I have a hyper-active gecko with small appetite

[gothra]

One of my new gecko has become EXTREMELY active recently. Ever since he got used to my presence and his new environment, he'd lost interest in eating his food. He comes out from his hide everyday when the sky begins to darken (around 5:30pm) and starts climbing here and there almost non-stop. He is very energetic with bright eyes; and when he sees me nearby, he'll run right up to the front of his tank and start glass climbing, trying to get me to pick him up.

Although he is eating something everyday, but far less than what I expect a 3 month old should eat. His buddy "next door" (same age) is eating 3 times as much. This little one is only eating 2 small roach nymphs per day; I tried offering medium mealworms, but he just ate 4. I did leave a dish of food there overnight for him, but he usually don't touch those. He liked silkworms, but I ran out on the smaller ones, the new batch is just starting to hatch, so I can't give him any in a week.

I used some cardboard to cover up his tank yesterday, not too much help yet (whenever I peeked on him from the cardboard gap, he's still climbing on his wood, on his hide...etc). I really hope he'll rest a bit more and eat more for me!! What if his appetite doesn't increase (its into winter now), is this going to stunt his growth?? I noticed he'd grown a little in length, but not in girth; so he's pretty long and slender now...my husband said he looked like a ginseng the other day!

 

[BalloonzForU]

Try leaving the mealies in an excape proof bowl and leaving the room. He may be running to the glass to get fed, instead of wanting to be picked up. Then when picking him up you take his mind off the food with stress.

 

[Mel&Keith]

Do you know how he was being fed before you got him? I was a little concerned about a female we got from Groovy Geckos but when Dan told me that he puts mealworms through the air holes in the tubs I tried it and she eats like a pig that way. So you may try offering food in different ways, like leaving mealworms in a dish as Felicia mentioned, hand feeding or with tongs, or letting him go hungry for a couple of days then feeding. Good luck!

 

[gothra]

But he already has a bowl of food right in front of his humid hide when he comes out, I did leave the bowl there from 5pm to 9am. Anyway, I put up another piece of cardboard to cover up the top of his tank last night, with just a gap for ventilation; and it seemed to start working. He seemed to be resting in his hide a bit more last night, and ate 3 discoids nymphs overnight! So that's very good for a start. I think I'll need to keep the cardboard there for at least a couple more months.