Baby Leopard Geckos

Hatching
When the leopard gecko egg is ready to hatch, you will see it wrinkle and shrink. The egg has not gone bad and the baby is getting ready to hatch.

The gecko will create a slit using its egg tooth and then force its way out. Do not disturb the egg while the baby is hatching. Once the newborn is free, leave it in the incubation cup until its first shed which usually occurs within the first day.

As it sheds the gecko will eat the skin. The shed skin is nutritional and important to a newborn gecko.

Housing
Creating a home for your baby gecko is easy. All you need is a plastic shoebox, paper towel for the substrate, shallow water bowl, shallow food dish, shallow calcium bowl, and a couple of hiding areas. The hiding spots can be store bought or just plastic containers with openings cut out as long as it gives the gecko a dark area to reside.

If you have more than one breeding pair of leopard geckos, be sure not to overcrowd the babies. Each clutch has two eggs, so just keep two hatchlings per shoebox. As your geckos grow you can move them into larger cages.

Food
Mealworms and crickets are a good choice of food for baby geckos. Mealworms can be placed in the food bowl without worry of escape.

Crickets must be small and do not put too many in at once. If there are leftover crickets, they might upset and possibly injure your gecko. It is sometimes necessary to remove the rear jumping legs of the crickets to make them easier for the hatchlings to catch.

Always use small insects as food for young geckos. Even though they may be able to eat larger insects, consuming large insects can lead to digestive tract obstruction and death.

Stress
Hatchlings quickly scare and can be easily stressed. You will know if you baby leopard gecko is stressed if it arches its back, raises up on tip-toe, or makes a screeching sound. It is important to reduce the stress of your hatchlings. Stress can slow growth and increase aggression between geckos.