Dropped tails grow back, but never look the same
Autotomy — voluntary tail shedding — is a defence mechanism. The regenerated tail is rounded, fatty, and made of cartilage rather than bone. It will differ in texture and colour from the original. The gecko survives and feeds normally throughout regrowth.
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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.
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.
Leopard geckos exhibit Temperature-dependent Sex Determination.