Leopard geckos are native to the rocky arid grasslands of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and northwest India
Their natural range spans dry, rocky foothill terrain rather than sandy desert. This is why loose sand is a poor substrate choice — wild leos live on hardpan soil, gravel, and rock, not shifting dune sand.
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Most active at dawn and dusk when temperatures in their native Pakistan and Afghanistan are ideal.
A widespread misconception is that the tail acts like a camel's hump storing water.
Autotomy — voluntary tail shedding — is a defence mechanism.
Unlike most gecko species which use van der Waals forces to climb smooth surfaces, leopard geckos have conventional claws.
The moveable eyelid is unusual among geckos.
Hold your gecko up to a light source and look through one ear opening — you can see light through the other side.