Leopard gecko · 8 questions
The questions leopard gecko keepers actually ask — pulled from real reptile communities and answered the Baskden way: honestly, kindly, and with a clear "here's when to see a vet."
For temperate species (bearded dragons, leopard geckos, corn snakes) a natural winter slow-down or brumation — sleeping more, eating little — can be normal as days shorten and cool. But it should only happen from a healthy, good-weight animal, and it shouldn't come with weight loss or looking unwell. Tropical species like crested geckos don't truly brumate. If in doubt, confirm the animal is healthy first.
🤔 Behaviour
Both are great first geckos that want almost opposite setups, so choose by your home and how you want to feed. A crested gecko needs no hot basking lamp (and must stay under ~82°F), lives in a tall planted enclosure, and eats a complete powdered diet — ideal for a cooler room and no live bugs. A leopard gecko wants a warm basking surface, a horizontal desert setup, and live insects, but is very calm to handle. Neither is harder — they just fit different keepers.
🛒 Getting one🏠 Setup
Full guide: leopard vs crested gecko →Compare side by side →
It depends how much space, budget and interaction you want. A bearded dragon is a big, bold, day-active 'puppy' of a lizard — but it's NOT low-effort: it needs the biggest, hottest (108–113°F basking), brightest (strong UVB) setup of any beginner lizard, plus daily salad. A leopard gecko is small, compact, cheaper and simpler — gentle heat, low UVB, insects only — and low-key and nocturnal. Choose the beardie for an interactive companion you can invest in; the leo for easy and affordable.
🛒 Getting one🏠 Setup
Full guide: bearded dragon vs leopard gecko →Compare side by side →
Modern care says yes — low-level UVB (Ferguson Zone 1, a UVI around 0.5–1.5 at the basking spot) is now recommended, even though leos are crepuscular. The old 'leopard geckos don't need UVB' line is outdated. Pale and albino morphs are light-sensitive, so give them a gentler level and plenty of shade.
☀️ Heat & UVB🏠 Setup
The tail is the fuel tank, so a thinning 'pencil' or 'stick' tail means it's running low on reserves — worth acting on, and urgent if it's rapid or paired with not eating (a fast-thinning tail can signal parasites like crypto). Check the warm side, feed it up, and get a vet fecal if it keeps dropping. A plump carrot-shaped tail is what you want.
🩺 Health🍽️ Feeding
It needs belly-height warmth to digest — a warm surface around 94–97°F and a warm hide near 90–92°F — best provided by overhead heat over a thermostat. Never use a 'heat rock', which causes serious burns. Modern setups pair that warmth with low UVB rather than relying on a heat mat alone.
☀️ Heat & UVB🏠 Setup
Full guide: heat & UVB →Leopard gecko guide →Setup checker →
Check the warm side first — a cold leo can't digest, so it won't eat. Other common causes are settling into a new home, an upcoming shed, or the winter slow-down. Offer a favourite feeder at dusk, don't leave loose insects in overnight (they nibble sleeping geckos), and weigh weekly. Thinning tail plus not eating → reptile vet.
🍽️ Feeding🩺 Health
Once mature (around 6+ months / good size), look at the underside of the tail base just past the vent. Males show a bold V-shaped row of enlarged pre-anal pores and two clear hemipenal bulges; females have faint or no pores and a smooth tail base. It's one of the easiest reptiles to sex — but don't try on a hatchling.
♂♀ Sexing
These apply to every reptile, leopard gecko included — tap through to the full answer.
Short answers from The Baskden Team — kind, general guidance, not a diagnosis. When in doubt, a reptile vet is never the wrong call. Deeper detail lives in the leopard gecko care guide.
