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daisy28
Guest
I was just wondering how often Leo's shed as I have not seen mine shed yet and just from reading through the threads it seems to be a common occurrence.
Alot of it depends on environment. If you are feeding heavily and they are going thru a growth spurt it could be monthly. It could be every 2 months. Once they reach maturity mine seem to be about every 6-8 weeks. Make sure they have a humid hide. It will definatly help with shedding.
got spots?
leo lover
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- 353
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- foglesville PA
Babies are like every 2-3 weeks. I hear adults shed about each month. Though that is only what I heard. My oldest is like 10 months.
OneFootedAce
New Member
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- 2,173
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- Toronto, Ontario, Canada
My adults shed ever month to month and a half (i that range). Younger ones shed every couple weeks.
AMoriarty
Member
- Messages
- 72
- Location
- Juneau, AK, USA
Mine (adult female) sheds once every month and a half or so. Some tips:
When you see your gecko's skin getting milky or cloudy, or loose or crinkly looking or crinkly sounding, that means it is going to shed sometime very soon, probably within 24-48 hours. Try not to stress your gecko out during this time (eg, handling, loud noises, etc.) When you get to the crinkly looking/sounding stage it is usually gonna shed really soon--in fact, the last time my gecko shed I could tell she was shedding because I heard it. It sounded like somebody crinkling tissue paper.
You may not see your gecko shed--I think mine basically only sheds in the middle of the night when she's awake; the only time I ever saw her shed during the day I had just moved her across country in a car, and she was shedding because she was stressed out.
I like to check on my gecko every day when I give her water and food, etc., because then I have a good idea of what is "normal" for my gecko's color and what is "cloudy" or "milky."
Please be aware that having duller colors does not always mean a shed is about to happen--if your gecko will not eat, looks dull and is lethargic and doesn't move a lot, there is probably something wrong--check the temperature in the tank. If the temperature is ok, the gecko is probably sick and you should take it to the reptile vet.
Make sure the gecko's moist hide is moist; this is very important as if the skin is too dry the shed will be more likely to go poorly (eg, stuck skin on tail or toes). However, the moist hide should be just moist, not sopping wet. If your gecko does have shedding problems (ie, a little bit of stuck skin on a toe or something), you can look on the medical board here for advice; if it's anything more serious than that the bad shed may be happening because of other issues, and you should go to the herp vet).
Also, it is a good idea to have something rough (branches, the inside of a hide, or some kind of other textured surface) for your gecko to rub up against. I have one of those rocks that sticks on the side of the tank with magnets, and my gecko loves it because it is warm, dark, safe, and a little moist, with rough insides. She uses it to shed most of the time, and I think it is great because I can just lift off the other side of the rock and make sure her shed is going ok without actually bothering her. In the summer, when the hot side gets really warm, sometimes I see her rubbing her nose on the branch or the cool-side hide (a half-log) when she is going to shed. One of these days I will try to set up the video camera to capture her shed through the glass, heehee.
The gecko should have fresh water in its enclosure at all times (obviously) and you can offer food as normal before the shed. Sometimes the gecko will take it like normal; sometimes not. I find that my gecko Tokai doesn't like to eat a lot before a shed, but is pretty ravenous once a day or two has passed after her shed. They eat the shed skin for nutrients, etc., so they will probably not be super-hungry right after eating their entire skin, though your mileage may vary. I find that right after my gecko sheds she usually licks some calcium powder out of the dish that's in her tank.
After the shed check out your gecko to make sure that it's ok: clear eyes, clean underside, no skin left on problem areas like toes or tail. Mine has gotten through all her sheds awesomely; I soak her in a warmish (not hot) "gecko bath" about once every week on the advice of my herp vet, and it's been great so far. This is when I check her for general health (clean eyes, toe cleanliness and responsiveness, clean underside area and vent, mouth cleanliness, general health, and try to weigh her on a scale), and let her run around outside her tank for 10 minutes and hold her to keep her tame. It is also a great picture-taking opportunity if everything is great, and if anything is wrong, it is in fact good to get pictures at this point to show to your vet or possibly post here.
However, if Tokai has just shed, I run a quick visual check on her (especially toes and tailtip) the day after she sheds. If I saw anything that made me go, "huh, is that normal?" I pick her up and check her out (I try not to stress her too much the day after the shed, either, because she just spent the previous night going through a stressful time of shedding). If your geckos are healthy when they start to shed, they should not have many issues, I think, but it is always good to check, so that a little problem you might be able to fix with a qtip and some warm water on day 1 does not become a problem that threatens your gecko's heath and costs you an arm and leg at the herp vet on day 3.
Good luck!
When you see your gecko's skin getting milky or cloudy, or loose or crinkly looking or crinkly sounding, that means it is going to shed sometime very soon, probably within 24-48 hours. Try not to stress your gecko out during this time (eg, handling, loud noises, etc.) When you get to the crinkly looking/sounding stage it is usually gonna shed really soon--in fact, the last time my gecko shed I could tell she was shedding because I heard it. It sounded like somebody crinkling tissue paper.
You may not see your gecko shed--I think mine basically only sheds in the middle of the night when she's awake; the only time I ever saw her shed during the day I had just moved her across country in a car, and she was shedding because she was stressed out.
I like to check on my gecko every day when I give her water and food, etc., because then I have a good idea of what is "normal" for my gecko's color and what is "cloudy" or "milky."
Please be aware that having duller colors does not always mean a shed is about to happen--if your gecko will not eat, looks dull and is lethargic and doesn't move a lot, there is probably something wrong--check the temperature in the tank. If the temperature is ok, the gecko is probably sick and you should take it to the reptile vet.
