Yes. Leopard geckos pee, but their urine is not like humans or other animals. Your little pal passes out urine in a solid form known as urate, which is salt-like. Usually, these adorable reptiles excrete urate when they need to poop. But sometimes, they pass out this solid urine alone as well.

Wait a moment? Solid pee! How is that even possible? Keep reading.

Why Solid Pee?

The right explanation is that geckos originate from a desert environment where survival is all about conserving the little that nature has to offer. Therefore, to keep more water in their bodies, leos don’t urinate to excrete urine in liquid form but rather solid urine.

Here is how; unneeded chemicals and uric acid are excreted from leopard gecko bodies in urates as solid chunks. In most cases, the solid urine is passed along with poop.

Now that you know that leopard geckos pee, you may want to find out more such as how the urate looks like, the benefits of peeing, what it means to pee yellow urates, why geckos pee without pooping, and so much more.

What Does Leopard Gecko Pee Look Like?

The normal color of leopard gecko pee is whitish with a powder texture. The fact that the pee is dry and powdery makes it easy for your little guy to pass out urate along with poop.

Urates from these charming reptiles contain a lot of waste in the solid form, mostly salts, in addition to being very high in uric acid. This possibly explains the whitish crystal-like and powdered nature of the urate.

Let me take you back to chemistry class for a moment. Salt precipitates are primarily whitish, hence the white color in the urate; this makes sense, right?

Rarely would you find your reptile friend getting rid of urate and feces along with a little fluid. But if this happens, there is nothing to be worried about as this helps leopard geckos pass out waste stress-free.

But then, why is one End Brown in Color?

When your leopard gecko passes out urate, he also poops at the same time, hence the brown color at the end of the solid pee. However, sometimes, the pee may look yellow.

What Are The Benefits Of Passing Out Urates?

The benefits of passing out waste from the body of animals and us humans are endless, the most critical being getting rid of toxins. In the case of geckos, the benefits of passing out urates are mainly two.

Getting Rid Of Acids

Because leopard gecko urate contains high amounts of uric acid, excreting these acids is vital for your little guy’s health.

Not only will your pet reptile feel relieved, but it will also be safe from diseases related to high toxins in their bodies.

What’s more, passing out acidic urine in liquid form could get your gecko’s terrarium and substrate all messy and smelly. But as solid pee, managing your reptile waste is easier and less messy.

Conserving Water

Leos are native to dry regions in India, Iran, Afghanistan, and other nations. Your cute reptile friends live in extremely hot areas where water is scarce and a prized commodity.

With that in mind, these lizards focus on saving water for survival as well as allowing them to navigate for longer periods.

Remember being in captivity doesn’t change their adaptations, not to mention their tank is set up to resemble their natural habitats. As such, your little pal excretes pee in solid form, which helps a lot in terms of water conservation.

Your leopard gecko can survive weeks without water, which is probably why he won’t drink water daily.

Do Leopard Geckos Pee Without Pooping?

The answer is no. At times, geckos pee without pooping, particularly during the breeding season. The main reason is that male and female leos will usually stop eating during this season.

No eating means no pooping during the breeding season. So, don’t be alarmed if you happen to see only your leopard gecko pee without feces during the mating season.

Does Geckos Pee Stink?

As long as your leopard gecko pee does not remain in his terrarium for too long, it won’t give off any stink at first. Not anything you can easily notice immediately. Otherwise, it is pretty obvious to be welcomed by an offensive odor.

This means that as a gecko parent, you must be sure to provide proper hygiene for your prized lizard by removing pee and poop quickly.

What Does It Mean When My Gecko Poops Yellow Urates?

Here’s what it means if your leopard gecko’s urate is yellow in color:

• Dehydration- the main reason why your little reptile pet pees yellow urate is because of dehydration.
• Malnutrition-also, your little guy may not be getting the required nutrients from his meals.
• Illness- the yellow urate may suggest that your gecko may be having some health issues.

Provide Clean And Fresh Water        

One of the most practical ways to prevent geckos from passing out yellow urates is by regularly providing them with fresh, clean water.

This provides your lizard with the best option for hydrating himself, solving the mystery of the abnormal yellow color of the urate.

