Leopard geckos are currently one of the top three most commonly kept pet reptiles in the world with leopard geckos often flipping between second and third place with corn snakes.
The popularity of keeping pet leopard geckos has been increasing recently and although we doubt they will take the top spot from bearded dragons, there are a large number of people out there who are brand new to keeping a leopard gecko.
This has resulted in a spike in the number of people reaching out and asking various questions about keeping a pet leopard gecko recently with more and more people asking questions each month.
One thing that does seem to be worrying a number of leopard gecko keepers out there is white spots on their leopard gecko.
There are actually a number of different potential causes of white spots on a leopard gecko but in most situations, it will usually be to shedding and not be a serious problem.
Still, we wanted to publish this article going over why your leopard gecko may have white spots on it to try and help as many of our readers as possible who are in this situation with their own leopard gecko.
Is It Normal For A Leopard Gecko To Have White Spots?
The first question that we always get asked when it comes to leopard geckos with white spots is whether it is normal or not.
As we briefly mentioned above, there are a number of potential causes of white spots on your leopard gecko with some being more serious than others but in general, it is fairly common for your leopard gecko to have white spots provided the cause is shedding.
All other causes of white spots developing on a leopard gecko are usually a sign of a problem that will need to be treat.
What Causes White Spots On A Leopard Gecko?
Here is our short list of the more common reasons that your pet leopard gecko will end up having white spots on it:-
- Shedding!
- Stick Tail!
- Nutritional Issues!
- Light Burns!
In very rare situations, a leopard gecko may have problems with two or more of the issues from that list but most people will usually find that their leopard gecko is just having an issue with shedding.
Shedding!
As we mentioned at the start of this article, one of the most common reasons for a leopard gecko to have white spots is due to them shedding.
Shedding is something that all reptiles go through as they grow and leopard geckos are no different with your pet leopard gecko going through a shed approximately every two to four weeks.
The process of shedding usually starts a few days before the old skin actually falls off with your leopard gecko starting to look a little duller in color.
During this time, you may also notice that your leopard gecko starts to rub itself against surfaces more frequently as it tries to remove the old skin.
The old skin will usually turn white and often have patches of white on the skin that are different shades to each other.
If you are new to keeping a leopard gecko then this may not look normal but in most cases, it is.
Different parts of your leopard geckos skin may not actually fall off during the shedding process either and this can keep some skin on your leopard gecko that will look like a white patch after the shedding process.
Stick Tail!
Stick tail is a potentially serious issue in a leopard gecko and in addition to white spots on your leopard gecko, here are some of the other issues that you should keep an eye out for:-
- Diarrhea!
- Poor Appetite!
- Anorexia!
- Hiding!
- Spending Time in The Coolest Parts of The Enclosure!
Stick tail is usually caused by parasites or bacteria so you will usually need to take your leopard gecko to see a vet if you notice any of these secondary symptoms in your pet.
Thankfully, once the vet has worked out what the actual cause of the sick tail is in your leopard gecko, it is usually easy to treat and most treatments should deal with the issue within two weeks.
Provided you catch the sick tail breakout in your pet leopard gecko early enough, you will usually find that your leopard gecko will make a full recovery with minimal long term problems moving forward.
Nutritional Issues!
A leopard gecko that isn’t getting enough of the right nutrients in its diet may start to develop white spots on its skin.
This is usually most noticeable around the eyes and mouth with your leopard gecko also looking a little underweight if this is the case.
The good news is that nutritional issues are usually fairly easy to fix with a change in diet being all that is usually needed to get your leopard gecko back on track.
If problems with your leopard geckos diet is whats causing the issues with it developing white spots, a simple reptile multivitamin will often be all it takes to help your leopard gecko complete its nutritional intake.
Although it is an easy fix, it may still take a month or two for the white spots to fade in your leopard gecko but when it comes to problems with its diet, this is expected.
Light Burns!
If you have an overly hot basking spot in your leopard gecko’s enclosure then it may start to develop white spots on its skin.
This will usually cause white spots to form in patches on various areas on your leopard geckos skin and in some cases, it may actually start to scab up too.
We would recommend you take your leopard gecko to see a vet if possible as these burn areas can end up getting infected making the situation much worse.
In most cases though, simply adjusting your placement or setting of your heat lamp will be able to fix this issue.
Please note, many of the cheaper heating lamps on the market are more prone to this issue due to having an inconsistent output or an inaccurate setting dial so some people may have to upgrade to a better heating lamp.
