Help? Handling

[Rufus]

Ok, I have a leopard gecko for a while now, still a young one, but whenever my hand, or anything that I put in the cage go's near it, it sprints across the cage

It's bitten me at least 10 times. It apparently hissed at my dad. Only time its happy is when its getting meal worms.

 

[mrcsk8ter44445]

Mine was just the same way so i quit messing with it and one day i saw my Dad holding it and i was shocked,, and he said it didn't attempt to bite him at all so i can hold it now...my advice is just wait till its older and it will allow you to handle it

 

[Leopardbreeder]

Are you used to giants shoveing theirs hands in your home? Would you be scared? They are the same way.

 

[Rufus]

Yes, I understand what your saying. But he/she is overly aggressive to anything. It bites the papertowel if it moves. I also (I KNOW THERE NOT THE SAME) have a bearded dragon who allowed me to pick him up since I had got him.

ALSO, it almost never goe's inside its hides. I worry that if it sheds, I cant get it to help itself. (First time around when it was first new, it let me pick it up for short periods) It shed a little bit after i got it, but everything went ok...

Maybee I need to put something on the hides? they are transparent.



EDIT: Ok, Leo, if I put hand in for long time, will start chasing its reflection, and stand ontop of my hand trying to get at it, but acts like its not there... If I slightly move a finger, it jumps a bit. And If I move to much, it trys to bite.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

First of all, yeah, I would put something on the hides so that they are no longer transparent.

My leo never liked being held... and still doesn't. She is still technically "young" (about 5 1/2 months). She actually only showed a little progress about two days ago, but still hates it. Now I can at least pick her up and she will crawl from hand to hand, but always tries getting down. I would leave her alone for a while, until she gets comfortable, and then start trying again.

 

[Rufus]

First of all, yeah, I would put something on the hides so that they are no longer transparent.

My leo never liked being held... and still doesn't. She is still technically "young" (about 5 1/2 months). She actually only showed a little progress about two days ago, but still hates it. Now I can at least pick her up and she will crawl from hand to hand, but always tries getting down. I would leave her alone for a while, until she gets comfortable, and then start trying again.

Well, I know reptiles are generally un-loving creatures, and just tolerate you, but I do love the look and feel and behavior of reptiles, and I also love to handle them. This is why I love my beardie, he always is calm, cool, hes only opened his mount at me once, and that was when I had just came back from vacation.

I wouldn't be able to stand it if my leo never warmed up.

 

[Lyndsey]

Just give it some time. Hopefully she will mellow out with age and let you handle her

Also...just lay your hand down and let her come to you to smell and inspect

I would freak if a huge hand came at me too lol

 

[monkeygirl]

my hatchling lets me hold it, its only6 days old but it doesnt try to bite me or anything, it just crawls over my hands. i just out my hand in the tank with it every day and it would just come over and lick it then eventualy it let me pick it up

 

[MichaelJ]

they are all different and you'll probably just want to give it time to get used to you.. I agree you need a transparent enclosure because you're obliviously surprising and frightening him.

Also, if he's only happy when you give him food, than it sounds like he's associating your hand with food; like many snakes will do. I would leave your hand in there more often for a minute or two (not trying to hold him though)so he's used to your hand and not just food.

Good Luck!

 

[MichaelJ]

they are all different and you'll probably just want to give it time to get used to you.. I agree you need a transparent enclosure because you're obliviously surprising and frightening him.

Also, if he's only happy when you give him food, than it sounds like he's associating your hand with food; like many snakes will do. I would leave your hand in there more often for a minute or two (not trying to hold him though)so he's used to your hand and not just food.

Good Luck!

 

[Rufus]

they are all different and you'll probably just want to give it time to get used to you.. I agree you need a transparent enclosure because you're obliviously surprising and frightening him.

Also, if he's only happy when you give him food, than it sounds like he's associating your hand with food; like many snakes will do. I would leave your hand in there more often for a minute or two (not trying to hold him though)so he's used to your hand and not just food.

Good Luck!

So I should take paper towel, or something over the hides walls? the enclosure needs to be transparent. No, I don't' feed it by hand, I just drop the meal worms in there. Meal worms disgust me.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

You should either get hides that are not transparent, or get something to cover them. Paper towels might not be the best idea because you might need to change them fairly often. A lot of people have gotten fake leaves and things like that from the dollar store and it looks pretty good. Whatever you want though.

 

[MichaelJ]

So I should take paper towel, or something over the hides walls? the enclosure needs to be transparent. No, I don't' feed it by hand, I just drop the meal worms in there. Meal worms disgust me.

if you think mealworms are disgusting? just try nymph roaches or even silkworms.

What are you using for a hide? We use 15 and 32 quart tubs for our enclosures with 72 holes all the way around them for air exchange.

Our moist hides are the cheap ziploc type storage containers and the warm hides are terracata pots with an entrance cut in them. We use plastic pots with holes cut for those to like to poop down the sides of them. They are easier to clean.

Basically what you want to do is get the leo used to seeing you more often in the room and around the enclosure.

You noted that you drop in the mealies. I would highly suggest using a dish for mealies, so they don't defecate in the cage and are easier to count and keep in one place. Depending on the age you'll want to clean it out and replace the food daily or every 2-3 days.

PM me if you have any other questions.

Good luck!