Key Takeaway:
- Babies, juveniles, and adults have the same humidity range, but you can adjust depending on their shedding frequencies.
- Leopard geckos are desert creatures that require low humidity levels.
- The ideal humidity range of leopard geckos is 30% to 40%.
- You can lower the tank’s humidity by increasing tank ventilation, using a different substrate, increasing room ventilation, and reducing misting frequency.
- Increasing the tank’s humidity requires you to increase misting frequency, use a moisture-retaining substrate, and introduce live plants.
- Leopard geckos shouldn’t be exposed to high humidity levels due to the risk of skin infections, pneumonia, and respiratory infections.
- Humidity levels that exceed 50% are generally considered too high and unsafe for leopard geckos.
Your gecko’s enclosure should mimic a leopard gecko’s natural habitat when it comes to humidity.
That said, you must know the humidity levels leopard geckos thrive in. Should the humidity be low or high? Well, this guide will give you some insights on leopard gecko humidity requirements.
Do Leopard Geckos Need Humidity?
Yes, leopard geckos need low humidity levels of around 30% to 40% during the day. Remember that leopard geckos are desert animals, meaning they are used to living in relatively dry environments.
Your leopard gecko should be fine as long as the humidity levels do not exceed 50%.
As you maintain low humidity levels, you should still provide humid hides in the enclosure to help the gecko shed effortlessly. The moist hides should have a humidity level of around 70% – 80%.
Importance Of Humidity For Leopard Geckos
Humidity plays a crucial role in a leopard gecko’s life and health. That’s why you must maintain a 30 to 40 percent humidity level in your leopard gecko’s tank. Here is why humidity is considered important for leopard geckos:
Comfort
Leopard geckos feel more comfortable when placed in a relatively dry environment. So, if you want your gecko to remain happy and stress-free, ensure the terrarium’s humidity levels are low.
The terrarium should be well-ventilated to ensure the humidity levels do not exceed 40% during the day.
Shedding
Leopard geckos need to shed their skin to accommodate their steady growth. The shedding can happen weekly or monthly, depending on the gecko’s age. But for successful shedding to happen, you must provide a humid hide.
Shedding is much easier when a gecko has access to a moist or humid hide. So, as you maintain low humidity in the enclosure, ensure that you have one or two moist hides for your gecko to retreat in during the shedding process.
Better Health
Humidity plays a crucial role in a leopard gecko’s health. Low humidity levels protect your geckos from developing respiratory diseases.
At least your gecko will grow without experiencing health problems if you maintain the proper humidity levels.
And as long as your leopard gecko is healthy, it will live longer.
Can Humidity Be Too High For Leopard Geckos?
Yes. Humidity levels that exceed 50% are considered too high for leopard geckos. Ideally, daytime humidity levels should range from 30% to 40%.
So, any moisture content that exceeds the specified range can harm your leopard gecko.
Excessive humidity is notorious for causing respiratory diseases in leopard geckos. Moreover, too much humidity in the terrarium provides a good breeding ground for bacteria and fungi.
What Should The Humidity Be For Leopard Geckos?
As we’ve mentioned throughout this guide, leopard geckos prefer low humidity during the day.
These desert creatures are used to living in dry areas with low humidity. Here is a breakdown of the ideal humidity levels of leopard geckos in various stages
Baby
Baby leopard geckos should do well in a humidity range of around 20% and 40%. This humidity level is crucial for the health of baby leopard geckos.
You must ensure that the baby’s tank or habitat isn’t overly damp by increasing ventilation and using paper towels as the substrate.
Juvenile
The humidity requirements of a juvenile leopard gecko are similar to those of baby geckos.
Therefore, you must ensure the humidity range is around 20% to 40% during the day.
However, you still need to place a humid hide in the enclosure. The hide should have 80% humidity.
Adult
Adult leopard geckos can be forgiving in terms of care, but you must keep them in a habitat with 30% to 40% humidity.
Luckily, most homes in the USA have the same humidity range, meaning you don’t have to worry much. Just have a hygrometer to help you monitor the tank’s humidity.
Also, don’t forget to include moist hides to help the gecko shed seamlessly.
How To Increase Humidity For Leopard Gecko
Living in an area with extremely low humidity may present difficulties in maintaining the right humidity levels in your leopard gecko’s tank.
That said, you need a few tricks to help you raise the tank’s humidity to the required level.
Use A Better Substrate
The substrate you use may determine the amount of humidity your tank can retain. So, if you notice that your enclosure is struggling to retain moisture, you can swap it for a better substrate.
You can opt for a mixture of eco earth and play sand, as it retains moisture better while protecting your leopard gecko from the risk of impaction.
Mist The Enclosure
Misting your enclosure at least once or twice a week can help increase the tank’s humidity.
You only need to spray the enclosure with a small amount of freshwater, and you’ll be fine.
However, you must ensure you don’t soak the tank to avoid increasing the humidity to unsafe levels.
Reduce ventilation
Your tank’s humidity level may be dropping due to excess ventilation. In that case, you might have to reduce the ventilation to prevent the tank’s moisture from escaping fast.
By reducing the airflow, your tank will hold moisture better, and the humidity levels will increase automatically.
Introduce Humid Hides
Having one or two moist hides in the enclosure can solve low-humidity problems. Moist hides provide leopard geckos with secure spots to shed their skin and regulate their body temperatures.
These hides should have 70 to 80 percent humidity.
Introduce Live Plants
Plants are not only good at decorating, but they can also boost humidity. So, if you are struggling with extremely low humidity, you can introduce a few live plants in the tank. Always use plants that are considered safe for leopard geckos.
