general leo ?'s

[jenn75]

Ok, so I've had my gecko for a couple of weeks now... and I have some questions.

Her body got real cloudy last week and now she's back to her clear normal color... has she shed? I don't see any evidence of shed in her tank, but I know they sometimes eat it. Just wondering if that's a clear indication she's gone through her shedding process in secrecy.

She does not seem to have the appetite I expected. I've read they eat 10-12 mealies every other day. The guy who owned her previously fed her 6-7 crickets every other day. She only ate 2 (injured) crickets for me and seems to have no desire to hunt them at all... and I'm lucky if she eats 3-7 mealies every other day. When she does eat, she really hesitates. She will touch them with her nose a few times before actually eating them. It's almost like she can't judge the distance or can't see them well at all.

Should I be worried she's not eating much or having trouble seeing them?

I had a little more luck last night using tweezers and holding them for her, is this normal?

 

[leogecko88]

Yes, she did shed. She probably did it at night when you wouldn't see it. They almost always eat their shed. I've rarely found shed skin in my tank because my gecko eats hers.
Sorry, can't help with the feeding problem.

 

[Necromantica]

The feeding problem may just be from shedding, like stated above she will eat her shed after shedding. Also if you just got her recently its common during acclimation to experience a gecko with a reduced appetite it usually fixes itself over a short period of time.

 

[jenn75]

Thanks for the reassurance. She's a very sweet girl and we just want to make sure she's getting the best!

 

[gmaier19]

maybe the guy who had her before you was feeding smaller crickets than what you have been offering, which would account for the decreased number of crickets shes eating. also, make sure your temperatures are high enough, a gecko thats not warm enough wont eat as much.

abt the tweezers thing, some geckos are just much better hunters than others. i have 3 geckos that are down right impressive to watch hunt. they see the prey from across their tanks and move in to strike. then i have one gecko that is challenged in the hunting department and misses several times before she gets the prey. the tweezers help out a lot when feeding her because i can dangle it in front of her and she grabs it directly from the tongs. i use those giant tweezers you can get at any pet store that are 10 inches or so.

 

[gitrdone0420]

maybe the guy who had her before you was feeding smaller crickets than what you have been offering, which would account for the decreased number of crickets shes eating. also, make sure your temperatures are high enough, a gecko thats not warm enough wont eat as much.

abt the tweezers thing, some geckos are just much better hunters than others. i have 3 geckos that are down right impressive to watch hunt. they see the prey from across their tanks and move in to strike. then i have one gecko that is challenged in the hunting department and misses several times before she gets the prey. the tweezers help out a lot when feeding her because i can dangle it in front of her and she grabs it directly from the tongs. i use those giant tweezers you can get at any pet store that are 10 inches or so.

+1
On top of that, if you did acquire her recently, the stress of that can def cause a decrease in appetite. And continually trying to get her to eat can cause even more stress. AKA, at this point, the more you handle her, the more stress you can induce only because she is new.
Usually, when I get a new leo, I leave them alone as much as possible for the first two-three weeks to ensure that they settle in nicely. I still offer food, but rarely fret over how much they eat. Once I feel that they have settled in adequately I will monitor their eating and worry about it then.
I had one leo that came in that didnt eat ANYTHING for a month! I was so worried, but she was also probably ovulating at that time as well... I didnt really want to bother her much. I knew under the circumstances that she was highly stressed. But then one day, she magically got her appetite back and she has been fantastic ever since! =]
Anyways, point is... dont worry... as long as you have the proper set up, she should be able to take care of herself pretty well =]

 

[ReptarNDukeNukem]

Well by any chance is she an albino if so try to feed her in the dark because they are more light sensitive,because that is how my tremper is.

 

[jenn75]

Thanks everyone, no she's not albino. I have an infrared light on her and when we feed i turn on the overhead room light.

Just found out last night "she" is actually a "he" ~ thanks to the many wonderful pics around here to compare!