Have you ever wondered how to tell if your pet lizard is preparing to shed its skin?
The truth of the matter is, all lizards shed their skin as they grow. This is because as the animal grows, its skin actually doesn’t grow with it, so when the animal outgrows the old skin, it becomes time for a new one. In scientific terms, this process is called ecdysis.
Some lizards will shed in a fast, singular fashion (i.e. shed their entire skin in a single session), but most shed their skin in pieces and the whole process may take several days to complete.
These are both tangerine morph leopard geckos. The gecko on the left is grey and dull because it is preparing to shed. The gecko on the right however is displaying its natural vibrant orange coloration. Can you see the difference?
Signs Your Lizard is Going to Shed
Nearly all lizards will become duller in coloration. Normally shiny and even iridescent scales will become matte and have a grey cast to them. This is a classic sign and because it affects your lizard’s physical appearance, most pet owners will notice right away.
This African Fat Tail Gecko (Hemitheconyx caudicinctus) is preparing to shed. Normally this species of gecko is brown, but this guy is very dull and grey because he is in his pre-shed phase.
Your lizard’s behavior will also change. Many will refuse food for a day or two prior to shedding. Sometimes they will also become lethargic. They’ll probably be more secretive and will also dislike being handled or disturbed, so we recommend leaving them be until the process has finished.
What to Do When Your Pet Lizard Sheds
Due to temperament changes, we recommend minimal handling of your lizard during the shedding process.
Because the lizard will most likely refuse food, be sure to remove any crickets and other insects that aren’t being eaten. Crickets are known to nibble on vulnerable lizards, so if you don’t want your lizard to come to unnecessary harm, we recommend following this rule.
If your lizard is not grumpy, you can help it get rid of small pieces of skin that are loosely attached, but certainly don’t pull off pieces that are still hanging on to the animal as this could be painful.
Although this male Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) might appear bright, in truth, they are generally much more of a brilliant blue tone. This particular chameleon will begin his shed process in a few days, so he is much duller than normal.
Problem Shedding
Sometimes your lizard might have trouble getting rid of its shed skin. An improper shed is called dysecdysis and can be dangerous to your lizard.
A number of things can actually cause dysecdysis ranging from improper humidity conditions to an ill animal.
If you feel that your lizard is suffering from an incomplete shed, we recommend veterinary attention, however there are home remedies you can try. Make sure that the lizard has plenty of accessories to rub itself against as it will use these items to help stubborn skin pieces fall off. Provide a bowl of water large enough for the animal to soak in, or alternatively, give the lizard mandatory soaking sessions in lukewarm water.
Fun fact: When leopard geckos shed they actually eat the skin they lose. They are master recyclers!
Conclusion
All lizards shed as a part of their natural growth process. When you notice signs that your lizard is going to shed (i.e. change in appetite and dull coloration) try to disturb the animal as little as possible. And keep an eye out for incomplete sheds, which could be a sign of a larger issue in the lizard’s habitat.
Creating a Leopard gecko habitat is extremely simple, and we’ll explain exactly how to do it, based upon the tremendous success we’ve had with Leopard geckos at our facility. These lizards make wonderful pets as long as you support them correctly. We’ll provide some easy step-by-step instructions, so get ready to learn!
This beautiful hypo Tangerine male was raised in the same Leopard gecko habitat we’re describing in this article.
Leopard Gecko Habitat
Step 1: Let’s start with the cage itself. Leopard geckos don’t need much space to be happy, so larger is not necessarily better. You can use a standard ten-gallon glass tank to comfortably house a pair of geckos. A simple plastic bin can work just as well, albeit less visually appealing.
Note: don’t ever keep more than one male Leopard gecko per habitat, as they will brutally fight, often immediately upon introduction. We’re talking limb-over-limb-flying-through-the-air kind of fighting. However, several females can be kept in the same cage without issue.
Leopard Gecko Substrates
Step 2: Now that you’ve selected the cage for your Leopard gecko, it’s time to decide upon a substrate. Here are some viable options, with pros and cons:
Newspaper or paper towels – This is an inexpensive, absorbent option that is also easy to replace with fresh material when cleaning. It’s not visually attractive, however, doesn’t hold moisture, and doesn’t allow digging behavior.