Ensure You Provide Water During The Breeding Season

Even though both female and male leopard geckos stop eating during the breeding season, make sure to provide them with safe drinking water.

This will help keep dehydration at bay and thus make it easy for your pet to pass out pee the very few times he will defecate.

Gut-Load Before Feeding Your Leopard Gecko

Leopard geckos do not meet the required water intake they should be taking as they don’t like to drink water. As such, you may find that your little pal gets most of his hydration from the food he eats, hence the significance of gut-loading.

Here is how gut-loading may help prevent your gecko from peeing yellow urates. Just like we humans and other animals, what is ingested affects what comes out during defecation.

So providing your pet with a healthy diet means he’ll have an easy time peeing, and his poop will also be healthy.

Because he has all the nutrients he needs, your little guy won’t suffer from malnutrition. Besides, he absorbs enough water from his food to hydrate himself, which works to prevent yellow pee, thanks to proper gut-loading of the feeder insects.

Cleaning Leopard Gecko Pee

As a new gecko parent, you may want to learn how to clean your leopard gecko’s urate, especially if you’ve discovered some within its habitat.

Remember, leaving the urate for a few days will welcome an unpleasant odor which is very discouraging even for reptile lovers.

Luckily for you, I’ll teach you better ways to handle your gecko’s pee and poop as hassle-free as possible. Here’s how:

Using A Paper Towel Substrate

Paper towels are excellent when it comes to cleaning your gecko’s pee because of their efficacy, as you won’t have to do much work.

Since your little friend usually chooses one corner in his terrarium to do his business, you can utilize the paper towel you use as the substrate to your advantage.

You only need to locate the pee or poop and fold that section of the paper towel before discarding it. It’s that simple.

Other Substrates

If you’re using other substrates options apart from paper towels, such as carpets, tiles, or mats for your leopard gecko, the easiest way to clear the pee and poop is to wait for it to harden.

Trying to clear up the pee immediately after your gecko defecates is one of the biggest errors you can make as a pet parent.

This is because scooping it while it is still fresh increases the chances of messing up even more-you can accidentally smear the pee on your reptile’s carpet.

Therefore, be gentle when scooping the pee, as too much pressure can crush it to white powder. No matter how much you adore your gecko, you don’t want to deal with messy, runny urate. So, ensure you wait 20-30 minutes before cleaning the pee, and you’ll be good to go.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why Does My Gecko Poop Stink?

The possible reason your leopard gecko poop stink is that it has been left unattended for a few days. If you clean up the poop or urate the right way, you won’t have to deal with the offensive odor.

Ensure you look carefully within the ambiance of your little guy’s surroundings as he can hide his poop.

Do Leopard Geckos Poo Every Day?

Yes. Some geckos poop every day. Younger leos tend to poop twice or thrice a day, while adults two to three times a week. But food intake plays a big role in the frequency at which your lizard poop.

Your adorable lizard will poop more often if you feed him a lot of food on a daily basis as opposed to when you feed him only the required amount.

Why Does My Leopard Gecko Pee On Me?

Your leopard gecko may pee on you mainly because she is not fond of you and possibly scared. Chances are that she sees you as a predator, making her freak out. The natural reaction of geckos is fear until they’re conditioned to trust their keepers.

So, give your little pal some time to adjust to trusting you, especially when she’s new, and you won’t have to worry about her peeping on you.

Can Leos Fart?

Yes. Leos can fart. As a matter of fact, they’ll usually break wind after a huge gas buildup in their belly. These little reptiles release gases built in their tummy when they chew or swallow food.

Normally, your leopard gecko will fart when defecating, which could be very malodorous.

Can You Avoid Yellow Urates In Geckos?

Yes. You can prevent your leopard gecko from getting yellow urates by providing fresh, clean water, including during the breeding season. In addition, you can gut-load before feeding them to ensure your reptile pet gets enough nutrients and that he’s able to hydrate as well.

Wrap Up

So do leopard geckos pee? Yes, but it’s not what you’d expect, as their pee is solid. All things considered, the urate is easier to clean as it doesn’t soak as liquid pee would. It’s a scoop, and go. This is probably why leos are the most preferred choice of pet and one of the most common reptiles.