Leopard geckos shed regularly just like other lizards. But sometimes, you might notice your leopard gecko shedding too much, or shedding a lot and not eating. In this post, we will discuss why some leopard geckos shed so much and what shedding rates are normal.
Why do leopard geckos shed?
Leopard geckos shed throughout their lives because their bodies are constantly growing. When a leopard gecko’s body gets bigger, it sheds the skin because it outgrows it.
How often do leopard geckos shed?
Leopard geckos can shed as often as every 1-2 weeks, or around once a month. How often leopard gecko is shedding will also depend on its age. Young leopard geckos are growing faster, so they will be shedding more often than adults.
Why does my leopard gecko shed so much?
Your leopard gecko can shed more often when it is actively growing. There is nothing wrong with your leopard gecko shedding every two weeks. Very young leopard geckos can even shed every week!
There is no defined schedule for your leopard gecko’s shedding, and your leopard gecko will shed when the skin is too tight on its body.
Your leopard gecko will become dull and its skin will appear white before it sheds. Some leopard geckos will shed entirely in one hour or even less, while others can take up to a day.
Leopard gecko shedding a lot and not eating?
You might start worrying if your leopard gecko is shedding very often and not eating much. Most leopard geckos go off food for few days before and after the shedding, and it is normal.
Don’t forget that your leopard gecko will also eat its own shedding skin, so its belly will be full with it for some time.
However, if your leopard gecko is not eating a week after the shedding has finished and is losing weight, you should take it to the vet. This is especially true if there are other alarming symptoms such as lethargy, blood in the stools and others.
Make sure that your leopard gecko is not eating only because of shedding. That is because there can be other reasons that might cause your leopard gecko to stop eating. These include low temperatures, parasites, impaction, stress and more. You can read a full post on reasons for leopard geckos not eating here.
How to help your leopard gecko with shedding?
If after a day of shedding you can see stuck pieces of skin on leopard gecko’s head, toes or tail, make sure to remove it. Retained shed can otherwise constrict the blood flow and cause dead toes, tail rot and swelling.
You can help your leopard gecko shed or to remove stuck skin by spraying shed aid like this on the skin and rubbing it gently. Spraying is slightly better than bathing your leopard gecko to aid with shedding.
Never pull dry skin, always moisturize it before using fingers or tweezers to remove small pieces that are stuck.
Another important thing to remember is that you must create a humid hide for your leopard gecko. A humid hide should be a box filled with moist substrate. Your leopard gecko will sit in there while shedding, to get more moisture in the skin.
You can find an interesting and helpful post on how to make a humid hide for your leopard gecko here.