Key Takeaway:
- Leopard geckos hail from the desert and rock grasslands of Nepal, India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Therefore, these lizards need a warm environment to thrive.
- A leopard gecko’s tank must have a warm area (85 degrees Fahrenheit), a cold area (75 degrees Fahrenheit), and a basking spot (88 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit). Also, you must ensure that the nighttime temperatures range around the low 70s.
- Temperatures are important for leopard geckos because they help in digestion, boosting immunity, and maintaining activity levels.
- You can monitor the tank temperatures to ensure they don’t get to unsafe levels.
- To monitor the temperatures, you need two digital probe thermometers. One thermometer should be set on the cool side while the other should be placed on the warm side. An infrared thermometer may also come in handy when measuring the surface temperatures of various objects.
- You can control the tank temperatures with the help of a thermostat or timer. Alternatively, you can change the enclosure’s location or opt to remove or add a heat source.
- Excessive temperatures are unsafe for leopard geckos because they can induce aggression, hyperthermia, dehydration, stress, and death.
- Extremely low temperatures can cause lethargy, poor digestion, respiratory infections, and immunity problems.
The leopard gecko is a ground-dwelling lizard that originates from the desert regions and rock grasslands of India, Nepal, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Therefore, these lizards need warmer temperatures to survive.
So, if you want to add leopard geckos to your pet collection, you should learn about their temperature requirements. You can’t afford to get the temperature settings wrong when keeping leopard geckos.
Besides, leopard geckos are ectothermic lizards that rely on their surroundings to regulate their internal temperatures. Before you bring a pet leopard gecko home, let’s learn a thing or two about the ideal temperature settings for your new pet.
Ideal Temperature For Leopard Geckos
Now that leopard geckos need warmth, what are the ideal temperature settings? Well, here is a breakdown of the temperatures in which baby, juvenile, and adult geckos thrive:
Baby
Baby leopard geckos are not any different from juveniles and adults. Therefore, you can still house them in a tank with temperatures of around 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
Baby leopard geckos don’t need a basking spot especially if you are housing them in a temporary enclosure.
As long as the enclosure has a warm and cool side, your baby leopard gecko should be good to go.
Juvenile
Juvenile leopard geckos should also be okay with temperatures of around 85 degrees on the warm side and 88 – 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the basking spot.
The cooler side of the enclosure should be at least 75 degrees Fahrenheit. At night, you should allow the temperatures to drop to 70 – 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Adult
Adult leopard geckos have almost the same requirements as juveniles. Therefore, you still need to create a thermal gradient in their enclosure.
The hot side of the enclosure should be 85 degrees Fahrenheit while the cooler side should be around 75 – 78 degrees Fahrenheit. You’ll also need to provide a basking spot that’s around 88 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Importance of Temperature For a Leopard Gecko
Warmth is a crucial requirement for all reptiles because they do not produce their own heat. Therefore, you must provide your leopard geckos with a heat source to help them regulate their body temperatures.
But why do leopard geckos need a certain temperature range? Well, here is the importance of temperature to a leopard gecko:
- Digestion – leopard geckos need belly heat to digest their food properly and absorb nutrients. That’s the reason these lizards lay on warm surfaces to absorb heat after consuming food. Without heat, leopard geckos can suffer from impaction.
- Boost Immunity – Inadequate temperature regulation can weaken a gecko’s immune system, making it more prone to respiratory infections. Therefore, you must maintain the correct temperatures to help maintain a strong immune system.
- Regulate activity levels – leopard geckos rely on temperature cues to regulate their natural behavior patterns. Incorrect temperature setting can disrupt their activity levels and behavior patterns, causing lethargy, stress, or hyperactivity.
Temperature Guidelines For Leopard Gecko
As a responsible person, you want to give your leopard gecko a comfortable environment.
Therefore, you must get the temperature setting right to achieve maximum comfort! Here is a guideline to help you provide temperatures that mimic the gecko’s natural environment:
Basking
A terrarium must have a hot spot for the leopard gecko to bask and absorb heat. This spot should be the warmest with a temperature range of 90 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can create a basking spot by placing a heating pad under the terrarium. The heating pad should not cover more than half of the tank’s bottom.
Alternatively, you can place a basking light on top of the terrarium. The best basking light can be a tungsten or halogen bulb as they provide both lighting and heating.
When creating a basking spot, you must invest in a good thermometer to keep track of the temperatures. You don’t want the temperatures to become too hot for the gecko.
Cooling
Your terrarium must have a cool side just in case the leopard gecko wants to cool down a bit. The cooler side should have a temperature range of 75 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
To create a cooling side, you’ll have to divide the tank into two sides. On one side you should use a basking light or a heating source of your choice. The other side shouldn’t have a heating source so that it remains cool.
