Sources

Each source has one number, used the same way in every chapter. A source is listed in full under the first chapter that cites it; later chapters list the numbers they reuse. Sources marked "hobby report" or "hobby reference" are keeper or breeder accounts, not formal research.

Chapter 1: Start Here

• [1] LafeberVet, Basic Information Sheet: Leopard Gecko (Pollock, C., DVM; reviewed by Donoghue, S., VMD; revised 2016). lafeber.com
• [2] ReptiFiles, Leopard Gecko Care Sheet (Smith, M.; hosted by Zen Habitats, December 2023). zenhabitats.com
• [3] Zen Habitats, Leopard Gecko Complete Lighting and Heating Guide (Smith, M.; published December 2023, last reviewed May 2026). zenhabitats.com
• [4] Zen Habitats, Overhead Heating vs Under-Tank Heating for Leopard Geckos: Pros and Cons (Smith, M., 2024). zenhabitats.com
• [5] Gould, A., Molitor, L., Rockwell, K., Watson, M., Mitchell, M.A. 2018. Evaluating the physiologic effects of short-duration ultraviolet B radiation exposure in leopard geckos. Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery 28(1–2):34–39. doi:10.5818/17-11-136.1. reptifiles.com (PDF)
• [6] ReptiFiles, What Do Leopard Geckos Eat? Diet and Feeding Guide (Healey, M.). reptifiles.com
• [7] MedVet, 10 Common Diseases in Leopard Geckos (2016, revised May 2024). medvet.com
• [8] Ethos Veterinary Health, How to Safely Integrate New Reptiles Into Your Home (formerly titled Quarantine Recommendations for New Reptiles and Amphibians; Corcoran, M., DVM, DABVP). ethosvet.com
• [9] Zen Habitats, Understanding Cryptosporidium in Reptiles: What It Is, Testing, Quarantine and Risks (Smith, M., January 2025). zenhabitats.com
• [10] MorphMarket Morphpedia, Enigma. morphmarket.com
• [11] Reptiles Magazine, Lemon Frost Leopard Gecko Provides Insight Into Cancer in Non-Mammals (Virata, J., July 2026). reptilesmagazine.com
• [12] PetMD, Stick Tail Disease in Leopard Geckos (Zayas, M., DVM, June 2023). petmd.com
• [13] CDC, Reptiles and Amphibians (Healthy Pets, Healthy People; updated January 13, 2026). cdc.gov
• [46] ReptiFiles, Leopard Gecko Enclosure Size and Cohabitation. reptifiles.com

Chapter 2: Housing and Environment

• [14] Oonincx, D.G.A.B., et al. 2020. The nocturnal leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) uses UVb radiation for vitamin D3 synthesis. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B 250:110506. PubMed 32950659.
• [47] ReptiFiles, Leopard Gecko Substrate Options. reptifiles.com

Also cites [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8], [46].

Chapter 3: Feeding

• [15] Merck Veterinary Manual, Nutritional, Metabolic, and Endocrine Diseases of Reptiles (Divers, S.J., Comolli, J.R.; full review July 2025, updated July 2026), including the hypovitaminosis A section. merckvetmanual.com

Also cites [1], [6].

Chapter 4: Handling and Behavior

• [20] Tremper, R. Leopard Gecko Breeding. Reptiles Magazine, 2011, updated 2024. reptilesmagazine.com

Also cites [1], [2], [6], [14].

Chapter 5: Health

• [16] Nipithakul, P., et al. 2025. Cryptosporidium varanii infection in captive leopard gecko and its association with wasting syndrome in Thailand. Animals 16(1):33. doi:10.3390/ani16010033. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• [17] ReptiFiles, Leopard Gecko Enigma Syndrome. reptifiles.com
• [18] Szydłowski, P., et al. Iridophoroma associated with the Lemon Frost colour morph of the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). PubMed 32235892.

Also cites [1], [2], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [15].

Chapter 6: Breeding

• [19] ReptiFiles, Leopard Gecko Sexing. reptifiles.com
• [21] Leopard Gecko Wiki, Breeding (hobby reference). leopardgeckowiki.com
• [22] Reptile Advisor, Breeding Leopard Geckos: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide (hobby reference). reptileadvisor.com
• [23] Huang, V. 2013. Ontogenetic and mechanistic explanations of within-sex behavioral variation in a lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination. PhD dissertation, University of Texas at Austin. repositories.lib.utexas.edu
• [24] Tokyo University of Science, New study clarifies how temperature shapes sex development in leopard gecko. EurekAlert news release, March 13, 2026, reporting a paper in Developmental Biology vol. 533 (2026), "Gonadal development and gene expression in the leopard gecko during temperature-dependent sex determination." eurekalert.org
• [25] Flores, D.L., Crews, D. 1995. Effect of hormonal manipulation on sociosexual behavior in adult female leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius), a species with temperature-dependent sex determination. Hormones and Behavior 29(4):458–473. doi.org
• [26] MorphMarket Community, Morph Issues: Leopard Geckos (hobby reports). community.morphmarket.com

Also cites [1], [20].

Chapter 7: Genetics and Morphs

• [27] MorphMarket Morphpedia, Eclipse. morphmarket.com
• [28] MorphMarket Morphpedia, Blizzard. morphmarket.com
• [29] Tremper, R. Tremper Albino Leopard Gecko. Reptiles Magazine, 2011, updated 2020. reptilesmagazine.com
• [30] Creatures.com, Tremper Albino (breeder reference). creatures.com
• [31] Creatures.com, Rainwater Albino (breeder reference). creatures.com
• [32] Leopard Gecko Wiki, Bell Mack Snow (hobby reference). leopardgeckowiki.com
• [33] MorphMarket Morphpedia, Giant. morphmarket.com
• [34] Guo, L., Bloom, J., Sykes, S., et al. 2021. Genetics of white color and iridophoroma in "Lemon Frost" leopard geckos. PLoS Genetics 17(6): e1009580. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1009580. doaj.org
• [35] Leopard Gecko Wiki, Super Giant (hobby reference). leopardgeckowiki.com
• [36] MorphMarket Community, Leopard Gecko Genetics (hobby reports). community.morphmarket.com
• [37] MorphMarket Community, Confusion: Giants and Super Giants in leopard geckos (hobby reports). community.morphmarket.com
• [38] Creatures.com, Super Giant. creatures.com
• [39] MorphMarket Morphpedia, White and Yellow. morphmarket.com
• [40] Leopard Gecko Wiki, Enigma (hobby reference). leopardgeckowiki.com
• [41] Bargen, B. Enigma Syndrome in Leopard Geckos: An Autosomal Dominant Disorder. Gecko Time, December 17, 2013 (breeder analysis, not peer-reviewed). geckotime.com
• [42] Newswise / UCLA, Leopard gecko skin tumors traced to cancer gene, June 24, 2021. newswise.com
• [43] MorphMarket Community, White and yellow syndrome? (hobby reports, 2020). community.morphmarket.com
• [44] MorphMarket, Rare Genetics Inc. DNA Tests. morphmarket.com
• [45] Geckos Unlimited forum, Certified DNA/Genetic tests and their locations (hobby reports). geckosunlimited.com

Also cites [1], [10], [17], [26].

Chapter 8: New Owner Checklist

Also cites [1], [2], [6], [7], [13], [46].