Leopard Gecko Care Sheet: Enclosure, Heating and Diet

Good leopard gecko care comes down to three things: a roomy enclosure with a clear warm end and cool end, heating that is controlled by a thermostat, and a varied diet of live insects with the right supplements. Get those foundations right and these calm, curious lizards can live for well over a decade. This care sheet walks through each part in practical detail.

Key Points

• Leopard geckos are ground-dwelling insectivores from dry, rocky regions of South Asia and the Middle East.
• Adults need a spacious vivarium with a temperature gradient, three hides (warm, cool and humid) and fresh water.
• Every heat source must run through a suitable thermostat. Check temperatures with a reliable digital thermometer, ideally with an infrared temperature gun for surfaces.
• Feed live, gut-loaded insects and dust them with calcium and a reptile multivitamin on a regular schedule.
• Never grab a leopard gecko by the tail. They can drop it as a defence, and although it regrows, it is stressful and uses up fat reserves.

Choosing The Right Enclosure

Older care sheets often suggested small tanks, but current welfare-focused guidance favours more space. For a single adult, a vivarium of around 120 x 60 x 60 cm (roughly 4 x 2 x 2 feet) is widely recommended as a good minimum. A bigger floor area lets you create a proper temperature gradient and gives your gecko room to explore, which they do more than many people expect, especially at dusk.

Front-opening wooden or PVC vivariums hold heat well and feel more secure to a gecko than a tank they are approached from above. Make sure there is adequate ventilation and that any glass doors lock securely.

Living Alone Or Together?

Leopard geckos are generally solitary. Males should never be housed together, as they fight. Housing females together can lead to bullying and competition for food and heat that is not always obvious until a gecko starts losing weight. Keeping one gecko per enclosure is the safest default.

Heating And Temperature Gradient

Like all reptiles, leopard geckos rely on their surroundings to regulate body temperature. They digest food, fight infection and stay active only when they can warm up properly. The aim is a gradient from one end of the vivarium to the other, so your gecko can move between warmer and cooler zones as it needs.

Zone	Commonly recommended range
Warm basking surface	Around 32–35 °C
Warm side air	Around 28–30 °C
Cool side	Around 22–26 °C
Night-time	A drop to around 18–21 °C is generally fine

Treat these as widely used guidelines rather than exact targets, and always measure in your own set-up.

Which Heat Source?

Many keepers now favour overhead heating, such as a halogen basking bulb or a deep heat projector, because it warms the gecko’s back the way the sun warms rocks in the wild. Heat mats are still widely used under one end of the enclosure, and can work well, but they heat only a narrow layer of the surface. Whatever you choose:

• Connect it to a thermostat suited to that type of heater (dimming or pulse thermostats for bulbs, mat stats for heat mats).
• Fit a mesh guard around bulbs inside the enclosure to prevent burns.
• Check temperatures at gecko level, not just near the probe.

Lighting And UVB

Leopard geckos are crepuscular, meaning most active at dawn and dusk. They were long kept without UVB lighting, but many reptile keepers and vets now suggest offering low-level UVB designed for shade-dwelling species. It supports natural behaviour and helps with vitamin D3 production, which in turn supports calcium use. If you provide UVB, make sure there are plenty of shaded areas and hides so your gecko can choose how much exposure it gets. Run lights on a timer for a consistent day and night cycle of roughly 12 hours each, adjusted slightly with the seasons if you wish.

Substrate, Hides And Enclosure Layout

Substrate is one of the more debated topics in leopard gecko care. Most keepers agree on what to avoid: loose calcium sand, wood shavings and anything dusty or sharp. Common choices include:

• Solid options such as slate tiles or paper towel, which are easy to clean and useful for quarantine.
• Naturalistic soil and sand mixes, which allow digging and hold heat well. These are popular, but keep feeding tidy (for example from a dish) and make sure your gecko is healthy and well supplemented.

Whatever you use, include at least three hides:

1. A warm hide at the heated end.
2. A cool hide at the opposite end.
3. A humid hide, filled with damp moss or coconut fibre, which helps your gecko shed its skin cleanly.

