Leopard Gecko is a nocturnal, however every Leopard Gecko article that I have read mentioned the necessity of Heating Light as well as Heating Pad. Does a nocturnal find the need to bask under the sunlight in the wild other than living in a hot area? I have read from Leopard Gecko keepers about how they enjoy basking under the Heating Light.
I have also read about Leopard Gecko keepers allowing their Leos to enjoy real sunlight. I read this article last night that varied with all the rest except for the need of Heating Pad just for the sake of producing two different temperatures that the Leopard Gecko can choose from:
HEATING
Leopard geckos are typically not active during the day and DO NOT require a basking (heat) light or any UV bulbs. They prefer to remain in a dark hiding place during the day, and bright lights constantly shining in their eyes can stress them out. I have seen instances where people who have used basking lights on their leopard geckos have caused them to become stressed to a point where they stopped eating and the geckos eventually died. Red bulbs are better because red light is invisible to leopard geckos, but you should be able to meet the heating requirements of your leopard gecko with an under-the-tank heater alone.
Hot rocks or heat stones are another alternative for heating that you will commonly see for sale at pet stores, but I do not recommend using them with leopard geckos (or any other reptiles). These are ceramic rocks with a cord coming out of it (leading to central heating element). The hot rock does not allow you to control the temperature of the stone; it just heats to whatever temperature was set by the manufacturer. When I was younger I used heat stones for years with iguanas and never had any major problems. But I have heard horror stories and have seen pictures of reptiles that have been burned by hot rocks that have malfunctioned or ran too hot. Again, you should be able to provide the necessary heat for your leopard geckos with an under-the-tank-heater alone.
I have also read about Leopard Gecko keepers allowing their Leos to enjoy real sunlight. I read this article last night that varied with all the rest except for the need of Heating Pad just for the sake of producing two different temperatures that the Leopard Gecko can choose from:
HEATING
Leopard geckos are typically not active during the day and DO NOT require a basking (heat) light or any UV bulbs. They prefer to remain in a dark hiding place during the day, and bright lights constantly shining in their eyes can stress them out. I have seen instances where people who have used basking lights on their leopard geckos have caused them to become stressed to a point where they stopped eating and the geckos eventually died. Red bulbs are better because red light is invisible to leopard geckos, but you should be able to meet the heating requirements of your leopard gecko with an under-the-tank heater alone.
Hot rocks or heat stones are another alternative for heating that you will commonly see for sale at pet stores, but I do not recommend using them with leopard geckos (or any other reptiles). These are ceramic rocks with a cord coming out of it (leading to central heating element). The hot rock does not allow you to control the temperature of the stone; it just heats to whatever temperature was set by the manufacturer. When I was younger I used heat stones for years with iguanas and never had any major problems. But I have heard horror stories and have seen pictures of reptiles that have been burned by hot rocks that have malfunctioned or ran too hot. Again, you should be able to provide the necessary heat for your leopard geckos with an under-the-tank-heater alone.
