leopard Geckos are easily maintained. An ten gallon aquarium will adequately house a single gecko. A 20 gallon tank will house 1 male with 2 females. Never put two males together as they will fight.

Temperature and Lighting:
Daytime temperature should range between 85 to 90. As with any herp, the gecko needs a warm spot and cooler spot from which to choose. Night temperatures can go into the low 70's.
As leopard geckos are nocturnal, UV lightning is not necessary, however the cage should have a 12 hour day and 12 hour night

Heat:

• Ceramic bulbs (Ceramic Heat Emitter) are excellent heat sources. These come in different wattage's and get extremely hot! Be certain the gecko can't touch it. Ceramic heaters are best used with a thermostat. This keeps the cage from overheating on warm days, particularly in the summer. I use the Electronic (Herp) Thermostat by Energy Savers . Ceramic heaters are a great way to provide heat at night since they don't produce light.
• Reptile Heating Pads which attach to the bottom of the tank work well. You may have to adjust the substrate thickness to get a good temperature.
  
• Incandescent Lights work well during the day, but you would have to rely on another heat source for night. You also may have to try different wattage to provide the right amount of heat.
  
• Nocturnal bulbs can serve as night time heat sources.
• Human heating pads, are good to bask on but don't raise the cage temperature much.

Do not use hot rocks! They develop hot spots and many lizards have been badly burnt by them! Ask our water dragon, we once used a hot rock.

Water and Humidity:
The leopard gecko needs only a small dish of fresh water each day. I also use a margarine tub as a hide box. Inside the tub I keep moist vermiculite. This provides the gecko with necessary humidity and aids in the shedding process.

Substrates:
Substrates that have been used with few problems are:

• playground sand (not for use with juveniles as geckos will ingest the sand and it can result in impaction and death)
• orchid bark mixture
• astroturf with bound or melted edges (I use a soldering gun to cut mine)
• newspaper

Substrates that have been known to cause problems are:

• Sand for geckos under age 6 months. It causes impaction.
• bark, shavings and other products made with moss. They are easily ingested and have been known to cause impaction
• potting soil as the geckos may eat the perlite it contains
• cedar or pine as the fumes and resins can be toxic to reptiles
• astroturf with rough edges as the geckos will ingest the particles that fray off.

When landscaping, include shelters for the geckos to hide in. Remember, they are nocturnal animals.
Also include a rough stone or bark for the leopard gecko to rub on during shed periods.
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FEEDING
Food Items:
Leopard Geckos are carnivorous. In captivity they eat crickets, kingworms (zophobas), mealworms, waxworms, earthworms, grasshoppers, locusts, and pinkies.

BE WARY of feeding insects from your yard! These insects may be contaminated by pesticides and or herbicides used in the area. Even if you don't use pesticides, someone in the neighborhood might, and therefore the insects may be affected.

It is not advisable to use types of insects you are uncertain of as being safe food. They may be toxic to your gecko. Fireflies caught in the summers are thought to cause death to some reptiles. Recent studies have demonstrated that "the ingestion of fireflies (or "lightning bugs", as they are sometimes called) can kill lizards and, thus, should be considered potentially toxic to all herps." (Adler, 1998)

Supplements:
Food should be supplemented calcium and multivitamins.
Adults should be supplemented every other feeding.
Females should be supplemented at every feeding during the breeding period.
Juveniles should be supplemented at every feeding.
I also keep a small dish of calcium in with my geckos.