You might already know that leopard geckos shed their skin. But why and how do they do this? I tell you all about it in this blog post.
Facts
It is normal for leopard geckos to eat very little (or nothing) around shedding time.
It takes a lot of energy and time, it can take up to 24 hours for them to shed. DO NOT TAKE OFF THE SKIN YOURSELF. Your gecko knows what he’s doing. If after 48 hours, there is still some skin stuck to your gecko, you should gently help him get it off. But never peel of the skin when you’re gecko is still shedding!
A humid hide is extremely important! It will help your gecko shed and help avoid stuck shed. (more on that later)
Why do geckos shed?
When leopard geckos grow, their skin doesn’t grow with them. They literally outgrow their own skin. So they shed this outer layer of skin to expose the new, looser skin.
They eat their skin because it is filled with minerals. But in the wild, it also helps them to hide from predators. Leaving shed skin behind would alert predators.
Stuck shed
It can sometimes happen that there is some stuck shed on your gecko’s toes, tail, nose… A humid hide is key in preventing this from happening too often, but some geckos just have a harder time shedding then others and will need some assistence. You have to help your gecko if they have stuck shed. Not getting it off could have serious consequences, like their toes falling off because of blood flow restriction.
A helpful video on removing stuck shed from Leopard Gecko on Youtube:
→ GIVING A GECKO A BATH – Removing Stuck Shedded Skin!
Preventing stuck shed with a humid hide
Why is a humid hide so important?
A humid hide is an essential item in your leopard gecko enclosure. Your gecko will need to make use of it during shedding. Without it, there’s a higher chance that there will be stuck shed on their toes, nose, tail…
You don’t even have to buy a humid hide, you can easily make one yourself. If you’re interested in making one CLICK HERE to read my blog post on a DIY humid hide.
Photos
In between the following photos are a few hours. ↓
The shedding begins ↓
All done! ↓
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