Geckos are popular pet lizards known for their large eyes, unique vocalizations, and ability to cling to smooth surfaces. However, one aspect of gecko care that often causes confusion is determining their age in human years. Since geckos have shorter average life spans than humans, calculating their equivalent age can be tricky.
To, find out the correct Gecko age in human years, we’ve created an accurate gecko age calculator.
Gecko Years to Human Years Calculator
Enter the Gecko Years in below age calculator to convert gecko age in human years.
Geckos are small to medium-sized lizards belonging to the family Gekkonidae. They are known for their adhesive toe pads that allow them to climb smooth surfaces and their vocalizations, which are often likened to a “gecko” sound.
Why the Confusion Exists
There are a few key reasons why confusion persists regarding gecko ages:
Different Growth Rates
Geckos reach full size faster than humans. While humans continue growing into their late teens, geckos are usually full grown within their first 1-2 years. This rapid development makes direct age conversion challenging.
Varied Lifespans Among Gecko Species
There are over 1,500 different gecko species, with lifespans ranging from 3-20 years. The wildly divergent average longevities contribute to the lack of consensus on gecko to human age conversion.
Minimum Research on Gecko Aging
Very few scientific studies have examined gecko aging. Without robust research on their developmental stages, it’s difficult to equate gecko and human lives accurately. More data is needed.
Expert Opinions on Conversion Rates
Expert veterinarians and gecko experts have shared guidelines for approximating gecko-to-human age based on common knowledge and experience.
1 Gecko Year = 7-10 Human Years
A common benchmark is that the first year of a gecko’s life is equal to 7-10 years of a human’s life. During this initial period, geckos reach maturity and experience rapid growth.
Slower Aging After Maturity
After reaching adulthood, geckos are thought to age at a slower pace than humans. Estimates range from 4-5 gecko years equaling 1 human year.
Lifespan:
Some experts recommend tailoring the conversion ratio to the gecko’s expected lifespan. For geckos living 3-6 years, use a 1:7 ratio. For 8-12 year species, use a 1:5 ratio. For 15-20+ year geckos, use a 1:4 ratio.
The lifespan of geckos varies significantly by species. Some common geckos and their lifespans include:
- Leopard Geckos: Can live up to 15-20 years in captivity.
- Crested Geckos: Typically live for about 15-20 years in captivity.
- House Geckos: Have an average lifespan of 5 years.
Maturity:
Most geckos reach sexual maturity by the age of 1 year.
Approach for Gecko Age Conversion:
Given the diversity in gecko species and their lifespans, it’s challenging to provide a one-size-fits-all conversion. However, for the sake of this exercise, we’ll take an average lifespan for a generic gecko as 15 years in captivity (as many geckos are popular pets and their lifespan in captivity is well-documented).
Conversion Formula for Geckos:
Considering the average human lifespan is roughly 80 years and the average lifespan of a generic gecko in captivity is about 15 years:
- Every 1 year of a gecko’s life is equivalent to 80/15 ≈ 5.33 human years.
Final Thoughts
General guidelines provide a rough estimate for converting gecko years to human years, the experts urge considering individual-specific factors as well. Elements like genetics, care quality, and breed can cause lifespans to vary.
To determine your gecko’s age in human years:
- Identify the gecko’s species and average lifespan. Use this to choose a starting conversion ratio.
- Consider your gecko’s health and husbandry. Well cared for geckos often exceed lifespan averages.
- Note developmental milestones. Look for physical and behavioral clues about your gecko’s stage of life.
- Consult exotic pet veterinarians to supplement your insight into your gecko’s estimated age.
With some background research and attention to individual characteristics, you can make educated guesses about your gecko’s age.
FAQs
How do I know how old my leopard gecko is?
If you obtained your leopard gecko from a breeder or pet store, they may be able to provide the hatch or purchase date. This gives an approximate age.
As a rough guide, leopard geckos reach these milestones:
- 0-1 years old: juveniles under 6 inches long.
- 1-3 years old: sub-adults reaching full size.
- 3+ years old: adults over 6 inches long.
You can also look for signs of aging like reduced activity, duller skin, cataracts, and weight loss to distinguish babies and juveniles from adults.
Without an exact hatch date, it can be difficult to determine precise age but size and life stage can give a general estimate. Vet exams can also assess approximate age.
100 Gecko years to human years
The age of 100 gecko years is approximately equivalent to 533 human years.
Leopard gecko years to human years
For leopard geckos specifically, the first 1-3 years approximately equate to 5-15 human years in terms of growth and development.
After maturity, each leopard gecko year is loosely comparable to around 4-5 human years in aging rate.
A 5 year old leopard gecko may be similar to a 30 year old human while a 10 year old leopard gecko is analogous to a 50 year old human. But this is an inexact comparison.
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