How can weight tell how old my leo is?

[Rurso01]

We got her in late July of this year and she now weighs 40 grams exactly (our first time weighing her). We assume she was a couple weeks old at time of purchase but I'm not so sure. Is 40 grams any indication of age?

 

[Enigmatic_Reptiles]

Weight is not an accurate measurement of age for Leos. They can vary so much and grow at such varying speeds. I currently have a 2 month old gecko that is 34g. I also have a 8 month old gecko which I can't get to break 45g for the life of me (and she is healthy...checked at work). If I had to make a rough estimate I would say most my geckos hit 40g in 3-3 1/2 month (going off the top of my head, but mine grow pretty darn fast).

If when you got her she looked as if she were a couple weeks then I would assume your guess is accurate. A small gecko that's healthy looks nothing like a sick one...so if she was small and looked healthy then she was young.

 

[Rurso01]

okay cool thanks. we did think she was only a couple weeks but we werent sure what is considered normal for pet stores to start selling leos. i guess they dont waste time and put them on the shelves quite early.

 

[fl_orchidslave]

okay cool thanks. we did think she was only a couple weeks but we werent sure what is considered normal for pet stores to start selling leos. i guess they dont waste time and put them on the shelves quite early.

It's not really the pet stores' fault the geckos are so young. Some real big breeders sell wholesale lots of what I consider hatchlings, 2 week old babies, to pet store chains.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

It's a fact that like any other living creature, leopard geckos grow at different rates. My geckos tend to be large, and it's not unusual for me to have a 5-month old that weighs 50+ grams. Some morphs in particular tend to be smaller than others, and some take longer to get started as babies.

If you got your gecko in July, and it weighs 40 grams, I would guess your gecko is as young as 5 months and perhaps as old as 8 months. In cases like this, you can always figure the gecko was around 2 weeks old when the pet store got her in, and go by the date you got her. Celebrate her birthday in mid-July!