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Found this question on a leopard geckos group on Facebook.

My new gecko keeps digging in her earth. As soon as I flatten and evenly spread it out she pushes it all back to the same spot and sits on top of it. Could this be a sign of eggs? Or is it stress-related? The guy I brought her from said she's 6 months but she's very small for that age so I'd say 4 maybe 5 months at most.

The best answer they had on there was

since theres a few of us with same issue im guessing its pretty normal? if you cant see any eggs and the fact shes so young suggests just behaviour rather than preperation

so I'm hoping some experts on here can clear it up so I can link this page to the person who was concerned :)

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  • I'm assuming that it's only the one gecko in the terrarium? – Spidercat Feb 5 '14 at 16:55
  • I asked and yes it is. What else would you need to consider if it wasn't? – starsplusplus Feb 5 '14 at 18:27
  • I was just wondering if there was a chance it had been with a male, it could have saved the sperm and be ready to lay eggs now. Otherwise it's probably just digging for the sake of digging. – Spidercat Feb 5 '14 at 19:13
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It is about the end of their mating season (Jan 1st to Feb 1st), so it's possible that she's building a nest for eggs. It could just be instinct to do it, so unless she's been exposed to a male (they can store sperm for later), I wouldn't worry too much about finding eggs.

Generally they won't lay eggs unless they're fertilized, although it is possible. But if she's still eating and defecating like normal, you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Since they live in the desert naturally, it's pretty ingrained into their behaviour to dig. When I used to work with them, I would find them dug underneath their water dish all the time. It's just a matter of them feeling comfortable I think. In the wild, they would dig to make a place to rest/sleep and be safe from predators.

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My female leopard gecko is about 9mo, and she digs all the time at night. I thought at first she was stressed, and then being as she is female I was thinking, she was digging because nature was taking its course and she's of age to have babies... researching I have found its very normal for geckos to do this... She doesn't show signs of stress and she's well fed... I truly believe it's just nature taking its course... if they are eating well, moving around at night, and aren't acting lethargic then the leopard geckos are perfectly fine!! 😀

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