Leopard Gecko Care: Complete Setup, Diet, and Handling Guide

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Leopard gecko care comes down to a handful of numbers. Get the tank size, temperature gradient, humidity, and feeding schedule right, and most other problems sort themselves out. This guide covers setup and daily routine in detail.

For an overview of the species itself, its origins, and its temperament, see the leopard gecko species page. To compare it against another popular pet gecko, see our leopard gecko vs crested gecko guide.

Leopard gecko care sheet at a glance

Every number in this guide sits in one table. Print it, tape it to the tank stand, and check it against a thermometer and hygrometer, such as the Zoo Med Digital Combo Thermometer and Humidity Gauge, once a week.

Leopard gecko setup and tank size

A single adult needs at least a 20 gallon long tank. That is roughly 30 by 12 inches of floor space. A hatchling or juvenile can start in a 10 gallon tank and move up as it grows.

Floor space matters more than height. Leopard geckos are ground dwelling and do not climb. See our broader lizard enclosure guide for setup basics.

Use a secure screen or mesh lid. A loose lid lets heat and humidity escape, and it lets a gecko push its way out. Furnish the tank with three hides: warm, cool, and humid.

Place the warm hide over the heat source and the cool hide on the opposite side. Fill the humid hide with damp sphagnum moss or paper towel. It helps with shedding and, in females, with egg laying.

Good substrate choices include reptile carpet, paper towels, newspaper, or a mix of coconut fiber and cypress mulch. Avoid loose sand and calcium sand products. Both carry a real risk of impaction if swallowed with food.

Leopard gecko temperature and heating

Leopard gecko temperature needs a gradient, not one set number. Aim for a warm side floor temperature of 88 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit under the basking spot. Keep the cool side at 75 to 80 degrees.

Ambient room temperature should not fall below 70 degrees overnight. Use an under tank heater or a radiant heat panel on the warm side. Check both sides daily with a digital thermometer or infrared temperature gun.

A thermostat is not optional. Without one, an under tank heater can climb well past safe levels and cause burns. A gecko resting on an overheated floor may not move away in time.

Place the thermostat probe at floor level under the warm hide. Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital gives a daytime ambient range of 78 to 85 F with an 86 to 90 F basking spot, and a night range of 70 to 75 F.

Do leopard geckos need UVB?

They can live without it, but the research now says it helps. A 2020 study in Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology gave juvenile leopard geckos 2 hours of UVB a day for 6 months. Blood levels of the vitamin D metabolite 25(OH)D3 were about 60 percent higher in the UVB group, 61 versus 38 nmol per liter, even though both groups got dietary D3.

The authors concluded that dietary D3 alone can meet the needs of a growing gecko, but that UVB raises vitamin D status above that floor. Chicago Exotics recommends a low output fluorescent UVB tube about 12 inches from the basking site, on a timer for 2 to 4 hours a day, replaced every 6 to 9 months. See the UVB lighting guide for fixture options.

If you use UVB, dust with plain calcium and drop the D3 powder for juveniles. If you skip UVB, calcium with D3 three times a week replaces it.

Leopard gecko humidity

Keep ambient humidity in the 30 to 40 percent range. Measure it with a digital hygrometer rather than guesswork. Humidity below 30 percent for long stretches contributes to dehydration and stuck shed.

Humidity that climbs and stays above 60 to 70 percent raises the risk of respiratory infection in this desert adapted species. A humid hide fixes both problems without raising the humidity of the whole tank.

Dampen sphagnum moss or a folded paper towel inside a small enclosed hide on the warm side. Remoisten it every one to two days. Keep a shallow water dish available at all times for drinking.

Leopard gecko diet

Leopard geckos are insectivores. A varied staple diet of crickets, mealworms, and dubia roaches covers most of their needs. Offer waxworms or superworms only as occasional treats.

Feed insects no larger than half the width of the gecko’s head, the rule Chicago Exotics uses. Larger prey raises the risk of choking or impaction. See our gut loading guide for details on preparing feeders.

