Leopard geckos have been one of the more commonly kept reptiles within the reptile keeping community for decades.
In the last three to four years, reptile keeping has seen an increase in popularity though as more and more people have started to add some type of reptile to their family.
Due to reptiles often having their own unique personalities and behaviors that can be strange if you are new to keeping one of them, we commonly see people asking a range of questions about their pet leopard gecko.
One question that we have seen time and time again is about why a leopard gecko will have its mouth open constantly.
Now, there are actually multiple reasons that your leopard gecko may be keeping its mouth open and it can be difficult to work out the specifics so booking a video call with a veterinarian to have them check the state of your leopard gecko is always the best option.
We know that some people won’t be able to do that though so our breakdown below should be able to help a large number of people.
Summary Of Why Your Leopard Geckos Mouth Is Open!
We have a short list of the most common reasons that your pet leopard gecko may have its mouth open below and we will cover each reason in more detail throughout the article:-
- Dehydration!
- Temperature Problems!
- Licking Its Eyes!
- Humidity Issues!
- Aggression!
- Mouth Rot!
- Metabolic Bone Disease!
- Stress And Anxiety!
- Internal Parasites!
- An Unsuitable Diet!
- Regurgitation!
- Disease!
- Choking!
Dehydration!
The most common reason that you will find a leopard gecko with its mouth open is due to dehydration.
Dehydration is a big issue for all reptiles, not just leopard geckos, and is something that you need to be constantly on the lookout for when keeping reptiles as pets.
Signs of dehydration in leopard geckos include sunken eyes, a wrinkled tail, and of course, a leopard gecko that is constantly keeping its mouth open.
If you think that your leopard gecko may be dehydrated then the first thing that you need to do is offer it a water bowl.
Do not use tap water though as this can contain harmful chemicals that can make a leopard gecko very ill.
Instead, use bottled water or water that has been filtered and left to stand for 24 hours so that the chlorine has time to evaporate.
If your leopard gecko does not drink from the bowl then you will need to start offering it water via a syringe or pipette.
Fill the syringe or pipette with water and then offer it to your leopard gecko, letting it drink at its own pace.
Do not force the water into your leopard geckos mouth as this can cause problems such as aspiration pneumonia.
Once your leopard gecko has had a good drink, you need to increase the humidity in its enclosure.
You can do this by spraying the inside of the enclosure with water or by using a humidifier.
The increased humidity will help your leopard gecko to absorb more water through its skin and will also help to prevent dehydration in the future.
Temperature Problems!
If the temperature inside your leopard geckos enclosure is too high or too low then this can cause your leopard gecko to keep its mouth open.
Leopard geckos are from arid regions of the world and as such, they are used to living in hot and dry conditions.
In the wild, leopard geckos will basking in the sun to raise their body temperature and then retreat to a cooler area of their habitat when they need to cool down.
You need to recreate this basking spot in your leopard geckos enclosure so that it can thermoregulate its body temperature effectively.
The basking spot should be at one end of the enclosure and should be heated to between 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit.
The rest of the enclosure should have a temperature gradient so that your leopard gecko can move to a cooler area if it gets too hot.
You can create this temperature gradient by using a basking lamp at one end of the enclosure and an reptile heat mat at the other end.
The basking lamp will heat the air in the enclosure and the reptile heat mat will provide a source of heat that your leopard gecko can basking on.
Leopard geckos also need a hide where they can go to escape the heat of the basking spot.
This hide should be placed on the cool end of the temperature gradient and should be filled with moist moss or wet paper towels to provide a source of humidity.
If the temperature inside your leopard geckos enclosure is too low then this can cause your leopard gecko to become sluggish, stop eating, and mouth open.
The ideal night-time temperature for a leopard gecko enclosure is between 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
You can create this temperature by using a reptile heat mat placed underneath one half of the enclosure.
The other half of the enclosure should be left unheated so that your leopard gecko can move to a cooler area if it gets too warm.
