How many hides does a leopard gecko need?
Updated 13 October 2026
At least three: a warm hide under the heat lamp, a cool hide at the other end, and a humid hide with damp moss or substrate for shedding. The RSPCA asks for many hides at both ends, so the gecko never has to choose between the temperature it needs and feeling safe.
Warm, cool and humid
Leopard geckos warm up and cool down by moving between warm and cool places, and they spend the heat of the day hidden under rocks. The RSPCA asks for many hides throughout both ends of the vivarium, plus a humid hide: a hide with a waterproof bottom and damp moss, sprayed every few days. ReptiFiles lists at least two hides and a humid hide at the cool end.
The temperatures to aim for
| RSPCA | ReptiFiles | |
|---|---|---|
| Hot end or basking surface | 28 to 30 °C (82 to 86 °F) | 34 to 36 °C (94 to 97 °F) |
| Warm hide | 32 to 33 °C (90 to 92 °F) | |
| Cool end | 24 to 26 °C (75 to 79 °F) | 21 to 25 °C (70 to 77 °F) |
| Humidity | 30 to 40%, with a humid hide | 30 to 40%; 70 to 80% inside the humid hide |
The two sources measure differently: the RSPCA gives the air at each end and ReptiFiles the surface of the basking stone. Both ask you to check with a thermometer every day rather than trust the thermostat.
Making the warm hide
ReptiFiles puts a hide directly under the heat lamp with a flat stone on top, and adds a heat mat under the hide on a thermostat if it stays too cool. Printed plastic softens under direct heat, so check a piece's own heat advice on its page before you use it as the warm hide.
Enclosure size
The RSPCA's minimum for one adult is 60 cm long, 40 cm high and 30 cm deep. ReptiFiles asks for 36 × 18 × 18 in (about 91 × 46 × 46 cm).
Sources
- RSPCA, Leopard gecko care sheet ↗: hides at both ends, humid hide, temperatures, minimum vivarium
- ReptiFiles, Leopard gecko care sheet ↗: hide count, warm hide, temperatures, humidity, enclosure
