Leopard geckos come in a variety of beautiful color mutations and morphs. As a first-time owner of a gecko, you may have noticed that your vibrantly colored friend has suddenly become pale and is also exhibiting behavior changes, but it’s not shedding.
So why is my leopard gecko pale? There are a few reasons why leopard gecko can turn pale. The most common reason is environmental stress. This can come from things like changes in temperature, humidity, light, or food. Changes in these factors can throw off the balance of the gecko’s natural environment, which often results in pale coloration. Another common cause of leopard gecko pallor is diet. Geckos who are not getting the right amount of food or who are eating something that isn’t appropriate for them will often turn pale. Lastly, tanks with inadequate lighting or water may also cause a leopard gecko to become white and weak. In most cases, external parasites such as mites or bacteria can also lead to skin discoloration in leopard geckos due to inflammation caused by the parasites.
Below we discuss these causes in greater depth.
Why Is My Leopard Gecko Pale?
1. Tank Temperature
As a Leopard Gecko owner, one of the most important factors you can control is your leopard geckos’ tank temperature. If the tank temperature drops below the correct level, your gecko may start to show signs of inadequate care, such as a loss of skin color.
Leopard geckos are naturally tropical animals and need a tank that mimics their natural habitat as closely as possible.
For this reason, the tank should be kept at a temperature between 24-30 degrees Celsius, both in the basking area as well as its cool end. If the temperature drops below this level, your gecko may start to show signs of stress such as pale skin color and loss of appetite.
To ensure the temperature is at the correct level, place a thermometer in the cool end of the tank to check these levels quickly. Make sure to adjust heating if necessary so that the tank stays within this range all year round.
2. Improper Diet
Providing your leopard gecko with a nutritious diet is important for their overall health. A bad diet can cause your leopard gecko to turn pale and develop health problems such as Hepatic Lipidosis.
Fats and proteins are essential for a healthy diet, so it’s important to provide your pet with a variety of foods that include both. Insects, worms, and roaches should be coated in nutrients before being fed to your leopard gecko, as these creatures provide plenty of protein and other essential nutrients.
Make sure to check the quality of the food you purchase before giving it to your gecko, and be sure to provide frequent feeding opportunities so your pet can maintain a healthy body weight.
3. Environmental Stress
A leopard gecko’s skin color can change as a result of all of the factors working together. Leopard geckos can become stressed in a number of ways, including changes to their environment or diet.
The most common cause for a leopard gecko’s skin becoming pale is when their levels of stress grow too high. When this happens, the leopard gecko may become drowsy and reduce the amount of food it consumes.
This includes being awake less and spending more time hiding. The interaction of all these factors will have an effect on the color of the skin of your leopard geckos.
4. Dehydration
Leopard geckos are ectothermic animals that rely on their surroundings to regulate their body temperature. When the environment around them is too dry, leopard geckos will lose water and become pale in color.
This process can be reversed with proper care and monitoring, but if left unchecked, dehydration can cause serious health problems for your leopard gecko.
To prevent dehydration in your gecko, provide shallow water bowls in their enclosure on hotter days to allow them to bask in and sip the water to cool down.
Additionally, maintain a suitable humidity level in the tank, as your gecko will get the water from the droplets on the side of the tank. Misting is also a good option for providing correct moisture levels for your leopard gecko.
5. Diseases and Illness
There are many diseases that can affect leopard geckos in captivity, including mouth rot, malnutrition, and Hypovitaminosis.
Mouth rot is a bacterial infection of the mouth that can be fatal to leopard geckos if not treated. It is caused by bacteria and can be deadly if not treated quickly.
To prevent mouth rot, make sure your leopard gecko has access to adequate water and softer food that doesn’t contain large pieces. If your leopard gecko does get mouth rot, give them antibiotics and consult with a vet about other treatment options.
Malnutrition is another common disease affecting leopard geckos in captivity. Malnutrition can lead to mouth rot, difficulty breathing, weight loss, and more serious health problems down the road.
To prevent malnutrition in your reptile pet, make sure they have access to fresh vegetables and fruit as well as high-quality hay or pellets. If your leopard gecko does start showing signs of malnutrition, consult with a vet about possible treatments.
