Adopted Leo

[KTyne]

So on November 24th I adopted a Leopard Gecko from the local Humane Society so it`s been almost 3 weeks since she`s been with me.
She doesn't automatically bolt for her hide when I come in the room anymore but if I move too quickly near her tank she will still bolt. I tried to hold her yesterday and she wouldn't let me, she would step onto my hand but if I moved at all she would bolt.
She looked up at me and gave with this look with her HUGE round eyes that looked like she was looking into my soul, LOL.
I`m confused though as she was part of the Humane Society`s Education Department for 4 years and she was really calm when I held her at the facility. She spent 4 years educating children and being held by lots of little hands so I don`t understand why she is so skittish? Maybe because she was living at the same place for 4 years and so the change of environment is completely stressing her out?
I'm going to keep working with her now every day since I've let her settle in for 2.5 weeks already. Especially since she did seem fine with me if I kept still in her enclosure while she was checking me out.
Any tips and tricks would be great. I've only ever "tamed" baby Geckos since Gaia was a baby/juvie when I got her and Latte is a Juvie.
Prim is 5.5 years old and I'm hoping she'll adjust well eventually!

 

[Lindz0518]

I think that since she was used to a certain way of life for 4 years that it may just take her a little longer to adjust. My new one Thor has settled in for 2 weeks now and will only sit on my hand a second before bolting, I try a few minutes each day, except for 2 days ago he bolted and crashed straight into the glass, I didn't try again until this morning.

 

[KTyne]

That's what I thought... I hope she doesn't take too long to adjust, although I'll give her as long as she needs of course. She is such a cutie and she looks so different than my Gaia.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Was she getting proper care? The right supplementation and temps and everything? If she was too cold and/or had a vitamin deficiency, that could have made her sluggish. Or it could just simply be that she's still adjusting.

~Maggot

 

[KTyne]

Was she getting proper care? The right supplementation and temps and everything? If she was too cold and/or had a vitamin deficiency, that could have made her sluggish. Or it could just simply be that she's still adjusting.

~Maggot

Pretty sure she had good care, yeah. She came to me nice and fat with no apparent issues except for some missing toes from bad sheds from her first home before she came to the shelter.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Pretty sure she had good care, yeah. She came to me nice and fat with no apparent issues except for some missing toes from bad sheds from her first home before she came to the shelter.

Then probably the latter. I'm sure she'll settle down.

~Maggot

 

[KTyne]

Hopefully! I wouldn't mind not holding her much but I barely ever see her because she bolts for her hide when I come near, lol.

 

[Lindz0518]

I'm sure she will come around, she is probably taking longer because she's older, some people take longer to adjust to change when they get older too

 

[KTyne]

Definitely, I know I hate change, lol. I might get her a couple hides that were the same as the ones she had at the shelter and try to make her tank more similar. I use the same hides as the shelter anyways but not in her tank right now.

 

[Lindz0518]

That may help. I know I had to get this one called a cozy casa, it goes up against the glass so you can still see them because I like to check on them

 

[KTyne]

Oh I've seen those! I would like hides like that but they are expensive!

 

[DrCarrotTail]

The move is definitely disruptive and I would bet that's the majority of her issue. Some of my geckos get startled by the picking up process are fine once I have them out. Have you tried scooping her up and holding her? Is she a spaz once she's out of her tank? My big male that I've had for 6+ years hates being picked up and will be totally spazzy if he can see his tank and thinks there's a possibility he can get back into it but gets calm (resigned to his fate?...haha) once we're in another room.

Most of mine stay in their hides a lot of the time, especially if the room temperature is below 70. Even when its warm they seem to sleep quite a bit of the time. After all, they are crepuscular and built to be active for an hour or so in the morning and evening (if hungry) and sleep the rest of the time to conserve energy.

Best of luck with her!

 

[Lindz0518]

Oh I've seen those! I would like hides like that but they are expensive!

You may want to check out Amazon, they have them for good prices now and then. I got mine for $8

 

[KTyne]

The move is definitely disruptive and I would bet that's the majority of her issue. Some of my geckos get startled by the picking up process are fine once I have them out. Have you tried scooping her up and holding her? Is she a spaz once she's out of her tank? My big male that I've had for 6+ years hates being picked up and will be totally spazzy if he can see his tank and thinks there's a possibility he can get back into it but gets calm (resigned to his fate?...haha) once we're in another room.

