Darkening of the Head

[GeckoAZ]

Hope I have this in the right section of the forum.... I have a SHCT Male that is about 1 year old. When I got him 6 weeks ago his head was solid yellow with just a few spots (not a complete baldy). Recently (last couple of weeks) his head has started to darken looking more like a blizzard, almost loosing pigment. He is not in shed so am wondering if this is just a "sometimes it happens" or is it a preamble to a medical condition I should be concerned about. I don't have any indications from the female of change at all. I am new to geckos...so sorry if this is obvious to all of you.

 

[robin]

what are your temps? and what are you feeding him and how often? any suplimentation? he looks kind dry looking but also stressed... do you have him in with any females?

 

[GeckoAZ]

The temps are 80 day 75 night and he is in a 20l with one female. He is just starting to shed....and spends a bit of time in the moist hide and enjoys standing in the mist when I mist the cage. He eats crickets, meal worms and an occassional wax worm (as a treat). He won't eat pinkies, nor will the female. He is active.

 

[GeckoAZ]

Fogrot, they do get the calcium powder on the crickets, mealies and wax worms. Took this photo just a minute ago...he is on the warm side of the cage resting.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

What are the warm temps...at the substrate? My first guess would be he's too cold.

 

[robin]

you need to up his temps to about 88-90 warm side. i would leave the warm spot like that and just let the night time cool the unheated side... sounds like he is being kept too cool. also are you giving him any vitamin supliments? also only having him for six week he should still be in quarunteen.. he may still be settling in and may very well be stressed also. but first bring up those temps





Edited cause Robin makes horrible typos and asked me to.

 

[GeckoAZ]

I have started to up the temps on the warm side...to 88 degrees? is that warm enough? THANK YOU!

 

[gko reptiles]

There's only one problem with the 'cooling pigments'. I'm not sure of the time it takes, but if the leo is in too cool temps for too long, they can lose their coloration almost completely. I've never had this happen, but I have read about studies done on this in multiple places. They all had the same outcome as well.

 

[robin]

gko is right, they can lose color. i dont know how long it is but it does happen.
yes 88 should be good. also are you using any vitamin supliments?

 

[GeckoAZ]

I use Herptivite and Calcium with Vit D3. Also, I was online with a breeder and he asked about my set-up and told me to loose the heat lamp that the UTH is enough and that is pretty much when the color started to change. I didn't realize that it could be a side effect. My two are really spoiled and I don't want anything to happen to them. Rover is terrific and has quite a bit of personality.

 

[Grinning Geckos]

The herptivite and calcium + D3 are both good supplements to have, but they should really only be used once a week at most. During the rest of the week, use a plain calcium supplement (no D3 or phosphorus) for dusting and in the tank 24/7. Just be sure your feeders are well gutloaded, and you're all set!

 

[GeckoAZ]

Update

As an update I thought you all might like to know that he has his yellow head almost all back. The 'turning on the heat" really helped and after his last shed he is even darker yellow. Thanks for all the advise!