Rachel Gratis
Rachel Gratis is an enthusiastic leopard gecko keeper. She studied biology in college, with a special interest in ecology and natural selection, and she now puts her background to use caring for her collection of pets and contributing to the leopard gecko community. Her goal is to never stop learning about animals and the natural world. She currently works in Massachusetts as a software quality assurance engineer.
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What Goes on in My House: the Modular Method
Welcome to my gecko room! We have to make the most of our limited space, so modular housing is all the rage. More
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Holistic Design in Bioactive Vivariums: Leopard Geckos, Part 2
This is the fourth article in this series and part 2 of leopard geckos. Gecko Time readers might recognize this enclosure from a previous leopard gecko bioactive article. What happened? Superworms! Zophobas morio overpopulated and became a smelly nuisance, and the worms escaped through gaps around the door. I tore down the enclosures and went […] More
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Holistic Design in Bioactive Vivariums: Leopard Geckos, Part 1
All bioactive enclosures have the same basic requirements, but the needs of your main inhabitant dictate the ways in which you can support bioactivity. Many people have claimed it impossible to create a bioactive desert terrarium, but let’s not forget that life persists all over the earth, even in the harshest terrain! It’s a matter of designing for the conditions. More
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Holistic Design in Bioactive Vivariums: Gargoyle Gecko, Part 2
This is the second article in this series. The first article is here. Vivarium Construction Enclosure and Hardscape It is important when creating a naturalistic enclosure to provide adequate space. Your plants grow fuller when given more room, and a larger substrate area absorbs waste faster. I selected an Exo Terra Small Tall enclosure (18”x18”x24”) […] More
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Holistic Design in Bioactive Vivariums: Gargoyle Geckos, Part 1
Advanced reptile keeping has turned to naturalistic enclosures to improve quality of life for captive animals, and keepers have naturally expanded to bioactive techniques to keep non-sterile setups healthy. As mainstream awareness rises, more new reptile keepers are curious about making enclosures for their pets. More
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Creating a Bioactive Leopard Gecko Setup
Anyone involved in the online leopard gecko community can recite the ideal leopard gecko setup: paper towel or tile, belly heat controlled with a thermostat, a dry hide, a humid hide, and a water dish. This simple setup works, and it has saved the lives of many leopard geckos previously kept in inadequate conditions due to ignorance. Still, many keepers wonder about creating more naturalistic enclosures.
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