Leopard Gecko — Stealth

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Inhabits the arid highlands, steppes, and rocky desert areas of the Middle East, from northern Pakistan and northwestern India to Afghanistan. It is a terrestrial and fossorial reptile that spends hot daylight hours sheltering in damp burrows under rocks or bark, emerging at dusk to hunt.

Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the Eublepharinae subfamily. The "Stealth" morph is a complex genetic combination (Radar + Mack Snow + Enigma) involving Bell Albino. Due to the Enigma genetics, it carries a risk of "Enigma Syndrome," a neurological disorder affecting balance and coordination.

Behavior and Habits: Extremely docile and crepuscular. It may exhibit neurological symptoms (such as star-gazing or circling) under stress due to the Enigma genetics. It uses its thick tail to store fat reserves to survive periods of fasting.

Morphology: Robust build, reaching 20–25 cm in length. It features a highly destructured, pale pattern with light red Bell eyes. Adult males have a slightly wider head, prominent V-shaped preanal pores, and visible hemipenal bulges at the base of the tail.

Terrarium Setup: A horizontal glass terrarium (minimum 80x45x45 cm) is recommended. The substrate can consist of a bioactive desert soil mix (clay, sand, and peat). Provide at least three hides: one in the warm zone, one in the cool zone, and a humid hide filled with damp sphagnum moss to facilitate shedding.

Lighting and Heating: Crepuscular animals that absorb heat from warm rocks. Provide a heating mat or under-tank heater controlled by a thermostat to maintain a warm zone floor temperature of 30–32°C. The cool end should stay around 24°C, with a night drop to 20-22°C. Provide a low-level UVB source (ShadeDweller 7%) to assist with calcium metabolism.

Humidity and Hydration: Keep ambient humidity low, around 30–40%. A shallow fresh water dish must always be present. The humid hide must be kept damp to prevent shedding issues, particularly on the toes, which can lead to necrosis if skin is retained.

Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly insectivorous. Feed live crickets, dubia roaches, and occasionally mealworms. Dust all prey items with pure calcium at every feeding, and add calcium with D3 and multivitamins once or twice a week.

Compatibility: Solitary animals. Never house two males together as they will fight to the death. A male can be housed with females only in large terrariums, though individual housing is generally recommended.

Health and Common Diseases: Monitor the tail thickness; a thin tail ("stick tail") indicates malnutrition or severe parasitic infections (such as Cryptosporidium). Avoid rough handling to prevent autotomy (tail drop). Re-grown tails will be bulbous and lack the original segmented look.