10 Leopard Geckos Facts You Probably Did not know

Leopard geckos are a perfect beginner pet as they remain small and require minimal care to thrive well in captivity. Read further as I discuss more about the leopard geckos facts.

Leopard geckos are also inexpensive, and you can easily get them from pet stores and breeders. Leopards geckos are also popular, and you do not need a large space to keep them.

Apart from being one of the cutest pets that you can own, leopard geckos have docile temperaments. They are fascinating creatures, and there are a lot of things that beginner leopard geckos owners do not know about them.

In this article, you will discover some of the cool leopard geckos facts that you wish you knew and why they make a good pet.

Do Leopard Geckos Make Good Pets?

Leopard geckos are fantastic pets that are suitable for both beginner and expert pet lovers. Some of the things that make leopard geckos a good pet is stated below.

Easy To Care For

Although most reptiles need specialist care for their optimum growth. You will be surprised to find that leopard geckos are easy to care for, and you can easily create a perfect home for them.

They are not a fussy eater and will feed on a variety of insects dusted with vitamin and mineral powder. Leopard geckos will also drink from their water bowl, and you do not have to mist their enclosure.

They Are A Perfect Family Pet

Due to the docile nature of leopard geckos, they are a perfect lizard for the family. They can easily be handled by children of all ages and will slowly move across gentle hands. Although they are not aggressive, it is best if you treat them with respect.

They Are Cute Creatures

Leopard geckos are good looking and adorable animals. Not only are they adorable, but they also come in different color morphs, and you will surely find one morph that you will love.

They Have A Long Lifespan

Leopard geckos can live long for more than 20 years if they are kept properly. This makes them a perfect pet for the family as they will stay in the family for a long time.

Leopard Gecko Can Breed In Captivity

Leopard geckos are prolific breeders, and under the right condition, they will breed on their own. All you just need is provide them with a nesting box, and you will just wake up one day and find eggs in their box.

Although the adult males do not usually get along, you can keep a male with a harem of females together in an enclosure. Breeding your animals is so satisfying, and leopard geckos are the perfect choice even for beginner breeders.

Ten (10) Leopard Geckos Facts

Some of the fascinating things about leopard geckos are stated below

Leopard Geckos Eats Their Skin After Shedding

Like most reptiles, leopard geckos shed their skin as they grow. However, a fascinating thing about them is that they will eat their skin immediately after shedding. Leopard geckos eat their skin for two major reasons.

They eat their shed because it is filled with lots of nutrients to replenish their bodies after a shed. They also eat their shed because they do not want to leave any traces behind, so predators can easily track them.

So, if you are fortunate to find leopard geckos eating their shed, you do not have to stop them. Although it can be gross, it is good for their health. Since they do not know whether they are in the wild or captivity, allowing them to eat it up will make them feel safe.

However, there are some rare cases where geckos will let the skin sit and dry out. You will then have to pick the skin up.

Their Eyelids Are Moveable

Most of the lizards, like crested geckos, house geckos, etc. have fixed eyelids that expose their eyeballs. However, a fascinating thing about leopard gecko is that they can actually blink.

Leopard geckos can close their eyes to moisten their eyes, sleep, and protect the eyes from any harm. When it comes to this fact, you will find that leopard geckos are unique.

Although little information is known about how leopard geckos evolved to have this feature, this makes them cooler with their stunning appearance.

Leopard Geckos Can Stay For A While Without Food

You will be surprised to find that leopard geckos can stay long without food. They can stay for as long as two weeks without food. However, this does not mean that you should starve your geckos. Because going without food does not mean that it is healthy for them.

Just like humans, going without foods will cause weight loss and lack of nutrients our bodies need to function well. Just because they can stay long without food does not mean you should starve them.

Leopard Geckos Will Detach Their Tails When Attacked

Although this might not make sense, leopard geckos will detach their tail when they are attacked or feel threatened. They do this for distracting the predator while they make a run for their life. The predator will fix its focus more towards the tail while they plan their best route to escape.

Fortunately, leopard geckos can grow back their tails after dropping them. But they will not look as plump and healthy like their original tail. A new tail is less chubby, and it will be a lot shorter than the original tail.

Although you may think it’s not as cool as the original tail, it is still cute.

They Stalk Their Prey

Leopard Geckos can feed on roaches, crickets, super worms, mealworms, and other insects. They also can store excess fat in their tails when the food is scarce.

However, an interesting fact about them is that they use their sense of smell and sight to search for food in the wild. Like an actual leopard, they will stalk their prey and strike their prey until they are satisfied.

They Cannot Walk-Up Walls Or Glass

Although leopard geckos can blink, they do not have sticky pads on the bottom of their feet. The sticky pads are used by geckos to crawl up the vertical surfaces. This shows that leopard geckos are not arboreal like other geckos.

However, this is not a bad thing if you are keeping them in captivity. Because this means they will not always try to escape and even injure themselves. But this means they cannot easily escape from predators in the wild as easily as other geckos by walking up vertical surfaces.

They Can React To Their Names

Just like other conventional pets, leopard geckos can react to their name. This makes it very easy to get them out of their tanks without having to move their hides. However, you will need to develop this instinct over time, but they will recognize their names.

They Lick Their Cloaca

There are many weird and fascinating facts about leopard geckos, which makes them stressful to keep for some owners. One of them is that they lick their cloaca, and you may be worried about why they do this.

However, leopard geckos will lick their cloaca after defecating, to make their territory, after a shed, when impacted, and for general cleaning. From these reasons, you do not have to be concerned mostly about finding them licking their cloaca.

However, you can be concerned if they are impacted because it can be a real threat to their health. But you can treat impaction by following the right care for them.

They Store Calcium In Their Armpits

You may be wondering why your leopard geckos have two fatty looking lumps right under their armpits. Like storing fat in their tail, leopard geckos will store the calcium supplements you feed them in their armpit.

Leopard geckos need calcium to help their bodies to function properly. Without calcium, they can develop a certain disease known as MBD, leading to their death. This means that you need to ensure that your leopard geckos have a full lump in their armpit for them to live healthily.

You Can See Through Their Head By Looking Through Their Ears

Although this may sound odd, you can actually see through leopard geckos heads by looking through their ear holes. This is possible because they have one ear canal. Even some people said if you shine a light through their ears, you will see the light on the other side.

However, you need to make sure you do not shine too much light into your gecko’s eyes. This is because they are nocturnal animals, and they can easily get irritated from this.

Wrapping Up

From this list, I am sure you would be amazed by two or more of the leopard geckos facts. These facts make it more fun and interesting to keep, you will surely find something new about them when they are with you.