The "three hide rule" gives a leopard gecko a warm hide, a cool hide, and a humid hide
Each hide serves a different purpose: the warm hide sits over the heat source for digestion, the cool hide lets the gecko retreat from heat, and the humid hide supports clean, complete sheds.
See the full facts guide, or browse all 593 info pages.
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.