Leopard geckos, like other lizards, lose their dry top layer of skin at varying intervals as they age. Geckos between 0 and 3 months old lose their skin once after 1 or 2 weeks. Juveniles experience shedding after 2-4 weeks. On the other hand, adult leopard geckos may shed once per month or every two months.
Stay put for an in-depth understanding of the leopard gecko shedding process!
Why Do Leopards Need To Shed Their Skin?
Shedding is a natural process that occurs in members of the animal kingdom. It’s the fundamental process through which animals get rid of dead skin and replace it with fresh new cells.
In fact, we shed our skin too, but it happens so frequently and imperceptibly slowly that you probably never even notice it. But many reptiles, like leopard geckos, lose all their dead skin cells at once.
Leopard geckos benefit from shedding because it facilitates the replacement of dead skin cells with healthy new ones and the healing of any injuries sustained from bites, scratches, and other minor accidents. It also allows baby and juvenile geckos to grow and helps eliminate disease-causing parasites like ticks and mites.
This is significant because reptilian skin is often not highly elastic. Therefore, reptiles constantly need to “upsize” their skin to make room for their expanding bodies as they age.
In a nutshell, shedding helps leopard geckos in the following ways:
- Shedding creates new room for growth
- Since leos are prone to parasites such as ticks and mites, shedding helps them to eradicate these parasites
- It allows baby dragons to get more prominent colors as they grow into adulthood
- It acts as a form of skin renewal
- The growth of new skin helps to heal deformities, injuries, and bitemarks
What Is the Average Shedding Cycle for a Leopard Gecko?
Lizards of different ages shed their skin at different rates because there are a lot of factors that affect how often it happens. Growth rate, injuries, stress, illness, and whether or not the animal is pregnant can affect how long it takes between shedding cycles.
Most geckos will go through shedding without any trouble, either physically or emotionally. However, geckos with preexisting health disorders are more likely to experience complications.
However, as mentioned earlier, the frequency of shedding will primarily depend on the growth stage of the leopard geckos. Naturally, baby geckos and juveniles will shed their skin more often than adult leopard geckos.
How Often Do Baby Leopard Geckos Shed?
In the first 1-3 months of their lives, young geckos will shed their skin after a week or two. Young leopard geckos grow rapidly and frequently shed in contrast to adult geckos.
Young geckos have to enlarge their skins to accommodate their rapidly expanding bodies. It’s also crucial to understand that the more food your newborn leopard gecko consumes, the more frequently it will need to shed to accommodate the increased size.
How Often Do Juvenile Leopard Geckos Shed?
Baby leopard geckos have a far higher growth rate than their juvenile counterparts. This means juveniles don’t experience as much growth as baby geckos. For this reason, if you own a juvenile leo between 3 and 6 months, it’s likely to shed its epidermis once every four weeks (once per month).
However, the shedding might come earlier than expected if they eat more food. Conversely, if they have an existing health condition, it might cause expedited or delayed shedding.
How Often Should My Adult Leopard Gecko Shed?
Unlike baby and juvenile leopard geckos, adult geckos don’t experience much growth. For this reason, they don’t need to keep shedding.
Usually, adult leopard geckos shed once after every four to eight weeks. Before the shedding process, the skin will lighten and become gray.
However, the process may take a shorter or longer time if your lizard is sick, pregnant, overeating, or undereating. Nevertheless, as long as your leo is healthy and in tip-top shape, you don’t need to worry about how long the shedding cycle takes.
Now that we understand the frequency of shedding in these spotted lizards, the bugging question is, how do you know that your leopard gecko is about to shed?
How Can You Tell If Your Leo Is Going To Shed?
Although shedding in leos was supposed to be painless and seamless, it’s often marred with some negative signs and symptoms. However, it’s these signs that pet owners use to determine whether their leos are about to shed.
A leopard gecko’s shedding cycle can be so brief that you may not notice it for months. However, they will typically exhibit some out-of-the-ordinary symptoms before entering one. These signs and symptoms include:
Color Change
One of the tell-tale visual signs of upcoming shedding is a color change. Before and during the shedding process, a leopard gecko may change its skin color.
As the old layer of skin on top of the new layer peels away, the leo’s skin will start to look pale, light, and gray.
Additionally, a leopard gecko that is shedding its exoskeleton may appear dull. There’s a good chance your leopard gecko is about to shed if its coloration shifts toward the lighter end of the spectrum.
Reduced Appetite
There is a possibility that leopard geckos will stop eating or eat less a few days before they begin to shed. Nonetheless, this should not deter you from consistently providing your scaly friend with food and water throughout the entire shedding period.
