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Leopard geckos are adorable creatures and tend to rest throughout the day based on their crepuscular-nocturnal nature. When these reptiles rest, they mostly like to do it in hidden locations. But sometimes, leopard geckos could lay flat in their tank as if there’s no life in them. Such a stance is known as splooting.
So, what causes a leopard gecko to sploot?
Leopard gecko sploot typically happens when your pet needs to absorb maximum heat from its environment. Some leopard geckos will begin laying flat when on a warm surface. Also, leopard gecko sploot could be a sign that your reptile has health issues.
Apart from knowing why leopard gecko sploot may happen, it is important to know all warning signs. That’s why this post looks at everything you need to know about leopard gecko sploot. With the information in this article, it becomes easier to max out support for your favorite pet.
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Reasons Why Leopard Gecko Sploot May Happen
Heat Retention
The main reason why leopard geckos sploot is to take in as much heat as possible from their environment. Think of it as basking in bearded dragons and other larger reptiles. Leopard geckos need to take in heat for a lot of reasons and splooting helps them get warmed up hassle-free.
So, if you see your gecko splooting and all other signs show it’s healthy, you’re in the clear. (The signs to watch out for that tells if your gecko is healthy are discussed later in this post). A vet can confirm if your gecko is in top shape, that’s if you’re not convinced it is.
Read More: Bearded Dragon vs. Leopard Gecko
Illness
Sick leopard geckos have to retain as much energy as they can, and sometimes, they may be exhausted. Illnesses affecting leopard geckos target their immune system and they may remain inactive for long periods.
If you notice your leopard gecko takes to splooting more often along with other symptoms, get it to a vet.
Digestive Problems
Your gecko could start splooting when it’s had several digestive issues. Geckos suffering from impaction or constipation will experience massive stomach discomfort that could limit their ability to move.
Whenever a gecko has to deal with such massive stomach issues, it may opt for splooting to ease the discomfort. Geckos are most likely to remain on one spot for several minutes to try and reduce the pain.
How Do Leopard Geckos Sleep?
Sometimes, leopard gecko sploot may not be a sign of health problems. Most owners of leopard geckos know these reptiles have rather odd sleep postures. Geckos could be more comfortable sleeping in a weird location around your house. So, if you have a leopard gecko on the loose, be careful not to squish it by accident.
Besides sleeping in odd positions around your house, it’s not strange to see geckos sleep strangely in a vivarium. For example, some leopard geckos could sleep on their hiding rocks instead of the cavern spots. Others may fancy their water or food dish as an excellent napping spot.
If you notice your leopard gecko sleeping in odd areas around its tank, you need not worry. Many leopard geckos are still in tune with their wild environment even after several years as captive pets. These reptiles usually prefer sleeping in rough areas as long as their stomach doesn’t get hurt.
Signs That Show You Don’t Need to Worry About the Leopard Gecko Sploot
Whenever a leopard gecko sploots, it could be ill or taking in heat. Here are the signs that tell you to relax about your gecko splooting:
Regular Appetite
If your gecko keeps splooting but takes its meals as normal, you don’t have to panic. Regular appetite is a sign your gecko could be in top condition and sploots solely to absorb ambient heat.
Normal Poop
Leopard gecko poop should be brownish or black and have white urates. If you notice your gecko excretes poop as it used to, then you may not need to worry about splooting. But this isn’t an all-clear, as other factors could determine how healthy your gecko is.
High Activity
Whenever your gecko remains as active as it’s always been, you don’t need to bother if it lays flat sometimes. A gecko laying flat after long hours of activity may be taking a rest and absorbing much-needed heat.
Average Sleep Pattern
Sleep is an important indicator to show whether your geckos are healthy. If your gecko isn’t sleeping, or sleeps too much and sploots, then you should worry. But if your gecko clocks in about ten to twelve hours of sleep every day and sploots, rest easy.
No Erratic Behaviors
Restlessness is a major pointer to troubled geckos. Geckos that exhibit unpredictable levels of activity may suffer from some health issues, even if they sploot and sleep fine.
When Should You Worry About the Leopard Gecko Sploot?
Trembling
When you can see your leopard gecko shaking, then you need to worry about its splooting. Temperature problems, diet deficiencies, and some other factors could cause trembling sensations in leopard geckos.
Restlessness
A restless leopard gecko is much different from an active one.
Restlessness becomes evident when a leopard gecko isn’t comfortable with any spot in its tank and decides to sploot in odd locations. Take your pet to the vet when you notice it’s not comfortable.
Trouble with Movement
Sluggishness in leopard geckos is a massive indicator that your reptiles may not be fine. Whenever you see your gecko struggling with movement it used to manage easily, get it medical help fast.
Poor or No Appetite
Any gecko that doesn’t eat as usual or refuses food entirely and opts for splooting may not be healthy. Get your pet to a qualified vet to find out and solve what’s wrong with it.
Can Stress Make a Leopard Gecko Sploot?
Stress is a major issue leopard geckos have to grapple with as captive pets and in their wild habitat. Many leopard geckos could become a shadow of themselves for a lot of reasons. Scramble for food, inadequate heating, poor dieting, and a host of other factors could stress ou a leopard gecko.