Feeding frequency changes with age. Hatchlings and juveniles under about six months old eat daily. Offer as many appropriately sized insects as they finish in ten to fifteen minutes.

Adults eat every other day, as much as they finish in 10 minutes, per Chicago Exotics. A plump adult with a thick tail can go to every third day, since metabolism slows once growth levels off. Gut load feeder insects for 24 to 48 hours before offering them, using fresh vegetables and a commercial gut loading diet.

Waxworms and superworms are fatty. A diet too heavy in them can lead to obesity in adult geckos.

Leopard gecko supplements

Dust feeder insects with a calcium powder without vitamin D3, such as Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3, at most feedings. Vitamin D3 is fat soluble and builds up in the body, so it is dosed on a schedule rather than at every meal.

Without UVB, Chicago Exotics uses calcium with D3 three times a week for juveniles, then weekly calcium for adults. Add a reptile multivitamin about once every one to two weeks. Breeding females and growing juveniles need more calcium than other geckos.

A shallow dish of pure calcium powder left in the enclosure lets a gecko self regulate its intake. Watch for a receding lower jaw or soft limbs. Both are early signs of calcium deficiency and metabolic bone disease.

Baby leopard gecko care

Hatchlings need the same temperature and humidity ranges as adults, just in a smaller enclosure. A 10 gallon tank with the same three hide setup works well. Keep decor minimal at first.

Simple decor makes food easy to find and the gecko easy to monitor. Feed hatchlings daily on small crickets or mealworms, dusted with calcium at nearly every feeding.

Rapid early growth demands more calcium relative to body size than an adult needs. Avoid handling a hatchling for its first one to two weeks beyond brief health checks. Let it settle into its new home first.

Leopard gecko handling

Leopard geckos generally tolerate gentle, regular handling once they are settled and feeding reliably. Approach from the side rather than from above. A hand descending from overhead can trigger a startle response like a predator strike.

Support the whole body across your palm. Do not pin or grip the gecko, and never pick one up by the tail. Leopard geckos can drop their tails as a defense response.

The tail regrows, but it usually comes back shorter and a different shape. Keep handling sessions short, especially in the first few weeks after bringing a gecko home. Wash your hands before and after each session.

Leopard gecko health signs

A healthy leopard gecko has a plump tail, clear eyes, and steady weight gain as a juvenile. For general warning signs across lizard species, see our lizard health guide.

Watch for a thin or shrunken tail, which points to poor body condition. Retained shed around the toes or tail tip is another warning sign, along with cloudy or swollen eyes.

Labored or open mouth breathing can signal a respiratory infection tied to low temperatures or high humidity. Our shedding guide covers stuck shed in more depth.

Weigh a gecko on a small kitchen scale every few weeks to track trends. Sudden weight loss is often the first sign of illness. A reptile veterinarian experienced with geckos should see any animal with ongoing appetite loss or persistent stuck shed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size tank does a leopard gecko need?

A single adult needs at least a 20 gallon long tank with around 30 by 12 inches of floor space. Hatchlings and juveniles can start in a 10 gallon tank until they approach adult size.

What temperature should a leopard gecko tank be?

Keep the warm side around 88 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the cool side around 75 to 80 degrees. Overnight ambient temperature should not drop below 70 degrees.

How often should you feed a leopard gecko?

Hatchlings and juveniles eat daily, 2 to 3 insects or what they finish in 10 minutes. Adults eat every other day on a staple diet of gut loaded crickets, mealworms, or dubia roaches, and a plump adult can go to every third day.

Do leopard geckos need UVB lighting?

They can live without it if they get dietary D3, but a 2020 study found 2 hours of UVB a day raised vitamin D levels about 60 percent in juveniles. A low output UVB tube on a timer for 2 to 4 hours a day is the veterinary recommendation.

What humidity does a leopard gecko need?

Keep ambient humidity around 30 to 40 percent. A separate humid hide should be available for shedding and, in females, for egg laying.

Is it safe to pick up a leopard gecko by the tail?

No. Leopard geckos can drop their tails as a defense response, and the regrown tail usually looks different from the original. Always support the whole body when handling.