Leopard gecko keeper-practical toxicology & hazards (VCA; ASPCA Pro; PetMD; Merck Veterinary Manual)
Source: VCA Animal Hospitals, ASPCA Professional, PetMD, and the Merck Veterinary Manual. These references are non-Open-Access, so the points below are paraphrased derived summaries (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten) per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3; each point is independently checkable against the cited source.
Claims (derived summary — method: paraphrase)
- Coarse sand, corncob bedding, and crushed walnut shells should never be used as leopard gecko substrate, because these bedding materials can be swallowed and will block the intestines.
- Fireflies (Photinus spp.) contain lucibufagins and are highly toxic to lizards; ASPCA notes death can occur within 2 hours of exposure, so fireflies must never be fed to leopard geckos.
- Wash greens used to gut-load feeder insects and keep household pesticides away from the enclosure, because pesticides can cause health issues in lizards.
- Lead and zinc are recognised reptile hazards: lead can come from old paint, ceramic food and water bowls, and lead-based materials, and zinc from some metals, so enclosures should use food-safe, lead-free materials.