Every leopard gecko keeper wants the best for their pets. I want a happy, healthy, and strong gecko, and so do you. It is, for this reason, you should keep track of your pet’s health. One way of doing this is checking and keeping track of leopard gecko poop.
Sounds gross, but you have to do it. Otherwise, you won’t know how your leopard gecko is fairing health-wise.
Are we going to talk about poop now? Absolutely! 🙂 I will walk you through how leopard gecko poop should look like, how often a leopard gecko passes stool, why your gecko is not pooping, and everything else you need to know.
Contents
What Does Normal Leopard Gecko Poop Look Like?
Knowing the color and texture of leopard gecko poop is quite important. You can easily tell whether your gecko is healthy or even feeding well.
Normal poop should be well-formed, solid, and have a dark color. You’ll also notice that the poop has three different parts; there is the dark or brownish part, a small white/yellowish-looking section, and some little pee as well.
The dark or brownish part happens to be food waste, while the white or yellowish sausage-looking roll is referred to as urates.
Instead of passing urine, most desert reptiles usually excrete urates in solid form as a way of preserving water. Sometimes leopard geckos might pass some liquid pee but in very small amounts.
Poop Colors Explained
Sometimes your gecko’s poop might change color and it’s important that you know what it means. Below are some of the possible colors you might encounter.
1. White
If you notice a whitish color in your leopard gecko’s poop, then there is a high possibility that its urates. I mentioned that urates is solid pee that is passed by various desert reptiles.
But the entire poop looks white? Well, if that’s the case, there is a chance your leopard gecko ate her shed. In such cases, the poop might have large portions of white colors.
2. Green
Sometimes your leo’s poop can have a dark or bright green color. This is not normal and there is a high chance that your gecko ingested paper roll, substrate, or any green plants in the enclosure.
Changing your leopard gecko’s diet might also interfere with its gut flora and as a result, cause problematic digestion. Indigestion means that the leopard gecko’s stool will have bile pigments thus giving a green color to it.
3. Yellow
Yellow color in leopard gecko’s poop is also a thing. In most cases, the yellow color will be predominant in the urates.
Yellow urates is a sign of dehydration in your leopard gecko. This can be corrected by providing fresh water to your gecko on a regular basis.
Too much vitamins can also cause yellow leopard gecko poop.
Related Leopard Gecko Mouth Rot: Home Treatment Guide & Prevention
Leopard Gecko Poop Texture Explained
Poop can have various textures depending on what your leopard gecko ate or ingested. The texture can also be influenced by diseases or parasites. Below are some of the poop textures you are likely to encounter.
1. Solid
Normal gecko poop should have a solid texture and a sausage-like shape. By solid, we mean that the gecko should be consistent, not too dry or watery.
Solid poop should also not have any signs of undigested insects or worms
2. Sandy Stool
If you are used to feeding your leopard gecko in an enclosure with sand substrate, then it might pass poop with sand particles.
Using sand in the gecko’s tank is not advisable as it can easily cause impaction. You should make a point of changing the substrate immediately you spot sand in poop.
3. Watery Poop
Watery poop or diarrhea in leopard geckos can be a result of a change in diet. This is a common issue when you provide worms with high-fat content. In this case, soft poop can be a temporary issue and it should go away after a short time.
If diarrhea continues, then your gecko might be suffering from weakened immunity. The other possibility might be parasitic infections. Once it reaches this point, you should take your leopard gecko to an exotic vet.
4. Loose Stool
Loose stool with undigested insects or worms can be a sign of parasitic infections. Have the poop screened for crypto, pinworms and any other parasitic infections.
Loose stool can also be as a result of feeding too much hornworms or waxworms. If that’s the case, you should not be worried as the condition will go away without medical intervention.
Related Do Leopard Geckos Carry Salmonella?
How Often Do Leopard Geckos Poop?
This is a common question among beginner leopard gecko keepers. Well, there is no definite answer since pooping differs a lot in babies, juveniles, and adult leopard geckos.
Remember that babies have to be fed every day, therefore, they are more likely to poop 2- 3 times a day depending on the number of bugs you feed them.
Juveniles are a bit different as they don’t eat as much as babies. In most cases, juveniles poop 3 or 4 times in a week.
Adult leopard geckos eat much less food than their counterparts. Their bodies do not need much food, meaning that they poop less. Ideally, adults should poop two or three times in a week.
Leopard Gecko Not Pooping
As much as geckos are supposed to defecate, there are sometimes when things go wrong. Yes, sometimes leopard gecko do not poop. This happens when your gecko is not eating.
Yes, leopard geckos also lose appetite and this means they won’t feed on anything. Loss of appetite can be brought about by diseases, shedding, low temperatures, parasites, and stress.
The other reason why your gecko is not pooping might be impaction or constipation. Gut blockage can be caused by so many factors as explained in this article on leopard gecko impaction.
Once the gut becomes block, it becomes impossible for the gecko to pass stool. If this happens, then you should visit a vet or use laxatives.
Changing your leopard gecko’s tank can also prevent your animal from pooping. Most geckos are used to pooping at one spot and it might take time for them to adapt to new tanks.
Does Leopard Gecko Poop Smell?
Lol! This is pretty obvious, poop is poop and it should smell. Even Leopard gecko poop will smell especially if it’s fresh, but the odor is not noticeable. The smell should fade away when the poop dries up.
Sometimes you might notice a change in smell depending on what your leopard gecko ate. Besides, the smell can be a bit strong if the gecko is having diarrhea. Parasitic infections can also contribute to smelly poop.
Wrapping Up
Well, we’ve covered everything you need to know about your leopard gecko’s poop. You should now be in a better position to notice when your gecko is having problems, just by checking its poo. In case you notice any problems for a couple of days, then you should not hesitate to visit your local reptiles vet.
