Leopard gecko: gear and buying guides
The leopard gecko is a nocturnal, calm lizard that tolerates gentle handling well, making it one of the most beginner-friendly reptiles. Equipment needs stay reasonable: an 80 to 90 cm terrarium, a warm spot around 30 to 32 °C, low-intensity UVB and, above all, a humid hide that is essential for shedding.
Profile : Around 20 to 28 cm as an adult, 15 to 20 years of lifespan, beginner level.
In our shop, for this use: Ventilated clear box for feeder insects, transport and quarantine, 19 cm (€17.90) · the whole shop
Our products don’t ship to you yet, but the PDF practical guide is instant: Your First Terrarium: Leopard Gecko, Bearded Dragon, Corn Snake, Ball Python (€15)
Species profile
- Lifespan
- 15 to 20 years
- Adult size
- 20 to 28 cm
- Basking spot
- 30 to 32 °C
- Humidity
- 30 to 40 %
- Minimum enclosure
- 90 × 45 × 45 cm
- Temperament
- Placid and tolerant of gentle handling — the definitive beginner lizard.
- Health watch
- metabolic bone disease (calcium deficiency or insufficient UVB) · retained shed on the toes, made worse by the lack of a humid hide
🩺 The health watchpoints on this page are for information only: only a veterinarian can examine your animal and make a diagnosis.
Leopard gecko gear, family by family
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Food
Strictly insectivorous: crickets, dubia roaches and worms, rotated for variety and always dusted with calcium plus occasional D3 vitamins. Mealworms should stay a treat, not a staple.
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Care & grooming
Shedding is the main concern: a humid hide lined with sphagnum moss prevents stuck skin on the toes. Spot-clean droppings regularly and monitor the tail, a fat reserve that reflects overall health.
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Toys & enrichment
No toys as such, but a rich layout works: several hides, flat rocks, low branches and live prey released in the enclosure to trigger nighttime hunting behaviour.
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Bedding & habitat
A horizontal terrarium of at least 80 to 90 cm for an adult, a 30-32 °C warm spot and a cool zone around 24 °C, with at least three hides (warm, cool, humid). Low-output UVB (2 to 5%) is increasingly recommended.
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Travel & safety
Transport in a ventilated rigid faunarium padded with paper towel and kept away from cold: the species is sensitive to temperature shocks. Never grab a leopard gecko by the tail, as it can drop off.
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Accessories
Plan a heat mat or lamp on a thermostat, thermometer and hygrometer, water and calcium dishes, feeding tongs and a shedding box. A complete starter setup often costs between 200 and 400 €.
🏠 Housing a Leopard gecko: 90 × 45 × 45 cm, 30-32°C basking
90 × 45 × 45 cm and a strict thermal gradient
For an adult Leopard gecko: 90 × 45 × 45 cm minimum, with a basking spot at 30-32°C and a cool zone at 24-26°C. That gradient is not comfort: it is how a reptile regulates temperature, by moving. No cool zone means overheating; no hot spot means no digestion.
Heating, UVB, humidity: the technical trio
Heating ALWAYS runs through a thermostat — the least negotiable equipment in herpetoculture — with thermometers at both ends. On light: low-level UVB (2-5 rating), now recommended by modern care guides: not vital, but beneficial to calcium metabolism. Humidity held at 30 to 40% — excess humidity harms as much as a deficit in a dry biotope, checked with a hygrometer, not by feel.
Substrate and layout
A dry, diggable substrate (packed soil mix, never calcium sand), two hides minimum — one warm, one cool — and a structured background for security. Place the enclosure somewhere calm: the species sleeps by day and hates vibrations.
Quick answers
- What enclosure size for a Leopard gecko?
- 90 × 45 × 45 cm minimum for an adult — sized for the adult from day one; a juvenile does fine in it with extra hides.
- What temperatures for a Leopard gecko?
- Basking spot at 30-32°C, cool zone at 24-26°C, all on a thermostat with a natural night-time drop. Humidity sits at 30 to 40%.
An accessory from our shop for this use: Stump-effect resin islet and hide for young aquatic turtles (€21.90) · the whole shop
Outside our shipping area? The downloadable practical guide: Your First Terrarium: Leopard Gecko, Bearded Dragon, Corn Snake, Ball Python (€15)
🧰 Accessories for a Leopard gecko: thermostat, measurement and kit
The thermostat: accessory number one (non-negotiable)
Every enclosure heater runs through a thermostat (€30-60): without one, a lamp or heat mat can pass 50°C and burn the animal. Add two thermometers (one per pole: 30-32°C / 24-26°C) and a reliable hygrometer — in herpetoculture you only control what you measure.
The Leopard gecko kit
long feeding tongs and an insect keeper with its gut-loading food; gram-accurate kitchen scales for the monthly weigh-in; a timer for the day-night cycle (about 12 h); a spare UVB tube marked on the calendar — it fades before it dies.
Full budget and starter-kit traps
A complete Leopard gecko setup: €250 to 500 (enclosure, thermostat-controlled heating, measurement, decor), then €15 to 40 a month. Beware pet-shop “complete kits”: undersized tank, thermostat-free lamp and a fanciful stick-on thermometer — the line-by-line detail is on the full Leopard gecko profile.
Quick answers
- What is the most important accessory for a Leopard gecko?
- The thermostat: it stops the heating from injuring the animal and holds the basking spot at 30-32°C. Everything else comes second.
- What budget to set up a Leopard gecko?
- €250 to 500 for a serious, complete setup, then €15 to 40 a month — cheap starter kits get paid for twice.
Our products don’t ship to you yet, but the PDF practical guide is instant: Your First Terrarium: Leopard Gecko, Bearded Dragon, Corn Snake, Ball Python (€15)
Guides to read
- Vertical terrarium for a crested gecko: height, ventilation and humidityBedding & habitat
Vertical terrarium for a crested gecko: why height matters more than floor space, what size fits each age, and how to manage the humidity cycle.
- Feeding a crested gecko: CGD powder, fruit and occasional insectsFood
Feeding a crested gecko: why complete CGD powder remains the base diet, when to add insects, and how often to feed by age.
- Tail loss in crested geckos: why you should never grab one by the tailCare & grooming
Tail loss (autotomy) in crested geckos: why the tail never grows back in this species, what handling mistakes to avoid, and what to do if it drops.
- Terrarium enrichment for a crested gecko: branches, hides and climbing supportsToys & enrichment
Terrarium enrichment for a crested gecko: why climbing supports matter as much as décor, what hides to provide, and whether to rotate the layout.
- Transporting a Green Iguana to the Vet: Carrier, Heat and StressTravel & safety
Rigid carrier, keeping the animal warm on the road, and grips to avoid with the tail: how to transport a green iguana to the vet without adding to its stress.
- Humidity and Shedding in the Chinese Water Dragon: Avoiding Skin ProblemsCare & grooming
Why the Chinese water dragon needs high humidity, how to maintain it without stagnation, and the early signs of an incomplete shed.
- Feeding a Green Anole: Which Insects, and How Often?Food
Small live insects, prey size and feeding frequency: the complete guide to feeding a green anole, a strict insectivore and a tiny lizard.
- Handling and Transporting a Pacman Frog: Limiting Stress and ContactTravel & safety
Why the Pacman frog's permeable skin means handling should stay minimal, and how to transport it safely for a vet visit.