Those who want a clear window into the health of their leopard gecko should start by monitoring their reptile’s bowel movements and poop.
This will help you realize whether there are issues with your enclosure, their diet, or if they consumed something they shouldn’t have.
Be sure to monitor their enclosure for signs of healthy poop carefully.
Healthy leopard gecko poop is typically dark brown at the bottom, with the top one-third being white or yellow (the urates). You may also see a small amount of liquid pee. Leopard gecko poop smell is typically mild and dissipates after some time in the enclosure.
This leopard geckos poop guide will give you everything you need to know for more information on the color of your Leopard gecko’s poop.
Table of Contents
Leopard Gecko Poop Chart
Colors of Poop | Causes of Poop Variations |
---|---|
Not pooping | Impaction Dehydration Incorrect tank temperature |
White | Consumption of shed skin Consumption of loose substrate such as sand |
Grey | Consumption of shed skin Excess calcium or minerals in the diet |
Green | Consumption of green substrate Change in diet Parasitic infections or bacterial infections |
Yellow | Dehydration Too many vitamins Parasites |
Undigested insects in poop | Improper basking temperatures Impaction Internal parasites |
Healthy Leopard Gecko Poop
Healthy leopard gecko poop should be darker and look like a sausage roll. It should generally be brown at the poop end of the bowel movement. Black poop isn’t a worry, as it’s likely a very dark brown.
If you are concerned about your adult leopard gecko’s poop, you need to be aware of what a healthy bowel movement looks like.
By keeping an eye on leopard gecko’s poop health, you will have clear insight as to whether something is bothering them or if they are unhealthy.
Normal leopard gecko poop has poop, urates, and sometimes liquid pee.
As you might have guessed, most of their bowel movements are typically made up of poop.
Further up, you will see the light yellow or white part known as the urates.
This is solid pee that comes out as part of their bowel movement.
In most cases, leopard geckos do not urinate to eliminate excess water.
Their bodies use every drop because they are primarily found in desert regions with little freshwater.
Instead, they pass their uric acid and wastes from their body in a solid form known as the urates.
However, you may sometimes find some liquid pee along with their poop.
A small amount of urine is nothing to worry about if your gecko is relatively healthy.
It may be just a few drops and hardly noticeable, especially if the substrate in your enclosure has soaked it up.
This may make them have soft poops.
Normal leopard gecko poop does not have a noticeable odor.
You may notice a slight smell if the healthy poop is fresh, but the smell will fade the longer it sits in the enclosure.
Most of the time, you will not notice the Leopard gecko poop smell unless you are close to a fresh stool sample.
As you might imagine, it is best to clean Leo poop out of the enclosure as soon as possible, even if it means spot cleaning the enclosure.
Occasionally, you want also to take a normal leopard gecko poop sample to your local reptile veterinarian.
This is especially important if you just brought them home from the pet store and have other lizards in your home.
You must collect the poop in a small plastic baggie or a plastic container.
Ensure you do not touch it with your hands when picking it up, as this can contaminate the sample.
You also do not want to use a paper towel to move the sample.
Do your best to scoop it up using just the container and lid or pick it up using the baggie turned inside out.
Store it in the refrigerator overnight until you arrive at the clinic to drop off their fecal sample.
This helps to test for parasitic infections that could be passed to other reptiles in the home and ensure your leopard gecko’s health.
It should be taken to the veterinarian for testing within 24 hours of collecting the sample.
Leopard Gecko Not Pooping
If your leopard gecko has not pooped for several days, you may need to take them to a veterinarian. This is because they could be impacted, dehydrated, or the temperature in the enclosure may not be appropriate. Getting to the bottom of it is vital for the gecko’s health.
The frequency of poop can vary depending on the age of your gecko.
Hatchlings and juvenile geckos typically go to the bathroom more often.
They may even go several times a day.
A baby gecko tends to eat more, so it makes sense they would also use the bathroom more frequently.
Juvenile leopard geckos who go a few days without pooping should see a veterinarian.
An adult gecko may choose to eat just once every two to three days.
As you might imagine, this means they will have less food in their system and a decreased need to poop.
They may only go to the bathroom once every several days.
If you notice your adult gecko has not gone to the bathroom in seven to eight days, there could be something seriously wrong with your lizard.
Even if the poop bits come out in pieces for a prolonged period, it’s time to take note.
This should be cause for concern.
A new gecko may still be stressed out from moving to a new location and enclosure.
This could result in a loss of appetite for the first week or so.
If you recently purchased your gecko and it has yet to go to the bathroom, it may not be a huge concern just yet.
Keep an eye on poop health and do your best to encourage them to eat.
If the problem persists, consider taking them to an experienced lizard veterinarian to investigate the issue and ensure there is no other reason for their lack of appetite.
If your gecko is not new and still has not pooped in seven to eight days, it is time to take further action.
It could result from impaction, dehydration, or improper tank temperatures.
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Impaction
Impaction is a fancy term meaning there is a blockage in the digestive system.
In most cases, this is caused by a gecko who consumed loose substrate such as sand from the bottom of their enclosure.
