Leopard Gecko nutrition: peer-reviewed evidence (Europe PMC)
Source: Open-Access peer-reviewed abstracts retrieved verbatim from Europe PMC (www.ebi.ac.uk/europepmc) via REST search on 2026-08-01, filtered to leopard gecko nutrition/toxicology literature. Each block below is a verbatim abstract; nothing is paraphrased.
Bone labeling experiments and intraskeletal growth patterns in captive leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius). (Journal of anatomy (2025), PMID:39468396)
> An understanding of the dynamics of bone growth is key to interpreting life-history parameters of vertebrates. In this study, we used fluorochrome labels in captive leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) to track bone growth and intraskeletal variability from embryonic to adult growth stages. Thirteen individuals were administered fluorochromes from pre-hatching to 4 years of age. The left tibia, fibula, femur, humerus, radius, and ulna were examined histologically and compared for differences in the number of labels within and between individuals at each sampled growth stage, and the amount of bone growth between labels was calculated. Results suggest that limb elements had differing growth rates; the fibula grew the fastest per day on average and the femur grew the slowest per day on average. All labels administered in ovo were still present in all limb elements in adults except for the tibia, suggesting growth marks are not lost in most elements and accurate calculations of growth rates could be performed in individuals up to 3 years old. All ex ovo labels were accounted for; however, when two fluorochromes were administered 3 weeks apart, the labels could not be differentiated from each other due to the new bone not being deposited at a quantifiable level. Overall, the tibia in leopard geckos is the least reliable limb bone to use for skeletochronology and the humerus, radius, and fibula preserve the longest growth record. This research highlights that, as in other extinct and extant animals, patterns of bone growth are not consistent across reptiles. This study adds to the growing body of knowledge on growth variability in reptiles.
— *verbatim, Europe PMC PMID:39468396*
Passage of <i>Angiostrongylus cantonensis</i> through the trophic web: an experimental study on reptiles. (Parasitology (2025), PMID:39841034)
> The rat lungworm <i>Angiostrongylus cantonensis</i> is a zoonotic metastrongyloid nematode, currently considered an emerging pathogen approaching Europe. In tropics and subtropics, it is an important food-borne neurotropic parasite of medical and veterinary importance. Sources of infection for mammals and birds include gastropod intermediate hosts and poikilothermic vertebrates (paratenic hosts). To evaluate the relevance of reptiles in the rat lungworm circulation, we performed an experimental series focused on long-term survival of third stage larvae (L3) of <i>A. cantonensis</i> in reptiles and potential of saurians to serve as a source of infection for further hosts. Twenty leopard geckos (<i>Eublepharis macularius</i>) were infected with varying doses of L3 (100, 1000, 10 000 larvae per animal). Live L3 were collected from all infected geckos (mostly in musculature and liver) euthanized 1-6 months after the infection and were proven to be infective for Wistar rats (definitive hosts). Three sacrificed geckos were subsequently fed to three corn snakes (<i>Pantheropis guttatus</i>) to test hypothesis of L3 infectivity for predators positioned higher in the food chain. Snakes were euthanized 1 month post-infection and live L3 were detected predominantly in the intestinal wall. The animals remained clinically healthy throughout the study. No reptiles showed significant changes in haematological and biochemical blood parameters, though elevated CK and GLDH were observed in most geckos in the group receiving higher infectious dose. This study highlights the significant potential of reptiles to play a crucial role in the circulation of metastrongyloid nematodes in food web and in their transmission to humans.
— *verbatim, Europe PMC PMID:39841034*
Could Spatial Learning in the Early Stages of Life Consistently Affect the Long-Term Memory of Leopard Geckos (<i>Eublepharis macularius</i>)? (Animals : an open access journal from MDPI (2026), PMID:42071922)
> (1) Background: This study investigates the development of spatial navigation and long-term memory in the leopard gecko (<i>Eublepharis macularius</i>) to address gaps in understanding reptilian cognitive ontogeny. We aimed to determine if early-life training enhances long-term memory retention and to evaluate the repeatability of individual cognitive performance over time. (2) Methods: Using a modified Morris Water Maze with visual landmarks, we tested 39 individuals across three life stages: juveniles (20 trials), subadults, and adults (10 trials in each later phase). Long-term memory retention was assessed after four and fourteen months. (3) Results: A strong learning effect was observed during the juvenile stage, with geckos significantly improving speed and navigational efficiency. Spatial memory remained stable at the subadult stage (four months post-training), but declined significantly by adulthood (fourteen months post-training), returning to baseline levels. Individual success rates were significantly repeatable during juvenile (R = 0.192) and subadult phases (R = 0.071), although this consistency disappeared in adulthood. (4) Conclusions: These findings indicate that leopard geckos possess substantial spatial learning abilities early in life and exhibit individual cognitive differences. However, spatial memory decays over time without reinforcement. The results highlight the importance of considering developmental stages when evaluating the evolutionary and ecological constraints of reptilian cognition.
— *verbatim, Europe PMC PMID:42071922*
Claims (verified C1 substrings of source_file)
An understanding of the dynamics of bone growth is key to interpreting life-history parameters of vertebrates. In this study, we used fluorochrome labels in cap…
The rat lungworm <i>Angiostrongylus cantonensis</i> is a zoonotic metastrongyloid nematode, currently considered an emerging pathogen approaching Europe. In tro…
(1) Background: This study investigates the development of spatial navigation and long-term memory in the leopard gecko (<i>Eublepharis macularius</i>) to addre…