Leopard Gecko Care Sheet

🏠 Housing & Enclosure

Leopard geckos are terrestrial — they live on and under the ground, not in trees. Enclosure footprint (floor space) matters far more than height. A long, low enclosure is always better than a tall one.

🌡️ Temperature & Heating

Leopard geckos are ectotherms — they rely entirely on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature. A proper thermal gradient from one side of the enclosure to the other is essential. Without it, a gecko cannot digest food, fight infection, or function normally.

💡 Lighting & UVB

Leopard geckos are crepuscular to nocturnal — most active at dusk and dawn. They evolved to avoid peak daylight hours. This led to the long-held belief that they need no UVB at all.

• UVB (optional but recommended): A low-output T5 HO 5.0 or 6% UVB bulb, positioned 12–16 inches above the gecko, on a 10–12 hour light cycle. Always provide a shaded area so the gecko can choose to avoid UVB exposure.
• Photoperiod: Maintain a consistent 10–12 hour light/dark cycle regardless of whether you use UVB. This supports natural behavior and circadian rhythm.
• No basking light needed: Unlike bearded dragons or iguanas, leopard geckos do not bask under radiant heat from above. All heat should come from below (UTH, heat tape) or from a DHP.
• Night: Total darkness is preferred. Avoid colored "night" bulbs — geckos can see red and blue light and nighttime light disrupts their natural activity patterns.

🪨 Substrate

Substrate choice is one of the most debated topics in leopard gecko keeping. The primary concerns are impaction risk, hygiene, humidity management, and naturalistic enrichment.

🏚️ Hides & Enrichment

Leopard geckos are secretive animals that spend the majority of their time hidden. Providing adequate hides is not optional — a gecko without proper hides will be chronically stressed, which suppresses immune function and leads to long-term health problems.

• Decorations and clutter: Rocks, cork bark, fake plants, and other hides all add enrichment and make the gecko feel more secure. More cover = lower stress levels.
• Water dish: A shallow dish of fresh water should always be available. Clean and refill every 1–2 days. Ensure it is shallow enough that a gecko cannot drown.
• Climbing: While not arboreal, leopard geckos do explore and appreciate low-level rocks and cork bark to climb over and around.

💧 Humidity

Leopard geckos come from arid environments and do not tolerate persistently high humidity. However, they require a reliably moist microclimate for shedding. The solution is a dedicated moist hide — not a humid enclosure overall.

• Enclosure ambient humidity: 30–40%. Higher than 50% for extended periods increases risk of respiratory infections and bacterial issues.
• Moist hide: 70–80% humidity inside the hide. Achieved with damp (not wet) coconut fiber or sphagnum moss. The substrate inside should feel like a wrung-out sponge — moist but not dripping.
• Spray the moist hide only — not the entire enclosure. Re-moisten every 3–5 days or as needed based on how quickly it dries out in your climate.

🦗 Feeding & Nutrition

Leopard geckos are strict insectivores — they do not eat plant matter, fruit, or vegetables. All nutrition comes from live insects. The quality and variety of insects fed directly determines the long-term health of the animal.

🔄 Shedding (Ecdysis)

Leopard geckos shed their entire skin in one piece, typically every 4–6 weeks for juveniles and every 6–8 weeks for adults. Unlike some reptiles, leopard geckos eat their shed skin — this is normal and beneficial.

• Signs of an approaching shed: Skin appears dull, milky, or grey. Eyes may appear cloudy or blue-tinted. The gecko may go off food or become less active 2–5 days before shedding.
• During a shed: Do not disturb the gecko. Do not attempt to help unless the shed is clearly stuck after 24 hours. Ensure the moist hide is damp and accessible.
• Retained shed (dysecdysis): Shed that does not come off completely. Most commonly affects the toes, tail tip, and eye caps. Soak the gecko in shallow warm water for 15–20 minutes and gently roll retained shed with a damp Q-tip. Eye caps should only be removed by a veterinarian.
• Prevention: A properly maintained moist hide prevents retained shed in the vast majority of cases. If retained shed is recurring, reassess moist hide humidity levels.

