As a new reptile owner, you may be concerned about how long a leopard gecko lives and how hardy they are. Knowing if leopard geckos die easily is a critical question to know before getting one.
Leopard geckos are generally seen as hardy pet lizards and won’t die easily as long as they are properly cared for and kept in a reduced stress environment. Compared to some of the other species of pet lizards, leopard geckos are some of the easiest for inexperienced owners.
In this article, we will really dive deep into the topics of death, dying, lethargy, and specific concerns related to leopard geckos. I hope you get a lot out of the information provided.
Leopard Geckos & Dying
Leopard geckos are typically easy to care for and popular pets among new reptile owners. Even though their environment does require specific temperature settings, environment, proper diet, and care, they usually experience few health problems.
That being said, there are still some factors to keep in mind as you set up a new leopard gecko environment or care for your current leopard gecko. Some of the main concerns that leopard gecko owners will have are lethargy, questions about shedding, and questions about the brumation process.
While some of the signs of shedding and formation may be similar to the leopard gecko dying process, there are some things that you should look for in determining the health status of your leopard gecko.
For the most part, leopard geckos can live a long and healthy life if you maintain their environment and give them proper care. To learn everything you need to know about leopard gecko death, the signs of death, and hard to ensure your gecko lives a happy life, read on.
Do Leopard Geckos Die Easily?
Leopard geckos are typically a healthy and hardy species. Yet, even though they are generally hardier than some of the others species of lizards, they are still exotic pets and require very specific environments and care. Also, hardiness does not mean that geckos are immune to diseases and parasites that can cause poor health.
If you want your leopard gecko to live a long and healthy life, it’s best to make sure she has a healthy diet, gets proper care, lives in a clean enclosure, and experience is a stress free environment.
Leopard gecko owners who are inexperienced may unintentionally cause a leopard gecko to die suddenly or at least shorten its lifespan. Below we have listed some of the common mistakes that Leopard gecko owners make that negatively impact the leopard gecko’s lifespan.
Cold Temperatures
Cold temperatures may be one of the main reasons that your leopard gecko becomes ill or passes away. Within the tank, there should be spots that include temperatures ranging from about 75 degrees Fahrenheit to 94 degrees Fahrenheit.
Your leopard gecko needs both a cooler area and a basking area. The basking area ensures healthy digestion, but the entire tank should not be at that 95 degrees Fahrenheit because that may unintentionally overheat your leopard gecko.
Remember, leopard geckos are cold-blooded creatures. This means that their body temperature reflects the temperatures of their surrounding environment. If the environment is too cold, your leopard gecko may become constipated or have respiratory problems.
Complete Lack of Humidity
Even though leopard geckos historically came from arid environments, they do need a humid place to hide. The humidity area should be between 40% that 60% humidity to help with shedding. If your leopard gecko experiences a stuck shed, the extra skin may constrict and damage your leopard geckos extremities, such as their toes and tail.
Improper Diet
Diet is incredibly important to leopard gecko health. Instead of using low-quality food, make sure your leopard gecko gets a balanced diet and only a few treats. So instead of wax worms are wild insects, make sure leopard gecko gets fly larvae, crickets, mealworms.
Stressful Environment
Like humans, stress can negatively impact a leopard gecko’s health. So instead of placing your leopard gecko’s enclosure in a noisy or highly trafficked location, make sure the tank is in a quiet place that is away from loud noises, other pets, and is subjected to no fumes from candles or room sprays.
How Hardy are Leopard Geckos?
Leopard geckos are one of the most popular pet lizards among hobbyists because they are one of the hardiest pet lizards. But like any other pet or animal, leopard geckos may get sick and pass away.
Luckily, leopard gecko owners who continuously observe the behavior of their leopard gecko will be able to easily notice any abnormal behavior and may have a chance to figure out what is causing that change.
With the proper care, environment, and healthy diet, leopard geckos are quite resilient. That is why they are a great first pet reptile for individuals looking for a unique pet.
