Gecko fact
Surface substrate temperature above a heat mat can run several degrees hotter than the air temperature nearby
Important
Quick answer: Checking the actual basking surface with a probe or infrared thermometer, not just ambient air temperature, gives a more accurate picture of what the gecko experiences..
Checking the actual basking surface with a probe or infrared thermometer, not just ambient air temperature, gives a more accurate picture of what the gecko experiences.
husbandryimportant
See the full facts guide, or browse all 593 info pages.
Related facts
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.