This loose substrate blocks digestion and keeps them from going to the bathroom.
It might be pretty uncomfortable for them and needs to be addressed.
In the worst cases, you’ll see bloody poop.
Bloody leopard gecko poop requires a vet call, at the very least.
You may want to give them a warm bath while gently massaging the belly area.
This can sometimes help pass the blockage, but it is not always successful.
If this does not help your leopard gecko, you need to take them to a veterinarian to potentially schedule surgery to remove the loose substrate or whatever is blocking them.
Further Reading: Leopard gecko impaction and treatment
Dehydration
Another cause of not pooping is dehydration.
Many geckos will get a lot of the water they need from the insects they consume.
However, they still need to drink water from their dish as well.
If your leopard gecko has been avoiding their freshwater, it could result in dehydration and prevent them from pooping.
Moisture is needed to get the firm stool to pass correctly through the digestive system.
Without enough water in the diet, a dehydrated leopard gecko will have a more challenging time getting waste to leave the body.
Disruption of digestion messes with your pet’s dropping consistency.
Usually, it is easy to spot dehydration in your gecko. It typically results in sunken eyes, folded skin, or wrinkles.
If they pass some stool, you may notice it does not contain any urates (the white or yellow part of the healthy stool).
This is often a key indicator that your leopard gecko is not getting all the water it needs in its diet.
Incorrect Tank Temperature Vs. Correct Tank Temperature
Many new lizard owners are unaware of how vital the ideal temperature gradients and setup are in your enclosure.
An unhealthy poop is caused by something as simple as wrong temps in some cases.
Leopard geckos rely on ambient ground temperature to help process food through their digestive system rather than air temperature.
Though, this temp range is reached by a heat source usually in the air.
Further Reading: Leopard geckos and heat lamps
If the heat is too low, you might have a gecko who cannot digest his food properly and therefore has no bowel movements.
During the day, your daytime ground temperature should be close to 90Ā° degrees Fahrenheit (32Ā° C) on the warm side of the tank.
The cool side should be about ten degrees cooler at 80Ā° degrees Fahrenheit (27Ā° C).
The enclosure temperature can dip into the 70Ā° degrees Fahrenheit (21Ā° C) range during the nighttime.
Further Reading: Complete leopard gecko tank temperature guide
Leopard Gecko White Poop
Many owners mistake urates for white poop. However, if the poop is white, it could be from the gecko eating its shed and resolve in a few bowel movements. It also indicates they may have eaten some loose substrate, such as sand.
If you notice your leopard gecko has whitish poop, there are a few reasons this can occur.
First, you need to make sure you are not looking at urates.
This white to yellow excretion is a normal part of a healthy bowel movement for your gecko.
The urates generally are about one-third the size of the feces.
Sometimes, your gecko may have an all-white poop, but it may not be anything to be concerned about.
One of the most common reasons for whiter stool is what they eat.
They may have digested their discarded skin if they recently had a shed.
The result is white poop, but it is nothing to worry about.
It is just the undigested part of their skin.
Their poop may be white or grey if this is the culprit.
A more worrisome reason for white poop is if they have been consuming loose substrate.
Consider what you have been using as a substrate in your enclosure.
Light substrates such as sand can lead to impaction.
As your leopard gecko attempts to pass the obstruction, it may come out as white poop.
If you notice this happening, the best thing to do is switch the substrate to something they cannot consume, such as ceramic tile.
Impaction is a serious issue often requiring surgery, so you must take every precaution to prevent this from occurring.
Leopard Gecko Grey Poop
Grey leopard gecko poop is often caused by eating shed skin. If this is the case, it should resolve itself within two to three bowel movements. If it does not resolve itself, there may be excess calcium or minerals in your gecko’s diet, which need to be adjusted.
It is not uncommon to find your leopard gecko has grey or clay-colored poop as well.
Fortunately, this is nothing to be concerned about.
It frequently happens due to consuming their shed and should resolve itself in days.
Leopard geckos love to eat their sheds, so be sure to keep an eye on this behavior.
If they recently lost their skin and then have grey poop, this is likely the culprit.
Another common culprit of grey poop is excess calcium or minerals.
If you frequently feed calcium-dusted insects or add supplements to your gecko’s food, this grey poop could be the result.
Consider whether you have recently changed your gecko’s diet, which would result in him receiving an excess of calcium or some other mineral.
Further Reading: How often do leopard geckos eat?
You may want to attempt to modify their diet and cut back on any supplementation you have been using to see if the poop returns to dark brown or black poop color with the white or yellow urates.
As long as black colors of poop aren’t caused by bloody poop, that is.
Balancing your gecko’s diet is a bit overwhelming if you are a new owner.
There are no real one-size-fits-all answers for how much calcium is too much for your gecko.
It is an individualized process to figure out what works for them.
It might be helpful to book an appointment with an experienced veterinarian to review the diet you have been giving them and see if there is any way to improve on it for the overall health of your leopard gecko.
