Providing the correct leopard gecko temperature is crucial to your reptile’s health. Not only does it support digestion by providing the heat energy they need to metabolize food, but it also helps maintain the immune system and respiratory function as well as overall activity levels. Without the right habitat temperatures, your gecko is at an increased risk for illness and disease.
In captivity, a leopard gecko’s habitat should provide a thermal gradient between the cool side and warm side of their enclosure with a basking area at 90-95 F. Creating a proper temperature gradient can be done using a Zilla heat mat adhered to the bottom of the habitat all the way to one side or by setting up a ceramic heater in the tank. A digital point and shoot thermometer is recommended to measure air and surface temperatures.
It is recommended that you check your leopard gecko’s habitat temperatures daily. Ideally, each zone should have its own thermometer so you can see the results instantly.
Leopard geckos are ectothermic, meaning they rely on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature. To ensure your gecko has the proper heating, we recommend a light bulb or under tank heater set up over the warm side of their habitat with a ceramic heat emitter over the basking area. Be sure to use a dimming thermostat to control the heat source so your gecko is not getting too hot. It is also important to provide UVB lighting to your leopard gecko. During the day, UVB promotes healthy metabolic functions, including cellular health, bone growth and calcium absorption.