Behavior change: brumation or moulting?

[lycophidion]

Good evening,

I have an adult Leopard Gecko that has abruptly changed its behavior. Up until yesterday, it consistently maintained itself at the warmer end of its tank (set at 87 degrees F.). Yesterday, it went to the extreme cooler end of the tank, and hasn't left that end up to now. It isn't even using the hides (a humidity chamber and a "cichlid stone") at that end, but has remained pressed against the glass, or briefly on top of the resin "hollow log" at that end. It has not had any issues of appetite loss, and even ate a large Dubia roach today. We have been experiencing very high relative humidity for the past several days, and I was wondering if that might have triggered some hormonal change, maybe moulting or brumation behavior. This has never happened before.

Any insights would be appreciated.

Mike

 

[acpart]

Unless you're in the southern hemisphere, it isn't brumation. If it's been really humid, maybe the gecko is hot on the hot side and is spending time on the cool side as are most of my geckos. I also find that my geckos tend to have favorite spots where they hang out and then after awhile they have new favorite spots and they hang out there.

Aliza

 

[lycophidion]

Unless you're in the southern hemisphere, it isn't brumation. If it's been really humid, maybe the gecko is hot on the hot side and is spending time on the cool side as are most of my geckos. I also find that my geckos tend to have favorite spots where they hang out and then after awhile they have new favorite spots and they hang out there.

Aliza

I'm aware of the normal timing and triggers for brumation. That was speculative. Keep in mind what I wrote: during the year and a half I've hosted this creature and, particularly, the past nine months in which the gecko has been in its current enclosure, the heating regime has been the same and it has never exhibited this behavior. It does have favored basking, feeding and hiding spots at the heated end of the tank. It occasionally made trips to the cooler side, usually to dig around in the sphagnum in a humidity chamber.

The current behavior is probably pathological. The gecko has remained at the far end of the tank, now in a hide, with little movement, since I first posted. I turned the heat down at the heated end, from a ground-level temperature of 87 deg G to 82, but the lizard hasn't made any move toward the heated end. I don't want to turn the heat off completely, particularly since the gecko ate a large Dubia when it first moved to the cool end.

The major change over the past year and a half is that my gecko's has grown. A lot. Besides issues like possible intoxication the only extraneous factors I can think of that may be related to my gecko's state are that the tank is too small (20 gal long) and the current humidity would be considered excessive (down a bit, today).

 

[acpart]

20 gallon long should be fine, though bigger is always good. I don't worry about humidity at my house and it doesn't bother anyone, though I can't vouch for what's going on with your gecko. Please consider a vet visit.

Aliza