How often do leopard geckos poop? The answer may surprise you! What is the frequency of leopard gecko defecation?

This might seem like a silly question, but it is actually very important for leopard gecko owners to know.

Leopard geckos have unique digestive systems, and their pooping frequency can vary depending on their age, size, activity level, and diet.

By monitoring your leopard gecko’s poop, you can detect any signs of illness or infection early and take appropriate action.

Leopard geckos are fairly clean pets as reptiles go, but like all animals, they do poop on a regular basis.

Leopard geckos poop about once per day. If they are pooping substantially more or less frequently, it may indicate a health issue.

Healthy leopard gecko poop has two parts – black/brown feces and white urates. The feces should be solid and the urates chalky white. Abnormal colors may signal dehydration or health problems.

Leopard gecko poop has a mild odor that is not very noticeable. A particularly stinky poop suggests a problem like infection or parasite overgrowth.

You may see traces of undigested insect parts like legs or wings. This is normal and not a concern. Loose feed substrate may also pass through.

Spot clean poop daily by scooping it out. Deep clean and disinfect the tank every 1-2 weeks as feces and urates allow bacteria to grow quickly.

How Often Do Leopard Geckos Poop?

Leopard geckos poop often once a day. Their poop is made up of two parts – a black or brown part that is their feces, and a white part that is their urates (byproduct of filtering their blood).

Younger, baby leopard geckos may eliminate waste a little more often than adult leopard geckos.

Leopard geckos that are actively eating more frequently may poop more often.

An unhealthy leopard gecko that is having issues with digestion or constipation may not poop as regularly.

A healthy adult leopard gecko usually will pass one solid, well-formed poop about every 24 hours. The poop is composed of two parts – darker brown feces and white urates.

Abnormal poop frequency for a leopard gecko would be more than 2-3 times per day or only pooping once every 3-4 days. Odd changes in poop regularity can suggest illness or other issues, so it’s important to monitor your pet’s habits.

If your leopard gecko’s pooping pattern seems off, or if the consistency and appearance of the poop changes, a trip to the exotic vet is a good idea. Catching problems early makes them more treatable, improving quality of life.

Leopard Gecko Poop Chart

Here is a leopard gecko poop health chart:

Leopard Gecko Poop Visual Guide

Healthy Poop

Appearance:

• Brown, solid, well-formed feces
• Chalky white urates
• Mild odor

Frequency:

• Once per day on average

Indicates:

• Healthy leopard gecko

Abnormal Poop

Appearance:

• Runny, liquid diarrhea
• Constipation/straining
• Unusual coloration
• Excessively stinky
• Presence of parasites

Frequency:

• No poop for 3-4 days
• Pooping 3+ times per day

Indicates:

• Parasite infection
• Stress
• Dehydration
• Impaction risk
• Other illness

If you notice any abnormal poop, schedule a vet appointment immediately. Catching issues early makes treatment easier.

Use this chart as a quick visual guide to monitor your leopard gecko’s waste and determine if intervention is needed. Healthy poop is brown and white, mostly solid, and passed about once per day.

Why Isnt My Leopard Gecko Pooping?

Constipation or Impaction are the most likely cause of a leopard gecko not pooping. Constipation is often caused by dehydration, cooler tank temperatures, lack of exercise, or high indigestible fiber content in feeder insects. In severe cases it can turn into impaction.

Leopard geckos tend to poop less right before going into a shed cycle. Their metabolism slows temporarily. Pooping should resume normally once the old skin has been shed.

A female leopard gecko holding eggs will often stop pooping for a period of time leading up to egg laying. This is normal. Make sure she has an appropriate egg laying site available.

Leopard geckos in brumation poop less frequently and have slower digestion during this semi-hibernation state. Their pooping habits should normalize when brumation ends.

Diseases like parasites, infections, or metabolic disorders can prevent normal digestion and poop formation. These require veterinary diagnosis and care.

What Does Leopard Gecko Poop Look Like?

A healthy leopard gecko’s poop generally has two main parts – the dark feces and the white urates.

Feces:

• Brown, black, or dark olive green color
• Firm, solid, and well-formed – similar to a dog or cat stool
• May contain traces of insect exoskeletons, calcium powder, or bits of lining shed from the intestines

Urates:

• Chalky white color
• Semi-solid consistency
• Usually attaches to the feces in one end

The feces and urates are passed together, with the urates helping to slightly “glue” the poop together from moisture.

In total, a normal leopard gecko poop ranges from about 1-3 inches long. It should have a minimal odor. Any foul or very stinky poop indicates a potential health issue.

Abnormal poop colors like bright red, orange, yellow, or green hues usually mean something is wrong. Runny diarrhea, constipation, or poop containing blood or parasites also warrant medical attention from an exotic vet.

