Are you debating on whether to buy a leopard gecko as a pet? Before you make any purchase of a pet, it’s definitely worth knowing what you’re getting yourself in too. Unless you are very well educated on reptiles, you may not know the difference in lifespans for different species of leopard geckos. So how long do leopard geckos live? And what is a leopard geckos typical lifespan?
How Long Do Leopard Geckos in Captivity?
On average, a leopard gecko can live anywhere up to 20 years in captivity. With the oldest recorded age of a leopard gecko coming in at 28 years old. Yes, that’s right, 28 years. Now I bet you were expecting that.
In fact the average lifespan of male and female leopard geckos actually differs slightly, with males averaging between 10 and 20 years, and females averaging between 15-20 years in captivity. So owning a leopard gecko in a massive commitment, for a (potentially) long period of time. In fact, you may even say anywhere up to a quarter of your own life span.
Leopard geckos usually live longer healthier lives in captivity as they have someone bring, and looking after them. They have round the clock care and specialist veterinarians to help provide extra care when illnesses and diseases arise. Having someone else keeping an eye on its health helps to prevent any illnesses from spreading.
Also in captivity, leopard geckos are usually given an ideal diet. Sometimes in the wild they will eat whatever they can get their mouths round, which may not actually be safe for them. In captivity this is usually avoided.
How Long Do Leopard Geckos Live in The Wild?
In the wild, a leopard geckos lifespan is thought to be anywhere up to 15 years. 15 years is the higher end too. On average its more likely lifespan is 10-12 years and there’s a number of reasons this may be.
First of all, in the wild, leopard geckos have no one to care for them. They also have no veterinarian to help with any illness or infections and sometimes these can be deadly.
Secondly, their food may not be as readily available as it is being a pet. Captive leopard geckos ill be fed almost every day, where as in the wild they may actually go weeks or months without having a meal. This can also be deadly as the less food they ingest, the less energy they have to catch their food.
Finally, in the wild leopard geckos are constantly trying to avoid becoming prey for one of their many predators. This one is unfortunately very common, so they majority of leopard geckos in the wild don’t die of old age. Leopard geckos are very low in the food chain, which means they have a lot of other animals that see them as food. So staying out of harms ways is a 24 hour job.

4 Factors to Improve a Leopard Geckos Lifespan?
We hope that all leopard gecko owners would want the absolute best for their pet, so educating yourselves on what environmental factors are best for their living conditions is vital. Great living conditions will help to keep your leopard gecko healthy and happy, with a long lifespan.
There are 4 main factors that you should be constantly be aware of when owning a leopard gecko. These four factors will help to provide the best care for your gecko and will increase its lifespan if followed correctly. How Long your leopard geckos lives for and depended highly in these factors.
These factors are;
- Provide them with the correct habitat
- Provide them with a steady, balanced diet
- Remove anything that may cause them stress
- Check for illnesses and disease
Provide Them With The Correct Habitat – Leopard Gecko Lifespan
Leopard geckos really don’t need much in relation to habitat conditions. There are only really a few things that you have to keep in mind when creating a suitable habitat for your gecko. As long as you have the correct sized enclosure and keep an eye on temperature and humidity levels, you can’t really go wrong.
Enclosure / Habitat
First of all you need to provide them with the correct sized enclosure. At minimum you will need a 20 gallon enclosure.These will usually be roughly a 3ft x 1ft enclosure. Make sure the enclosure is longer than it is tall and it absolutely has to have access via a side sliding door. NEVER have access through the roof of the enclosure. This will cause some much un-needed stress for your gecko as they will naturally think you are an aerial attacking predator.
Our recommendation for a suitable Enclosure.
Temperature
Ideally the temperature in the cool end of the enclosure should be between 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Whilst in the warm end it should range between 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit. It may not seem much, but this is the difference between being in direct sunlight, to being hidden in the shade on a normal day in the desserts.
On the warm side of the enclosure you should also provide a basking spot. This should be a raised area where your leopard gecko can bask a little closer to the heat lamp. At this rage the temperature should range anywhere between 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Our recommendation for a suitable Thermometer.
Humidity
Leopard geckos come from a naturally very dry habitat, so the humidity level should average between 10-30%. This may increase when shedding, but should never exceed this on a day to day basis.
This can be achieved by placing a water bowl/ bathing bowl into the enclosure, which should evaporate and provide enough humidity to reach the 10-30% requirement. If this doesn’t, then you can spray inside the enclosure a couple of times a week to increase the humidity level slightly.
Our recommendation for a suitable Digital Hydrometer.
Correct Substrate
The best substrate recommended for leopard geckos is “Reptile Carpet”. Some gecko owners will just use newspaper, which is fine, but it looks awful. Reptile carpet looks far better than newspaper and is actually far easier to maintain.
Reptile carpet can be cut to the size you need and can also be taken out and washed to be reused. It’s safe as it cannot be ingested, unlike many other substrates. The only risk to your gecko, is that after a while, the carpet may start to become loose. This may cause you gecko to become caught up in some fibre stands, so this could be monitored closely.
Our recommendation for Reptile Carpet.
Furniture
Finally, a gecko needs some furniture to make itself feel at home. Your enclosure should incorporate a shallow water bowl, which is mainly used for bathing and maintaining humidity levels. Climbing rocks and branches need to be provided so it can explore and freely entertain itself. And finally a hiding box, so your gecko can hading away from any stresses or dangers. Even if there are no dangers, your gecko will need a safe haven to hide in every so often.
Our recommendation for Exo-Terra Climbing Branches.