Hypovitaminosis A is an issue that can occur when a gecko doesn’t get enough vitamin A in their diet. This can lead to abnormalities in the skin, eyes, and bones.
Why Is My Leopard Gecko Turning White?
It’s normal for their skin to turn white and start loosening before shedding time, and this is what’s happening. The top layer of the skin will slowly loosen, making space for the new one.
Shedding is a natural process geckos go through as they grow out their old skin to make space for a new one. This typically happens over several days or weeks, but can vary depending on the individual gecko. You may notice some small pieces of the old skin falling off throughout this time period.
Below we discuss the reason your gecko is turning white.
It’s Shedding Time
The process of shedding, or sloughing, is when a reptile sheds its skin. It is a way to eliminate any unwanted debris or parasites on their skin. Also, it’s a way for them to renew their skin cells.
Leopard geckos, like all reptiles, have an outer layer of scales that provide protection against the elements and keep moisture from escaping their bodies. Most reptiles shed their skin throughout their lives as they grow and change.
For adult leopard geckos, shedding occurs 2-3 times per year. Juvenile animals tend to shed more frequently, sometimes up to once a week. The amount an animal sheds also depends on how healthy they are. A sick or stressed animal often sheds more frequently than a healthy one.
To ensure they have a smooth shedding, ensure the enclosure is humid enough and the moist hide is damp, making your geckos’ skin more supple and easy to peel off.
Shedding is a natural process and should not make you worry. However, if you notice your gecko losing large patches of skin or they seems to be having difficulty shedding, it could be a sign of something more serious, and you should take them to a veterinarian.
How Can You Help Your Leopard Gecko to Shed Its’ Skin?
While sloughing is a natural process, occasionally, your gecko will not shed the whole of its old skin, and you’ll notice shreds of shed stuck to the tail, toes, or lower body. Maintaining the right humidity and moisture are some of the things that can help your gecko shed quickly. Let’s talk about this in greater depth.
1. Maintain the Right Moisture in Their Enclosure
It is recommended that you should have a calm and warm hide in your gecko’s tank. During sloughing, it would help to add a moist hide too. If the space in your gecko’s tank is limited, you can use damp tissue paper to serve as a wet hide.
Sphagnum moss is also used to provide moisture where your pet can stay when it’s shedding. Also, you can use a spray bottle to mist the enclosure so that your pet can enjoy the dampness, as moisture helps your gecko shed more quickly.
2. Create Dark Hiding Spots
Leopard geckos remain in their hiding spots while they shed their skin. Therefore, you can place your gecko in a smaller enclosure and the tank in a dark, breathable area.
3. Minimize Physical Contact
Your gecko will avoid company during the shedding process. You will notice your tiny friend seems lethargic or aggressive when you try to get into contact with them.
It’s best to give them space and let them get on with shedding. After all, your gecko will return to its’ usual self once it’s done shedding.
4. Place Rough Objects In It’s Enclosure
Leopard geckos use the barks of trees to rub against themselves in the wild during shedding. Therefore, placing pieces of deco, rough stones, and branches that your gecko can use to rub itself against is essential.
5. Offer Treats
Leopard geckos eat less or nothing at all during the sloughing process. Introducing treats will entice them to eat and make their experience a little less painful. Gut-loaded cricket and a succulent mixture of worms are good ideas.
What Do You Do If Your Leopard Gecko’s Skin Gets Stuck?
Leopard geckos’ shedding begins a few days after they become pale, and it takes about 24 hours to get out of its’ old skin. As tempting as it might be to help speed the process, kindly let your pet do the work.
But if, after 24 hours, the skin is not shed entirely, you may need to help get it out. The skin around the toes is often challenging to shed, causing blood circulation problems which can result in your gecko losing their toes.
The unshed skin also irritates and may result in further behavioral changes. Pull the skin away gently to help your gecko remove the remaining stuck shed. However, in some cases, the skin is quite stuck, and you must soak your gecko in a shallow bowl of warm water for about 30 minutes.
The water will help loosen the skin, and you can gently use tweezers to remove the remaining shed. If the skin still does not come off, repeat the process until it’s all gone.
You can also use cotton swabs to rub away the remaining shed gently. Just remember to be gentle while doing it to avoid hurting your gecko.