Gecko fact
A well-established bioactive substrate can help buffer minor humidity swings compared with bare solid flooring
Good to know
Quick answer: Live plants, leaf litter, and a cleanup crew of isopods and springtails contribute to a more stable microclimate within the enclosure..
Live plants, leaf litter, and a cleanup crew of isopods and springtails contribute to a more stable microclimate within the enclosure.
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Leopard geckos are crepuscular, not nocturnal
Most active at dawn and dusk when temperatures in their native Pakistan and Afghanistan are ideal.
The tail stores fat reserves, not water
A widespread misconception is that the tail acts like a camel's hump storing water.
Dropped tails grow back, but never look the same
Autotomy — voluntary tail shedding — is a defence mechanism.
Leopard geckos cannot climb glass — they have claws, not sticky lamellae
Unlike most gecko species which use van der Waals forces to climb smooth surfaces, leopard geckos have conventional claws.
Leopard geckos can blink — most gecko species cannot
The moveable eyelid is unusual among geckos.
You can see through a leopard gecko's head via the ear canals
Hold your gecko up to a light source and look through one ear opening — you can see light through the other side.