Green carpet or turf – A slightly more aesthetically attractive option when compared to paper towels or newspaper, but very difficult to clean as waste accumulates in the fibers and must be washed regularly. It also doesn’t hold moisture or allow digging.
Sand or gravel (or a mixture) – These substrates can be attractive and a bit more natural, although there’s a mild risk of ingestion when eating. We’ve never had an issue with this occurring though, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much. These substrates can hold moisture fairly well, especially when mixed together.
Packed dirt, soil, or cypress mulch (or a mixture) – This substrate holds moisture very well, can form a biological system for breaking-down waste, and can sustain live plants. It can lead to a bit more dirt dust dispersed around the Leopard gecko habitat, but its merits far outweigh any negatives. The most natural choice, and our highest recommendation.
Any of the above substrate options can lead to a long, healthy lifespan for your pet Leopard gecko, so don’t fret too much over the choice. Although some disagree, we do think there’s an advantage to using a substrate that retains some moisture, and thus increases humidity within the cage.
Increased humidity helps shedding go smoothly, and helps prevent dehydration. Dehydration can lead to many issues, and can shorten a gecko’s lifespan. Just because they come from dry areas doesn’t mean the habitat should be dry.
Here are a couple of our Leopard geckos emerging from a tunnel they excavated. Digging is commonly enjoyed by these lizards.
Step 3: Now it’s time for the gecko habitat furnishings. There are three mandatory items, and one optional (but recommended) item, as follows…
Hide spot – No Leopard gecko habitat is complete without a proper hide spot. It’s really important, and central to your gecko’s existence. It should be large enough to allow the gecko(s) to comfortably climb into and move around, but small enough to provide a “secure” feeling.
We use plastic shoe boxes filled halfway with slightly dampened peat or sphagnum moss with great success, as do many breeders, but you could also use something of similar size that’s a bit more attractive for a display cage, such as curved cork bark or faux-caves.
Ideally, provide two hide spots–one on the warmer end of the cage, and one on the cooler end. Your geckos will thank you!
Here’s a great hide spot that we highly recommend:
Water dish – This should be shallow and doesn’t need to be large, just 2-3 inches in diameter is perfect. But, keep the water fresh by replacing it every couple days. We recommend sterilizing the water dish once per week with a mild 5% bleach solution, or other similar product such as Virosan or Nolvasan.
Food dish – We also recommend having a shallow food dish available in the habitat. This is where you can place mealworms, superworms, or waxworms for the Leopard geckos to consume at their leisure. Make sure the worms can’t escape–this can be accomplished with virtually any smooth-sided dish. Leopard geckos often prefer to eat at night (they are nocturnal after all), so leave the food dish in the enclosure overnight.
Vitamin/calcium dish – While this is optional, we do maintain a small dish of vitamins and/or calcium in the habitat at all times. Leopard geckos will naturally lick the supplement when their bodies need more minerals.
This is especially important for babies and juveniles as their bodies are growing rapidly. It’s less important for adults, unless the females are breeding, in which case they’ll need plenty of calcium.
Here’s an example of a very successful Leopard gecko habitat, this one is from a rack. There is no substrate shown. Note the importance of having one hide placed upon the heated side of the enclosure. The other hide is on the cooler end of the cage, and contains dampened peat moss for digging and egg laying. With Leopard geckos, you can get as simple, or as fancy, as you’d like–as long as these basic needs are met. Click the photograph for a larger version.
Step 4: Decorations such as plants (live or artificial) are a nice touch, as are climbing rocks and branches, but make sure they’re secure and won’t topple onto your gecko. Leopard geckos love to explore and investigate, so offer them a fun habitat that allows them to do so.
The best live plants for Leopard geckos are Pothos in our opinion. They are a tough, long-lived plant that is non-toxic and grows well without much light. Here’s a link for purchasing a live Pothos plant.