Add rocks, cork bark and low, stable climbing spots to make the space interesting. Secure any heavy decor so it cannot topple onto your gecko if it digs underneath.

Humidity And Shedding

Leopard geckos come from fairly dry habitats, so general enclosure humidity is commonly kept on the lower side, roughly 30–40%. A digital hygrometer will tell you where you are. The humid hide provides the extra moisture needed around shedding time.

Your gecko will turn pale and dull before a shed, then peel and usually eat the old skin. Check toes and the tail tip afterwards. Retained shed on toes can tighten and restrict blood flow, so if you see any, a warm, shallow soak and gentle help with a damp cotton bud is usually enough. If it keeps happening, review humidity and the humid hide.

Diet And Feeding

Leopard geckos are insectivores. They do not eat fruit or vegetables, and they need live prey to trigger their hunting response. Good staple feeders include:

• Crickets
• Locusts
• Dubia or other suitable roaches
• Calci-worms (black soldier fly larvae)
• Mealworms, in moderation

Waxworms and similar fatty insects are best kept as occasional treats. Never feed wild-caught insects, which may carry parasites or pesticides. As a rule of thumb, feeder insects should be no larger than the space between your gecko’s eyes.

How Often To Feed

Juveniles generally eat daily or nearly daily. Adults usually do well fed every two to three days. Offer what your gecko will eat in roughly 10–15 minutes and remove uneaten insects, especially crickets, which can nibble a resting gecko.

Gut-Loading And Supplements

Feed your insects a nutritious diet of greens and a commercial gut-load for a day or two before offering them. Then dust them with supplements. A common approach is calcium (with or without D3, depending on whether you use UVB) at most feeds, plus a reptile multivitamin roughly once a week. Follow the product instructions and ask a reptile vet if you are unsure which combination suits your set-up.

Keep a shallow dish of fresh water available at all times, and change it daily.

Handling And Everyday Care

Leopard geckos often become comfortable with gentle handling, but it takes time. Let a new gecko settle for a week or two before trying. Scoop from underneath rather than grabbing from above, keep sessions short, and stay close to the floor in case of a fall. Wash your hands before and after.

Spot clean waste daily, refresh water, and do a deeper clean of the enclosure periodically. Weighing your gecko monthly on kitchen scales is one of the best early-warning habits you can build. A healthy gecko stores fat in its tail, so a tail that becomes noticeably thinner is worth paying attention to.

For more on lizards, snakes and other cold-blooded companions, see our reptile care hub.

When To Speak To A Vet

Reptiles tend to hide illness until it is fairly advanced, so it is worth acting early. Contact a vet with reptile experience if you notice:

• Weight loss or a thinning tail.
• Refusing food for more than a couple of weeks outside normal seasonal slowing, or any refusal alongside weight loss.
• Wobbling, weakness, bent limbs or a soft, rubbery jaw.
• Repeated stuck shed, swollen toes or damaged eyes.
• Regurgitation, runny or very smelly droppings, or anything protruding from the vent.
• Laboured breathing, bubbles around the nose or mouth, or unusual lethargy.

Not every practice sees reptiles, so it is wise to find one before you need it. This guide is general information; a qualified veterinarian can assess your gecko individually.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Do Leopard Geckos Live?

With good care, leopard geckos commonly live well over a decade, and many reach their late teens or beyond. They are a long-term commitment.

Do Leopard Geckos Need A Heat Lamp At Night?

Usually not. A natural drop in temperature overnight is generally fine, provided it does not fall too low. Avoid coloured “night” bulbs, which can disturb their day and night rhythm.

Why Has My Leopard Gecko Stopped Eating?

Common reasons include temperatures that are too low, an upcoming shed, stress after a move, or seasonal slowing in cooler months. Check your heating first. If refusal continues or weight drops, speak to a reptile vet.

Can Leopard Geckos Eat Fruit?

No. They are insectivores and cannot properly digest fruit or vegetables. Feed those to the insects instead as part of gut-loading.

Leopard geckos reward thoughtful set-up with years of quiet, inquisitive company. Measure your temperatures, feed a varied diet, and keep an eye on weight, and you will be well placed to spot anything unusual early. Explore more guides in the care library.