A bioactive or naturalistic leopard gecko substrate is typically built several inches deep to support natural digging behaviour
Shallow substrate limits a gecko's ability to express normal burrowing and thermoregulatory digging. A deeper, appropriately packed substrate layer supports these behaviours while still being manageable for a solitary pet setup.
See the full facts guide, or browse all 593 info pages.
Most active at dawn and dusk when temperatures in their native Pakistan and Afghanistan are ideal.
A widespread misconception is that the tail acts like a camel's hump storing water.
Autotomy — voluntary tail shedding — is a defence mechanism.
Unlike most gecko species which use van der Waals forces to climb smooth surfaces, leopard geckos have conventional claws.
The moveable eyelid is unusual among geckos.
Hold your gecko up to a light source and look through one ear opening — you can see light through the other side.