Step 5: One of the most common questions when creating a Leopard gecko habitat is, “How do I light the enclosure?” Fortunately, they don’t require UVB lighting and, in fact, they don’t require any lighting whatsoever. They are nocturnal, remember?
However, for viewing the enclosure and your geckos, you can absolutely install gentle lighting, but avoid the intensity of a spot or flood bulb. Fluorescent is a good option, or soft LEDs.
Here’s one of our Blizzard leopard gecko morphs–these albino strains often shut their eyes near bright bulbs because they are sensitive to light.
Leopard Gecko Heating
Step 6: Another very common question we receive is, “How do I heat my Leopard geckos?” Now, we’ve established that they’re nocturnal creatures, so heating them with a bright light bulb isn’t recommended like it is for diurnal (daytime) reptiles.
There are two options–you can heat your gecko with an infra-red bulb (in other words, a bulb that emits heat but not much light), or you can utilize the more common heat pad or heat tape, which gets affixed externally to the under-side of the habitat bottom, and not inside the actual cage.
Heat pads are fully assembled and ready to go right out of the box. You need one for each enclosure, and they are a great option if you’re housing just a few geckos or have just a few enclosures.
Heat tape is something you usually assemble yourself, and it’s a little more involved. It’s generally recommended if you’ll be setting up several Leopard gecko habitats because it’s much less expensive to buy and operate on a larger scale. We use three to four inch heat tape underneath our Leopard gecko habitats. We have a simple tutorial explaining how to install reptile heat tape available for you to peruse.
Super snow Leopard gecko
Whichever option you choose, make sure the heat source is on one end of the enclosure, not in the middle. This allows your gecko to “thermoregulate,” which is a fancy word for letting it choose whether it wants to be warm or cool. There should always be a warm side, and a cool side, of the habitat.
Also, don’t let the heat pad/tape rest on anything flammable (wood, for example), and try to keep a 1/8″ – 1/4″ gap between the heat pad/tape and the structure the cage is resting upon.
Your target temperature for the inside surface of the Leopard gecko habitat directly above the heat pad/tape is right around 87F-92F. In other words, the surface on which the Leopard geckos will come into direct contact. This is ideal and has proven to be the best temperature range by countless breeders. Don’t shut the heat off at night. We leave our’s on 24 hours per day. You can use a digital infrared sensor to check the temperature–you just point at the surface and click the button for a digital readout. Here’s a link to an excellent model:
Lastly, be sure to use a thermostat or rheostat with your heat pad/tape. If you plug the heat pad/tape directly into the wall, it will heat in an unregulated manner and can get far too hot, even dangerously so.
This is why we use an electronic thermostat, which maintains whatever temperature we input. They are about $50-$100, but if you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution, a reptile rheostat is a great option as well. Rheostats are around $15-$20 (Amazon link below) and work just like a light dimmer in a house, so you just turn the dial for lower or higher temperatures. Our most recommended heat pads are linked below as well.
Step 7: Ventilation is the final item to check off the list. Make sure there is plenty of circulation to avoid stagnant air. This will not only increase the oxygen exchange, but will also prevent the habitat from becoming too wet, humid, and smelly.
Creating a Leopard Gecko Habitat – Conclusion
Hopefully you’re now prepared to design your own Leopard gecko habitat using the above instructions. As usual, if you have any questions at all, just leave us a comment below. If you haven’t yet purchased your own gecko, you can do so now on our page of Leopard geckos for sale–we’ve got many different captive bred sizes and morphs available, and we can ship right to your doorstep!
We also have a tremendous offering of feeder insects available.
Here’s an excellent, easy-to-read book on keeping Leopard geckos in captivity, and we highly recommend you get yourself a copy. You just can’t go wrong with anything written by Philippe De Vosjoli:
Ever wondered, “What do Leopard geckos eat?” It’s a fair question to ask, since feeder insects vary greatly in a variety of ways. There are factors to consider that can be easily missed, so we’ve put together a quick article detailing the pros and cons of each of the commonly available feeder insects, as they apply to Leopard geckos. This is definitely worth a read, so stay with us.
