Leopard Gecko vs Crested Gecko: Which Should You Get?
| Leopard gecko heat needs | 88–92°F warm side, heat mat required |
| Crested gecko heat needs | Room temp (68–78°F), usually no heater |
| Diet | Leo: live insects · Crestie: powdered fruit diet |
Habitat
Leopard geckos are terrestrial and need a wide floor-space enclosure with a dry, warm gradient. Crested geckos are arboreal and need a tall, humid, planted vertical enclosure for climbing.
Heating
Leos need belly heat from an under-tank heater on a thermostat, with a warm side around 88–92°F. Cresties tolerate normal room temperature (roughly 68–78°F) and often need no supplemental heat at all.
Diet
Leopard geckos are strict insectivores requiring live feeders dusted with calcium. Crested geckos thrive on a commercial powdered fruit-based diet mixed with water, with insects as an optional extra rather than a requirement.
Handling and temperament
Leopard geckos are generally calmer and more tolerant of handling. Crested geckos tend to be more skittish and may jump, and — unlike leos, whose tails regrow — a dropped crested gecko tail does not grow back.
Which to choose
Pick a leopard gecko for the calmest handling experience and a simpler heating setup. Pick a crested gecko to skip live insects and heating equipment, if a taller, humid enclosure suits your space better.
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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.