Are you considering a Leopard gecko for a pet, and you’re wondering how long do geckos live?
No doubt, it is important to investigate the lifespan of an intended pet before bringing it home. Every responsible pet owner will like to make sure they can commit to the welfare of the pet throughout its life.
In this article, we will discuss in more detail how long can leopard geckos live and how to help it maximize this potential.
How Long Do Leopard Geckos Live?
How long do leopard geckos live for is dependent on many environmental factors; and psychological too. But, in general, and when your pet receives the appropriate care, this reptile can live as much as 20 years in captivity.
Compared to many other reptiles and lizards, leopard geckos tend to live quite long. Whether in the wild or in captivity.
Generally, the lifespan of a leopard gecko is dependent on the environment and conditions it is exposed to.
On average, this reptile can live as much as 20 years in captivity. There have been records of leopards that have lived up to between 29 and 30. This amazing number tends to drop for most females.
The life expectancy for females is usually shorter. This is because of the stress and strain typically associated with mating and producing eggs.
How To Improve The Life Expectancy Of Leopard Gecko?
It is so sad to see that not a lot of leopard geckos do end up fulfilling the number of their years. This is because a lot of caregivers don’t provide the necessary and need environment.
Here’s a quick look at the recommendations (more like tips) that will guarantee your pet lives up to a ripe old age.
1. Enclosure
Leopard geckos don’t generally need a huge enclosure or tank size except you intend to house two or more of them, which is not generally recommended.
As a matter of fact, a habitat that is too huge may expose the pet to some sort of unwanted stress. More so, the size of the enclosure should be more focused on the width.
2. Lighting and Temperature
As is typical of reptiles, leopard gecko relies on their external surrounding’s heat for self-regulating their body temperature.
For this reason, they require a temperature gradient that is carefully crafted – a cool and a warm area.
As a rule of thumb, you have one side of the enclosure should a temperature of around 23˚C-26˚C, and the other should be 28˚C – 32˚C.
3. Diet requirements
Leopard geckos are insectivorous and should be treated as such.
This means that their diet should constitute insects such as crickets, meal worms, grub worms, and cockroaches. This diet should be provided regularly.
As a rule of thumb also, juveniles should be fed daily on a light diet, and adult lizards can be every 2-3 days. Dusting their diets with vitamin D3 and calcium supplements is a plus.
4. Watch out for Illnesses
Leopard geckos are hardy, yes! But, health issues happen with all animals, whether in captivity or wild.
As responsible keepers, it is important to do daily checks to know if and when something comes up.
In the event of any unusual occurrence, it is advised that you get the attention of a vet as soon as you can.
Common signs to watch out for include, but not limited to; lack of appetite, changes in feces, difficulty in breathing, rapid loss in weight, sunken eyes, wrinkled skin, jerking movements, jerky movements, etc.
5. Get rid of stressors
In the wild, leopard geckos are used to being prey, and one can understand when they easily get this feeling even when in captivity.
There are many reasons responsible for this happening. These can in turn make them sad. You don’t want them feeling this if you desire them to live out the most of their lives.
You should try to be sensitive to these stresses and, learn how to tame them and as much as possible gain their trust.
6. Handle with care
This species of lizard is somewhat docile and is rarely aggressive. This means that they can easily welcome handling, but be careful about o their moods.
This can also be one way to get a leopard gecko stressed. As much as you want them to get used to you, you don’t want to push over their boundaries.
Final Words On How Long Do Leopard Geckos Live In Captivity, As Pets And In The Wild
Getting to know the lifespan of a lizard as a pet is an important step to take before adopting one.
This way, you can tell if you are willing to commit to taking care of it. Particularly for a leopard gecko, its life expectancy span about 20 years. This is indeed a long time to keep a pet.
If you’re still willing to go for it, the above tips should help you care for it to its full potential of 20 years, or at least something close.
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