Use A Water Dish
A water dish is an essential addition to a gecko’s tank because it can help increase humidity.
The trick is to place the dish on the warm side of the tank to increase evaporation. As long as water evaporates, the humidity levels in the tank will increase.
As you try to increase your tank’s humidity levels, ensure they don’t exceed 50%. Excessive humidity will expose your gecko to various health conditions and increase the chances of bacteria and fungi growth.
How To Maintain Humidity In a Leopard Gecko Tank
The humidity levels in the leopard gecko tank can drop or increase depending on the temperatures.
That said, you must devise ways to maintain the humidity at a specific range. Here are some tips you can employ:
- Use a moisture-retaining substrate
- Mist the enclosure a couple of times a week
- Add some live plants in the enclosure
- Maintain the tank’s temperatures within the recommended range
Maintaining humidity levels is easier when you have a hygrometer to monitor the tank’s humidity.
How To Lower Humidity In a Leopard Gecko Tank
Leopard geckos are desert animals and should not live in enclosures with high humidity.
So, if you notice the humidity levels are above 50 percent, you shouldn’t hesitate to take action. Here are some tricks that can help lower humidity:
Increase Tank Ventilation
Humidity can increase due to insufficient ventilation in the tank. You can remedy that by simply increasing ventilation in the enclosure. With increased airflow, you don’t have to fret about unsafe humidity levels.
Increasing tank ventilation is as simple as introducing a small USB fan in the enclosure or covering the tank with a mesh top.
Increase the Ventilation of the Room
Increasing tank ventilation may be ineffective if the pet room has little to no ventilation.
Therefore, you may need to increase the ventilation of the pet’s room to reduce humidity.
You can achieve that by opening the windows or running the AC to boost air circulation.
Substrate
Substrate can directly affect the humidity levels in the enclosure. If you use a moisture-retaining substrate, the humidity levels in the tank may increase.
To remedy that, you can switch to a substrate with poor moisture-retaining properties. Paper towels, shelf liners, and tile flooring can help reduce humidity.
Reduce Misting
Misting your tank regularly might increase the humidity to unsafe levels. So, if you notice a sharp increase in humidity levels, you shouldn’t hesitate to reduce misting.
Reduce the number of times you mist the tank to two or three times a week and you’ll be good to go.
How To Create A Humid Vivarium
Depending on your area, you might need to create a humid vivarium for your leopard gecko. Here are ways to help you achieve that:
Plants
Introducing live plants is a sure way to create a humid vivarium. Plants can increase humidity by releasing moisture during respiration and photosynthesis.
Leopard geckos should be okay with plants such as; Christmas cactus, snake plants, Echeveria, Aloe, Jade plants, and Haworthia.
Substrates
You can use a moisture-retaining substrate to create a humid vivarium. Some good examples include a mix of organic topsoil and play sand or a bioactive substrate. These substrates are quite good at holding moisture.
Misting And Humidifiers
Humidifiers and misters are quite effective in creating a humid vivarium. The market has various automatic reptile foggers that you can use in a leopard gecko terrarium. Alternatively, you can mist the tank manually at specific intervals.
Type Of Enclosure
The type of enclosure you choose must help you create a humid environment. Ideally, the best enclosure to create a humid vivarium should be made using glass.
Glass vivariums can hold moisture better as compared to other vivarium materials such as wood.
Do Leopard Geckos Need High Humidity?
No. Leopard geckos don’t need high humidity since they are desert creatures. These lizards are used to living in a dry environment with relatively low humidity. Therefore, you must try to keep your pet leopard gecko in low humidity.
High humidity can expose your leopard geckos to skin infections and respiratory problems. That’s why you must maintain a humidity level of below 50%.
What Is The Humidity At Night For Leopard Geckos?
It is normal for humidity to drop at night. So, you shouldn’t panic if the humidity increases to 50% or 60%.
Nevertheless, you still need to control the humidity levels, as you wouldn’t want them to reach unsafe levels. If possible, you should strive to maintain the humidity at 30% to 40%.
Extra Tips For Maintaining Humidity
Here are some extra tips to help you maintain low humidity in your leopard gecko’s tank:
- Have one water dish in the enclosure
- Use a screen mesh to cover the enclosure
- Include a USB fan to aid in air circulation
- Use reptile-safe desert plant species in the terrarium
FAQs
Is Too Much Humidity Bad For Leopard Geckos?
Yes. Too much humidity is unsafe for leopard geckos. When humidity levels get too high, your leopard geckos can develop pneumonia, skin-related infections, and respiratory infections.
That said, exposing your leopard gecko to high humidity levels for extended periods would be unwise.
Do Leopard Geckos Need A Humidifier?
Leopard geckos rarely need a humidifier because they are used to living in relatively low-humid conditions.
By using a humidifier you might increase the humidity to unsafe levels, thus exposing your gecko to infections.
You should only use a humidifier when the humidity levels drop below 20% or when you live in an area with extremely low humidity.
Is 50% Humidity Too High For A Leopard Gecko?
50% humidity isn’t too high for a leopard gecko, but you should always aim to keep the humidity between 30% to 40%.
Is 60% Humidity Bad For Leopard Geckos?
Yes, 60% humidity is unsafe for leopard geckos. This humidity level can easily stress out your gecko and expose it to skin and respiratory infections.
Summary
Leopard geckos can thrive in humidity levels, ranging from 30% to 40%. These desert creatures do not need high humidity. Surprisingly, humid conditions can affect a leopard gecko’s health.
So, if you want your pet gecko to remain healthy and live longer, keep the humidity in the enclosure low. That said, you should monitor the humidity levels in the enclosure to ensure they don’t go too low or too high.
