Leapin' lizards (part 1)

Trish Lynn and Thom Donitz with friends.

The JOLT News Staff

Trish Lynn will be the main author of this article because she interviewed her grandson, an animal lover and owner of four reptiles. He got an interest in reptiles at 12 years old, did a lot of research and got his first leopard gecko at 14 years old. 

His interview was so interesting and his knowledge about reptiles and to be honest, so many more pets, especially cats, that it was hard to try and condense it down to fit in the number of words we are allowed so we are doing this in two parts. The second part will come out on April 29. 

My grandson Lee and his partner Mars own two cats and four leopard geckos. Lee’s oldest gecko is named Lenny, 1 month old when Lee got him and is now 7 years old, and Oakley came next, both from a local breeder. The other two were rehomed from a family member. Their names are Pepper and Tango. They were a couple years old when Lee got them and didn’t know much about their history. 

An up close view of a leopard gecko.

Courtesy Photo

The most common reptile species in the general pet trade are definitely leopard geckos, as well as bearded dragons, crested geckos, ball pythons, corn and milk snakes.   

Physiology wise, they are exothermic, which means they cannot produce their own body heat. They must get their heat from an external source.

The leopard gecko specifically is from the rocky deserts of the Middle East, so typical for them to sunbathe on rocks or a thermal pool. It is also a common misconception that reptiles are slimy but leopard geckos, specifically, being from a very dry climate it does not make sense for them to be slimy walking around sand, rocks and dust. 

Reptiles can be herbivores, which means they just eat plants and fruit, omnivores, which is plants, eat fruit and typically animal products that can be either insects, eggs or small prey, such as mice and maybe birds, or they can be strictly carnivorous which is small animals like birds and rodents.  Sometimes they will eat other reptiles.

That is how the king cobra got its name because it is known for eating other snakes hence “king of all snakes." Included in carnivores are insectivores, which are reptiles that exclusively eat insects, which are leopard geckos.

Their staple diet should be mealworms with supplemental insects to make sure that they are getting a good, rounded diet, which can consist of crickets, dubia roaches and sometimes wax worms as a treat. But wax worms are very fatty so they should not be part of the staple diet. 

Leopard geckos have a considerable lifespan, the males typically live 15 to 20 years, while females typically live 10 to 15 years assuming they are laying eggs even if they are unfertilized. 

The reason for the female lifespan being shorter is because of ovulation. It creates a lot of strain on the body along with using a lot of nutrients, so it just takes a toll on their lifespan unfortunately. 

Leopard geckos are able to tail drop, which serves as a defense mechanism, they cut off blood supply, constrict the muscles and physically lose their tail in the event they are being chased or are grabbed by a predator and this is meant to act as a diversion or distraction for the predator so the gecko can get away.

Some species cannot grow their tail back after they drop it, but leopard geckos are one of the few species that do partially regrow. It will never be the same as it was, but they can grow it back. 

It takes about six months to fully come back, so it’s very much a last resort especially considering leopard geckos are a little bit like camels in the sense that they store most of their body fat nutrients and hydration in a certain part of their body. 

For camels, that’s in their humps, but with leopard geckos it’s stored in the tail. They must eat and drink more often, so it can be dangerous because they don’t have any reserves without their tail.   

In Part 2, we will talk mainly about the life of leopard geckos.   

Because we are talking about reptiles, I want to mention that Tiny Tails and Scales is a small animal rescue that educates, rescues and rehabilitates exotic animals, small and large. They are dedicated to saving lives through fostering, adopting and providing sanctuary and are located in Thurston County. tinytailsandscales@gmail.com.  Also, on Facebook and Instagram 

Paws for thought

“Outside of a Dog, a Book is Man’s Best Friend.  Inside of a Dog, it’s too dark to Read” - Groucho Marx 

Thom Donitz and Trish Lynn are neighbors and close friends who share their love of animals and wildlife. Trish and Thom are residents of Tumwater. Contact them at  pets@theJOLTnews.com.