Featured Image. Reddit
Your leopard gecko is licking his bum, driving you crazy.
He’ll do it while walking around his tank, eating, and even at night when he wakes up from a nap.
Why does he keep doing this?
Leopard geckos do lick the air.
Leopard geckos are lickers, and they lick the air to cool themselves down and lick their skin and food to clean it.
If you have a leopard gecko, you should expect them to “lick” everything in sight.
Your leopard gecko might have mites.
Mites are a common problem for leopard geckos.
Mites can be transmitted from one gecko to another and even from one habitat to another.
If you notice your leopard gecko has a lot of mites around his bum, then he was infected by someone else in the household or by something in his habitat (like bedding).
If this is the case with your pet lizard and you want to get rid of the mites altogether, there are several things you can do:
Wash all of its supplies (bowls and dishes) in hot water with no soap or detergent added to them first.
Then rinse thoroughly before using again. If any signs of mold growing on these items (e.g., black spots), throw them away immediately.
Your lizard may have ingested some spores while drinking out of contaminated bowls/dishes before they were cleaned properly.
Your leopard gecko could be stressed.
Are you a leopard gecko owner? Do you want to make sure your gecko is happy and healthy?
Then you must understand what stress can do to them.
Stress can cause a leopard gecko to lick its bum, which can be very dangerous for its health.
If left untreated, this behavior may become chronic (meaning it will never go away) and could lead to severe consequences.
Stressors for your pet may include changes in the environment, diet, temperature, or even handling by someone unfamiliar with proper leopard-gecko care techniques.
These situations will cause a change in their homeostasis—a fancy word that means how they feel inside—and they will start licking their butts as an attempt at self-soothing behavior.
Learn More:
Your leopard gecko could be constipated.
Your gecko could have constipation. In this case, you see your lizard licking his bum because he’s trying to pass stool, but something is preventing him from doing so.
As a result, he licks his bum and finds ways to relieve himself.
Constipated leopard geckos often have difficulty moving around (due to their small size), which makes it harder for them to get into position and pass stool on their own.
If you think your gecko might be constipated, try giving him a warm bath or putting him in a warm towel for 10 minutes at least once daily until you see signs of relief.
This will help soften any hardened fecal matter contributing to the problem.
Sometimes there is a medical reason for behavior that seems like it’s just for fun.
Maybe your leopard gecko is licking his bum for fun, but there could be a medical reason for this behavior.
If a leopard gecko has excess salts in its system, it’ll lick the air to try and get rid of them.
The same goes for extra water and uric acid.
If you notice your lizard’s skin looking dry or unhealthy, try giving him some fluids via an eye dropper — make sure he doesn’t accidentally swallow it.
Conclusion
If your leopard gecko licks his bum, keeping a close eye on him is essential.
Ensure that the behavior doesn’t continue for more than a day or two without showing any improvement.
If it does, it might be time to take him to a vet specializing in reptiles.