Leopard Geckos vs. Other Reptiles: Hardiness
Other species up gecko and lizard may be more sensitive to changes in their environment and other factors. In addition, they are rather easy and low maintenance. If you keep a watchful eye on your leopard gecko’s behavior, it is relatively easy to ensure that they live a healthy and long life.
Other species of gecko, such as the crested gecko, are more sensitive to small changes in their environments and are not as well suited for beginners.
Further, leopard geckos do enjoy being handled more than some of the other species. This makes them even more suitable than some of the other species of gecko or lizard.
Common Causes of Death & Serious Illness in Leopard Geckos
Unfortunately, leopard geckos and other reptiles have very few signs of disease. If the reptile shows any indication of disease at all, you can consider yourself lucky. So any signs of disease are generally subtle and may be easily confused with other normal signs.
Generally, a leopard gecko who is sick will likely not eat, may have a thinner tail, and may show difficulties breathing or moving around. If you notice any of these signs, it’s best to take your leopard gecko for a medical checkup from your local veterinarian. Below we will cover some of the most common causes of death and serious illnesses that are seen in leopard geckos.
Impaction
Impaction is a serious condition that can cause the death of a leopard gecko. In fact, it is the leading cause of sudden leopard gecko death. Impaction can occur if your leopard gecko accidentally swallows hard substrate, an insect that was too big, or an insect that had a hard shell. Impaction can also occur if you do not have the proper basking area for your leopard gecko.
As you know, warm temperatures help your leopard gecko digest. If your leopard gecko does not have the proper heat to digest food, the materials within your leopard gecko’s stomach can block its intestines and result in death.
If you notice that your leopard gecko has not defecated, rejects its food, appears sluggish, has a bloating stomach, or experiences color changes around its stomach, you may be dealing with impaction.
If you notice any of these signs, you can try filling up a warm bath and try to soothe your leopard gecko’s stomach. Additionally, you should always contact your vet if you notice any of these signs or symptoms.
On occasion, egg binding in females can be misidentified as impaction. Egg binding occurs when a female leopard gecko cannot pass mature eggs that were formed in her reproductive system. This can also cause death in a female leopard gecko, so if you suspect that there is something wrong with your female leopard gecko, you may want to watch for signs of egg binding.
Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)
Metabolic bone disease is caused by a lack of vitamin D or other important minerals. Once a leopard gecko lacks these minerals and nutrients, its bones become soft and even sometimes deformed.
This causes the leopard gecko to have trouble moving or eating. Unfortunately, you cannot reverse the damage that is done by metabolic bone disease, but you can stop it in its tracks by giving your leopard gecko plenty of calcium and vitamin D3.
Metabolic bone disease is especially prominent in younger leopard geckos. During their first year of life, make sure your young leopard gecko gets proper supplements that promote healthy growth and development.
External Parasites
Mites are likely the most common external parasite that you will come across when raising leopard geckos. This parasite looks like a tiny tick and will bite your leopard gecko’s skin and feed on its blood. These annoying parasites will live and breed in your leopard gecko’s enclosure.
If your leopard gecko has mites, you will likely see damaged skin, more soaking behaviors in your leopard gecko, loss of appetite, weight loss, problems shedding, and even white dust built up at the bottom of the enclosure.
If you notice any of these signs, contact your veterinarian to get an official diagnosis. Typically, you will bring in a stool sample from your leopard gecko and your veterinarian can identify the parasite and whether or not there is an infection. From there, you can treat your leopard gecko and its enclosure.
Signs Your Leopard Gecko is Dying
There are some common signs and symptoms of a dying leopard gecko. However, you should note that many of these signs and symptoms are synonymous with some of the most common illnesses in leopard geckos.
So depending on if your leopard gecko is reaching the end of its life span or if it’s a young leopard gecko, you may want to consider illness as a potential cause for some of these symptoms. However, if your older leopard gecko is exhibiting some of these symptoms, it may simply mean that it’s the end of its natural life.
Lack of Appetite
Lack of appetite is probably the most fatal and serious of all signs of illness or death. This lack of appetite may be caused by internal factors such as illness or parasites, but it may also be due to external stress that your leopard gecko is subjected to. If your leopard gecko refuses to eat food, make sure you take it to the vet to be evaluated immediately.
