Gecko Independence

[liljenn]

I recently was gone for 8 days but my husband was home to watch temps & check water & food. However, we will be on vacation for 10 days this summer & my brother-in-law will be checking on them every 3 days. This is a little check list I plan to make for him.

Each time he comes: 1) change water (water bottle next to rack), 2) spray hides, 3) check temps 4) dump out food dish (in small trash can I have) & fill it with fresh mealies (mealworms already prepared in separate demi-cups with gut load for each gecko)

I know it is a bit of prep work but I am amazed at how squeamish some people are about a little mealworm - LOL! Setting up the cups in advance makes it easier to find "gecko-sitters"!

Just my 2 cents! I hope it helps! (Of course I will only have 7-8 geckos by this summer, I don't know how people with more do it!)

 

[bitterbeauty]

As far was water goes it would best to have one of these so you dont have worry about knocking it over or it going dry. I use this type of water dish.

 

[AntMan612]

I really like Jenn's checklist idea and preparing their food in little cups ahead of time. That way I'd be sure they'll get the amounts that I would want to feed them and not have to just trust a friend to get it exactly right.

 

[Ccrashca069]

Nice check list Jenn. That water dish isn't a bad ideal but I have a few leopards that decide to use the water dish as a toilet lol.

 

[AntMan612]

And id say you cant get more reliable than the fine group of people here!

Most likely this forum represents the top tier of good, responsible leopard gecko keepers. Anybody that is willing to spend the time in this knowledge exchange, clearly cares enough. That is why I consider the opinions here as significantly more valid than what one would find by Googling.

 

[liljenn]

Most likely this forum represents the top tier of good, responsible leopard gecko keepers. Anybody that is willing to spend the time in this knowledge exchange, clearly cares enough. That is why I consider the opinions here as significantly more valid than what one would find by Googling.

:main_thumbsup: :main_thumbsup: Well said!! I agree!!:main_thumbsup:

 

[blightedchemist]

Nice check list Jenn. That water dish isn't a bad ideal but I have a few leopards that decide to use the water dish as a toilet lol.

toilet trained geckos...thats fascinating, at first i thought it was amazing that they would go to one and only one spot to poop, that thats a whole new level of awesome!
and yes nice list indeed, i think ill do something similar for my 14 day vacation.

 

[xoiceox]

I've fed my geckos b4 goin on vaca and left them with water and automatic lights for up to a week and they are perfect!

 

[Drunvalo]

I've fed my geckos b4 goin on vaca and left them with water and automatic lights for up to a week and they are perfect!

same here. :main_thumbsup:

 

[Alusdra]

The key seems to be the water- a couple of days without food will not harm the gecko, but they should have fresh clean water available at all times. Now- how fresh is water after a week? Maybe not fresh enough. But to leave them for up to, say, 4-5 days I really wouldn't worry about it, at least with my set-up of 3 pet geckos, no breeding.

The key is the water bowl- I have really deep heavy ones that can't be tipped over and contain a lot, so evaporation is less of an issue. Also location is very important. If the gecko is pooping in the bowl a lot of times if you move it around they'll stop. I had one gecko that would always poop in the east of the cage. How she knew I have no idea- but I made sure not to have the water there. Also you want the bowl as far on the cool side as possible so the evaporation is less.

Obviously this doesn't work as well for the humid hides, so I would be more worried about leaving around shedding time. But if you are gone less than a week the shed won't have enough time to cause any problems that can't be easily corrected barring some horrendously bizarre and rare accident you probably couldn't have prevented anyway.

It's hard to find gecko nannies... my roommate is squealing-jump-on-a-chair terrified of all lizards and hardly anyone is as chill as we keepers tend to be about the bugs (but then, I find nothing at all odd about 50 mealies in the fridge, which people tell me is really gross- heh)

For more than a 5 days- a week I would definitely find someone to at least feed them once and change out the water, though. Weekends- I leave them all the time no problem.

As for the tail concern- yes, a gecko likely can survive for a long time without food and slowly loose tail width... but "survive" is the key word there. They could get all kinds of problems with such "survival" (which really is just old-fashioned starvation) like MBD, electrolyte imbalances, other nutrient deficiencies, etc. etc.- I don't know that anyone has studied it, but it seems pretty common sense to me that starvation = bad idea.

 

[AntMan612]

Alusdra - Thanks for drawing the comparison between tail size loss and starvation/survival. This makes sense and sheds a new light on the hardiness of leopard geckos. In the wild, I'm sure their stored tail fat probably evolved from a NEED to just survive. As a result, they're not very healthy in the wild. Since these are our pets, I think keeping them as healthy and happy as possible would simply be right.

 

[goReptiles]

(People who raise geckos rarely get to go on vacation...)

Ditto... I get to go on weekend trips, but rarely. I can't ever find anyone that I trust to check on my reptiles, so I'd rather not go on vacation. Ha.

Plus, dogs are another story.

 

[blightedchemist]

Ditto... I get to go on weekend trips, but rarely. I can't ever find anyone that I trust to check on my reptiles, so I'd rather not go on vacation. Ha.

I'm in the process of thinking of/finding a person who i can trust to look after my critters while im in spain. I still live with my parents but I dont feel i can trust them with what the lizards and frogs need. If i made a detailed how-to and nanny list im sure i could teach them what to do. another possibilty id look at is, ive got a buddy who wants a gecko so I could in theory teach him what to do and let him watch them....thats iffy though becuase hes never done it either. and yeah dogs are definetly another story...one to three times a day go visit...got food? got water? go outside for ten minutes...

 

[liljenn]

Funny enough, I have plenty of people willing to care for my 100 lb Akita but it is like, people are weird about reptiles!! And it's not like I am asking them to handle them (in fact, I don't want them to), they just need to be checked, watered & fed! Much easier than a dog IMO.

 

[AntMan612]

I suppose there is (as is being discussed in another thread) an unfortunate stigma about reptiles in the modern world. This will hopefully change someday.

 

[blightedchemist]

I suppose there is (as is being discussed in another thread) an unfortunate stigma about reptiles in the modern world. This will hopefully change someday.

there is! its too bad, i actually had a debate with a friend of mine a little while ago about reptiles and how they are just as much of a pet and wonderful thing to have around than a dog or cat.

 

[AntMan612]

there is! its too bad, i actually had a debate with a friend of mine a little while ago about reptiles and how they are just as much of a pet and wonderful thing to have around than a dog or cat.

I agree. The "whats this???" thread from a few days ago was also very interesting.

 

[fallen_angel]

Funny enough, I have plenty of people willing to care for my 100 lb Akita but it is like, people are weird about reptiles!! And it's not like I am asking them to handle them (in fact, I don't want them to), they just need to be checked, watered & fed! Much easier than a dog IMO.

People are weird about reptiles, I've noticed that too!

Can you send me a pic of your Akita through PM??? You could just post it on the dog forum too Akitas are my TOP FAVORITE type of dog, my fiance and I dream to own one some day :sweetheart: they are so gorgeous and friendly/loyal/protective.. ahhh what I would do for one :main_yes:

there is! its too bad, i actually had a debate with a friend of mine a little while ago about reptiles and how they are just as much of a pet and wonderful thing to have around than a dog or cat.

I could support that argument, I handle and "play" with our leos just as often as any of our other pets and I love and am attached to them just as much as well :smitten:

 

[liljenn]

Jess, I will try to find a pic of her to post in the dog section tonight (or just take one!) And I agree, I play with my leos just as much & enjoy them as much as any other pet!

 

[fallen_angel]

Thank you, I am looking forward to it :smitten: