Eublepharis Macularius Aka The Leopard Gecko
What is Eublepharis macularius, you ask? It is the scientific name of the Leopard Gecko. Leopard Geckos are nocturnal (awake in the night, normally asleep by day), and are one of the ground-dwelling geckos native to desert environments such as those of Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Mojave Desert, and Western India. What's unique about Leopard Geckos in contrast to most other gecko species, is the presence of their eyelids (which most Geckos lack). Their scientific name is derived from that characteristic, along with the spots on their body (e.g. Leopard). The original Leopard Geckos, the ones found in the wild, are normally cream or yellow color with black spots and/or stripes. However, because of years upon years of breeding in captivity, many other color/pattern mutations have come about, which are quite different from the wild Leopard Geckos. Just browsing around on the internet or your local pet store, you can see many different colors and beautiful designs on Leopard Geckos. Some of the common ones are Tangerine (personal favorite), High Yellow (derived from the wild-style breeds), striped (my first Leopard Gecko), patternless, lavender, Blizzard (rare, and can be expensive), and albino (no pigment, slightly pink in color). The reason why Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularius) have eyelids is for the purpose of keeping their eyes dust and particle-free in their naturally dusty environment. Another feature that separates Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularius) from other gecko species is the absence of toe pads. Toe pads are adhesive, and are used by most geckos to stick to trees and other vertical surfaces. Instead, Leopard Geckos use claws to climb such as a cat, but don't normally do so. Leopard Geckos' claws are mainly used for ground traction and digging. Autotomy is the process of disconnecting their tails from their body, which occurs with Leopard Geckos if they are frightened or heavily disturbed. This is the same for most gecko species. While Leopard Geckos' tails will grow back, it is never the same as the original, appearing bulbous in shape and in my honest opinion not very eye-pleasing. One of the reasons which make Leopard Geckos great pets is the fact that if they are handled often as babies, they can become accustomed to it and learn to not run from its owner in captivity. In captivity, if well taken care of, Leopard Geckos generally live anywhere from 19-22 years, but have been known to reach 27 years of age (longest on record). This is a long lifespan for such a small lizard. This concludes the basic information on Leopard Geckos (Eublepharis macularius). I recommend Leopard Geckos as pets because of their interesting appearance and personal characteristics.
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