Most of mine stay in their hides a lot of the time, especially if the room temperature is below 70. Even when its warm they seem to sleep quite a bit of the time. After all, they are crepuscular and built to be active for an hour or so in the morning and evening (if hungry) and sleep the rest of the time to conserve energy.

Best of luck with her!

She spazzes when I try to pick her up and launches herself out of my hand, so I don't want to try to pick her up if she is going to try to commit suicide by jumping off of my hand 4 feet in the air, lol. I tried to scoop her up last night and she just kept hopping off of my hand when I got like 4 inches off the ground...
I'm just not used to it! My other, and first, Leo (Gaia) is super fine with me just scooping her up and holding her as long as I haven't woken her up. (so, if she is already awake at night) If I wake her up to hold her she gets mad at me and gets all diva-ish, ha.

You may want to check out Amazon, they have them for good prices now and then. I got mine for $8

Yeah, I think I might have to check them out on there then!

 

[Ozy]

My leopard gecko doesn't want anything to do with me unless I'm feeding her... But then again, I have had her since she was a really little baby and she's always been that way.. Maybe just go REALLY slow with her. Being in a shelter and going from place to place HAD to be traumatic for the poor girl! :heart:

 

[cassicat4]

Some of my geckos get startled by the picking up process are fine once I have them out. Have you tried scooping her up and holding her? Is she a spaz once she's out of her tank? My big male that I've had for 6+ years hates being picked up and will be totally spazzy if he can see his tank and thinks there's a possibility he can get back into it but gets calm (resigned to his fate?...haha) once we're in another room.

I think you and I have male siblings, as mine is the same way. I have to be fast when picking him up and plunking him down on the bed or floor, or he will kick and flail in-between.

This may be ghetto, Kayla, but have you considered maybe picking her up with one hand and holding a large pillow or shallow bucket or something similar with the other that you can hold underneath her in the event that she takes a leap? In the event that she'll calm down outside of her enclosure, it may be worth a shot. Or depending on how large her enclosure is, it may work too to simply put the whole thing on the floor while you try and take her out.

 

[KTyne]

I think you and I have male siblings, as mine is the same way. I have to be fast when picking him up and plunking him down on the bed or floor, or he will kick and flail in-between.

This may be ghetto, Kayla, but have you considered maybe picking her up with one hand and holding a large pillow or shallow bucket or something similar with the other that you can hold underneath her in the event that she takes a leap? In the event that she'll calm down outside of her enclosure, it may be worth a shot. Or depending on how large her enclosure is, it may work too to simply put the whole thing on the floor while you try and take her out.

She lives in a 40 gallon tank but it is already on the floor so that's good, lol.

Good news guys! I didn't try to hold her last night but I was able to walk right up to her tank and sit down next to it without her bolting for her hide. She just laid where she was and checked me out. ^_^

 

[Lindz0518]

She lives in a 40 gallon tank but it is already on the floor so that's good, lol.

Good news guys! I didn't try to hold her last night but I was able to walk right up to her tank and sit down next to it without her bolting for her hide. She just laid where she was and checked me out. ^_^

Just a thought, maybe being in a large 40 gallon is stressing her, I tried to put my girl into a 40 gallon and she got super stressed and even lost weight and when I moved her back to her 20L and she is fine again. So now I just finished splitting the 40 gallon for my two other two leopard geckos. Not sure but I know some leos like bigger tanks and some like the security of a smaller one.

 

[KTyne]

Just a thought, maybe being in a large 40 gallon is stressing her, I tried to put my girl into a 40 gallon and she got super stressed and even lost weight and when I moved her back to her 20L and she is fine again. So now I just finished splitting the 40 gallon for my two other two leopard geckos. Not sure but I know some leos like bigger tanks and some like the security of a smaller one.

I never thought of that. She was in a 20 long for the 4 years at the shelter so maybe that's it? I might need to go Kijiji shopping then for a new tank for her, lol.

 

[Lindz0518]

I never thought of that. She was in a 20 long for the 4 years at the shelter so maybe that's it? I might need to go Kijiji shopping then for a new tank for her, lol.

It was just a thought. I think some like a smaller space to make them feel secure, it almost seemed like she got kinda lost in the 40 gallon, if that makes sense. I really thought that it was bologna that they could get stressed by having too big of a tank but I believe it now, it's the only thing in her life that changed to cause her stress and even was acting skiddish like yours. As soon as I moved her back, she was fine.