Leopard Gecko Green Poop
Green leopard gecko poop may be caused when your pet eats green substrates such as moss or colored sand. A change in diet might result in loose stool as well. If the problem does not resolve quickly, you may look at parasitic infections or bacterial infections, which a veterinarian should examine.
Green poop can have many causes.
The first consideration is they may have ingested some of their substrates.
You need to consider what is included in their enclosure to determine if they could have ingested something to cause their green stool.
Colored sand, moss, and even paper towels can all be behind the green poop.
So using those cheap and extra paper rolls aren’t always a good idea.
It might be harder to tell if this is the cause if you recently purchased your leopard gecko.
It might be worth making a phone call to the pet store or the breeder to find out what substrate was in the enclosure at the last location.
This can give you key information about just what your gecko may or may not have ingested.
Another common cause of green poop is a change in diet.
Even a healthy gecko may struggle to adapt to a new diet.
The flora in their gut needs time to adjust to the change.
In the meantime, they may have difficulty digesting their food, causing it to run through digestion faster than usual.
This often results in diarrhea or loose poop.
Runny stools or watery stools are big problems.
They indicate water loss in your pet.
Squishy stool or soft stool is less of a concern.
Why does this cause the poop to turn green?
This occurs because the bile from the gallbladder, which helps digest the food, does not have an opportunity to get broken down.
As a result, the green color of the bile colors diarrhea and turns the poop green.
While white and grey poop may not be something to be concerned about, green poop is a different story.
It will often turn green if something is majorly wrong with your lizard.
In some cases, green stool indicates they may have a parasitic infection.
Give your lizard a chance to work through the other potential causes.
If they still have green stool in a week or so, you need to take them to the veterinarian to treat their infection.
Leopard Gecko Yellow Poop
Yellow poop, particularly the urates, is often caused by either dehydration or too many vitamins. Consider adjusting your enclosure to give them access to more water or moisture and changing their diet to correct this issue. Parasites may also cause yellow poop.
While it could be normal to have a slight yellow tint to the urates, an overwhelming yellow color usually indicates dehydration.
Some owners do not feed their leopard geckos daily, so they may not inspect the cage daily.
As a result, your gecko may be low on water for a day or two until you feed them again.
Please make an effort to check their water dish daily.
They also need a moist hide to help restore water to their bodies.
Either purchase or repurpose a container to be used as a hide.
If repurposing a container, be sure to cut a large hole in it for your gecko to enter and exit from.
Please ensure no jagged edges could cut your gecko’s skin as they crawl over it.
Line the hide with a substrate that holds moisture but does not grow mold easily, such as moss or paper towels.
You should always place it on the warm side of the enclosure.
Fortunately, telling whether your leopard gecko is dehydrated is relatively simple.
Beyond yellow stool, they frequently exhibit other symptoms of dehydration.
For example, they may have sunken eyes or a type of sticky mucus in their mouths.
If it is shedding time, they may have difficulty getting their shed off entirely in one piece as they usually do.
Sometimes, yellow poop signals your gecko is receiving too many vitamins.
Consider whether you recently changed their diets, such as dusting feeder insects with calcium powder or something similar.
If so, then you may be looking at an excess of vitamins.
Either consult a veterinarian about the dietary changes or switch back to feeding them before the yellow stool.
Of course, yellow poop could also signify a parasitic infection.
Collecting a fecal sample from your gecko and taking it to the veterinarian for testing is best.
Remember not to touch the sample of poop for testing with your hands.
Pick it up in a plastic baggie or place it in a plastic container for transport.
Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before taking it to the vet.
Never place it in the freezer.
Undigested Insects And Leopard Geckos
Undigested insects in leopard gecko stool might result from improper basking temperatures in the enclosure. It could also be caused by internal parasites or impaction. Evaluate their surroundings and consider taking a stool sample to the veterinarian.
In addition to differently colored stool samples, you might also notice undigested insects in their poop from time to time.
One of the most common reasons for this is improper conditions in the enclosure.
If the basking area is not warm enough, it can interfere with their digestive tract.
The ideal temperature for the basking area should be between 87 to 90Ā° degrees Fahrenheit (32Ā° C).
Undigested larger insects in the poop may be caused by impaction.
Be sure to inspect the poop to see any substrate in the droppings.
This only applies if you are using a loose substrate such as sand.
If you find signs of the substrate in the poop, then switch to a different substrate, such as tile or paper towel.
Last but not least, this might be caused by internal parasites interfering with the digestive process.
If the issue persists beyond one or two bowel movements and the other factors are not causing it, be sure to collect a sample and take it to the veterinarian for testing.
Understanding Leopard Gecko’s Poop
As a leopard gecko parent, keeping an eye on your little one’s waste can give you valuable insights into their overall health and well-being.
We’ve put together a comprehensive guide that delves into everything you need to know about leopard gecko poop, from what healthy waste should look like to how to spot potential problems. We’ve even included some handy charts to help you understand your gecko’s digestive health and ensure they live their best life.
Whether you’re new to the world of reptile ownership or a seasoned pro, this friendly resource will be your go-to reference for understanding and addressing your leopard gecko’s bathroom behaviors!