Do leopard geckos color change if they don't have a special light?

My super hypo tangerine carrot tail's color has been dulling from her bright orange to a brownish orange. I feed her calcium and the crickets are fed carrots which an expert told me helps maintain her color but didn't. She doesn't have a light so im wondering if that maybe the problem? any ideas on how to help keep her beautiful orange? thanx!Do leopard geckos color change if they don%26039;t have a special light?
Leopard geckos do not need any %26quot;special%26quot; lights (no UVA or UVB) but they need a daytime light for heat and a proper photo-cycle. When I moved from Nevada to Washington, my geckos (tangerines) turned dark; this was due to a lack of heat. Go to the pet store and get a heat light (something small, I suggest a Fluker's Heat Light 6%26quot; across) and use a 40-60 watt light with it. Do not use a %26quot;swirly%26quot; light, they do not emit radiant heat. By the way, carrot-fed crickets won't necessarily boost the color of your gecko, but gut loading them will give her optimum nutrition. Using a multivitamin dust once a month will help. Along with calcium dusting the crickets 2x a week, leave a shallow dish (a jar lid perhaps) filled with calcium dust. Your gecko will eat it as needed. I do this for mine (a breeding pair) even when they're not breeding.Do leopard geckos color change if they don%26039;t have a special light?
There is no food that will enhance a gecko's color so the carrots aren't really helping or hurting anything. Though you should probably feed your crickets a fortified gutload of some kind with calcium in it. It's more important that your gecko get proper nutrition through its food items.



The dulling color might indicate that she is headed into a shed or is stressed out. Leos are nocturnal and do not need or want a light of any kind. Make sure the %26quot;hot%26quot; side of her tank is 90-95 degrees and heated with an undertank heating mat. The cool side should be around 80 or so. Make sure she has a humid hide in case she needs to shed, etc. :)