Here’s one of our super hypo Tangerine carrot tail Leopard geckos.
Leopard Gecko Foods
It’s important to realize that Leopard geckos generally prefer to eat live insects, although they will also accept commercially available canned diets on occasion. But, live foods are always best.
Crickets
Crickets make an excellent food for Leopard geckos, although it’s important to make sure they are appropriately-sized. If the crickets are too small, the geckos will ignore them, but if they’re too large, the crickets may be too large to swallow. Also, large crickets can bite and chew on reptiles as they are voracious and opportunistic feeders, so make sure the number of crickets you place into the enclosure matches what your Leopard gecko will eat that day.
Baby Leopard geckos can generally be fed 3/16” to 1/4” crickets, while juveniles and adults are usually fine with 1/2” to 3/4” crickets. We advise avoiding adult crickets altogether. They have a lot of undigestible chitin (exoskeleton), are the most aggressive, and have the shortest lifespans.
Dusting crickets with a quality calcium supplement is advised, especially with babies and juveniles. We recommend having a small dish or bottle cap of calcium available inside the enclosure at all times. The Leopard geckos will actually ingest the supplement as they see fit.
Don’t bother breeding crickets, it’s just not worth the hassle, smell, and mess. We can ship crickets right to your doorstep.
Mealworms
Slightly higher in fat than crickets, mealworms are a fine addition to the Leopard gecko diet. In fact, you could present a great argument that they make a great feeder for them, since they are easy to contain in a dish, they are easy to breed, they don’t smell, they don’t jump, they don’t climb, and they don’t make noise.
There’s an old wive’s tale that mealworms can eat out of the stomach of a lizard, and it’s completely untrue. We have never once, in our history, had an issue with feeding Leopard geckos mealworms.
When mealworms in the feeding dish stop moving, it’s time to replace them, as the Leopard geckos only react to movement. Mealworms will pupate after several days in the dish, at which time you can either dispose of them, or place them into a breeding bin (they’ll turn into beetles which will mate and lay eggs).
Dusting mealworms doesn’t work well since their exoskeleton is so smooth the dusting doesn’t stick. Although, we highly recommend gut loading your mealworms by placing them into a plastic shoebox of chick feed or vegetables 12-24 hours prior to feeding. We can ship mealworms right to your doorstep as well.
Leopard gecko foods primarily should include crickets, mealworms, waxworms, and superworms.
Waxworms
Waxworms are on the higher end of the spectrum when it comes to fat content, but in moderation they are a valued member of the feeder insect menu for your Leopard gecko. Their ease of care is an added bonus—they don’t eat, and can be kept for 1-2 weeks at room temperature. Remove any worms that turn black. Some may morph into wax moths, at which point they can be discarded or fed to another reptile, but the Leopard geckos won’t eat the moths.
A few Leopard gecko keepers have said some Leopard geckos can become addicted to waxworms and won’t accept any other feeder insect, but we’ve never experienced this supposed phenomenon and believe it’s mild exaggeration.
Too many waxworms as a food item can lead to obesity in Leopard geckos, but again, moderation is key. Variety is the spice of life, so offer your Leopard geckos a selection of foods to keep things interesting. We can ship waxworms directly to you.
Giant Mealworms
We avoid giant mealworms because they are simply normal mealworms treated with a steroid that prevents them from pupating when they normally would. If you’re looking for a larger feeder insect, we recommend the below option rather than this unnatural choice.
Superworms
Adult Leopard geckos are large enough to consume superworms, which are about a half-inch larger than giant mealworms but are naturally raised. One advantage they have over normal mealworms is a more favorable chitin-to-meat ratio, which means their exoskeleton is a smaller percentage of their overall composition, making them easier to digest.
Don’t refridgerate superworms either, it will eliminate them. Keep them similarly to normal mealworms, meaning a bin of bran or oatmeal. They can be gut loaded the same way as mealworms. Breeding them is generally not worth the hassle. Yes, you guessed it, we can also ship superworms right to your door.