A simple technique to ensure that your leo stays full is to leave insects in the terrarium to eat them whenever it feels like. If you notice that your lizard has stopped eating and you suspect it’s because of another condition, don’t hesitate to take to a vet.
Still, loss of appetite is frequently associated with several health disorders in leos. So, only a qualified exotic vet can confirm what is ailing your scaly friend.
Sluggishness and Lethargy
Most leopard gecko owners don’t know that the shedding process requires immense energy and can be draining to your leopard gecko.
Therefore, don’t be surprised if your leo sits in the same place for long hours and moves less when they’re getting ready to shed.
Irritability
Pet owners who have had a leopard gecko in their homes have witnessed these lizards becoming extremely irritable when they are about to shed. The discomfort associated with shedding can make them stressed, restless, and easily aggrieved.
Besides refusing to eat, leos may also sleep for an extended period, remain stagnant for a long period, and avoid doing other social things such as getting out of the cage or exercising.
What to Do When Your Leopard Gecko Is Shedding
Because your gecko is going through a difficult time, provide him with a secluded, dark, and quiet area where they can shed comfortably and securely.
If his enclosure is placed in a high-traffic area, it may be essential to install a screen or other barrier to provide a safe space.
Additionally, he needs abundant moisture to prevent the skin from drying out and clinging to his body.
Increasing the relative humidity in his cage or providing him with a “moist box” or a container lined with damp paper towels will help him feel more comfortable throughout his shedding process.
Conversely, make minimal interruptions and avoid handling your leo during this process. Since the shedding process is uncomfortable and sometimes painful, this wouldn’t be the best time to interact and bond with your leo.
How Do Leopard Geckos Lose Their Skin?
The entire process of skin shedding should take about two to three days. The pet should then be left alone in the hide for at least two, preferably three days. Once they stay in the hide for a few days, they will get the moisture they need for seamless and less strenuous shedding.
When about to shed, the leo skin will become pale and gray. So, if you observe this, it’s a sign that they are about to begin the shedding process.
As detailed earlier, the days preceding the shed will be characterized by refusal to eat, irritability, lethargy, and lack of interest.
Once the leopard gecko is done shedding, it should be inspected for any remaining dead skin under the body.
This is essential, as you must spray the gecko and then pat its body with a moist paper towel. Do not manually remove the glued skin, as doing so could harm the leopard gecko.
Do Leopard Geckos Eat Their Shed?
While it may be frightening and nasty to witness your gecko eating its shed skin for the first time, this is a perfectly typical and natural behavior for geckos. Getting rid of old skin is challenging and requires significant energy.
This process may leave the gecko so exhausted and hungry. To replenish its energy stores, a leo usually eats its shed. This is normal behavior that occurs practically in most reptiles.
Conversely, eating their shed skin is an instinctual survival technique for wild geckos. Leaving the skin on the ground could draw in predators. Since shedding happens close to the gecko’s den, it can serve as a scent trail that directs predators straight to the geckos.
Even though there are no predators in your house, geckos still consume their lost skin to keep their identity secret.
More FAQs about Leopard Gecko Shedding
Should You Handle a Shedding Leopard Gecko?
Shedding leopard geckos can get irritable, and some may even become violent. Therefore, unnecessary handling and petting of the already anxious gecko might result in difficulties, such as a stuck shed. Just give your leo a peaceful and conducive environment to shed and let it be.
Do Leopard Geckos Have a Shedding Season?
In most cases, there is no specific time of year when shedding occurs. However, a mature Leo will rarely shed its skin during brumating.
Also, pregnant leopard gecko females devote their entire energy to caring for their eggs. Therefore, shedding during this period is rare.
Is It Safe for Geckos to Eat Their Shed Skin?
Eating shed skin is not something new to leopard geckos. It’s a natural process that allows the creatures to re-utilize the nutrients in the shed skin.
Conversely, wild leos savor their shed skin to conceal their whereabouts from predators. So, eating their own shed is neither harmful nor doesn’t mean they’re not ok.
Should You Feed Your Leopard Gecko When It’s Shedding?
Leopard geckos should be fed 1-2 times after 4 to 5 days. And since the shedding will take 2-3 days, they do not need to eat during this period.
However, you should always put food inside the leopard gecko’s terrarium so they can feed whenever possible.
Final Verdict
The question of how frequently a leopard gecko should shed is difficult to answer since several factors come into play, such as age, health, and pregnancy. However, the truth is that younger geckos shed more frequently than older adults.
Young leopard geckos shed their skin twice a month until they turn 1. When they reach adulthood, they shed about once every 4 to 8 weeks. You will know when your lizard is about to shed if it starts to experience symptoms such as color change, irritability, lethargy, and loss of appetite.