Gecko fact

Leopard gecko colour change is limited to darkening and lightening along their existing pattern, not shifting to different hues

Good to know

Quick answer: Unlike species capable of more dramatic colour shifts, a leopard gecko's temperature- and stress-linked colour change adjusts the intensity of its existing pigmentation rather than producing new colours outside its normal morph-based palette..

Unlike species capable of more dramatic colour shifts, a leopard gecko's temperature- and stress-linked colour change adjusts the intensity of its existing pigmentation rather than producing new colours outside its normal morph-based palette.

biologyinteresting

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.

The tail stores fat reserves, not water

A widespread misconception is that the tail acts like a camel's hump storing water.

Dropped tails grow back, but never look the same

Autotomy — voluntary tail shedding — is a defence mechanism.

Leopard geckos cannot climb glass — they have claws, not sticky lamellae

Unlike most gecko species which use van der Waals forces to climb smooth surfaces, leopard geckos have conventional claws.

Leopard geckos can blink — most gecko species cannot

The moveable eyelid is unusual among geckos.

You can see through a leopard gecko's head via the ear canals

Hold your gecko up to a light source and look through one ear opening — you can see light through the other side.