New Gecko: Only Eats When Hand-Fed?

[anaesthesia]

hey guys,

i'm new to this... just got my first leopard gecko 3 days ago. she's a 2.5 month old juvie, and was very well-fed and healthy when i got her.

upon arrival, she explored the enclosure a little, and seems to be not overtly traumatised by being posted over to me. she's even picked the moist hide as her sleeping spot.

my only concern is this: she's not been eating the food i've set out for her (mealworms and some dubia nymphs). she's mostly chilling inside the hide, occasionally popping a head out to look at me, so i thought i'd try hand-feeding her.

she's been surprisingly receptive to that, and has quite readily snapped up quite a few worms since, but she's still not really eating for her bowl, only seemingly eating when i bring the food over to her.

is this because she's still wary of coming out of her hide? i really do hope that i don't have to hand-feed her for every meal, as cute as it is!

 

[Josh2]

You should have to keep hand-feeding but maybe continue it until you can see that she's more familiar. You could hand-feed a bit and then put the rest out in a bowl and see what she does...
Welcome to GT, by the way!

 

[Styx]

I've done what Josh said with success, while letting them see I am putting their food in the dish.

Have you tried some other foods that might catch her interest?

 

[LeoLover1]

Its only been three days, she'll come out eventually. Josh has the right of it. Maybe try crickets. Something she has to go hunt. The sight of scurrying cricket usually tempts the most wary leo!

Oh, and welcome!!!

 

[Amanda1]

Welcome! I'm sure she's still getting used to her new place. It can take them awhile to be comfortable enough to go eat on their own. It's a good sign she's taking food from you though, so I'm sure she'll hunt on her own eventually!

 

[Eve Saint]

My leopard geckos only eat crickets.
Also try the little crickets in case she wont eat.

 

[tolbunt5]

My 3 year old male has been eating out of his bowl since he was a baby. But last year he had a 2 month period of wanting to be hand fed. I don't know why, but it was cute. He would look straight up at me and ask to be fed. Now he is back to the bowl.

 

[anaesthesia]

thanks to everyone who commented here! anyway i took your advice and kept up the hand-feeding - but i did leave food in her enclosure just in case she needed a snack. after just a day or so she's stopped requiring hand-feeding and has finally come out to hunt for her food. and what an appetite she has! oh, and yes, she seems more interested in snapping up the dubia nymphs i occasionally alternate her mealworms with... probably because they're a little bit more active. thanks again, all of you!

 

[Geckomaster743]

Please join the forum and stay here to continue to tell us about your gecko.

 

[anaesthesia]

just a quick update in case anyone's curious...

my girl's still not been all that regular with eating, but as she seems fat and healthy and active i guess i'll just keep an eye on her. she seems to still prefer being hand-fed, or having her food dropped in front of her so she can "hunt" it, as opposed to feeding from her mealworm dish... so, i guess i've just a very finicky individual on my hands. -_-

 

[Caleb C]

I have a problem aft. It will only "hunt" the crickets that are right in front of it, with the legs pulled off.

 

[Geckomaster743]

Well none of my geckos eat out of a dish, I guess i spend an hour with them every night Dropping food in front of them and then having to help regain focus on what im actually trying to help them do. They all prefer to hunt so i dont use Crickets because they are pretty jumpy and ripping there legs off is a bit painful to the cricket so i just let the mealworms sit there or toss them back in to place if they try to get under paper towel/Reptile carpet/Hides etc.

 

[Caleb C]

Mine will only eat out of a dish if I leave it out overnight.

 

[LeoLover1]

I have a small pair of sewing scissors that I use to clip the back legs of the crickets I feed to my hatchlings. It really helps! As the geckos get older, the legs stay on so they can hunt them. I think its important to encourage such a natural behavior.

I like to use mealies and dubia for the red-eye geckos. They have better luck hitting those insects that are slower. But I hand feed everyone as much as possible. New hatchlings are WAY to easily freaked, but after about a month they learn I bring food and come out as soon as I open their boxes. I want to raise geckos that are super-friendly.

 

[Geckomaster743]

I have a small pair of sewing scissors that I use to clip the back legs of the crickets I feed to my hatchlings. It really helps! As the geckos get older, the legs stay on so they can hunt them. I think its important to encourage such a natural behavior.

I like to use mealies and dubia for the red-eye geckos. They have better luck hitting those insects that are slower. But I hand feed everyone as much as possible. New hatchlings are WAY to easily freaked, but after about a month they learn I bring food and come out as soon as I open their boxes. I want to raise geckos that are super-friendly.

What is it with Red eye geckos? Ive heard most of them carry the enigma gene so there Vison and focus is sort of off?

 

[LeoLover1]

Ithink it has something to do with light sensativity. Maybe the eclipsed eye is 'dialated'? and lets in too much ambient light. they seem to hunt better under blue or red light. During daylight, they just keep their eyes shut