Leo not adjusting well.

[GeckoJoe88]

Ive had my new Leo a week tomorrow, and he just doesnt seem to be adjusting well or eating very much (mealworms dusted with repashy calcium +). He's in a 40G breeder, using paper towels for substrate keeping the warm hide at about 92-94 with a UTH, have a cool hide and moist hide also. He's very skittish still and just doesn't seem to be getting used to the enclosure or me, all he wants to do is run away. Had him picked up tonight and he jumped out of my hands and dropped about 16"-18" down into his enclosure hope he'll be okay. Any advice?

 

[indyana]

Yes, have more patience. In general, two quiet weeks without disturbing or handling is a good start to let a new animal begin to adjust. After the two week introductory period, if the gecko still isn't eating reliably, I would hold off handling even longer.

After that, just take it slow. Start with some hand walking only an inch or so above the cage floor, and try to keep from grabbing or making fast movements. You have to build trust with them by providing food and safety.

 

[stager]

Anytime I get a new leo I don't touch him or her for two weeks. I give food and water but try to stay out of the cage for this period unless needs cleaning

 

[stager]

Anytime I get a new leo I don't touch him or her for two weeks. I give food and water but try to stay out of the cage for this period unless needs cleaning

 

[GeckoJoe88]

Is it bad leaving the dish of meal worms in there if they're not being eaten?

 

[Cwaller]

No but its a good idea to change out the worms every day or two so they are always gut loaded

 

[JoulesBurn]

Also, depending on where your gecko came from, it may not have been handled much. So just go slow and let him settle in.

 

[chipyluna]

I only brought my Leo 3 days ago, she is still a tad skittish still and flatterns herself to the floor if my hand gets too close, the first day she ate but since then she has stopped, i just think just let her be she will find her way eventually, she is wandering about and climbing so cant be too bad.

Might take the advice of leaving her alone for a couple of weeks too.

 

[Ruvik]

That's the best thing to do chip. I left mine alone for two weeks then slowly started to work with them. My news ones I've had since..feb 17. That was my first one out of the two new ones I got. Right now my First one will come to my voice a bit, allows me to kiss her on the head and back, lets me pet her, and I can pick her up a lot easier than before. It's been about four months since I first got her. I play with her in short bursts for maybe 10-20. I don't normally play with her for longer unless I am show someone her. Once she gets fully used to me I will take her out for most likely 30-60 minutes. My other one which I got Feb 26 is a bit more skittish still. She is a blizzard and a lot of people always make comments on how Blizzards seem to be a harder gene to work with due to how skittish they are. I've been taking it much slowly with her than my other gecko. Now both of these Geckos when i got them weren't very old at all. My first one was about.. a month. My blizzard was about a half a month. So I'm not sure how hard it is to work with adults VS working with New born Leos.

 

[chipyluna]

I think it may have been easier to work with bubbas then it is with a nearly adult, bless her she was in two different pet shops where she had either little or no contact, she is munching away again now, she still scarpers if there is a what I supoose classes to her as a loud sound. Im still faffing around in her tank dampening the moss, cleaning, obv feeding so she gets used to me being in the tank. I really look forward to the day when she wanders on to my hand of her own free will, but for now patience is required lol

 

[brendan0923]

Patience is the key. Any animal you buy needs time to acclimate, and this can take a while. Most leos will not eat within the first week, as they are getting used to a new environment. The best thing to do is just offer them food and water, and let them be.

 

[Kristi23]

I moved this to leopard gecko general care.

If your husbandry is good, then it's most likely stress. Some geckos, especially adults, can take a month or even a little longer to start eating in a new home. Keep an eye on the tail fat and weight. If the gecko is not losing much, I wouldn't worry too much yet. But make sure your set up is correct and check stools if it goes to the bathroom to see if they look normal.