Leopard Gecko

Leopard geckos are the friendly, spotty, ground-dwelling gecko that made a generation fall in love with reptiles. They're active at dawn and dusk, they don't need towering enclosures or intense sun, and they'll happily sit in your hand. Modern care has moved on from the old bare-tank-and-mealworms approach — a little UVB, real hides, and varied insects make a big difference.

Care at a glance

What it's like to live with a Leopard Gecko

Leopard geckos are the reptile a lot of keepers learn on, and for good reason. They are crepuscular — most active around dawn and dusk — so they spend the bright part of the day tucked in a hide and come out to hunt and potter in the evening, which fits neatly around a normal human schedule. They are quiet, they do not need big lights or a hot lamp, and they tame readily: most will happily sit in a warm hand once they trust you. That fat tail is both charming and useful — it is the fuel gauge you read every time you look at them.

Your first month together

The settling-in period, in order — so you know what's normal and when not to worry.

1. Let a new leo have a quiet week before much handling — it will spend most of the day hidden, exactly as it should.
2. Offer food in the evening when it naturally wakes up; a settling gecko may eat little at first, then find its appetite once it feels secure.
3. Learn where its hides are and let it choose the warm, cool, and humid ones itself — a humid hide is what makes shedding go smoothly.
4. Watch for the first shed and check it comes off cleanly, especially the toes and tail tip; leos usually eat the shed afterward, which is expected.
5. Start gentle, low, over-a-soft-surface handling once it is eating steadily — and never, ever grab or grip the tail, which it can drop when frightened.

Through the year, and as they grow

Leopard geckos often slow down in the cooler, darker months — eating less and moving less in a mild, brumation-like dip that is usually nothing to worry about in a healthy adult on correct temperatures. Feeding also changes with age: hatchlings and juveniles eat daily, while adults do well on smaller meals every other day. Read the tail — a plump tail through any slowdown means all is well.

The pet store gets these wrong

Common myths, kindly corrected — no shame for having believed them.

• Leos don't need UVB — outdated; low-level UVB benefits them.
• A 10-gallon tank is enough — no; an adult wants 36×18×18 or larger.
• Sand will always kill them — oversimplified; dusty calci-sand and cold temps are the real risks, a proper naturalistic mix is fine.
• Mealworms or waxworms alone are a fine diet — no; they need variety, gut-loaded and dusted.

Before you buy

• A 36×18×18 in (or larger) enclosure with three hides.
• A steady supply of varied feeder insects (not just mealworms).
• Calcium + multivitamin supplements.
• A 10–20 year commitment.

See a reptile vet if…

Never

• Never use a heat rock — they cause serious belly burns.
• Never keep pale/albino morphs under strong UVB or bright light without shade.
• Never feed a mono-diet of mealworms or waxworms.
• Never house two males together.
• Never grab or dangle by the tail — it can drop (and regrows lumpy).

Sources & further reading

This guide was written and fact-checked against these authorities. It's kind, general guidance — not a diagnosis or a substitute for an exotics vet:

• ReptiFiles — Leopard Gecko Care — Enclosure ≥36×18×18, basking 94–97°F / warm hide 90–92°F, cool 70–77°F, UVI (per F. Baines), humid hide 70–80% + ambient 30–40%, insectivore schedule, substrate.
• Association of Reptilian & Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) — Find-an-exotics-vet; MBD, cryptosporidiosis.
• Merck Veterinary Manual — reptiles — Metabolic bone disease, dysecdysis, impaction.

Written and fact-checked by The Baskden Team against veterinarian-authored sources — if your reptile shows a red-flag sign above, see an exotics vet promptly.