Hello everyone! New gecko mom here!

[vlong11]

I'm a first time reptile owner! I've always had parrots and that is more my area of knowledge, but I fell in love when I got my little leopard gecko His name is Drogo and I've only had him (him/her??) for 3 days. I want to be the best gecko mom possible so any tips and suggestions are more than welcome! I've been doing research like crazy but feedback from you guys would be great!

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[dupecaliente]

Hi,

It's awesome that you've taken the time to study up on these little guys -- thanks for that!

Firstly, a major role in the health and happiness of your gecko is his housing/setup. Can you tell us about the substrate, heat source(s), and hides you're using? What size tank are you using? And does it have a good temperature gradient?

As you may know, with any new reptile, you'll want to let him get used to you before taking him out for extended periods of time. For starters, place your hand in his tank for a few minutes each day. Most leopard geckos are curious and will likely lick or even crawl into your hand. It's a great bonding routine, no matter how simple it sounds.

I would love to hear about your experiences with Drogo thus far. He's such a cutie!

 

[vlong11]

I have a 10 gal tank and am using the reptile carpet. I have a overhead lamp with the red bulb. I was told not to use heated pads or rocks because babies don't know when it gets to hot and might burn their bellies. However I've read a lot that the UTH are recommended though. So would you suggest also using one? He has 2 hides. One under the heat source and other one the cooler side of the tank. It was my old fish tank so I have the thermometer that sticks on the side of the tank but I plan on getting a better one today.

I've actually been trying putting my hand in the tank! First day he came right up and licked my hand and just rested his head on my finger

I am starting to get concerned. He's not showing any interest in the crickets. I only leave them in there briefly because some are mean to him. He only shows interest in the meal worms but hasn't actually eaten them in a few days. He looks healthy and is extremely active at night though. I've been looking up and reading a whole bunch online and it seems this may be due to stress?

Other than that he seems like a happy and active little man! I love him so much already! Can't wait to watch him grow up and develop a bond with him!


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[discoverlight]

Heat pads and UTH are basically the same thing, some have a thermostat that you can control the temperature with though. It's really not recommended to use an overhead light as it damages their eyes and skin

I definitely recommend a heat pad since they digest their food with belly heat, not overhead heat. Heat from above does nothing for them

 

[dupecaliente]

I would definitely recommend a heating pad, but not a heat rock -- they tend to overheat and can potentially hurt or burn your reptile. Reason I recommend the pad is, leos are nocturnal and primarily absorb heat through their bellies (UTH helps them digest, too!), rather than from a UVB/heat lamp. I do, however, use infrared/red bulb lighting for nighttime viewing. Besides that, leopard geckos do not require lighting unless the UTH does not bring the floor to a proper 90-low 90 degrees.

Everything else sounds great , though I would opt to add a third hide for humidity. The most easy and cost-effective way to do this is to find yourself a bowl or the like and place a damp paper towel in or underneath it. You'll need to cut a hole in it for him to enter and exit. Place it closer to the warm side than the cool side. Your gecko will shed approximately every 2-4 weeks (juveniles shed more often), and the humidity will aid him in getting the skin off. In my experience, they prefer the humid hide in the day whether they're shedding or not!

I wish I could've gotten back to you earlier, but if you haven't bought another thermometer yet, I suggest picking up a digital thermometer with a probe. These are significantly more accurate at reading temperatures.

If he doesn't eat the crickets within 30 minutes, take them out. If crickets get hungry they may start to nibble on his toes or tail. And I agree that it's likely stress. My brother's rainwater albino didn't eat for a week after he brought him home. Leos are very sensitive to environment change, so it's no surprise your little guy isn't eating much.

There are a couple more questions I forgot to ask, oops! Are you gutloading the feeder insects and dusting them with supplements?

 

[vlong11]

OK thanks for the tips! I'll be sure to get a pad and the third hide for humidity! I got a digital thermometer and have been taking to crickets out about 15-30 min after putting them in. Little hard to recatch though! Haha I have the crickets in their own holder and have that orange cricket food. How often should I be feeding them though? Then with the meal worms I have the calcium that I dust them with as well.

Thanks!


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[dupecaliente]

Yes, crickets tend to be little devils, ha! Keep a constant food supply for your crickets. Just drop a couple cubes of Fluker's into their container at a time. Though, be sure to replace the food if it's uneaten after a few days because it will harden, making it difficult for the crickets to eat. You can also gut load the mealworms on this! About the calcium, dust both crickets and mealworms before feeding them to your gecko. Also keep a bottle cap filled with pure calcium in Drogo's enclosure, he'll lick it when he feels he needs it.

No problem! You're going to be an excellent mom to Drogo. Thanks for being so involved in making sure he has the happiest of lives! We both appreciate it.

If you have any more questions, I'm open to them!