My Leopard Gecko Is Not Eating – 12 Reasons and Solutions

It can be very scary when your leopard gecko stops eating and you can’t figure out what the problem is. There can be multiple reasons why your leopard gecko won’t eat. Finding out and understanding why your leopard gecko is having feeding problems is the first step to fixing the underlying issue. In this post, you will find information on possible reasons why a leopard gecko is not eating and what to do, why a leopard gecko is not eating but still pooping or not eating and not pooping.

Reason 1: You just brought a baby leopard gecko home

If you have just brought a new baby leopard gecko home, it is very likely to refuse eating. This will last for few days or even a week until leopard gecko becomes comfortable. Your baby leopard gecko is very stressed – new home, surroundings and people. Place your new leopard gecko in its tank with proper temperatures and humidity.

If you new leopard gecko spends a lot of time in a hideout, it might be scared of you. Try approaching the terrarium, but feeding with tongs might be too early. Instead, place few crickets in the tank – and do it in the evening with some light in the other side of the room. This will mimic twilight – when leopard geckos become active.

But if your leopard gecko doesn’t eat in the tank, move it to a small container for feeding. Place your leopard gecko in the container with some crickets, so it can concentrate on them.

Don’t force your leopard gecko to eat, and refusing to eat for few days is normal. Limit handling and let your leopard gecko get used to its new environment. Make sure to weigh your gecko once a week to check if it’s losing any weight.

Reason 2: Hatchlings are not eating after hatching

It is normal for hatchling leopard geckos not to eat for few days or up to a week after hatching. This is because they are feeding on egg sac supplies. But after a week or so, hatchlings become very active and start feeding. Make sure to feed only small insects to hatchlings, that are not longer than the width between their eyes.

If a hatchling is not eating at all after a week or more, you can start hand feeding by pressing the food to its mouth. Make sure that it’s not other hatchlings that are not letting it eat.

Reason 3: Other geckos in the tank are bullying one and causing it stress

f you are housing two or more leopard geckos together, they can bully each other. It is usually stronger or bigger leopard gecko that bully small ones. Never house a baby gecko with adults or even babies that are faster or slightly bigger.

More active leopard geckos will get all the food and with time, that one weak gecko will become even weaker. It will stop trying to get food, will lose a lot of weight and die. Make sure to separate leopard geckos that are completely different in temperament or size.

Reason 4: Low basking temperatures that prevent your leopard gecko from properly digesting food

Your leopard gecko will often go under basking lights to digest its food. This is why you must create a temperature gradient in the tank – a hot spot and a cool spot. After food, your leopard gecko will need to lay on a hot surface to digest food.

While the temperature in the hot side of the tank should be around 83-90 Fahrenheit (28-32.2 Celsius), the temperature of an actual hot spot that your leo will lay on should be around 90 degrees. Use a proper infrared thermometer or one that has a probe and check floor or platform temperatures. Or a flat rock, that your leopard gecko is laying on in the basking spot.

In a cold tank, your leopard gecko won’t be interested in food and won’t be able to digest it. This can cause lethargy, constipation and gastrointestinal issues.

Read more about optimal temperatures, lighting and heating in this post.

Reason 5: Leopard gecko has an upset stomach – do you leave insects in the tank for a long time?

As we have mentioned, food can rot inside leopard gecko’s stomach if the temperature in the tank is very low. But another reason why your leopard gecko might have an upset stomach is because it has consumed insects that have eaten its feces.

Some owners might make a mistake by leaving crickets or other insects in the tank for many hours, sometimes for a whole day. Those insects that can’t come out of the feeding dish are fine, but crickets and roaches (if not in a proper bowl) for example, can move around in the tank.

If you leave crickets or other mobile insects in the tank for a whole day, they are likely to get hungry. Hungry (and even those that are not hungry) insects are very likely to eat leopard gecko’s feces and substrate and even bite your gecko.

And when your leopard gecko eats these insects, they cause it an upset stomach or even poisoning. So, never leave mobile insects in the tank for more than 20 minutes of a feeding time. Place them in a dish, away from gecko’s defecating spot or feed them with feeding tongs like these.

Reason 6: Your leopard gecko’s intestines are blocked by sand or other loose substrate – gut impaction

Using any loose substrate in your leopard gecko’s terrarium poses a high risk of gut impaction. The problem is, your leopard gecko might lick or ingest the sand or other loose substrate unintentionally, out of curiosity, for familiarization or when eating.

You should avoid using sand, coconut coir or other loose substrate in leopard gecko’s terrarium. Never use walnut shells or small rocks for leopard gecko’s tank – they will definitely cause obstruction or even organ rupture.

A big sign that your leopard gecko has obstruction is a poor appetite and constipation. You might see your leopard gecko trying to poop, but it will be hard to do so. Leopard gecko is very likely to refuse food if it has an obstruction, but you still have to check if this happened.

