Leopard geckos are one of the most commonly kept pet reptiles all over the world and their popularity just keeps on increasing with each month that goes by.
Depending on the year, leopard geckos are usually the second, third or fourth most popular reptile with bearded dragons being top, and leopard geckos, corn snakes, and ball pythons rotating in their popularity depending on the year.
With leopard geckos being such a popular pet, we see a large number of questions about keeping a pet leopard gecko every single month and we have already published some articles going over some of the more common questions that we see people asking.
One thing that we have noticed being asked more frequently over the last couple of months is about a leopard gecko rolling on its back for no apparent reason.
Although our article will be able to help you get a better idea of the potential causes of why your leopard gecko is rolling on its back, ideally, you should be getting advice from your veterinarian if possible as they can do a quick inspection and offer custom advice to the circumstances of your leopard gecko rather than just general advice that we can offer.
Why Your Leopard Gecko Is Rolling On Its Back!
We have a list of the more common causes of why your pet leopard gecko is rolling on its back below:-
- Enigma Syndrome!
- Infections!
- Deficient In Calcium!
- Impaction!
- Trauma To The Head Or Spine!
- Dehydration!
- Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)!
- Lack of Vitamin A!
The majority of leopard geckos that are randomly laying on their back will probably have enigma syndrome.
In some cases, you may find that your pet leopard gecko actually has problems with more than just one of the potential problems on our list above.
Enigma Syndrome!
The first potential cause of why your leopard gecko is rolling on its back that we will be discussing is enigma syndrome.
Enigma syndrome is a neurological disorder that has been seen in leopard geckos and African Fat-tailed geckos.
There are many different potential causes of enigma syndrome but the most likely one is that it is caused by a lack of vitamin B1 in the diet of the leopard gecko.
Vitamin B1 is also known as thiamine and it is an essential vitamin for all animals, including humans.
A lack of vitamin B1 can lead to many different neurological problems and it has been linked with enigma syndrome in leopard geckos.
If you suspect that your leopard gecko has enigma syndrome then the first thing that you should do is take it to a veterinarian so they can make a diagnosis and start your leopard gecko on a course of thiamine injections but this can be a difficult condition to treat fully.
Infections!
The next potential cause of why your leopard gecko is rolling on its back that we will be discussing is an infection.
There are many different types of infections that a leopard gecko can get but the most common ones are respiratory infections and digestive tract infections.
Both of these types of infections can make a leopard gecko feel unwell and can lead to them rolling on their back.
If you think that your leopard gecko has an infection then the best thing to do is take it to a veterinarian so they can put your leopard gecko on a course of antibiotics.
The majority of bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections can usually be easy to treat but viral infections can be problematic.
Deficient In Calcium!
The next potential cause of why your leopard gecko is rolling on its back that we will be discussing is a calcium deficiency.
A calcium deficiency is one of the most common problems that we see in leopard geckos and it is usually caused by either not enough calcium in the diet or by kidney problems which can lead to calcium being excreted from the body rather than being absorbed.
A calcium deficiency can cause many different problems in leopard geckos including muscle tremors, weakness, and paralysis.
It can be rare for problems with calcium intake to cause a leopard gecko to roll onto its back though but it can happen.
Thankfully, there are a large number of reptile calcium supplements out there that you are able to take advantage of.
Impaction!
The next potential cause of why your leopard gecko is rolling on its back that we will be discussing is impaction.
Impaction is a problem that can affect many different types of reptiles and it occurs when the reptile has either eaten something that they shouldn’t have or if they have swallowed too much sand or substrate.
If a leopard gecko has swallowed too much sand or substrate then it can cause problems in the digestive tract which can lead to the leopard gecko rolling on its back.
This is usually only when the impaction has reached a level where it has caused a full blown blockage in your leopard geckos digestive system so your pet really does need help from a vet as soon as possible at this stage.
Trauma To The Head Or Spine!
The next potential cause of why your leopard gecko is rolling on its back that we will be discussing is trauma to the head or spine.
If a leopard gecko has been involved in any kind of accident then it is possible for them to have suffered some kind of trauma to their head or spine.
This could be anything from a fall to being dropped by a predator and it can lead to the leopard gecko rolling on its back.
If you think that your leopard gecko has suffered any kind of trauma then it is important that you take it to a veterinarian as soon as possible so they can carry out some tests and see if there is any damage.
Dehydration!
The next potential cause of why your leopard gecko is rolling on its back that we will be discussing is dehydration.
Dehydration is a problem that can affect many different types of reptiles and it occurs when the reptile doesn’t have enough water in their body.
If a leopard gecko is dehydrated then it can make them feel unwell and can lead to them rolling on their back in certain situations but this is usually in the later stages of dehydration.
If you think that your leopard gecko is dehydrated then the best thing to do is make sure that it has plenty of water with easy access to it and then try to monitor the water intake of your leopard gecko.
It can be common for your leopard gecko to refuse to drink in the later stages of dehydration though so you may have to take your pet to see a vet.
Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)!
The next potential cause of why your leopard gecko is rolling on its back that we will be discussing is metabolic bone disease (MBD).
Metabolic bone disease is a problem that can occur in many different types of reptiles but it is most commonly seen in leopard geckos.
The reason for this is because leopard geckos are very sensitive to the calcium levels in their diet and if they don’t have enough then it can lead to problems.
A leopard gecko with metabolic bone disease will usually have soft bones which can lead to them breaking easily and this can cause the leopard gecko to roll on its back.
Depending on how far along the MBD is, it may be treatable but MBD can quickly develop to stage where it is untreatable so you really do have to get professional help as soon as possible in most cases.
Lack of Vitamin A!
The next potential cause of why your leopard gecko is rolling on its back that we will be discussing is a lack of vitamin A.
Vitamin A is an important vitamin for many different types of reptiles and a lack of it can lead to problems such as metabolic bone disease (MBD) which we discussed earlier.
A leopard gecko that is lacking in vitamin A will usually have a poor appetite, soft bones and can be susceptible to infections.
