Gecko fact

Rapid tail thinning over a short period, rather than a gradually slender tail, is a stronger warning sign of acute illness or parasite load

Critical to know

Quick answer: A naturally slim-tailed line versus a gecko whose tail is visibly shrinking week to week are different situations.

A naturally slim-tailed line versus a gecko whose tail is visibly shrinking week to week are different situations. Sudden depletion of tail fat reserves warrants prompt investigation rather than a wait-and-see approach.

healthcritical

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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.