Sometimes, ingested sand or other loose substrate might pass through intestines, and will be visible in feces. Always monitor gecko’s feces and check if there’s anything unusual in it. If you have noticed something unusual, stop using loose substrate.

Leopard gecko’s feces should be creamy, but not runny, light brown to dark brown color. There will be also white-yellow substance – uric acid (instead of water).

Reason 7: Your leopard gecko won’t eat because it is infected with parasites

If your leopard gecko is infected with parasites, there is a big chance that it will be refusing to eat. Most parasites cause lethargy, diarrhea, runny stools and poor appetite. Some more serious infections, such as cryptosporidiosis, will cause a rapid and significant weight loss. If you suspect a parasitic infection, take your leopard gecko to the vet for a fecal examination.

Read more about leopard gecko illnesses and diseases in this post.

Reason 8: Breeding leopard geckos might be refusing to eat

A female leopard gecko will often go off food few days before laying eggs, and this is normal. What is more, male and female leopard geckos might refuse food when a breeding season starts. This is because they become concentrated on finding a mate.

If a male leopard gecko is going after a female all the time, she will become stressed and might stop eating. This is why you need to keep them separate and only have them together few times for mating.

Read more about breeding leopard geckos in this post.

Reason 9: Shedding leopard gecko might refuse eating for few days before and after shedding

If your leopard gecko’s skin becomes very pale and white, it often means that it will be shedding very soon. But at the same time, many leopard geckos eat only a little if nothing for few days before and after shedding. This is natural and everything should be back to normal few days after shedding.

Reason 10: Gecko starts eating less with age

It is normal for your leopard gecko to start eating less as it ages. For example, hatchlings and babies will eat every day, but juveniles (5 months+) and adults usually need food once in 2-3 days. This is normal and you should not think this happened unexpectedly.

Reason 11: Your leopard gecko is a picky eater or it is refusing to eat an insect that it was has bitten by

Leopard geckos are picky eaters and if you feed them same insects every day, they will get bored very soon. You must alternate and mix feeder insects that you are offering to your leopard gecko every day or two.

Sometimes, your leopard gecko will refuse to eat an insect that it has been bitten by. For example, if a cricket or superworm has bitten your leopard gecko, there is a big chance it will never agree to eat it again. The fear might stay or pass, depending on a leopard gecko.

Reason 12: Leopard gecko is not eating – brumation time

Leopard geckos will start brumating during the winter months if you drop temperatures and reduce the photoperiod. But if you keep temperatures and photoperiod usual, there is smaller chance that your leopard gecko will start brumating.

Sometimes, leopard geckos become sensitive to environmental changes and if they can sense it is winter, they will become less active. Leopard geckos at this time can become less active or start proper brumation without your contribution. Brumation is very important for breeding leopard geckos.

During winter months, your leopard gecko might be eating less. If it is properly brumating, it will spend most of the day in the cool hide box, sleeping and eating almost nothing. If your leopard gecko is brumating, offer it water.

Quantity of food depends on each leopard gecko’s activity – if it is slightly active, offer some light meals once or twice a week. Remember to offer only light meals because they need heat to digest the food. If your leopard gecko becomes mostly inactive, don’t feed it – the food will not digest and might rot inside its stomach and intestines.

Brumation period often starts in November or December and can last until up to January. Brumation or light inactivity can differ in duration, and you must follow all the rules of brumation. Otherwise, it can end badly for your leopard gecko. We will talk all about brumation in the next post.

Leopard gecko is not eating, but still pooping?

If your leopard gecko is not eating, but still pooping, then make sure to check its poop for any parasitic infections. That’s because intestinal parasites can lead to loose stool in leopard geckos. Note the shape and smell of your leopard gecko’s poop – has anything changed? However, parasites are not always visible or cause big changes in poop, so make sure to send it to a lab to make sure everything is clear.

What is more, if your leopard gecko is eating only a bit, but pooping, make sure to check tank temperatures. If temperatures are a bit low, your leopard gecko might need an increase to improve feeding response. Low temperatures might also make your leopard gecko go into brumation, which means it will move around less and eat less or nothing at all.

Leopard gecko not eating but active?

If your leopard gecko is not eating but active, make sure that it is not sick or losing weight. Sometimes, if your leopard gecko is in a tank that is too small, it might cause lack of temperature gradient, making a cage too hot. In this case, your leopard gecko might be wanting to escape the heat. That could be true if your leopard gecko is also climbing a lot.

Another possible reason for a leopard gecko not eating, but being active is mating season. Leopard geckos that want to breed might stop eating, but remain active in a search of a potential mate. That can also be true if a leopard gecko is not eating in summer. Lack of hides can also make your leopard gecko roam the tank on top of any other possible reasons.