My First Ever Hatchling is Dead...

[Neon Aurora]

I'm so upset. I went to check on and weigh my geckos this morning and when I opened her tub (Yes, it has a lid! And the lid was on!) she wasn't in it! I tore the room apart but found nothing. I started to look other places in the house only to find that my cat had already taken care of it... Only found half of a gecko.

I have had geckos die before, but this one was special to me. She was my first, and my lucky hatchling. She was incubated at 86 degrees and didn't hatch for 76 days. But she hatched, and I was so ecstatic that she actually hatched.

I don't even name my geckos, but I named this one. Her name was Zia. I was planning on keeping her as a pet... I was thinking about how I would have her 10 years from now and look at her and remember how I started in the hobby.

I'm so sad, and I feel horrible for letting it happen. I still don't understand how she got out. It was like magic...

Way to start breeding leopard geckos. Good job, me.

Needles to say, I will be making a modification to my reptile room door to ensure that no future escaped geckos can get under it again. So sad that this had to happen to teach me that I should do that.

RIP

 

[discoverlight]

My condolences
I haven't lost a gecko yet, but some of my girls are up there on the age scale, so that makes me worried. I hope you take steps to cope with your loss, and that you continue to be a good gecko mother to all of your geckos

 

[indyana]

So sorry, Kirsten. I have cats too, and I'm always worried I'll forget to secure a door or something...

 

[Neon Aurora]

Thanks, guys. I'm getting some weather stripping to put under the door so if another one does manage to escape, I will be able to find it in the room (no air ducts on the floor or anything).

Very depressing. It just had to be my first one. I will never let it happen again.

 

[stager]

Sorry for you loss. Don't be so hard on yourself even the best of us make mistakes.