Leopard gecko digestive system — an insectivore's gut
Overview of the leopard gecko's insectivorous digestive tract — replaceable pleurodont teeth, a simple stomach, a short gut with little fermentation, and fat stored in the tail.
General educational reference only — not clinical or veterinary advice. Anatomy varies between individual animals; consult a licensed veterinarian for any health concern.
Mouth and teeth
Leopard geckos are insectivores that take whole invertebrate prey. Their jaws carry many small, conical pleurodont teeth — attached to the inner surface of the jaw bone — which are shed and replaced continuously through life. The teeth grip and hold prey rather than grinding it, so food is swallowed largely intact.
A short carnivore gut
Prey passes down the esophagus into a simple stomach, where acid and enzymes begin protein digestion, then into a short small intestine that performs most absorption. The large intestine is short and has little fermentation capacity, matching a diet of animal tissue rather than plant fiber; much of the chitin in insect exoskeletons passes through undigested. Waste leaves through the cloaca.
Temperature and fat storage
As an ectotherm, the gecko digests only at an adequate body temperature, and gut transit tracks the temperature it can reach. Surplus energy from digested prey is stored as fat in the thick tail, a reserve the animal can draw on when food is scarce.
