Leopard Gecko Breeding: An Overview
| Breeding season | ~January to September |
| Minimum breeding weight/age | ~45–50g, 18–24 months |
| Cooling period | 6–8 weeks around 74–78°F |
Before breeding
Only breed geckos that have reached at least 45–50g body weight and roughly 18–24 months old. Underweight or first-year females should never be cooled or bred — the physical toll of egg production is significant even without complications.
Cooling (brumation)
Many breeders stop feeding roughly 10 days before cooling, then hold females at around 74–78°F for 6–8 weeks with water always available, simulating the natural winter dip that signals breeding condition.
Pairing and mating
A male signals interest with a fast tail-rattle. A receptive female stands still while he grips her neck; mating itself is brief, often only a few minutes. Watch for bite injuries during the process and separate the pair afterward.
After mating
A gravid female often shows two pale oval shapes visible through the belly skin. She needs extra food, extra calcium, and a moist lay box held around 86–90°F where she can dig and lay undisturbed.
This is a serious commitment
A single season can produce multiple clutches, each needing incubation space, and every hatchling needs its own enclosure, feeding schedule, and eventual home. Don't start breeding without a plan for every offspring you might produce.
See the full care guides guide, or browse all 593 info pages.
A single adult leopard gecko needs a 20-gallon long tank as an absolute minimum, with a 36x18 in (40-gallon breeder) footprint now considered the recommended standard — plus a secure lid, an under-tank heater on a thermostat, a thermal gradient, at least three hides, and a shallow water dish.
Set up in this order: substrate, then heat source wired through a thermostat, then hides and water dish, then decor — and run the whole enclosure for at least 24–48 hours to confirm stable temperatures before your gecko moves in.
Hatchlings can start in a 10-gallon tank or tub, juveniles do well in 20 gallons, and adults need a 20-gallon long as an absolute minimum — with 36x18 in (40-gallon breeder) now the widely recommended standard, not just an upgrade.
Heat a leopard gecko enclosure with an under-tank heater and/or overhead heat source (halogen or deep heat projector) wired through a thermostat — a thermostat is mandatory, not optional, and heat rocks should never be used.
Leopard geckos can survive without UVB using dietary D3 supplementation, but current husbandry guidance now recommends low-level UVB (roughly 2–6% T5) as best practice — it improves D3 synthesis, bone density, and natural behavior, and views on it have shifted significantly from older nocturnal-species advice.
Keep ambient humidity around 30–40% across most of the enclosure, with a dedicated humid hide raised to roughly 70–80% to support smooth, complete sheds.