Leopard Gecko vs Common House Gecko: Key Differences
Size and appearance
Leopard geckos reach 7–11 in as adults with a robust, spotted body and a thick tail; common house geckos are much smaller, slender, and often translucent or pale, adapted for a very different lifestyle.
Climbing ability
House geckos have adhesive toe pads and climb walls and ceilings with ease, which is exactly why they're commonly seen around outdoor lights hunting insects. Leopard geckos lack this adhesive structure entirely and are strictly ground-dwelling.
As a pet
Leopard geckos are widely captive-bred specifically for the pet trade with well-established husbandry standards. House geckos are almost never intentionally kept as pets — most are wild, found incidentally, and don't have anywhere near the same body of care information behind them.
Why the comparison comes up
The similar 'gecko' name leads new keepers to assume overlapping care needs, but the two occupy very different ecological niches and shouldn't be treated as interchangeable in husbandry terms.
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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.