Gecko Shedding Guide

I have noticed that there’s always a lot of questions about shedding, and Becca –Karagain- thought it would be a good idea to write a care sheet that explains all about shedding! Sooo here it is! Hope you like it!

How often do geckos shed? How do I know when my gecko will shed?

All geckos shed their skin around once a month, depending on their growth rates and age. If your gecko sheds every 2-3 weeks, that’s perfectly normal so don’t worry about it. My leopard gecko sheds every 3 weeks. Before your gecko is about to shed its skin, it will become a chalky white colour or will appear paler/duller. They will usually look like this about a day before they will shed. When the skin is loose and ready to be removed, your gecko will usually hide while it removes it. Some geckos that are really comfortable in their surroundings will shed out in the open, allowing you to watch them.



The process of shedding

First the gecko will rub its nose and head on a hard surface, such as a rock or a hide, to tear the loose skin. Then it will further rub it’s head on the hard surface until all of the shed skin on its head has been peeled back to the neck area.



If you are lucky enough to see the shedding process, you will next see the gecko biting the peeled-back loose skin and pulling it further down its body, eating some of it along the way. Your gecko will continue to pull the loose skin and will eventually eat it all. Geckos eat their shed skin as a source of nutrition and energy but also to remove any evidence that they are living there. This is used as a survival technique in the wild.



Problems that can occur

Although many geckos have no problems removing all their shed skin, some geckos cannot successfully remove it in certain areas. Some common areas that shed skin may be left: the toes/feet, the head, the tip of the tail, the vent area.




Geckos can also suffer from ‘premature shedding’. This occurs when they shed their skin too early, before the new skin underneath has had time to form. When this happens, you will see areas of sore skin on your gecko’s body. The sore skin will be red and sticky. There are various treatments for this problem.

You should always health check your gecko, but especially after it’s shed to ensure that no skin is stuck and needs removing. If you do find shed skin on your gecko, there are many ways to help them out.

Treatment for shedding problems

You can soak them in water and the skin may come off itself or with a gentle rub. Make sure the water is medium warm so that it doesn’t burn your gecko, and ensure that it is not too deep as most gecko species cannot swim and will drown if they are submerged. Ensure that no water gets into your geckos nostrils (or ears), or it can cause health problems, such as upper respiratory infections.



You can also make a ‘sauna’ for your geckos, by putting them in a plastic container and filling it with paper towels that have been soaked in hot water. The sauna should loosen the skin and you can gently pull it off. Another method of removing shed skin is soaking a cotton bud (Q tip) in water and gently dabbing it onto the skin to remove it.

When dealing with ‘premature shedding’ problems, you should bathe your gecko to clean the skin, and you should thoroughly clean your geckos enclosure, maybe changing the substrate to kitchen roll/paper towel so it can be cleaned daily. These changes will help prevent infection, but you should also visit a reptile vet to get some cream or ointment for the sore skin if it looks very inflamed or infected.

The importance of moist hides

Providing your gecko with a moist hide is very important for aiding the shedding process. Most gecko species require some amount of humidity to help them shed their skin. A moist hide is simply a plastic container or commercially made moist hide box. The container can be filled with many types of substrate; the most popular being sphagnum moss and paper towels/kitchen roll. I’ve also heard of people using peat or eco-earth.

Remember to cut a hole into the container so your gecko can get in and out of it. You must spray the moist hide with water every day and place it near or above the heat mat. This will create a little sauna for your gecko to sit in and loosen its skin, ready to begin the shedding process.




Thanks for reading
I hope I answered all your questions about the shedding process in geckos