Make sure the gecko's moist hide is moist; this is very important as if the skin is too dry the shed will be more likely to go poorly (eg, stuck skin on tail or toes). However, the moist hide should be just moist, not sopping wet. If your gecko does have shedding problems (ie, a little bit of stuck skin on a toe or something), you can look on the medical board here for advice; if it's anything more serious than that the bad shed may be happening because of other issues, and you should go to the herp vet).
Also, it is a good idea to have something rough (branches, the inside of a hide, or some kind of other textured surface) for your gecko to rub up against. I have one of those rocks that sticks on the side of the tank with magnets, and my gecko loves it because it is warm, dark, safe, and a little moist, with rough insides. She uses it to shed most of the time, and I think it is great because I can just lift off the other side of the rock and make sure her shed is going ok without actually bothering her. In the summer, when the hot side gets really warm, sometimes I see her rubbing her nose on the branch or the cool-side hide (a half-log) when she is going to shed. One of these days I will try to set up the video camera to capture her shed through the glass, heehee.
The gecko should have fresh water in its enclosure at all times (obviously) and you can offer food as normal before the shed. Sometimes the gecko will take it like normal; sometimes not. I find that my gecko Tokai doesn't like to eat a lot before a shed, but is pretty ravenous once a day or two has passed after her shed. They eat the shed skin for nutrients, etc., so they will probably not be super-hungry right after eating their entire skin, though your mileage may vary. I find that right after my gecko sheds she usually licks some calcium powder out of the dish that's in her tank.
After the shed check out your gecko to make sure that it's ok: clear eyes, clean underside, no skin left on problem areas like toes or tail. Mine has gotten through all her sheds awesomely; I soak her in a warmish (not hot) "gecko bath" about once every week on the advice of my herp vet, and it's been great so far. This is when I check her for general health (clean eyes, toe cleanliness and responsiveness, clean underside area and vent, mouth cleanliness, general health, and try to weigh her on a scale), and let her run around outside her tank for 10 minutes and hold her to keep her tame. It is also a great picture-taking opportunity if everything is great, and if anything is wrong, it is in fact good to get pictures at this point to show to your vet or possibly post here.
However, if Tokai has just shed, I run a quick visual check on her (especially toes and tailtip) the day after she sheds. If I saw anything that made me go, "huh, is that normal?" I pick her up and check her out (I try not to stress her too much the day after the shed, either, because she just spent the previous night going through a stressful time of shedding). If your geckos are healthy when they start to shed, they should not have many issues, I think, but it is always good to check, so that a little problem you might be able to fix with a qtip and some warm water on day 1 does not become a problem that threatens your gecko's heath and costs you an arm and leg at the herp vet on day 3.
Good luck!
Crewdog00
James Skar
- Messages
- 405
- Location
- Brookfield, CT 06804
I think my Annie is gonna shed again. Her last shed went flawless about 2 weeks ago. Is it fair to assume she's a juvenile if she's shedding every 2 weeks?
I'm trying to establish if she's a femal juvenile or sub adult or adult...Her age is unknown and her length is a mystery due to a regrowing tail. Previous owner made her drop her tail.
I'm trying to establish if she's a femal juvenile or sub adult or adult...Her age is unknown and her length is a mystery due to a regrowing tail. Previous owner made her drop her tail.
sausage
BSc AMAS
- Messages
- 1,548
- Location
- Winchester, UK
sorry to hear it lost its tail, but it will grow back soon enough 
Post a picture for us to see, a picture with an object for size comparison eg a mobile or a pencil lol
Post a picture for us to see, a picture with an object for size comparison eg a mobile or a pencil lol
Crewdog00
James Skar
- Messages
- 405
- Location
- Brookfield, CT 06804
Crewdog00
James Skar
- Messages
- 405
- Location
- Brookfield, CT 06804
sorry to hear it lost its tail, but it will grow back soon enough
Post a picture for us to see, a picture with an object for size comparison eg a mobile or a pencil lol
6 inches long. I measured her lol
DrCarrotTail
Moderator
- Messages
- 3,590
- Location
- Ridgewood, NJ
IMO Annie is an adult but may still be kind of young. She seems to have gained some weight since you've gotten her and I think she might be shedding a bit more often since that's a form of "growing" and her skin needs to get bigger along with her
Crewdog00
James Skar
- Messages
- 405
- Location
- Brookfield, CT 06804
Seems small for an adult compared to all the pics I've seen of female leopard geckos. I will take your word for it.
I figured it was harder to tell since she's missing most of her tail to get a good measurement and she was miss fed and wasn't taken care of properly. I just pray she doesn't have health issues from the other owner.
If others think she is an adult as well, I will stop feeding her every day then.
Looking forward to hearing everyone's opinions. Thank you for the response.
Let me know what you think of the regen tail so far. I'm excited because I see colors other than yellow.
I figured it was harder to tell since she's missing most of her tail to get a good measurement and she was miss fed and wasn't taken care of properly. I just pray she doesn't have health issues from the other owner.
If others think she is an adult as well, I will stop feeding her every day then.
Looking forward to hearing everyone's opinions. Thank you for the response.
Let me know what you think of the regen tail so far. I'm excited because I see colors other than yellow.
DrCarrotTail
Moderator
- Messages
- 3,590
- Location
- Ridgewood, NJ
I wasn't suggesting you stop feeding her everyday - especially not if she's recovering from being underweight.
I'm not sure what other people's opinions are about when a gecko becomes an "adult" but as I understand it, a gecko's sexual maturity is weight dependent not age dependent. Once they can reproduce I would consider them "adult" even though they continue to grow for a while after that.
Crewdog00
James Skar
- Messages
- 405
- Location
- Brookfield, CT 06804
Roger that.
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