Raising and taking care of leopard geckos is usually pretty straight forward.
They are one of the easiest reptiles to keep in captivity, and are often recommended as great lizards for first time pet reptile owners.
Despite their typical ease of care, there are still times when they can be a challenge. One of those times is when they stop eating.
There are a number of reasons why a leopard gecko won’t eat.
- Brumation
- Ovulation
- Improper temperature
- Stress
- Bullying from other leopard geckos
- Illnesses
- Injuries
- A change in environment
- Sometimes they are just picky eaters
- Over feeding
I want to cover each of these issues with you, and just as importantly, provide solutions to help you get your gecko back on track.
I also recommend reading my article on raising leopard geckos to ensure that you are providing them with the best care possible.
1. A Leopard Gecko Will Stop Eating During Brumation
This is one of the most common reasons why these little guys won’t eat, especially if you are providing the proper husbandry and they are showing no signs of illness.
Brumation is like hibernation for reptiles.
It’s a period when they slow down their metabolism, become much less active, and stop eating. And just like hibernation, this occurs during the colder months.
Even if you are maintaining the proper temperatures and humidity levels for your lizard, their bodies may still feel the winter months and they end up brumating. Think about it. Even if you don’t go outside, you can still tell when it’s winter.
There’s a chill in the air, the days are shorter, the air is dryer.
You KNOW when it’s winter, and so do they.
If it’s winter and your gecko has stopped eating, I wouldn’t worry about it as long as they are showing no signs of illness. Continue to monitor their weight, provide them with clean water and calcium, and continue offering food.
You can expect the brumation period to last 2-3 months. They may take an occasional meal, or may not eat at all.
2. Leopard Geckos May Stop Eating During Ovulation
A few weeks after the brumation period, these lizards go into a period of ovulation.
This is when the females bodies are preparing for mating.
Just like during brumation, you will probably find that your gecko isn’t interested in food during ovulation.
Unlike brumation however, you will notice that your lizard is much more active. Their metabolism hasn’t slowed, and they might be out and about exploring their cage while refusing to eat.
This is still normal leopard gecko behavior, and is nothing to worry about.
Ovulation usually lasts for a few weeks.
3. Improper Temperature Can Cause A Gecko To Not Eat
The optimal temperature range for leopard geckos is 75-85 degrees.
Much higher than that and they are seeking shelter to escape the heat. Much lower and they are seeking warmth.
More importantly, once they get down to around 70 degrees their metabolism begins to slow and they won’t digest food, which in turn means they will stop eating.
Most guides will tell you that you want a basking area in the 90’s, and that you can have a cool side of the cage closer to 70 degrees.
This is true.
The reason you have a a range slightly outside of their optimal temperature is so your leopard gecko can pick a spot it is most comfortable at.
They need to thermoregulate their bodies, which means their temperature is directly impacted by whatever the surrounding temperature is at the time.
Leopard geckos in the wild mostly hunt at dusk and dawn.
During the heat of the day they will typically retreat to a shelter to stay cool.
They don’t bask in the sun in the wild very often either, so it is a good idea to use under tank heaters to provide warmth.
4. Your Leopard Gecko May Stop Eating When Stressed
These lizards are fairly shy and reclusive in the wild.
In captivity they might become accustomed to handling, but too much activity going on in the room can still lead to high levels of stress.
People moving around, other animals playing, basically any movement or activity that your gecko can see might lead to stress.
I always recommend using a cage set up that is enclosed on three sides, with just the front being transparent. You can still look in the front to watch and enjoy your pet, but they will be unable to see any activity going on in the room other than what is happening right in front of their cage.
Other stress factors that can cause a gecko to not eat could include:
- Too much handling
- An enclosure that is too crowded
- Constantly changing the décor in the enclosure
- Too much noise in the room
- Inadequate hide box
Your gecko wants to feel safe before it will eat.
5. Bullying Can Cause A Leopard Gecko To Stop Eating
It is common to house multiple leopard geckos together. Especially if you plan on breeding them.
There are some limits and guidelines to follow when you are doing this. I go into greater details about this in the care guide I linked at the top of this page, but here are the basics.
- Provide 5 gallons of space per adult gecko at a bare minimum. More would be better.
- Sexually mature males should never be left alone in the same enclosure.
- You can house one male with up to three females.
- You can house 3-5 females only in the same enclosure.
- Any leopard geckos kept in the same enclosure should be roughly the same size.
