What to Do If the Power Goes Out With a Leopard Gecko
First response
Wrap the enclosure in towels or blankets to slow heat loss, and move it away from drafty windows or doors if possible. Leopard geckos can tolerate a temporary temperature dip far better than sudden overheating, so the priority is slowing the decline, not panicking about a short-term cool-down.
Backup heat options
Battery-powered heat packs or reptile-safe chemical hand warmers, placed near but outside the enclosure (never inside where a gecko could contact them directly), can help maintain some warmth during a longer outage. A car with the heater running, with the gecko in a secure, ventilated container, is another option for extended outages.
What to avoid
Never use an open flame, an unregulated heat source, or place a chemical hand warmer directly inside the enclosure or in direct gecko contact — all of these carry a burn risk that outweighs the benefit.
After power returns
Verify the thermostat and heat source are functioning correctly with a probe thermometer before assuming everything is back to normal — a power surge can sometimes affect equipment.
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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.