hi! i just got my leo 2 weeks ago and i've been doing some research on taming, and i decided to try to put my hand in his cage for a few minutes to let him know my hand isn't a threat. i didn't pick him up or touch him, just put my hand palm up. xander started inching towards my hand and i thought he might try to climb on it, but he suddenly bit my thumb! i don't think he mistook it for food since i was still as a rock and he spent so long watching before he pounced. it didn't hurt or anything, but i was wondering if i should leave him alone and not try this exercise for a few more weeks or if i should keep at it to show him my hand isn't a threat, or do something else entirely. (also, if this is the wrong place for this thread, please tell me because i'm not sure if im in the right subforum)
newbie trying to tame baby leopard gecko?
- Thread starter xander
- Start date
Neon Aurora
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- New Mexico
He probably did see your hand as a threat, which is only natural. Basically, there are two methods for getting leopard geckos accustomed to handling.
a) You can continue to do what you're doing, which is putting your hand in the tank everyday until he seems comfortable with that and moving up to gently touching him, so on and so fourth. In my opinion, this really draws the process out and is more daily stress for a longer period of time than is required. Many people are really comfortable with this method, though.
b) You could just pick him up. Pick up up every day until he isn't bothered by it anymore. The trick to this method is a sure hand, but gentle. They do struggle at first, but once he is safely sitting on your hand, they tend to calm down. You will of course want to handle him very close to the floor of a secure room or his enclosure in case he suddenly runs off. This is what I always do, more out of convenience than anything. It's always worked for me, although I have noticed that two (out of 18) of my geckos remain pretty skittish and I think that is just how they are. Not all geckos tolerate being handled well.
So it's up to you, whatever you are comfortable with. It's just habituating them to being handled and can be done either way.
a) You can continue to do what you're doing, which is putting your hand in the tank everyday until he seems comfortable with that and moving up to gently touching him, so on and so fourth. In my opinion, this really draws the process out and is more daily stress for a longer period of time than is required. Many people are really comfortable with this method, though.
b) You could just pick him up. Pick up up every day until he isn't bothered by it anymore. The trick to this method is a sure hand, but gentle. They do struggle at first, but once he is safely sitting on your hand, they tend to calm down. You will of course want to handle him very close to the floor of a secure room or his enclosure in case he suddenly runs off. This is what I always do, more out of convenience than anything. It's always worked for me, although I have noticed that two (out of 18) of my geckos remain pretty skittish and I think that is just how they are. Not all geckos tolerate being handled well.
So it's up to you, whatever you are comfortable with. It's just habituating them to being handled and can be done either way.
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