It is normal for a leopard gecko to shed its skin throughout its life. It is actually a sign that your gecko is happy and healthy. Let’s take a look at this issue in more detail. Do leopard geckos eat their shed? And do they experience any health problems when shedding their skin?
Leopard Gecko’s Shedding: The Normal Process
You will not find much information on the Internet about this. It is because many people do not pay attention to their leopard geckos when they shed their skin. They probably only notice the skin lying around and leave it there for a few days. The fact is that shedding is a natural process which happens every few weeks, or even several times a week, if your leopard gecko is healthy. During this process, your gecko will shed its old skin and grow new one. This is called ecdysis in scientific terms.
What happens to the Leopard Gecko shed?
The old skin will be replaced by a new one and your gecko will feel much lighter after shedding its skin. In the wild, leopard geckos shed in the sand. They dig a hole and bury their skin there. In captivity, they will simply leave their skin lying around. Some prefer to eat it or at least nibble on it a little bit.
Health Problems Caused by Shedding
Leopard geckos do not experience any health problems when shedding their skin. There are many online sources which claim that shedding is one of the most stressful events for a leopard gecko and that you should never disturb your gecko during this process. This is not true. It only means that some owners are not paying attention to their pets during this process, which is completely normal and does not require any special action from you. When your gecko is shedding, leave him alone and the process will occur naturally and be stress free.
If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about What do Leopard Geckos eat?