You should also provide your leopard gecko with a hide on the cool end of the enclosure so that it can escape the heat of the reptile heat mat.
If you are using a basking lamp to provide heat during the day then you will need to turn this off at night so that the temperature inside the enclosure can drop.
Licking Its Eyes!
If your leopard gecko is licking its eyes then this could be a sign that they are dry.
This is totally normal due to the temperature and humidity of a standard leopard gecko vivarium and is nothing to worry about.
If your leopard gecko is in the process of licking its eye to moisten it then it may keep its mouth open for around ten to fifteen minutes while it licks its eyes but its tongue will not be out of its mouth for all of this time.
This can sometimes confuse people as they don’t understand why their leopard gecko is stationary, with its mouth open, and seemingly not doing anything.
Humidity Issues!
If the humidity inside your leopard geckos enclosure is too low then this can cause your leopard gecko to keep its mouth open as it tries to adjust.
Leopard geckos are from arid regions of the world and as such, they are used to living in hot and dry conditions.
In the wild, leopard geckos will drink the morning dew from plants or they will lick the water droplets off of rocks in their habitat.
You need to provide your leopard gecko with a shallow dish of water so that it can drink whenever it needs to.
The water dish should be placed on the cool end of the enclosure so that your leopard gecko can drink without getting too hot.
You should also mist the inside of the enclosure with water every day to raise the humidity levels.
Misting the enclosure will also provide your leopard gecko with a source of water that it can lick off of the walls and plants inside the enclosure.
If the humidity levels inside the enclosure are too high then this can cause your leopard gecko to become stressed and it may stop eating.
The humidity level inside the enclosure should be between 30-40%.
You can measure the humidity level using a hygrometer.
If the humidity level is too high then you will need to reduce it by removing any wet substrates and misting the inside of the enclosure less often.
If the humidity level is too low then you can increase it by adding a wet substrate to the enclosure and misting the inside of the enclosure more often.
Aggression!
Leopard geckos will commonly open their mouth to show aggression or to try and get ready to defend themselves if they are scared.
If your leopard gecko is scared or feels threatened then it may open its mouth wide and hiss at you.
This is a natural defense mechanism and is nothing to worry about.
If you try to handle your leopard gecko when it is in this state then it may bite you.
It is best to leave your leopard gecko alone if it is showing signs of aggression and to try handling it at another time.
If your leopard gecko is constantly showing signs of aggression then this could be a sign that it is stressed.
You will need to assess the environment inside the enclosure and make sure that everything is correct before trying to handle your leopard gecko again.
Leopard geckos are solitary creatures and as such, they do not like to be handled or to be around other leopard geckos.
If you have more than one leopard gecko in the same enclosure then they may fight with each other.
If this happens then you will need to remove one of the leopard geckos to another enclosure.
You should also try to handle your leopard gecko on a regular basis so that it gets used to being around humans.
Metabolic Bone Disease!
Metabolic bone disease is a condition that can affect leopard geckos.
The symptoms of metabolic bone disease include:-
- A leopard gecko that is constantly opening its mouth
- A leopard gecko that has a swollen jaw
- A leopard gecko that has difficulty moving its jaw
- A leopard gecko that has soft bones
- A leopard gecko that is lethargic
- A leopard gecko that has a loss of appetite
If your leopard gecko is showing any of these symptoms then it may have metabolic bone disease.
Metabolic bone disease is caused by a lack of calcium in the diet.
You can provide your leopard gecko with calcium by dusting its food with a calcium supplement.
You should also make sure that your leopard gecko has access to a UVB light so that it can absorb the calcium from the light.
If your leopard gecko has metabolic bone disease then you will need to take it to the vet for treatment.
Stress And Anxiety!
Leopard geckos can get stressed and anxious just like humans.
The symptoms of stress and anxiety in leopard geckos include:-
- A leopard gecko that is constantly opening its mouth
- A leopard gecko that has a swollen jaw
- A leopard gecko that has difficulty moving its jaw
- A leopard gecko that is lethargic
- A leopard gecko that has a loss of appetite
- A leopard gecko that is not moving around much
- A leopard gecko that is hiding all the time
If your leopard gecko is showing any of these symptoms then it may be stressed or anxious.
