Leopard Gecko

Leopard Gecko care at a glance

Adult length

18–25 cm (7–10 in)

Adult weight

45–90 g (1.6–3.2 oz)

Lifespan

15–20 years

Basking / warm side

32–35 °C (90–95 °F)

Cool side

24–27 °C (75–81 °F)

Night minimum

18 °C (64 °F)

Humidity

30–40%

UVB

Recommended

Diet

Insects, gut-loaded and dusted with calcium

Activity

Crepuscular

Lifestyle

Terrestrial

Provide a humid hide for shedding. Temperatures are warm-side floor temperatures.

Typical values from common keeping practice. Individual animals and setups vary. See the enclosure size guide.

Leopard Gecko morphs and genes

15 genes in our list. Log your animal's genetics and Reptilytics builds its morph name for you, or try the leopard gecko genetics calculator.

Leopard Gecko research

68 published papers in the HerpAtlas library. Most cited below, or see the latest research →

• Evaluation of Self-Starting Vertical Axis Wind Turbines for Stand-Alone Applications

  Griffith Research Online · 1998 · cited 178 times

• Behavioral Thermoregulation Increases Growth Rate in a Nocturnal Lizard

  Journal of Herpetology · 1995 · cited 157 times

• Critical Zones: The Science and Politics of Landing on Earth

  Leonardo · 2021 · cited 152 times

• Scar-free wound healing and regeneration following tail loss in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius.

  Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) · 2012 · cited 71 times

• Characterization of TGFβ signaling during tail regeneration in the leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius).

  Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists · 2013 · cited 32 times

• Genetics of white color and iridophoroma in "Lemon Frost" leopard geckos.

  PLoS genetics · 2021 · cited 24 times · open access

• Scar-free cutaneous wound healing in the leopard gecko, Eublepharis macularius.

  Journal of anatomy · 2015 · cited 24 times

• The evolutionary history of an accidental model organism, the leopard gecko Eublepharis macularius (Squamata: Eublepharidae).

  Molecular phylogenetics and evolution · 2022 · cited 21 times

Leopard Gecko natural history notes

Field and captive observations published in Herpetological Review's Natural History Notes. Each is a single observation, summarized by us, with a link to the original.