Exetik
New Member
- Messages
- 4
- Location
- New Hampshire
Greetings all,
I have a Leopard Gecko and I find his behavior to be very odd and was hoping you guys could help me out and let me know if this is normal or not.
His setup is a 20 gallon long tank with tile substrate. I provide heat on the warm side via an UTH and temps are 89-92 or so (thermostatically controlled). These temperatures are double checked with an IR gun. Cool side is 70-72 or so depending on ambient temps. I have a warm side hide, cool side hide, and a moist hide (which is never used). I also have a small dish for water and calcium (w/o D3).
He always stays in his warm hide. And he will not eat much at all. The first week I had him I dropped about 10 mealworms in front of him and he ate them all. I did keep a dish of mealworms in his enclosure but he never ate them and has no drive to hunt crickets. He pokes his head out of his hide at night but if he sees me or any movement he darts back in. I have tried dropping mealworms in front of him and he will ignore them eventually going back into his hide. Sometimes he will get ready to eat them but if he sees me he will dart back in his hide or he will lose interest and go back inside his hide. He did finally eat one mealworm a few nights ago and then went back inside his hide. This is how it's been for about a month.
Feces has looked OK, he did have one that was kind of runny but was solid after that. Lately has not had much urates included with his droppings. He also poops right in his warm hide (which I thought was odd but now I think he's pooping inside of it so he doesn't have to come out) so when I remove it to check and clean he will dart around the tank and go inside his cool hide. Once I am done cleaning and put his hide back in he darts back into it and that is where he stays. I have tried to remove him once to check on his overall health but he runs like hell to cover and I don't want to stress him out so I leave him alone. His tail is still plump, but not as plump as it was when I first got him.
I know these guys are nocturnal and will come out when I am sleeping so I set a camera up outside his enclosure for a few nights and had it set to record from 2am to 6am (I went to bed around 2am). From what I could see there was no movement outside his warm hide. So now I am beginning to wonder whats up. I have setup my hospital tank in case I have to transfer him to it but wanted to check in here first.
What do you guys think? Is this normal? Does he need more time to settle in? Is this how he always will be? I am concerned that he isn't hydrating correctly or eating much. I wanted to post now before it got to the point of no return and hoping that he is just anti-social. Any input is welcomed as I very much would like to hear from other keepers. I am open to suggestions as well.
I have a Leopard Gecko and I find his behavior to be very odd and was hoping you guys could help me out and let me know if this is normal or not.
His setup is a 20 gallon long tank with tile substrate. I provide heat on the warm side via an UTH and temps are 89-92 or so (thermostatically controlled). These temperatures are double checked with an IR gun. Cool side is 70-72 or so depending on ambient temps. I have a warm side hide, cool side hide, and a moist hide (which is never used). I also have a small dish for water and calcium (w/o D3).
He always stays in his warm hide. And he will not eat much at all. The first week I had him I dropped about 10 mealworms in front of him and he ate them all. I did keep a dish of mealworms in his enclosure but he never ate them and has no drive to hunt crickets. He pokes his head out of his hide at night but if he sees me or any movement he darts back in. I have tried dropping mealworms in front of him and he will ignore them eventually going back into his hide. Sometimes he will get ready to eat them but if he sees me he will dart back in his hide or he will lose interest and go back inside his hide. He did finally eat one mealworm a few nights ago and then went back inside his hide. This is how it's been for about a month.
Feces has looked OK, he did have one that was kind of runny but was solid after that. Lately has not had much urates included with his droppings. He also poops right in his warm hide (which I thought was odd but now I think he's pooping inside of it so he doesn't have to come out) so when I remove it to check and clean he will dart around the tank and go inside his cool hide. Once I am done cleaning and put his hide back in he darts back into it and that is where he stays. I have tried to remove him once to check on his overall health but he runs like hell to cover and I don't want to stress him out so I leave him alone. His tail is still plump, but not as plump as it was when I first got him.
I know these guys are nocturnal and will come out when I am sleeping so I set a camera up outside his enclosure for a few nights and had it set to record from 2am to 6am (I went to bed around 2am). From what I could see there was no movement outside his warm hide. So now I am beginning to wonder whats up. I have setup my hospital tank in case I have to transfer him to it but wanted to check in here first.
What do you guys think? Is this normal? Does he need more time to settle in? Is this how he always will be? I am concerned that he isn't hydrating correctly or eating much. I wanted to post now before it got to the point of no return and hoping that he is just anti-social. Any input is welcomed as I very much would like to hear from other keepers. I am open to suggestions as well.
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