Leopard Gecko Foods to avoid
Now that we’ve covered what you should feed your Leopard geckos, let’s cover a few things not to feed them.
Avoid feeding your Leopard gecko beetles of any sort–they can be difficult to digest, and the geckos likely won’t be interested in them anyway. (beetles often emit a musk that reptiles find distasteful).
Avoid flying insects as a Leopard gecko food. The geckos cannot catch, nor are they interested in, moths, butterflies, and flies.
Avoid feeding vegetable matter to your Leopard gecko. They likely won’t touch it, and it will usually rot quickly.
What do Leopard Geckos Eat – Conclusion
We hope we’ve been able to answer the question of what Leopard geckos eat in captivity. Each gecko is different, and will have various “favorite” foods, but do keep in mind the guidelines listed above as you raise your new pet. It should also be mentioned that Leopard geckos eat their shed skin, so don’t be alarmed when you see your gecko with a mouthful of it!
You can experience the joy of keeping your own gecko by visiting our captive bred Leopard geckos page. We’ll ship right to your door in an insulated, temperature-controlled box, with a full live arrival guarantee.
How long do Leopard geckos live? Leopard gecko lifespans are often impressively long in captivity, especially when compared to other lizards of similar size, such as anoles and swifts, which usually live for a maximum of 2-3 years. This longevity, coupled with their extreme ease of care, makes these lizards perhaps the best pet reptile in the world.
Here’s one of our big hypo Tangerine carrot-tail leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius), one whose lifespan we expect to be well over a decade.
Female Leopard Gecko Lifespan
Female leopard geckos can easily live for 7-10 years, although this pales in comparison to how long the males can live (see below). The reason females don’t live as long as males is primarily because they repeatedly go through the physically taxing process of mating, reproduction, and egg laying.
Developing and laying two eggs up to eight times each year places an incredible demand upon their relatively small bodies, yet they do so year after year.
Eventually, however, it catches up with them. Females can breed successfully at around 50 grams in weight, but doing so at such a sub-adult size can stifle their growth and shorten their lifespan. The longer female Leopard geckos can go without breeding and reproducing, the longer their lifespan.
Male Leopard Gecko Lifespan
Male Leopard geckos, on the flip-side of the coin, can have extraordinarily long lifespans, with some living past 25 years of age! Yes, you read that correctly. The fact that they don’t have to endure egg development and laying means their bodies are spared the arduous work involved in reproduction.
In fact, they can be effective breeders virtually their entire lives. They do stop growing noticeably after about 14-18 months. A single male can breed a colony of 6-10 females with relative ease. Never keep two males in the same enclosure as they will almost certainly fight, which is at times fatal.
Diet and its effect upon Leopard Gecko Lifespan
Avoid the temptation to overfeed your pet Leopard geckos. There is a trend within the U.S. whereby hobbyists try to get their geckos as big as possible, as quickly as possible, usually for purposes of breeding or sale. This method, usually accomplished by maintaining a dish full of food at all times, is an unnatural way to raise your Leopard geckos.
This type of overfeeding can lead to obesity, which can lead to reduced breeding potential, organ failure, and an early death. There’s a tendency to think a fat lizard is a healthy lizard, but just as with humans, this is not correct. A healthy leopard gecko should be lean (not skinny) and energetic, with a plump tail. Obese leopard geckos have bloated-looking bellies, unusually thick tails (fat reserves), and are usually far less active. Some have fatty deposits directly behind their front legs as well.
In the wild, these lizards don’t have an ever-present cache of food available to them, and as such, should not have food constantly available to them in captivity. Feeding your pet gecko a reasonable number of feeder insects 3-4 times per week is absolutely ideal. Avoid too many waxworms and pinkie mice–moderation is key.
Here’s a gorgeous tangerine morph with black spots that contrast against the orange color very nicely. If you’re wondering how long Leopard geckos live, the answer is: a long time.
We hope our article on Leopard gecko lifespan has helped expand your knowledge of these wonderful pet reptiles. Consider ordering your own today for delivery to your doorstep, on our page of Leopard geckos for sale. Please don’t miss our Leopard gecko care sheet, either.
