Moist or moist skins are vital to the health of leopard geckos. Without access to adequate moisture, most leopard geckos have trouble shedding. Some will even experience loss of fingers and trouble digesting food. But what exactly is a wet or wet hide. The best way to provide moist skin is a plastic container with an access hole. The container should have 2 to 4 inches of perlite, vermiculite, or moss in the bottom. This substrate should be moist but not soaked. A good way to test this is to squeeze a ball of this substance in your hand. It should drip a bit but not for the water. Heat is essential, so place this container on the warm side of your enclosure.
We have found that a hole placed on the top of the container is much better than one placed on the side. Leopard geckos are good climbers and good burrowers. A hole in the side often causes all the vermiculite to be pushed out of the container. A note of caution. Baby leopard geckos should never be given a wet or wet pelt with perlite or vermiculite. Instead, your damp skin should be a damp paper towel in a small plastic container. It is very easy for baby geckos to eat perlite or vermiculite and get shocked. We lost one of our first babies to impaction this way and it was only after months of care that our other babies were able to expel all the perlite they had eaten.