If a leopard gecko has to deal with enormous stress every day, it may begin to sploot in its crevice.
Am I Stressing My Leopard Gecko by Accident?
Your leopard gecko may suffer prolonged stress by your hand, without you knowing about it. These reptiles are extra-sensitive, and you need to care for them with undivided attention. Here’s a look at how you could be stressing your gecko:
Extreme Lighting
Leopard geckos are mostly nocturnal than crepuscular reptiles, meaning they sleep during the day and are more active at night. When it’s daytime, wild leopard geckos will remain in their burrows and caves until sundown.
Captive leopard geckos that have to grapple with lighting issues could suffer stress. Even when you think much lighting helps, you may stress out your gecko. Geckos have a flexible sleep pattern, but need naps spanning at least 12 hours per day.
With your lighting beaming down on their tank during the day, you run a risk of disrupting their sleep pattern. Disrupting your leopard gecko’s sleep pattern could stress it out quite quickly, so be careful.
Provide your gecko lighting when it needs to have it. Proper placement of its tank and the right kind of lamps go a long way in keeping geckos from stress.
Loud Noises
Geckos may suffer stress when their tank is in the path of massive sound waves. Noise from loudspeakers, busy traffic, crowded places, and more could cause a leopard gecko to suffer stress.
Learn More Do Leopard Geckos Like Music?
Swift Temperature Changes
Setting correct temperatures in a leopard gecko’s tank is a must if you want it in top shape. Keep your geckos tank above seventy degrees Fahrenheit and below ninety degrees Fahrenheit. Going too low or high may cause your gecko to suffer silently.
Habitat Changes
Leopard geckos usually map out their environment before settling in. If you continue making changes to your geckos’ habitat, you run the risk of stressing them out.
Signs of Stress in a Leopard Gecko
Your gecko won’t start splooting overnight if it has a health or habitat problem. Here’s a look at top signs to watch out for before your gecko starts to sploot:
Aggressive Stance
If your gecko senses a threat, it could become rather aggressive, even towards you. Just to point it out to you, leopard geckos are harmless reptiles. But a stressed gecko would likely not want you to hold them or refuse contact with other animals.
When you notice such aggressive behavior for long periods, try to make your gecko more comfortable in its environment.
Frequent Tail Wagging
A gecko wagging its tail frequently could be trying to communicate and may need your attention. If you don’t know what’s wrong with your reptile, it could become stressed out as a result. Other signs of stress in leopard geckos include reclusive behavior, hissing, irregular pooping, digging, climbing attempts, etc.
Can Temperature Checks Show Why My Leopard Geckos Are Splooting?
It’s not unusual for leopard geckos to lay flat at regular intervals. But if you need to know why these geckos are splooting, taking temperature readings could help.
Leopard geckos are cold-blooded, meaning significant temperature shifts could cause massive behavior changes. Your leopard geckos need have the perfect ambient temperature at all times. But if these geckos cannot get the temperature they need, splooting could happen often.
Geckos could sploot to retain as much energy as possible and preserve ambient heat. Pinpointing the temperature in your geckos’ tank isn’t easy, so you need to use benchmark values (in Fahrenheit). Make sure your gecko lives in any tank that has temperatures within 73°F to 91°F. A cheap thermometer can make quick work of your geckos’ tank.
It’s not enough to pinpoint readings in your gecko’s tank and let rip. Other factors like daylight or indoor temperature, current season, etc could influence your geckos’ tank. Constant readings make sure your gecko’s tank is habitable and it doesn’t need to suffer frequent sploots.
FAQs
Why Is My Leopard Gecko Splooting?
Leopard geckos may begin splooting when they need to absorb more heat from their environment. Also, these reptiles may start sploot if they have a health challenge. Either way, it’s important to find out why your leopard gecko is splooting.
How Do You Fix a Leopard Gecko Prolapse?
Ways to fix gecko prolapse
- Add honey to the gecko’s hemi-penis region
- Apply slight pressure on your reptile’s hemi-penis using a cotton swab or tip of your finger
- Soak your gecko in a warm bath with sugar in the mix for a few minutes
What Does a Dying Leopard Gecko Look Like?
Signs of a dying leopard gecko
- Rapid weight loss
- Sustained lethargy
- Prolonged loss of appetite
- Sunken eyes
- Watery stools
- Yellow urates
- Dried-out poop
- Laying on back
Why Is My Leopard Gecko Trying to Climb the Glass?
Leopard geckos may try to climb the glass of their tank even if everything is all right. But sometimes, these reptiles may try to scale their tank if it suffers bullying from another gecko. A small tank may also make leopard geckos try to climb out and get access to more space.
Final Thoughts: Leopard Gecko Sploot?
If your leopard gecko sploot isn’t happening frequently, you may have nothing to worry about. Signs to watch out for are in this post, so you can easily tell when to worry about splooting or not.
Keep your leopard gecko free from stress and carry out regular checks for any symptoms of illness. Whenever your gecko shows signs of stress along with splooting, get it help from a qualified vet.
Ensure your gecko is in top shape always. You don’t want to have a stressed, dying gecko in your tank.