Leopard gecko genral questions.

Question
ello Diane, I was thinknig of getting a single Leopard gecko as a pet. But I was wondering can it be handled 3 times a week for about 5 minutes each time? Less or more ok or better? I want a herp I can touch and handle and enjoy.

Next I am scared of bugs... go figure lol, Can a cricket keeper thing pervent me from touching the crickets themself? I live right beside a reptile shop so have easy access to bugs and my gecko.

Is a single leopard gecko expensive to maintain with food/heat bedding ect? I have three dogs and can't afford another very expensive pet.

What type of heat source do you reccomend and bedding type for a nice relisitic looking setup without causing harm to the gecko?

I would like to thank you in advance for your help, I look forward to your reply.

Answer
Hi Tara,
Having a single lizard of any species is a good idea.  Leopard geckos are great little lizards..!!!  Not touching the crickets can be a problem....and also the other insects they need such as treats of wax worms..and regular feedings of silk worms, shedded meal worms or smaller sized super worms.  With the worms, you can use tweezers to pick them up....Crickets, well, one way of NOT picking them up is to use paper towel rolls in the cricket tank.  The crickets will crawl into the tubes and you can just pick up the tube and shake in into the geckos tank...BUT!!!! you may have to remove uneaten crickets from the geckos tank!!  Leopard geckos....some like to be handled...some prefer not to be held.  The geckos expense is pretty low...especially if you buy your insects in bulk..or if the store you buy from is pretty cheap in the insects. A once yearly vet check up is recommended.   I've included a leopard gecko caresheet for you... For bedding, paper towels, newspaper and lizard carpeting can be used..and with newspaper, there isn't any cost!! A container of calcium with D3, and a container of vitamin supplement cost about 10-15$ total and lasts for a very long time!!!  Insects, cost runs about $1 for a dozen crickets at a pet store to a  few dollars for other insects.
BASIC CARE FOR A LEOPARD GECKO
Leopards are pretty easy to care for but they do need
special care.  Here are some of the basic needs of your
gecko.
HOUSING: The need to have at least a 20 gallon long tank for
one Leo. This needs to have a secure fitting screen top...they can be quite the escape artists!!! They need to have a humid hide box.You can make
this with something as simple as a small plastic dish with a
hole cut in one side and a small mesh bag filled with some
Sphagnum moss, coconut bark or Peat moss that you mist.  
 I use that on the warm side of the tank. Be sure to provide a cool hidebox on the other end. I use the critter caves which you can purchase.  NOT the ones that have heat in them!!!!
Provide secure climbing areas for your gecko.  Fake plants, rocks and branches are all fine to use.

SUBSTRATE:(that's the stuff on the floor of your tank) News
paper, lizard carpet or paper towels work great and are easy
to clean and are much safer than any loose substrate.

TEMPERATURES:  They need a warm area of 88-90 degrees and a
cooler area  in the upper 70s,  low 80s.   At night their
temperature can drop to the low to mid 70's.  
Never use a hot rock for a leopard gecko...or any reptile.
They can severely burn any reptile.  You can use a heating
pad under the tank, or you can use a regular household
lightbulb in a dome fixture with a ceramic socket in it to
keep the warm area at the 88-90 degree area.At night, no white light. If room temperatures stay above 70 degrees, no extra night heat is needed.
You can  use the special nighttime lights that are designed for reptiles. I like using a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat for  nighttime heat.  
DO NOT use black lights or party lights as they can cause eye damage!!!!
The wattage you use will vary based on room temperature and size of tank.  
LIGHTING:  Leopard geckos do not need UVB lighting but it does not hurt them to give them uvb.  They should have some type of light during the day, be it a uvb tube, regular florescent light, reptile day light or regular household lightbulb. NO white lights at night!!!

FEEDING: Geckos should not be fed  crickets or other insects that are bigger than the space between their eyes.  Crickets and other food items such as silk worms, super, and an occasional treat of a wax worm, need to be dusted with a calcium supplement two times a week and also they should have a small dish of calcium in their tank.  I use the lid of a milk jug for the little dish of calcium in their tank.  For dusting the insects, Use a calcium with no added phosphorus.  
Insects must be gut loaded(fed) for at least 48 hours prior to feeding your gecko. Remove any uneaten crix or superworms after 15-20 minutes.....  Place a piece of cut potato in the tank so that if you have missed any uneaten insects, they will eat the potato instead of nibbling on your gecko!!!
You have to be sure to feed your crickets the right foods
before feeding them to your gecko.  If your crickets/insects are not healthy and well fed, your gecko will not get the nutrition
he needs. You can gut load your crickets greens, veggies, cereals or specially designed commercial foods for crickets or the insects you are feeding.
Be sure to have a small dish of clean water for your gecko
at all times!!
You can offer them some baby food or fruits on occasion ...
Mine will even eat a small piece of watermelon now and then.


HANDLING:  Some geckos enjoy being held...others prefer not to be handled at all.  Be sure to be very gentle when holding your leo and NEVER grab them by the tail!  Their tails are extremely fragile and will break.  
I do suggest finding a vet that can treat reptiles BEFORE you actually need one!!!  To find a vet that is able to care for reptiles:
http://www.anapsid.org/vets

For more information on leopard geckos:
http://www.thegeckospot.com/leocareindex2.html
http://www.drgecko.com


If you have anymore questions or don't understand something, please be sure to ask.

Another gecko you may want to look at is the crested gecko.  They are usually more social than a leo..here is some general info on them and a link to see what they look like and more care info on them.
For ease in care, they are probably one of, if not  the easiest to care for.  One difference with them and some of the other geckos is that they require an enclosure with height.  Most recommend a 29 gallon size as that it has the dimensions required to keep a crested happy and healthy. Cresteds are actually more social than the leos in most cases and seem to like handling more also. A big difference in the cresteds and leos is that the crested have the "suction feet" that leos lack.  
On supplements, I recommend the Rep Cal brands... in both the calcium(no phosphorus) and the vitamins.  They are very inexpensive (under 10$ for each) and last an extremely LONG time! Depending on their age, supplements are used 1-7 times a week.  The crested require lower temperatures,(basically room temps of 72-82), they are about 7-8 inches long, their life span is approx. 20 yrs, they are nocturnal, thus do not require uvb,but do require 12-14 hrs of light daily and using a uvb light can be a good thing for this.  Its not really known at this point if they do benefit from the uvb, but some feel it does and I tend to agree with that as that unless something lives in a cave, they do at some time get even a small amount of uvb from the sun. Their diet is about 50-50 in insects and babyfood fruits. They do require a more humid environment, so misting is essential. A easy to read and understand care sheet can be found at:
http://www.reptilerooms.com/Sections+index-req-viewarticle-artid-94-page-1.html