Handling a feisty gecko? Help. Please. :D

[geckoluver4evr]

Hello! I've had my gecko for 2 weeks now, got her as a teeny tiny baby from petco. Since then, she's gained a good amount of weight. She eats every bit of food I give her. She has everything she needs in her tank, my signature has the details. I have just one problem with her. She hates. Being. Held. I have to very, very slowly corner her, and even then she is terrified. I carry her over to my bed and put her on my lap, but she darts right away. I'm scared she'll fall into the crease by the wall, or just leap right off and go under my bed. That would be terrible! Either she hisses at me when I pick her up, or she squirms and wiggles and sprints, does everythings he can to get away. I've tried scooting her butt into my hand, and sometimes that works, but I don't how to get her used to handling, or even liking it. I'd love to be able to hold her and chill with her, ya know? Please help, any advice? Thank you.

 

[Thorgecko707]

You hand feed her?

 

[geckoluver4evr]

I try too, but she hates my hand. I'll put the mealworm on my palm, she'll see it, and ignore it. I've tried putting calcium powder on my fingers to see if she'll lick it, but that didn't work either. ;(

 

[ElapidSVT]

the proper method of handling a small wild lizard (or one that acts wild) is to hold it on the back of your hand and gently but firmly pinch the foreleg or hind leg between the thumb and forefinger. this will keep the animal from darting away.
after a bit of this, i'm thinking your animal will become accustomed to being handled.

good luck!

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Awww! Okay. That's a gorgeous little baby gecko, very cute. I picked up Pepper very slowly and carefully, scooting her onto my hand. Then I held her in my bed for about 45 minutes, letting her crawl up me legs, down my legs, up my arms, across my tummy, but mostly across my fingers and hands. I was as gentle as I could be, and most of the time she was pretty calm. Of course the entire time I'm sure she was plotting her escape, and whenever I set her down she'd try to dart away. But I'd gently scoop her up and hold her in my palms again. The only fall she took was when she was practically on top of my head, and she decided she wanted to try skydiving. But the mattress and my blankets caught her, and she wasn't stressed or shocked at all. She was absolutely fine! Then I gently put her back in her tank, and she slowly crawled off my hand. Not so bad, I guess? I hope she stops trying to run away from me so often. I snapped some pics for you guys! Just took these now. Not such a shabby gecko for a petco baby, huh? Two weeks of love and TLC can help, though.

 

[Gecko977]

Looks very healthy! I would say just keep up the practice

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Thank you! I'm trying so hard! I love Pepper, she's my new favorite pet, and I did research but reptiles are about as far away from what pets I normally like, it's nuts! My family has 4 dogs, 2 cats, and 4 betta fish (fishies are mine!). Now my bro has bearded dragon and I have Pepper. I am glad you think she looks healthy. I will try to keep up the practice, holding her every morning for a bit.

 

[Gecko977]

I just got a new leo too so your making better progress than I am right now haha. I have fish as pets too!2 bettas,aquarium,3000 gallon koi pond, and a miniature pinscher(not a fish though). Good luck!

 

[geckoluver4evr]

I saw your new leo, he's soooooo cute and beautiful! Lufs him. Or her! We won't know for a while. Yay! Fishies too? I love my fishies. Whoa!!! I had a brain malfunction, I thought you said a 3000 gallon fish tank, I was like "Whoa! That's alotta gallons!" Hehe. I have a pomeranian, a maltese, a pit bull mix, a german shephard mix, 2 american shorthair cats, and my bro has a bearded dragon. Plus my 4 bettas. But the bettas and now my gecko are the only pets that are mine. Thank you, good luck to you too!

 

[OnlineGeckos]

Leopard geckos are very skittish when they're young, and you have a very young one. They get a lot more docile as they get older, some sooner than the others. So just be patient with them, and do it slow and not so often.

A leo that's gonna live a long life is a healthy, stress free one

 

[PaladinGirl]

Toon was a baby when I got her in February. I basically left her alone for the most part until she started to come out of hiding without running away at the slightest movement in the room. Once she associated me with pleasant things (like getting fed), she warmed up. Now she eagerly climbs onto my hand and hangs out for awhile. My little African fat tail gecko, Hugzor, is coming around too, and I just got him about a week and 1/2 ago. I have their tanks right next to each other. They were checking each other out through the glass for the first time last night.

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Thank you guys! Well this morning Pepper crawled right into my hand after some encouragement (breakfast ) and was quite calm as I held her for about 20 minutes. Then I cleaned her tank and very gently put her back in. I thought that was pretty successful. Thank you all very much!
P.S. You can thank petco for selling 2-3 week old hatchlings. ;/ I got Pepepr because she looked the healthiest, but also the tiniest. I didn't want her getting hurt by the other bigger geckos, especially since there were 8 in one tank. Thank goodness she had only gotten there that morning.

 

[artes]

Mine hisses at me when I go to pick her up if I startle her, and has offered to nom me more than once. However, once I get her up in my hand, she's fine. She's actually cuddley, and enjoys exploring by walking all over me. Crazy gecko. Lol.

Mine is a PetCo one too.

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Awwww! I have heard so many bad things about petco geckos, but I'm glad we haven't had any real problems. Pepper is getting better at being calm, I'll keep working on it.

 

[Herp Lover]

When I have one like that I just hold it for a few minutes before putting it in it's feeding container so they know that when I hold them they get food.

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Thank you! I just started trying to give a treat after I hold her. Her tail is getting thicker and bigger, and she's gained a good amount of weight. She has a cute little belly now, which is good. She was so tiny when I got her.

 

[LeoMerlin]

Yea I am glad you were able to get Pepper away from the others. I'm surprised PetCo has so many in one tank. I've seen what having more than one leo in a tank can do, cause bullying for the others. My mom is able to pick up Merlin without a problem, then again she took care of him for about a week for me when I had my temporary job away from home. She would show him the food and he'd come right on over. He is a little iffy around me still and I'm the main one that takes care of him. However, I am not giving up. Mom is able to get him safely out of the tank and let me hold him (once he's in my hands he's calm). For now though, I'm trying to not make it too stressful for him. A stressed leo is not a good thing! Happy and healthy leos equals happy owner

 

[geckoluver4evr]

Amen! I felt soooo terrible for the petco leos. One day I'm going to rescue one, but thank goodness I got Pepper out before he was in very long! A few hours in the morning were all she had to deal with there. I know, I don't want him her stressed out either, I very gently scoop her out and only hold her a few minutes a day now. This morning was probably a bit more stressful then most, had to replace all of the paper towels in Pepper's tank, and rearrange a piece of decor. Just turned it sideways, but it's still different! But Pepper is fine now, sleeping in his moist hide. I'm glad your mom can pick your little gecko up, don't give up! My dad and I are the only ones who have ever held Pepper, so she's familiar with our hands. Mine most though. Keep trying!

 

[LeoMerlin]

Hehe yea I keep putting my hand in, and I think he's getting used to me, just not interested in being held at the moment. So till he's ready, I'm going to leave that alone, just let him smell me and get used to my hand in his tank for feeding time, and when I have to get him out to clean.