You need to monitor the temperatures on the cooling side to ensure they don’t drop below 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nighttime
Leopard geckos don’t require high temperatures at night! Therefore, you can switch off the basking light and allow the temperatures to drop to a range of 67 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit.
You must monitor the nighttime temperatures closely, otherwise, they might drop to dangerous levels.
How To Measure and Monitor Temperature in a Leopard Gecko’s Enclosure
Temperature is very important to leopard geckos. You wouldn’t want your pet gecko to be trapped inside an enclosure that’s too hot or too cold. Besides, unfavorable temperatures can cause serious health problems or even kill your leopard gecko.
To prevent any temperature-related problems, you must keep track of the temperature in cool and warm spots. Since you’ll be monitoring temperatures of two different areas, you need two different thermometers.
Two digital probe thermometers should help you monitor the air temperature in the enclosure.
The first thermometer should be placed in the hot area while the second one should be in the cool spot. This way, you’ll get the temperature reading of the basking spot and cooling spot.
Additionally, you may want an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of various surfaces. You’ll get to know whether the substrate, rocks and various objects are too hot to cause burns on the gecko.
How To Control Temperature in a Leopard Gecko’s Enclosure
Use A Thermostat
Controlling the temperature in a leopard gecko’s enclosure should be much easier if you automate the process. To do this, you must connect the heating systems to a thermostat.
You’ll then set your preferred temperature and the thermostat will work to ensure that the enclosure doesn’t overheat. Also, if the temperatures in the tank begin to drop, the thermostat will turn the heat source on.
So, as you purchase your heat mat and heat lamp, look for thermostats that are compatible with your heating devices. You wouldn’t want a situation where the thermostat might malfunction and leave your leopard gecko vulnerable.
When you have a thermostat-controlled heat source, you’ll never have to fret about the tank’s temperature exceeding the set range.
Use A Timer
Timers are very effective in regulating temperatures in a leopard gecko tank. Timers work by allowing heating devices to produce heat for a specified time. Once the time elapses, the heating devices will go off automatically.
Add or Reduce The Number of Heat sources
If you notice that your tank’s temperature is too high, you should consider removing one heat source. In such instances, you can switch off the heat lamp and leave the heat mat running.
On the other hand, if a heat mat isn’t producing enough heat, you can add another heat source.
Change The Enclosure’s Position
The location of your enclosure can determine how hot or cold it will get. For instance, if you place an enclosure near a window that lets in sunlight, the enclosure might become too hot.
In that case, you may have to relocate it to a position that doesn’t receive direct sunlight.
What Happens if Temperature is Too High?
Excessive temperatures are unsafe for leopard geckos. Therefore, if you can’t keep the temperatures down, you might have to move the gecko until you figure out the problem.
When the basking spot becomes too hot, the leopard gecko will move to the cool side of the tank and remain there. Also, when the temperatures are too high, your leopard gecko gets stressed.
As is the case with most reptiles, your leopard gecko might become too aggressive and gape a lot. In the worst-case scenario, the gecko may experience dehydration and suffer from hyperthermia.
What Happens if the Temperature is Too Low?
Low temperature may not be as bad as high temperature but it also has negative effects.
For starters, low temperatures may affect your leopard gecko’s metabolism. Once your gecko’s metabolism slows down, it will likely suffer from constipation, digestive problems, and lethargy.
Low temperatures may cause your leopard gecko to suffer from respiratory infections. Besides, low temperatures can compromise your gecko’s immunity.
If the temperatures are too low, they’ll affect your leopard gecko’s activity levels. In that case, you may notice that your gecko barely moves. It may remain in its hide for long periods.
FAQs
What Temperature Should A Leopard Gecko Be At Night?
The ideal nighttime temperature of a leopard gecko should be in the low 70s. Therefore, you should allow the nighttime temperatures to drop naturally. However, don’t allow the temperatures to drop below 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can Leopard Geckos Live At Room Temperature?
No, leopard geckos can’t live at room temperature. Room temperature is estimated to be around 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unfortunately, these temperatures may not be enough for your leopard gecko. Remember that a leopard gecko needs a daytime temperature of around 88 degrees Fahrenheit.
Do Leopard Geckos Need Heat Lamps?
Yes, leopard geckos need heat lamps. A heat lamp is ideal when creating a basking spot in the enclosure.
So, as much as heat mats generate the much-needed underground heat, you still need to install a heat lamp on top of the gecko’s enclosure.
Summary
There you have it guys! Now you understand why temperature is important for leopard geckos. These pets are ectothermic and they rely on their surroundings to regulate their body temperatures.
So, as you set up the enclosure, ensure you create a basking spot, warm side, and cooling side. These spots allow your leopard gecko to thermoregulate as they wish.
