Leopard Gecko Care for Beginners

Quick answer

A leopard gecko needs a secure, warm enclosure with a heat gradient (a warm side around 28–30°C / 82–86°F and a cool side around 24–26°C / 75–79°F), at least two hides plus a humid hide for shedding, live insects dusted with calcium, and fresh water. Low-level UVB is widely recommended. They're calm, hardy lizards that can live 15 to 20 years, which is why they're such a common first reptile.

Why leopard geckos suit beginners

Leopard geckos come from dry, rocky grassland and scrub in parts of South Asia, mainly Pakistan, Afghanistan and north-west India. They're active mainly at dusk and night, sleep in burrows and crevices by day, and stay a manageable size: adults are usually around 20–25 cm (8–10 in) long including the tail.

Unlike many geckos, they have eyelids and no sticky toe pads, so they don't climb glass. They tolerate gentle handling once settled and don't need high humidity. The trade-off is a long life. Plan for 15 years at least, and up to 20.

The enclosure

Give one adult at least 60 cm long × 40 cm high × 30 cm deep (about 24 × 16 × 12 in). That's a widely used welfare minimum; bigger is better and gives a wider temperature range. A glass or front-opening reptile vivarium with a secure, ventilated lid works well.

Inside, you want:

• A warm hide on the heated side and a cool hide at the other end.
• A humid hide: a box with a small entrance, lined with damp sphagnum moss or similar. This helps them shed cleanly.
• Clutter: rocks, cork bark and low branches to explore. Make sure stacked rocks can't topple.
• A shallow water dish at the cool end, changed daily.
• A small dish of plain calcium powder available at all times.

Substrate

This is one of the more argued-about topics in reptile keeping. Paper towels or slate tiles are easy, hygienic and safe for young geckos, new arrivals and any gecko being treated for illness. Many experienced keepers use a natural mix of clean topsoil and play sand for healthy adults, which lets them dig. Avoid calcium sand, walnut shell, corn cob and wood chips, which are linked to impaction (gut blockage) if swallowed.

Heat and light

Leopard geckos warm up mainly by absorbing heat from warm surfaces and from above, and they move between warm and cool areas to control their body temperature. You need both ends of the range.

• Warm side: about 28–30°C (82–86°F) under or around the warm hide. A ceramic heater, basking lamp or heat mat can do this.
• Cool side: about 24–26°C (75–79°F).
• Night: heat can drop at night, but add a non-light heat source if the room falls below about 18°C (64°F).

Every heat source must run through a thermostat. Heat mats without one can reach temperatures that burn a gecko's belly. Check both ends daily with a digital or infrared thermometer instead of guessing, and keep geckos away from bare bulbs.

For UVB, a low-output lamp covering a third to half of the enclosure, with plenty of shade, is a common setup. Geckos are out at dawn and dusk and pick up small amounts of UV in the wild. Run lights on a timer for about 12 hours a day. Our guide to reptile UVB and heat lighting explains lamp strengths and placement.

Humidity should sit around 30–40% in the main enclosure, with the humid hide giving a damper spot when needed.

Feeding

Leopard geckos eat only live insects. They won't eat fruit, vegetables or pellets as a main diet. Good staples include crickets, dubia roaches (where legal and available) and black soldier fly larvae, with mealworms in moderation. Waxworms and superworms are high in fat, so treat them as occasional treats.

How often: juveniles daily, adults every other day or two to three times a week. Offer insects no bigger than the gecko's head (smaller is safer), and remove uneaten crickets, which can nibble a sleeping gecko.

Supplements: feed insects a nutritious diet (gut-loading) for a day or two before offering them, and dust them with a calcium supplement just before feeding. A multivitamin dusting is used less often. Follow the product label, because vitamins can be overdosed. Underdosing calcium is a common cause of metabolic bone disease, which shows up as soft jaws, bent limbs and weakness.

A healthy gecko stores fat in its tail. The tail base should be roughly as wide as the neck: not stick-thin, and not wider than the body.

Handling and the tail

Give a new gecko a week to settle before you handle it. Then scoop it up from below rather than grabbing from above, which feels like a predator. Short sessions of 10–15 minutes are plenty. Wash your hands after handling your gecko or cleaning its enclosure, because reptiles commonly carry Salmonella even when they look healthy.

Never grab or pull the tail. Leopard geckos can drop their tail when threatened. It regrows, but the new tail looks different and regrowing it costs the gecko its fat reserves. If it happens, keep the gecko on paper towels and the enclosure very clean while the stump heals.

Keep leopard geckos alone. They don't need a companion, and males fight seriously.

Shedding

Young geckos shed often, adults roughly every month or two. The skin turns pale and dull a day or two beforehand, and most geckos eat their old skin. Check toes and the tail tip afterwards. Stuck shed can tighten and cut off blood supply to toes. A humid hide usually prevents this; if a bit is stuck, a short soak in shallow lukewarm water and a gentle wipe can help. Don't pull it.

Signs your gecko needs a vet

• Not eating for more than a couple of weeks, especially with weight loss or a thinning tail
• Soft or rubbery jaw, bent legs, trembling or difficulty walking
• Runny or watery droppings for more than a few days, or no droppings with a swollen belly
• Sunken or closed eyes, or discharge from the eyes or nose
• Stuck shed that won't come off around toes or eyes
• Open-mouth breathing, lethargy, or a swollen or discoloured tail stump

Find a reptile-experienced vet before you bring the gecko home.

In Pakistan

Leopard geckos are native to parts of Pakistan, so you may see wild-caught animals offered alongside captive-bred ones. Choose captive-bred where you can: wild geckos are more likely to carry parasites, settle poorly and refuse food, and collecting them puts pressure on local populations. Rules on keeping and trading native wildlife vary, so check what applies where you live. Summer heat can push an indoor enclosure well above 30°C (86°F), so watch the cool side closely and turn heating down or off when the room is already hot.

If you're ready to keep one, you can browse reptile listings on Paalo and ask sellers about the gecko's age, feeding and history.