Weight Loss
Leopard geckos can hold access energy in their tail, which is why it usually appears big and thick. Leopard geckos generally have a quick metabolism and usually eat rather frequently. When resources are abundant, they will store this energy in their tails which is what gives them that thick appearance.
If you notice that your leopard gecko has a thin tail, this is one of the most common signs of extreme weight loss. Also known as stick tail or sick tail, it can be very dangerous for your leopard gecko to have such a thin tail.
It simply means that they are not holding the fat deposits in their tail that they should be. This can be caused by numerous things, such as poor nutrition, illness, parasites, impaction, or a stressful living environment.
Lack of Defecation
If your leopard gecko is not pooing normally, there is a good chance that something is wrong. This is usually one of the last symptoms you will notice if your leopard gecko is ill. So if you notice that your leopard gecko has not defecated in a few days, there is something seriously wrong.
Lethargy
Because leopard geckos are generally curious creatures, lethargy can be quite alarming. If you notice that your leopard gecko has not moved, remains inside its hide indefinitely, lies near its water bowls, or is moving around sluggishly, you should check for other symptoms of illness.
Sunken Eyes
Many people love leopard geckos because of their bright, large eyes. This is a very easy symptom to spot because the difference in their eyes becomes easily recognizable. For the most part, sunken eyes will be due to dehydration.
This may be caused by not enough access to water or the fact that your environment is too dry. Sunken eyes are also one of the first signs of potential illness in your leopard gecko.
Can You Help a Dying Leopard Gecko?
If you notice any symptoms of illness in your leopard gecko, the first thing you should do is call your veterinarian and arrange to get your leopard gecko evaluated. While an older leopard gecko may simply be nearing the end of its life and you should work to keep its environment stable and comfortable, a younger leopard gecko may still be treated with medication or have proper changes made to its environment.
To take care of a dying leopard gecko, make sure you keep your environment stress-free, have a warm place for your leopard gecko to bask if it wants to, and make sure it has enough hides to rest comfortably. You should still offer your leopard gecko food, but do not be surprised if he does not take it.
How Long do Leopard Geckos Live?
If your leopard gecko lives in the ideal environment and you continuously provide the proper care and healthy diet, most leopard geckos will live to between 10 and 15 years of age. In fact, the oldest living leopard gecko was a male leopard gecko who lived to be 28 years old.
Further, it is not uncommon to have a leopard gecko live to be at least 20 years. If you work hard to care for your leopard gecko, this is rather common. This goes to show that proper care can absolutely impact the lifespan of your gecko.
Additionally, there is a difference between the average lifespans of male geckos and female geckos. Generally, male leopard geckos live longer than female geckos. The reason why female leopard geckos tend to have shorter lifespans is because of reproduction.
Developing eggs requires a large amount of energy. So, females who our bred will have shorter life spans. However, if you do not breed your female, there is a chance that she will live longer than the average because she did not put any energy into laying eggs.
| Gender | Lifespan (Years) |
| Male | 15 to 20 years |
| Female | 10 to 15 years |
Yet, these lifespans are significantly different than the ones seen in the wild. Because of environmental factors, stress, parasites, and disease, wild leopard geckos typically have a lifespan of between six and eight years.
Can Shedding Kill a Leopard Gecko?
While shedding will not likely cause your leopard gecko to die unexpectedly, an incomplete shed, also known as a stuck shed, can indicate underlying health problems or a mineral deficiency. Incomplete shedding is when pieces of shedded skin become stuck on certain parts of your leopard gecko’s body. These spots are typically around the toes, tail, and occasionally the eyes.
The stuck pieces of shed can prevent proper blood flow and in extreme cases, can cause your leopard gecko to lose limbs or parts of the tail. In some cases where the stuck shed is around the eyes, your leopard geckos vision may become impaired or even blinded.
While this is rare, it is still something to keep in mind as your gecko sheds. Typically, the stuck shed is due to an environment that is too dry or other health problems.