There are many things that can cause stress and anxiety in leopard geckos.
Some of the most common causes of stress and anxiety in leopard geckos include:-
- An incorrect environment inside the enclosure
- A lack of hiding places inside the enclosure
- Too much handling
- Not enough food
If your leopard gecko is stressed or anxious then you will need to assess the environment inside the enclosure and make sure that everything is correct.
You should also try to handle your leopard gecko less often.
Internal Parasites!
Internal parasites are a type of worm that can infect leopard geckos.
The symptoms of internal parasites include:-
- A leopard gecko that is constantly opening its mouth
- A leopard gecko that has a swollen jaw
- A leopard gecko that has difficulty moving its jaw
- A leopard gecko that is lethargic
- A leopard gecko that has a loss of appetite
- A leopard gecko that is not moving around much
- A leopard gecko that is constantly scratching itself
If your leopard gecko is showing any of these symptoms then it may have internal parasites.
The additional pressure and mass inside of your leopard gecko can cause problems ranging from it being difficult to breathe to the leopard gecko finding it difficult to control its temperature causing it to keep its mouth open.
There are a number of over the counter medications that you are able to use to treat internal parasites in your pet leopard gecko easily.
An Unsuitable Diet!
Leopard geckos require a specific diet in order to stay healthy.
The diet of a leopard gecko should consist of:-
- Insects
- Calcium powder
- Vitamins and minerals
A leopard gecko that is not given the correct diet will become unhealthy.
In some situations, this can cause your leopard gecko to keep its mouth open for a long period of time but this is rare.
Thankfully, this is a quick and easy fix and switching your pet leopard geck over to a suitable diet should be enough to treat the issue.
Regurgitation!
Regurgitation is when your leopard gecko throws up its food.
The symptoms of regurgitation include:-
- A leopard gecko that is constantly opening its mouth
- A leopard gecko that has a swollen jaw
- A leopard gecko that has difficulty moving its jaw
- A leopard gecko that is lethargic
- A leopard gecko that has a loss of appetite
- A leopard gecko that is not moving around much
If your leopard gecko is showing any of these symptoms then it may be regurgitating its food.
Regurgitation is usually caused by stress or anxiety but it can also be caused by an infection, overeating, and parasites.
If the regurgitation is bad then your leopard gecko may end up keeping its mouth open until everything that it has to purge from its stomach has been vomited up.
There is usually nothing you are able to do in this situation and you just have to let your leopard gecko vomit and try to prevent it needing to vomit in the future.
Disease!
There are a number of diseases that can cause your leopard gecko to keep its mouth open.
The most common disease that can cause this symptom is respiratory infections.
Other diseases that can cause your leopard gecko to keep its mouth open include mouth rot, gout, and kidney disease.
If you think that your leopard gecko may be sick then you should take it to the vet as soon as possible.
Mouth Rot!
Mouth rot is a bacterial infection that can affect leopard geckos.
The symptoms of mouth rot include:-
- A leopard gecko that is constantly opening its mouth
- A leopard gecko that has a swollen jaw
- A leopard gecko that has difficulty moving its jaw
- A leopard gecko that is lethargic
- A leopard gecko that has a loss of appetite
- A leopard gecko that is not moving around much
If your leopard gecko is showing any of these symptoms then it may have mouth rot.
Mouth rot is a serious infection and if it is not treated then it can kill your leopard gecko.
The best way to treat mouth rot is to take your leopard gecko to the vet as soon as possible as it is not easy to treat without specialist medication.
Choking!
Leopard geckos can choke on their food if they eat too fast.
A choking leopard gecko will usually make sounds and move around rapidly giving you a good idea that choking is the issue.
This is usually due to the leopard gecko having eaten substrate or large insects that it is not actually able to swallow.