How to Clean Leopard Gecko Poop?

Here are some tips for safely and effectively cleaning leopard gecko poop:

1. Spot clean poop frequently. Scoop out feces and urates as soon as possible after noticing them. Don’t allow poop to dry out in the tank.
2. Use a desinfectant reptile cleaner and paper towels/rags to wipe the area where poop was. A 3% bleach or chlorhexidine solution works. This disinfects and removes germs.
3. Rinse the area very well after cleaning to eliminate any bleach/soap residue. Leftover chemicals can harm your gecko when ingested from licking tank surfaces.
4. Remove and replace substrate completely every 4-6 weeks. Feces and urates allow bacteria to multiply quickly in substrate like carpet or loose particle beddings.
5. Wash any logs, hides, plants, bowls from the habitat in hot soapy water. Rinse thoroughly and allow to fully dry before returning to the enclosure.
6. Always thoroughly wash your hands after handling your leopard gecko or cleaning its habitat. Reptile feces can contain salmonella.

Staying on top of daily spot cleaning and proper deep cleaning routines is essential to providing a healthy home for leopard geckos.

Do Leopard Geckos Eat Their Poop?

No, it is not normal for leopard geckos to eat their own poop.

• Healthy leopard geckos have no nutritional need to eat their own waste. In fact, eating poop could introduce harmful bacteria into their digestive system.
• Sometimes baby leopard geckos may sample and taste poop out of curiosity about their environment. But they should not actually consume significant quantities.
• Constant poop eating in adult leopard geckos can indicate a nutritional deficiency or metabolic issue causing unusual cravings.
• Parasites like crypto, giardia, or coccidia may also cause poop-eating behaviors if they irritate intestinal linings.
• Inappropriate supplement use can theoretically trigger pica-like poop eating due to mineral imbalances.

If you notice your leopard gecko eating its own poop often, take it to an exotic vet for evaluation. Fecal testing and treatment for potential parasites and nutritional supplementation may be necessary to curb the behavior.

FAQs

How long can leopard geckos go without pooping?

Healthy leopard geckos should poop about once per day. They can go 2-3 days without pooping before constipation sets in. After 3-4 days without passing waste, the risk of impaction and other health issues rises significantly.

How do I know if my leopard gecko is constipated?

Signs of constipation in leopard geckos include: straining to poop with little or no stools passed, loss of appetite, lethargy, and a swollen rear end. Passing very small, dehydrated looking poops can also indicate an issue.

How do I get my leopard gecko to poop?

To stimulate pooping, provide a warm bath in shallow water for 10-15 minutes, lightly massage the abdomen from top to bottom, and make sure the tank temperature is 88-93 F on the warm end. Increasing hydration can also help. See an exotic vet if problems persist over 48 hours.

Do geckos poop in the same spot?

Many leopard geckos tend to choose one area or corner of the habitat as their regular latrine or pooping spot. Keeping that corner clean and frequently spot cleaning other poops encourages this helpful pooping behavior that makes cleaning easier.

How Often Do Leopard Geckos Pee?

Leopard geckos do not actually pee in the same way that mammals urinate. Instead, they produce a white, chalky, semi-solid waste called urates. So technically, they don’t pee at all.

The urates part of their waste comes from filtered blood metabolites that concentrate in their cloaca before being eliminated alongside feces. It serves a similar purpose to pee in mammals.

Leopard geckos pass urates bundled together with their solid poop about once per day on average. The urates portion should be white or pale yellowish in color. Dark yellow, orange, or red urates can indicate dehydration issues.

If the urates accompany poop more often than about once daily, it likely signals a health problem causing diarrhea, digestion issues, or parasite overgrowth. Constipation can also sometimes lead to a gecko not passing urates as frequently due to difficulty eliminating wastes.

How Often Do Baby Leopard Geckos Poop?

Baby leopard geckos tend to poop a bit more frequently than adult geckos.

Here are some key points about how often baby leopard geckos poop:

• Age – Babies under 3-4 months old often poop about 2-3 times per day. Their digestive system is still developing.
• Juveniles 4-10 months usually poop about 1-2 times per day as they transition into adulthood.
• Adults over 1 year generally poop an average of once per day.
• Diet – Babies that are eating frequently will poop more often to eliminate excess waste. A growing leopard gecko passes more stool.
• Health Issues – Diarrhea or constipation can both disrupt normal pooping habits in young geckos as with adults. This warrants a vet visit.

It’s normal and expected for baby leopard geckos under a year old to poop multiple times daily as they eat and grow rapidly. Once adult size is reached around 10-12 months old, pooping frequency drops to about once daily on average for lifelong health.