During the shedding process, you never want to rip skin off of your leopard gecko as this can hurt your gecko, but you can ensure that your leopard gecko has a humid place to rest during the shedding process. If you noticed any stuck skin around your leopard gecko’s extremities, it’s best to call your vet for advice on the next steps.
Do Leopard Geckos Dies Gradually or Suddenly?
If cared for properly, leopard geckos can usually live up to 20 years. That being said, well cared for leopard geckos generally die from old age or will gradually decline in health towards the end of their life. You can usually tell that this is occurring because the older leopard gecko will begin to have less of an appetite and eventually stop eating.
However, in some cases, leopard geckos may pass away suddenly and unexpectedly. Typically, this is because a leopard gecko owner did not properly monitor these tank environments after leopard gecko or accidentally fed their leopard gecko infected food.
There are some reasons that are commonly associated with sudden leopard gecko death. To ensure that your leopard gecko does not suffer a similar fate, watch out for these potential scenarios:
- The temperature in the tank was too high.
- Leopard geckos were paired together in the same enclosure and they did not get along.
- A parasitic infection went undetected.
- Impaction.
- Dehydration.
- Your leopard gecko ingested moss.
- The food you gave your leopard gecko was infected or it was rotten.
As you can see from this list above, most of these scenarios can be prevented if you understand the proper leopard gecko care. To ensure that you set up the right enclosure and understand the social dynamics of leopard geckos, make sure you check out some of our other articles.
Just remember, that your enclosure needs to be at the right temperature for the age of your leopard gecko (both cooler area and basking area) and you should handle your leopard gecko daily so that you can easily spot any potential infections or parasites.
Leopard Geckos & Lethargy
Lethargy is often a noticeable problem that can become very concerning to leopard gecko owners. While lethargy can sometimes indicate more serious illnesses or diseases, it’s best that you approach the situation calmly to figure out what’s going on with your gecko.
What Does a Lethargic Leopard Gecko Look Like?
Lethargy generally refers to slow or sluggish movements. Or, your leopard gecko may simply not move at all. Because leopard geckos are generally active, lethargy is rather easy to notice. A lethargic leopard gecko may do any of the following:
- Remain stationary and not move.
- Appear two weeks left itself up.
- Hiding spots for extended periods of time.
- Moves exceedingly slow.
- Rests near its water dish.
When Does Lethargy Become Concerning?
Lethargy is one of the most common symptoms related to illness and disease in your leopard gecko. If you do notice your leopard gecko is lethargic, make sure you check your enclosure settings to ensure that they are properly set for temperature and humidity.
It is not uncommon for leopard geckos to have a day of inactivity. Lethargy really becomes a problem when you notice that it is paired with other symptoms such as lack of appetite and lack of defecating. If you do notice that your leopard gecko is sleeping more than normal, it may be a sign of brumation or early signs of illness.
When you first notice your leopard gecko being less active than normal, make sure you monitor it closely and watch for any signs or symptoms.
How to Tell if Leopard Gecko is About to Brumate or Die
Brumation is a natural process that many leopard geckos will go through. However, the symptoms of brumation can be alarming to new leopard gecko owners or individuals who have not yet witnessed a brumation cycle. Not only does brumation affect your gecko’s behavior, but it can impact appetite and activity levels.
Because brumation itself is a period of less activity that is experienced during times of lower temperatures, the symptoms may be similar to those of a dying leopard gecko. A leopard gecko that is about to brumate may experience the following symptoms:
- Less activity.
- Loss of appetite.
- Hiding.
- Preferring the cool side of the enclosure.
To decide if your leopard gecko is brumating or dying, the time of the year may give you some clues. Because information occurs during colder months, a leopard gecko experiencing these symptoms during the fall, winter, or spring may be in brumation and not dying. But if you are still uncertain, it’s best to contact your veterinarian for advice.
Do Leopard Geckos Play Dead?
Some animals will play dead when they encounter predators or potentially harmful situations. Typically, leopard geckos do not play dead. While some leopard gecko owners have reported behavior that is similar to playing dead, it is typically not one that leopard geckos will partake in. Instead, leopard geckos usually take on a more defensive stance with their tail and bodies and use body language and vocalizations to ward off predators.