Are you overwhelmed by the litany of Leopard gecko morphs available? There are so many Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularis) morphs on the market that it can be hard to know what the names mean if you’re not an expert on the subject. In this article, we will show you photos of our most popular morphs and explain why or how that morph got its name.
Pinstripe Leopard Gecko
Commonly morphs are named after something they resembles in every day life, such as a fruit or a color. This particular morph is named because it causes the gecko’s spots to blend into lines or “pinstripes” on its body. Pretty straight forward.
Take note of the stripes on this pinstripe leopard gecko’s sides, one of many popular morphs.
Blazing Blizzard Leopard Gecko
The blazing blizzard morph is a variation on the standard blizzard morph. When a gecko is a blizzard, it lacks patterns (stripes, spots, or tail banding) and will range in color from grey to pure white. They also occasionally display yellow highlights.
Blazing Blizzard Leopard geckos are sensitive to light, which is why this guy was blinking in the photo.
The “blazing” added onto the blizzard gecko means that the animal is both albino and patternless. The main aesthetic difference between this morph and the standard blizzard is the lack of any grey tints. Both the blizzard and the blazing blizzard can have yellow highlights present.
Leucistic Leopard Gecko
Leucistic Leos are also known as patternless or “Murphy’s Patternless” morphs. This is because when the animal is leucistic, its genetic makeup causes it to lack certain types of pigment.
This photo makes it easy to see why the alternate name for this morph is “patternless.”
High Color Leopard Gecko
When referring to morphs and the names of reptiles, “high” indicates a particularly strong expression of a particular genetic trait. So, if a gecko is high color, it means that its colors are particularly vibrant.
A super high color morph Leopard gecko. Notice how most of its body lacks pigment, except for the tail and top of the head.
This morph is also referred to as hypomelanistic, which means that the gecko displays a greatly reduced amount of color in its body, but some spots may be present on the head and tail.
Snow Leopard Gecko
Also known as “Mack Snow,” this morph means that the gecko’s main body color will be white and any spots or markings will be black. Essentially, the gecko is black and white with little or no yellow or orange tones present.
This is a mack snow leopard gecko. Notice how there are extremely faint yellow undertones to his skin. This is what makes his morph different than the super snow morph.
Super Snow Leopard Gecko
The super snow or “super mack snow” morph is an exaggeration of the snow morph. The black and white contrast on these geckos is very noticeable and they have solid black eyes.
This is a super snow leopard gecko. This morph is created by breeding a mack snow to another mack snow.
Albino Leucistic Leopard Gecko
Albinism is the lack of the pigment that causes black tones in skin or scales, so any albino leopard gecko will lack black spots or tones. When the gecko is also leucistic, it lacks any discerning pattern. You could also call this morph “Albino Patternless.”
Albino leucistic or albino patternless leopard gecko morph.
Interesting side note on albinism in leopard geckos – it’s not necessary for the gecko to have red eyes in order for it to be considered albino.
Enigma Leopard Gecko
When they’re babies, leopard geckos of this morph are splotchy, but as they mature, the splotches become speckles. They also have white tails.
Notice how this enigma’s tail is nearly completely white.
This is a popular morph for breeders because when crossed with other traits, it tends to amplify the trait.
Super Giant Leopard Gecko
There are two forms of this morph. First, there is the giant leopard gecko, which grows to weight 80 to 110 grams and can display any combination of morphs that express color.
A male super giant albino leopard gecko with regenerated tail.
Next, there is the super giant, which is what we have pictured as an example. Naturally, the super giant gets larger than the giant.
Tangerine Leopard Gecko
If you haven’t guessed already, the tangerine morph displays a bright orange color that is quite stunning.
One of our super giant tangerine morph leopard gecko.
Please be aware that there are more morphs out there than the ones we discuss in this blog. These are the most popular and therefore most commonly bred morphs. Morphs can also be combined in specific instances depending on the lineage.
A collage of the various leopard gecko morphs we’ve discussed today.
