Is Your Leopard Gecko's Shed Stuck? What You Need to Know Right Now

You check on your leopard gecko and notice something wrong. The skin looks dull and patchy. Bits of old skin cling to the toes. The eyes look cloudy or filmy. Your first thought hits hard: Is my gecko sick? Did I do something wrong?

Take a breath. What you are seeing is probably related to shedding, and most shedding issues can be fixed with straightforward adjustments to your gecko's environment.

Understanding the Shed Cycle

Leopard geckos shed their entire outer layer of skin periodically throughout their lives. Young geckos shed every few weeks as they grow rapidly. Adults shed less frequently, typically every four to eight weeks. This process, called ecdysis, allows the gecko to replace worn skin and continue growing.

The shed cycle follows predictable stages. First, your gecko's colors become dull and washed out. The skin takes on a grayish or whitish appearance. Eyes may look cloudy or blue-tinged as a fluid layer forms between the old and new skin. Your gecko might become less active and refuse food during this time. These changes are normal preparation for shedding.

When the shed is ready, the gecko typically removes all the old skin in one session. Healthy geckos often eat their shed skin, which recycles nutrients and removes evidence that might attract predators in the wild. The entire process usually completes within 24 hours once it begins.

When Shedding Goes Wrong

Problems occur when environmental conditions prevent the complete removal of old skin. The most common issue involves retained shed on the toes and tail tip. This happens more frequently than many keepers realize.

Retained shed acts like a tourniquet, constricting blood flow to the affected area (Pillai et al., 2023). Multiple layers of stuck shed can accumulate over time. Eventually, this cuts off circulation entirely. The tissue dies, and the gecko loses the affected toe or tail tip. This permanent damage is preventable with proper care.

Stuck eyecaps present another serious concern. When the thin layer covering the eye fails to shed, it builds up with each cycle. This obstructs vision and can lead to eye infections. Geckos with stuck eyecaps may miss prey items or appear disoriented.

The Root Cause

The primary factor behind stuck sheds is inadequate humidity. Leopard geckos come from regions where humidity varies dramatically between exposed areas and underground burrows. In their native Pakistan and Afghanistan, shelter humidity remains between 40-56% even when outside conditions are much drier (Franco et al., 2024).

Captive geckos need access to a humid microenvironment, particularly as they approach a shed. Without this, the skin dries out before the gecko can remove it completely.

Quick Action Steps

If you discover retained shed on your gecko, address it promptly before it causes damage.

Create a humid retreat: Place a plastic container with an entrance hole in the warm side of the enclosure. Fill it with moistened sphagnum moss or paper towels. The substrate should be damp but not dripping wet.

Provide a 20-minute soak: Fill a shallow container with lukewarm water reaching just above your gecko's elbows. Supervise closely. The warm water softens stuck shed.

Allow natural removal: After soaking, return the gecko to its enclosure. Most geckos will rub against cage furniture and remove loosened skin on their own.

Never pull stuck shed: Forcing skin off can tear the new skin underneath or cause injury.

Prevention Is Simpler Than Treatment

Maintaining proper humidity prevents most shedding issues. Monitor your enclosure with a reliable hygrometer. Ambient humidity can stay relatively low (30-40%), but provide that humid hide consistently.

Check your gecko's toes and tail after each shed. Look for bands of retained skin. Early detection allows quick correction before complications develop.

Proper environmental conditions allow your gecko's natural shedding process to work as evolved over millions of years. When you provide appropriate humidity gradients, your gecko sheds completely and stays healthy.

The key message: stuck sheds indicate an environmental issue, not a failure on your part. Simple adjustments to humidity solve most problems. Your gecko's successful shed depends on giving it access to the moisture levels it would find in its natural burrow.