Leopard geckos are one of the best beginner reptiles — hardy, gentle, and full of personality. Get the fundamentals below right, and your gecko can live 15–20+ years.
Quick Facts
- Adult size: 7–10 inches (18–25 cm)
- Lifespan: 15–20+ years
- Minimum enclosure: 36"×18"×18" (90×45×45 cm) for one adult — bigger is always better
- Activity: Crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk)
Temperatures
- Basking surface: 94–97°F (34–36°C)
- Warm side ambient: 80–85°F (27–29°C)
- Cool side: 70–77°F (21–25°C)
- Night: can safely drop to 65–72°F (18–22°C)
Use an overhead heat source on a thermostat rather than heat rocks (burn risk). Always verify with a digital thermometer at gecko level — never guess.
Lighting
Long considered optional for this species, low-level UVB (a 5% linear bulb over a partial mesh top) is now recommended by modern keepers for better calcium metabolism. If you skip UVB, calcium with D3 at feedings becomes essential rather than optional.
Humidity
Keep ambient humidity at 30–40%. Critically, always provide a humid hide (70–80% inside, lined with damp sphagnum moss) on the warm side — this is where your gecko will shed. Stuck shed on toes is one of the most common and preventable leopard gecko injuries.
Hides & Layout
Minimum three hides: warm dry, humid, and cool. A secure hide in each zone lets your gecko thermoregulate without feeling exposed — a gecko that hides constantly in one spot is often telling you the temperatures are wrong.
Diet
- Staples: crickets, dubia roaches, mealworms — gut-loaded 24h before feeding
- Treats: waxworms (sparingly — they're potato chips, not dinner)
- Schedule: juveniles daily; adults every 2–3 days
- Supplements: dust insects with calcium powder (with D3 if no UVB) at most feedings, plus a multivitamin weekly
Use feeding tweezers to offer insects — it keeps loose insects from hiding in the enclosure and biting your gecko overnight.
Top Beginner Mistakes
- No humid hide → stuck shed and toe loss
- Guessing temperatures instead of measuring them
- Loose calcium sand substrate → impaction risk (use paper towel, tile, or a proper soil mix instead)
- Cohabiting two geckos — leopard geckos are solitary and will fight or stress each other
This guide reflects widely accepted modern husbandry standards. Every animal is an individual — consult a qualified reptile veterinarian for health concerns.