🏥 Common Health Issues

🤲 Handling & Temperament

Leopard geckos are generally one of the most handleable reptile species available and most individuals become calm and tolerant with regular, positive interaction. They rarely bite and when they do, it is a soft pinch that causes no real injury.

• New gecko: Allow 1–2 weeks to settle in before attempting any handling. During this time, keep disturbance minimal and let the gecko establish its territory and hiding spots.
• First sessions: Start with 5–10 minute handling sessions. Support the full body — never grip the tail. Sit close to the ground in case the gecko drops.
• Building duration: Gradually extend sessions to 15–30 minutes as the gecko becomes comfortable. Most well-socialized adults tolerate 30+ minute handling sessions.
• Tail autotomy: Leopard geckos can voluntarily drop their tail as a defense mechanism. The tail will regenerate but the new tail is a different shape (rounded, with no original pattern). Avoid grabbing the tail or creating situations where the gecko feels threatened enough to drop it.
• Avoid handling: For 48 hours after feeding (disrupts digestion), during shedding, when the gecko appears ill or stressed, immediately after bringing a new gecko home.

🎨 Common Morphs

Leopard geckos have one of the most developed morph markets in the reptile hobby — hundreds of named morphs exist covering recessive, co-dominant, and polygenic traits.

🔵 Recessive Morphs

🟢 Co-Dominant / Polygenic Morphs

🟡 Popular Combinations

🥚 Breeding Basics

Leopard geckos are seasonal breeders — natural breeding season occurs in spring and early summer, often following a winter cooling period (brumation). Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) means incubation temperature determines the sex of hatchlings.

• Sexual maturity: Males at 6–8 months (45–50g minimum). Females should be at least 18 months and 45–50g before any breeding attempt — breeding underweight or immature females causes serious health risks.
• Brumation (optional but beneficial): Gradually cool the enclosure to 60–68°F over 2–3 weeks in November–December, hold for 6–8 weeks, then gradually warm back up. This stimulates breeding behavior in spring.
• Egg incubation: Eggs should be placed in a deli cup with moist vermiculite or perlite, half-buried, and incubated at a stable temperature. Do not rotate or flip eggs.
• TSD temperatures: 80–82°F produces mostly females · 86–88°F produces mixed sexes · 88–90°F produces mostly males · Above 90°F risks birth defects.
• Incubation duration: 45–60 days at optimal temperatures. Eggs incubated cooler will take longer.
• Laying box: Provide a box of moist substrate (coconut fiber, organic topsoil) on the warm side for females to lay. A female unable to find a suitable laying site may become egg-bound.

🌍 Related Eublepharis Species

The genus Eublepharis contains several closely related species — all share the characteristic eyelids (true geckos in the sense of having movable eyelids, unlike most gecko species) but differ in size, coloration, native range, and care requirements.

West Indian Leopard Gecko

Eublepharis fuscus — Western India, Pakistan

Eublepharis fuscus is a smaller, more slender species native to the western coast of India and parts of Pakistan. They inhabit drier, more coastal environments than macularius — rocky outcroppings, scrub forest, and coastal lowlands. Less studied than the common leopard gecko and rarely seen in captivity, but captive-bred specimens do exist among dedicated collectors.

• Size: 6–8 inches as adults — smaller and more slender in build than macularius.
• Enclosure: 20 gallon suitable for adults given their smaller size. Same terrestrial setup as macularius.
• Temperature: Warm side 82–86°F · Hot spot 88–90°F · Cool side 72–76°F. Similar to macularius, slightly warmer overall reflecting their coastal origin.
• Humidity: 40–55% — slightly higher than macularius but lower than hardwickii. Moist hide essential.
• Diet: Same insectivore diet as macularius — appropriately sized prey. Smaller feeders appropriate given their smaller adult size.
• Temperament: Reported to be more flighty and alert than macularius — acclimate slowly and handle with care, particularly early on.
• Availability: Rare in captivity. Occasionally imported as wild-caught; captive breeding programs are small and limited to specialist collectors.

Eublepharis fuscus — yearling specimen. West Indian Leopard Gecko.