First time shedding. Question.

[ReptileRy]

so i woke up this morning to find my leo is starting to shed. and i have a moist hide for him but he never goes in it. he rubs up against the bark on the piece of wood in there. is that ok? and now hes being super quick and everytime i walk in that room he darts into his hide. is this normal?

 

[lovelovelove135]

I think what he's doing is completely normal. Have you ever seen him in his humid hide? If he's never been in there, he probably doesn't know the humid hide is what it is (I could be wrong, I'm no expert xD). Like he thinks it's a normal hide, but it's not haha If you've never seen him in there, I'd put him in there just to make sure he knows it's there for shedding purposes. The rubbing on the bark is fine. He's just trying to get an opening in his skin. Being quick and hiding is normal too. He's just a little baby and he's scared when this big creature he's not very familiar with walks in haha Just make sure when he's done shedding, there's no shed on his toes or other parts of his body

 

[ReptileRy]

no i have never seen him in there, and it would be nearly impossible to get him in there, hes not that tame yet, haha. but there just some on his head,tail, and feet left.

 

[PaladinGirl]

My Toon rarely goes into her humid hide, at least that I can tell. I suspect she may use it at night when I'm in bed. Also, she gets very moody a couple days before shedding. She won't come to me when I call her, sometimes I rarely see her. She'll come out to eat, then run back into her hide. Also, make sure you watch his toes!! The skin can stick there. Toon almost lost a toe a month or so ago. Now if I noticed skin on her toes that didn't come off, I soak her for 10 minutes in warm spring water and gently massage her toes till it comes off.

 

[lovelovelove135]

Well that's okay If he has stuck shed, you can just help him after. But let's hope there isn't because you'll be forced to handle him, and if he's the hissing and biting kind...well...good luck xD I'm lucky Sonny isn't the hissy/biting type I had to help her with her first shed about a week or 2 after I got her. She wasn't a happy camper, but eventually she was like "ohh...you're helping...I'll stay still " xD

 

[ProGeckoServices]

What Leopard geckos really need to have a good shed is a rough rocky hide that they can rub up against at different angles to get the skin off. Moist hides help, but if its just a plastic tubberware container it is not going to be that efficient. What you need is a rocky moist hide and with that they can typically get their shed off in no time. Exo Terra has Reptile Dens that work extremely well and do not require any additional moist substrate.

 

[BadKelpie]

Mine wouldn't use her moist hide when it was on the cool side of the tank, and had trouble her first shed. I had to hold her to get it off her head. She didn't love it, but I didn't get bit either. I made her sit in a plastic tub with very wet paper towels, and that loosened the toes enough so she could get it off. Then I put the moist hide on the warm side and she figured it out, and had good sheds after that. Recently, her tank got re-arranged and the moist hide was not on the heat as much so she wasn't using it, she had the same bad shed as that first one. I just re-re-arranged and she started using her moist hide again, and was able to finish the shed without help.

 

[GrimmyX15]

It's perfectly normal, As long you have humid hide in there, it may use humid whatever it wants. If you see any problem with shedding, assist her with a rubbermaid shoe box and add warm water to ease her shedding aid. of course make sure it covers the gecko legs. it probably uses humid hide when you are not there most. lol. My leopard gecko does dart , hide. He's sometimes jumpy because I moved him to larger, longer tank so he have to get used to it. lol. He use humid hide 24/7
He only comes out if lights are off where are cool in night. it's so weird. Just maybe your gecko's personality. My humid hide is filled with peat moss mixed with coconut fiber, pure spragham moss. I plan to add big humid hide soon, because his hide is usually small.


If you have any questions, just ask.
I hope it helps.

 

[ReptileRy]

well all he has left is a little bit on his head that he is having trouble with. he is rubbing his head on the wood hide. i think he will get it eventually

 

[Dog Shrink]

What Leopard geckos really need to have a good shed is a rough rocky hide that they can rub up against at different angles to get the skin off. Moist hides help, but if its just a plastic tubberware container it is not going to be that efficient. What you need is a rocky moist hide and with that they can typically get their shed off in no time. Exo Terra has Reptile Dens that work extremely well and do not require any additional moist substrate.

nothing like a little shameless self promotion eah...

As far as the humid hide goes what are you stuffing it with. My leo rarely uses his moist hide that has sphagnum moss in it but he will use his hide with the moist papertowels just about every shed. Sometimes it's the substrait not the hide.