Aging a leo?

[lizardlove]

How can I tell how old Sappho is? I've had her for about three weeks, bought her at the Hamburg convention from RyVal so I'm not sure at what age they begin selling their geckos. Is there any way to tell exactly how old a leopard gecko is? I want to know so I can find out what the appropriate weight is for a gecko of her age. She seems a little skinny to me, just want to make sure she's eating enough.

 

[bitterbeauty]

There isnt really a way to tell. Weight and length can help but some geckos grown faster/slower.

I would contact the person you bought her from for more info. Most breeders can tell you a hatching date if they are organized and such.

 

[lizardlove]

Okay! I'm not sure how old she is... Like I said I got her about 3 weeks ago so if there's a standard age at which hatchlings are typically sold at conventions then just add three weeks to that and that's her age. Not 100% how old she is, really. She's about 6 1/2 inches long, I think that's 14cm. Any idea exactly how much she should weigh? If it helps you age her or something, here's a picture. Just got a gram scale so now I can keep tabs and make sure she's eating enough.

 

[THE WHISPERER]

If you post her weight we could probably help with a general age range. If you got her at a show I would think the breeder should have records and be able to tell you how old she is. When you got her was there any type of numbering code with the discription on the container she came in?

 

[bitterbeauty]

I would guess not that old maybe a few months old? 3 or 4

 

[lizardlove]

No, the container just said bold stripe on it with an F for female. I messaged Ryan through the forums, so I'm sure he'll get back to me when he has the chance. She weighs 17g now, so I wanted to make sure she was at a good weight or if I should try to get her to eat a little more. She seems to be eating okay now, maybe 8-10 mealworms for the past two nights, but before that she didn't eat much for 5-6 days. Her appetite increasing seems to have coincided with her shed - after she shed, she started to eat a little again.

 

[lizardlove]

At least, I don't think she had any ID#... I threw away the container, didn't even really look at it.

 

[BettaDragon]

I'm pretty sure it didn't have a number on it. I guess that she was four months old but I'm no experienced breeder, lol. Ah, if only we weren't so impatient to go play with snakes. We should have asked more questions. Lesson for the next time we go.

 

[lizardlove]

I know. We were all ZOMG RAONBOW BOA! I'll call her 4 months old for now... In which case, what's a healthy weight for her?

 

[BalloonzForU]

Did you give Ryan or Val your name(s) when you bought the gecko? They may have kept that on file. I would still give them a call/email to find out how old it is, either way. With a pic they may be able to ID the gecko and get you an age. They keep good records.

 

[lizardlove]

Hm. I tried to contact through geckoforums but I'll e-mail them, too. They were really great though, all their geckos were awesome. It's good because if I ever want a second one and I have options when it comes to breeders, I already know that they'll have great lil' hatchlings. I get all annoying when I'm with my gecko, always worried that she's skinny, or her foot's weird, or I don't like the way she blinked at me, it could mean disease... Haha, it's pretty bad. I think she's alright, really, I just would feel better if I could keep tabs on her weight.

 

[BettaDragon]

That's because you're so freaking maternal to your little darling animals.

 

[lizardlove]

I'm maternal to everything that moves, and often things that don't.

I think it annoys her, but she's too nice to say anything.

 

[BettaDragon]

I'm sure she loves it.