Healthy leopard gecko poop has two parts: a dark brown or black, firm, log-shaped dropping, and a small white or off-white lump of urate (dried uric acid) at one end. Adults usually poop every 1 to 3 days and juveniles most days, and most geckos use the same corner of the tank every time. Runny, green, red, smelly or very yellow droppings, or no poop for more than a week while your gecko is eating, are signs that something needs to change.
Below is a leopard gecko poop chart with what each colour and texture means, how often a leopard gecko should poop, why it might stop, and when to see a reptile vet.
What does healthy leopard gecko poop look like?
- The feces are dark brown to black, firm and roughly cylindrical, about the size of a grain of rice in a hatchling and up to about 1 inch long in an adult. You may see shiny bits of insect shell in it. That is normal.
- The urate is the white part. Reptiles do not pass liquid urine like mammals; they get rid of waste nitrogen as a paste of uric acid that dries white and chalky. It should be white or cream, and soft to slightly crumbly.
- The smell is mild. Fresh droppings smell a little, but a strong, foul smell that fills the room is not normal.
Occasionally your gecko will pass a small puddle of clear liquid with the urate. That is excess water and is fine now and then, especially after a drink or a soak.
Leopard gecko poop chart
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Dark brown or black, firm, with a white urate | Healthy | Nothing; spot clean it |
| Soft or runny, no clear shape (diarrhea) | Stress after a move, a tank that is too cool, too many fatty feeders such as waxworms, or parasites | Check temperatures, cut back fatty insects, and see a vet if it lasts more than 2 or 3 days |
| Green | Bile, usually because the gecko has not eaten for a while; sometimes from what the feeders ate | Fine once or twice; if it continues or your gecko is not eating, see a vet |
| Yellow, hard urate | Mild dehydration, or a diet high in protein | Keep fresh water in a shallow dish and check the humid hide is damp |
| Orange or yellow urate with a strong smell | Dehydration or a kidney problem | See a reptile vet |
| Whole or barely digested insects | The warm spot is too cool to digest food, or the insects were too large | Check the warm spot is 90 to 95°F and feed insects no bigger than the space between its eyes |
| Red streaks or blood | An injury, straining, or a parasite or infection | See a vet |
| Very smelly, slimy or with mucus | Parasites such as coccidia, or a gut infection | Take a fresh sample to a vet for a fecal test |
| Sand, substrate or small stones in the poop | The gecko is swallowing loose substrate | Feed in a dish or on a flat surface, and see our substrate guide |
| No poop for more than a week while eating | Possible impaction, or a tank that is too cool | See the section on impaction below |
Any one odd dropping is rarely a problem on its own. Look for a pattern over a few days, and check it alongside how your gecko is eating, how plump its tail is and how active it is.
How often do leopard geckos poop?
| Age | Typical feeding | Typical pooping |
|---|---|---|
| Hatchling and baby (0 to 4 months) | Every day | Most days |
| Juvenile (4 to 12 months) | Every 1 to 2 days | Every 1 to 2 days |
| Adult (over 12 months) | Every 2 to 3 days | Every 1 to 3 days, often the day after a meal |
What goes in comes out, so how often your gecko poops follows how often and how much it eats. Our leopard gecko food guide has a full feeding chart by age. Pooping slows down in winter, when many adults eat less and rest more, and in females that are carrying eggs.
Do leopard geckos poop in one spot?
Yes. Most leopard geckos pick one or two corners of the enclosure as a toilet, usually on the cool side away from their hides. That makes cleaning easy:
- Spot clean daily. Remove droppings and urates with a paper towel or a small scoop as soon as you see them.
- Put a tile or a square of paper towel in the toilet corner so you can lift it out and wipe it clean.
- Disinfect that spot weekly with a reptile-safe terrarium disinfectant, and rinse and dry it before the gecko goes back in.
- Wash your hands after cleaning, since reptile droppings can carry salmonella.
Why is my leopard gecko not pooping?
The most common reasons, from most to least likely, are:
- It is not eating much. A gecko that has eaten little, is in shed, or is new and settling in will poop less. This is normal for a week or two. See why a leopard gecko stops eating.