Any time you stray outside of these guidelines you are risking the chance that one of your lizards is going to become a victim of bullying.
Males for example, are very territorial when it comes to other males. And larger geckos, regardless of their gender, are prone to bullying smaller ones.
A gecko that is being bullied will most likely stop eating.
6. Sick Leopard Geckos Often Stop Eating
One of the first signs that there is something wrong with your gecko is usually when it stops eating. This is why many experienced reptile owners keep a feeding journal, and consistently monitor and record the weight of their animals.
The sooner an illness is caught, the more likely it is that you can save your pet.
Leopard geckos are a relatively hardy and healthy species of lizard, but there are still a variety of illnesses that they are susceptible to.
- Respiratory infections – These are typically caused from the lizard being kept in an enclosure with improper temperature, or humidity levels. This can also be a result of drafts. Keep your enclosures away from doors, windows or vents, especially if there is cold air coming from them.
- Intestinal impaction – This is basically severe constipation. If your gecko ingests things like sand when it is catching and eating its prey, it can cause a build up over time which leads this illness.
- Chronic malnutrition – Leopard geckos should be given supplements in addition to the insects they eat. This would include “gut-loading” insects prior to feeding, calcium, vitamin D3, and potentially multivitamins including vitamins A and E.
- Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism – This is another disease caused from a poor diet. Leopard geckos benefit from a variety of insects rather than just being fed crickets or mealworms.
I want to point out that even though the majority of illnesses are easily prevented with proper care and husbandry, it is still possible they can just naturally become sick on their own. It isn’t always your fault.
My point however, is to be mindful of the fact that a sick lizard will often stop eating, so always monitor your pet.
7. An Injured Leopard Gecko May Not Eat
You would think that a lizard kept in a nice safe enclosure would be impervious to injuries but it does happen.
For starters, leopard geckos aren’t the most accurate hunters. They get an A for effort, but these hilarious little guys are not always the best at catching their prey. It’s not uncommon to see them make a valiant leap…and end up face planting against a rock or wall. OUCH!
Then there’s always the risk of them getting injured if they are dropped. Sometimes accidents happen!
Regardless of the cause, an injured lizard might not eat.
8. A Change In Environment Can Cause A Leopard Gecko To Fast
You may not realize this, but leopard geckos are known for spreading their scent.
Males do this as a way to mark their territory, and to let females know that they are around and available for mating. Females do it to mark their territory and become familiar with it.
When a leopard gecko’s environment is completely changed, and the scent is gone, they may go through a period of refusing food as they claim (or reclaim) their territory.
This can happen if you change enclosures, change a lot of the décor in an enclosure, or when you are bringing in a new gecko and introducing it to its new home.
There is nothing wrong with this. It is normal leopard gecko behavior.
9. Some Leopard Geckos Can Be Picky Eaters
One of the challenges many reptile owners face is getting their new pet to eat. This is why you will often see breeders advertising that their reptiles have eaten.
This is typically not an issue for leopard geckos. They are known for having a hardy appetite.
Sometimes however, your gecko may just get tired of the food you are offering it. In the wild they have a plethora of insects to choose from.
Their natural diet consists of a wide variety of insects, not just crickets or mealworms.
If your lizard has stopped eating and none of the other things I have mentioned seem to be the problem, try offering them something different to eat.
Beyond crickets and mealworms, there are Dubia roaches, superworms and one of the healthiest worms of all, the hornworm.
You can also feed silk worms, but they are a little more fatty and a little less healthy for your gecko. Wax worms are also extremely fatty, and not the good kind of fat either! Keep the feeding of these worms to a minimum. (like once per week or less)
10. Overfeeding A Leopard Gecko Can Cause It To Refuse Food
The final cause of a leopard gecko not eating is overfeeding.
If you see insect bodies in their stool that have not been completely digested, or worse yet, if you see your gecko throwing up after eating, this could be a sign of overfeeding.
Be sure to follow the recommendations of my guide to learn everything you need to know about feeding these lizards.
Summary
It’s possible for there to be a reason your gecko stops eating that I haven’t mentioned, but not likely.
The things I have talked about in this article cover 99% of what could cause a leopard gecko to stop eating.
Even with the best husbandry, its not uncommon for these guys to stop eating for short periods of time and there is nothing wrong with that.
Just make sure you are aware, you are monitoring, and you are able to uncover the reason why for your specific pet.