I Just Killed My Gecko...

[AMetallica]

...out of confusion. His enclosure is right next to my Grammostola Pulchra's (tarantula) enclosure. After feeding him, we gave the Pulchra a cricket. Our gecko, Scally, was just watching the cricket. Then, he ran backwards! Poor thing got scared of his own reflection. Now he won't even sleep because he's too interested in his reflection through the enclosure *headdesk*.

 

[roger]

...out of confusion. His enclosure is right next to my Grammostola Pulchra's (tarantula) enclosure. After feeding him, we gave the Pulchra a cricket. Our gecko, Scally, was just watching the cricket. Then, he ran backwards! Poor thing got scared of his own reflection. Now he won't even sleep because he's too interested in his reflection through the enclosure *headdesk*.

Whats up with your opening header! What are u talking about ?????"I just killed my gecko" ???? I'm confused

 

[GeckoMonster]

Basically meaning that the gecko will no longer sleep due to confusion.... Essentially killing it because it will "drop dead" from exhaustion...

 

[T-ReXx]

I'm not exactly sure what the problem is here...the gecko is reacting to it's reflection because you have a tank next to it? I fail to see how this is fatal...or even an issue really.

 

[GeckoGurl]

I'm confused myself... I don't exactly understand the situation.

 

[Dog Shrink]

If you're worried that him seeing his own reflection is going to stress him so much then put more back drops on the sides of the tank so that there is no reflection. And yeah your title is confusing... I don't think this will kill him and I bet he is sleeping when you're not looking.

 

[AMetallica]

Basically meaning that the gecko will no longer sleep due to confusion.... Essentially killing it because it will "drop dead" from exhaustion...

Um...no. The title phrase is made entirely out of exaggeration. It's funny how every single reply is only focusing on the title. Obviously, the gecko won't die of sleep deprivation. I just couldn't think of a creative title that worked well with the current topic. And now I'm assuming everyone's gonna blurt out names that I could have used but didn't? >_>

 

[fl_orchidslave]

It doesn't make sense to keep an animal in any type cage next to something that could stress it out. It's also cruel.

 

[rubym]

put up paper or tank backing on that end of his tank or move him.

 

[T-ReXx]

Um...no. The title phrase is made entirely out of exaggeration. It's funny how every single reply is only focusing on the title. Obviously, the gecko won't die of sleep deprivation. I just couldn't think of a creative title that worked well with the current topic. And now I'm assuming everyone's gonna blurt out names that I could have used but didn't? >_>

Ok...well in that case the entire point of this post is what exactly?

 

[M_surinamensis]

It doesn't make sense to keep an animal in any type cage next to something that could stress it out. It's also cruel.

Absolutely true.

Although...

I have a buddy who owns a reptile specialty pet store. One of the best in the country actually and I was there visiting when animals which had been shipped were being delivered. Most of his enclosures had visual breaks between them but there was one small section which was composed of glass enclosures that had clear dividers.

In one of the enclosures he had a small group of very young rankins dragons, the other was empty. As his employee was inspecting the shipment and identifying appropriately sized enclosures, they put a neonate ackie in the enclosure next to the rankins. It was only in there for about two minutes before it was moved, because every single one of the rankins immediately flattened themselves out, raised themselves as high as they could on their legs and held their body at a forty five degree angle in order to appear as big and inedible as possible. All of them, instantly when they saw the shape and size of the young ackie just lined up in perfect synchronization to present a predator deterrent behavior.

Obviously the ackie was moved moments later. It was still quite an interesting thing to see, even briefly.

Reptiles don't "get" glass. A leopard gecko doesn't have the ability to understand that its reflection isn't competition or that the tarantula the next enclosure over is secure and represents no danger. Present them with a stressful stimulus, even one that is illusionary, and they respond as if it were real. Non-reflective visual barriers seem to be the way to go here, something inside the enclosure so it doesn't enhance that mirror effect of the glass.