- The tank is too cool. Leopard geckos need a warm spot of 90 to 95°F on the floor to digest. Below that, food moves through slowly or not at all. Check it with a probe thermometer, not a stick-on dial. Our temperature guide covers the full gradient.
- Brumation. In winter some adults slow right down for weeks, eat little and poop rarely.
- Dehydration. Without enough water, droppings get dry and hard to pass.
- Impaction. A blockage in the gut. This is the one to rule out if your gecko is eating normally but has not pooped in more than a week.
Leopard gecko impaction: signs and what to do
Impaction is when food, substrate or another object blocks the gut. It is serious if it is not treated, but caught early it often clears with warmth and hydration.
Signs of impaction
- No poop for more than a week while eating, or straining without passing anything
- A swollen or bloated belly, sometimes with a dark grey patch visible through the skin
- Refusing food, lethargy, or weight loss from the tail
- Dragging the back legs or wobbly walking, in severe cases
Common causes
- Swallowing loose substrate such as calcium sand, walnut shell or small gravel
- Feeding insects that are too large, or too many hard-shelled beetles and mealworms at once
- A warm spot that is too cool, so food is not digested properly
- Dehydration
What to do
- Check the warm spot is 90 to 95°F and let the gecko sit on it.
- Give a warm soak. Put the gecko in a tub of lukewarm water (about 85 to 90°F, roughly body warm to your wrist) no deeper than its elbows for 15 to 20 minutes, once a day. Gently stroke its belly from front to back. Many geckos poop during or soon after a soak.
- Stop feeding until it has passed a dropping, then restart with a few small, soft insects.
- See a reptile vet if nothing has passed after 2 or 3 days of soaks, or straight away if the belly is swollen, there is a dark patch, or the gecko is weak or dragging its legs. A vet can X-ray it and give fluids, laxatives or, rarely, surgery.
To prevent impaction, use a firm substrate or paper towel, feed insects in a dish or on a flat surface, gut load and dust them, and keep the heat right. See our guides to crickets, dubia roaches and mealworms for safe sizes and amounts.
When to see a vet
- Diarrhea, mucus or a foul smell that lasts more than 2 or 3 days
- Any blood in the droppings
- No poop for more than a week despite eating, or signs of impaction
- Green droppings with weight loss or no appetite
- A thin tail, sunken eyes or lethargy alongside any odd droppings
A yearly fecal test is worth doing even for a healthy gecko, since parasites such as coccidia and cryptosporidium can be present before symptoms appear. Take a dropping that is less than 12 hours old in a sealed bag.
Leopard gecko poop FAQ
What does healthy leopard gecko poop look like?
A dark brown or black, firm, log-shaped dropping with a white or cream lump of urate at one end. It has only a mild smell.
How often should a leopard gecko poop?
Babies and juveniles usually poop daily or every other day. Adults usually poop every 1 to 3 days, often the day after they eat.
What is the white stuff in leopard gecko poop?
It is urate, dried uric acid. Reptiles get rid of waste nitrogen as this white paste instead of liquid urine. White or cream urate is healthy; hard yellow or orange urate can mean dehydration.
Why is my leopard gecko's poop runny?
Usually stress, a tank that is too cool, or too many fatty feeders such as waxworms. If it lasts more than 2 or 3 days, smells foul or contains mucus, take a sample to a vet to test for parasites.
Why is my leopard gecko's poop green?
Green droppings are usually bile, passed when a gecko has not eaten for a while. It is fine once or twice, but see a vet if it continues or your gecko is losing weight.
How long can a leopard gecko go without pooping?
A gecko that is not eating, or is brumating in winter, can go a week or more without pooping. If it is eating normally but has not pooped for more than a week, check the heat and give warm soaks, and see a vet if nothing passes.
Is leopard gecko poop dangerous to people?
It can carry salmonella, like the droppings of most reptiles. Wash your hands after cleaning the tank or handling your gecko, and keep cleaning tools away from the kitchen.