Why Is My Leopard Gecko Regurgitating Food?
Temperature first
Digestion in reptiles is temperature-dependent. If the warm side isn't reaching an adequate temperature, food can sit undigested and come back up — checking the thermal gradient with a digital probe thermometer is the first troubleshooting step.
Prey size and handling
Prey that's too large for the gecko's head width, or handling within a few hours of a meal, are both common triggers for a single regurgitation event and are usually easy fixes going forward.
Overfeeding
Offering more food than the gecko can comfortably process in one sitting, especially in juveniles fed too enthusiastically, can also lead to regurgitation — feeding an appropriate portion size matters as much as feeding frequency.
When to see a vet
A single regurgitation with an obvious cause (handled too soon, prey too big) usually isn't an emergency once the cause is fixed. Repeated or unexplained regurgitation, especially with weight loss, should be checked by a reptile vet for parasites or an underlying illness.
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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.