 

[roger]

Um...no. The title phrase is made entirely out of exaggeration. It's funny how every single reply is only focusing on the title. Obviously, the gecko won't die of sleep deprivation. I just couldn't think of a creative title that worked well with the current topic. And now I'm assuming everyone's gonna blurt out names that I could have used but didn't? >_>

Although your post is a valid one You couldve used another method of trying to get attention to your thread than the one u used..You could've come up with another title !

 

[fl_orchidslave]

Absolutely true.

Although...

I have a buddy who owns a reptile specialty pet store. One of the best in the country actually and I was there visiting when animals which had been shipped were being delivered. Most of his enclosures had visual breaks between them but there was one small section which was composed of glass enclosures that had clear dividers.

In one of the enclosures he had a small group of very young rankins dragons, the other was empty. As his employee was inspecting the shipment and identifying appropriately sized enclosures, they put a neonate ackie in the enclosure next to the rankins. It was only in there for about two minutes before it was moved, because every single one of the rankins immediately flattened themselves out, raised themselves as high as they could on their legs and held their body at a forty five degree angle in order to appear as big and inedible as possible. All of them, instantly when they saw the shape and size of the young ackie just lined up in perfect synchronization to present a predator deterrent behavior.

Obviously the ackie was moved moments later. It was still quite an interesting thing to see, even briefly.

Reptiles don't "get" glass. A leopard gecko doesn't have the ability to understand that its reflection isn't competition or that the tarantula the next enclosure over is secure and represents no danger. Present them with a stressful stimulus, even one that is illusionary, and they respond as if it were real. Non-reflective visual barriers seem to be the way to go here, something inside the enclosure so it doesn't enhance that mirror effect of the glass.

You're right on about the glass reflection. Just a few moments ago I moved an exoterra with 2 female gargoyles off of a glass coffee table to a solid black entertainment center shelf. There is no substrate, just glass as this is a temporary cage. Their color immediately began to darken up to their pattern, as opposed to all whitish. Day light coming under 2 layers of glass stressed them. My little desert horned lizard had to have a solid covering over the end of is tank when there was a snake next to him in a glass tank also. No, reptiles don't get glass

 

[AMetallica]

It doesn't make sense to keep an animal in any type cage next to something that could stress it out. It's also cruel.

:| . Dude, it's a tank. If all 4 sides were covered, you wouldn't even be able to see the gecko. I'm sure that you are being "cruel" if putting a gecko in an enclosure where it can see its reflection on one side is cruel.

 

[Jordan]

wow strange discussion. to the OP im sure if your worried about your geckos eeing its reflection then you can find a way to deal with it:main_thumbsup:

 

[Daedric1]

From a different thread (made by the same OP):
http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=69249

Sorry, meant to put bored instead of boring (yep, pure accident ). But now that I have your attention...

Clearly this guy just wants to get our attention by making us upset/mad so we look at his post. Then he starts talking about something only loosely related to his thread title.

Please make your threads titled more appropriately, both in terms of actual content and with proper forum etiquette. No one likes trolls, spammers, liars, or any of their ilk. Also, we know that it wasn't an accident that you put the word "boring" instead of "bored" because clearly, you can change it at any time in your original post. You can also edit it.

 

[ReptilesForTheWin]

Yeah I read his other post it upset me. If you think geckos are boring then get off this website!

I clicked on your post going to sympathize for you but I could careless about your animals now.

 

[Tony C]

Clearly this guy just wants to get our attention by making us upset/mad so we look at his post. Then he starts talking about something only loosely related to his thread title.

Please make your threads titled more appropriately, both in terms of actual content and with proper forum etiquette. No one likes trolls, spammers, liars, or any of their ilk. Also, we know that it wasn't an accident that you put the word "boring" instead of "bored" because clearly, you can change it at any time in your original post. You can also edit it.

I agree completely. Consider this your warning, future threads titled in such a way will be treated as trolling or spam.

 

[roger]

I agree completely. Consider this your warning, future threads titled in such a way will be treated as trolling or spam.

Thank You Tony ! Any way to shut down the entire thread

 

[Tony C]

Thank You Tony ! Any way to shut down the entire thread

I don't really want to shut down the thread since some useful information did come from it. If it gets sidetracked again I will reconsider, but for now it is serving a useful purpose despite the trolling title.