New Gecko Owner

[ravenwing]

So, I've been lurking on the forums for a few days...I want to thank everyone for all of the useful posts/information. I went out and got my first gecko on Friday and she's doing wonderfully.

I believe she is a Murphy's Patternless? I don't think she's an albino....(sorry for lack of a picture, camera is working, computer at home is not)

So far she's eaten meal worms, I have crickets for her as well...however she doesn't seem interested in those...

I do want to provide some variety in her diet, so my 3 questions are:

1. Should I just keep attempting to offer her crickets (I did gut-load them, I also have a Red Eared slider turtle, so she's not my first reptile) every day? I gave her 2 crickets and kept a distant eye on her (to make sure the crickets wouldn't try to hurt her) The pet store indicated she was eating large sized crickets.....

2. She seems to be rather lazy...I dunno if they do just sit around a lot or if she's just tired? I don't mind - I just want to be sure I'm not screwing anything up.

3. She seems to want to climb a lot...the activity she did display was attempting to climb up the glass on the side of her tank, I'm thinking building her a second "climbing" level wouldn't hurt?

She's by herself, on reptile carpet. She has 2 hides, one is a log that reaches from both the "cool" side of her tank, and another that is her wet hide (I have some moss in there at the moment) I have a light that is on 12 hours a day over her tank, and her tank temp is 80 degrees during the day and about 75 at night. I have a water dish and calcium dish (which is the same dish her mealies are in) for her.

Again, I just want to be sure I'm not messing anything up...oh and she's in a 10 gallon tank at the moment, I know it's a bit on the small side, I do plan on getting her a larger tank...

Any advice would be much appreciated!

 

[thestack510]

1. Yes keep offering her a variety of feeders. Eventually she'll give them a try. Avoid wax worms as a staple food and only offer one or two on occasion. Geckos who are fed waxies as a staple tend to refuse other food, and waxies aren't as good as meal worms and crickets as staples in a Leo's diet.

2. Leos are most active at night and need no light source as long as they are getting the proper vitamins and supplements.

3. They do love to climb. I'm sure she would love a second level and plenty of things to climb on.

I would opt for a UTH with a rheostat rather than a light as the heat source. You may not see her much as long as there is a bright light glaring down on her. The Temp on the warm side should be 90 degrees minimum. Get those temps up a.s.a.p.

 

[gekko.gurl]

My latest leo, does the "climb" glass thing. I added a hut that's up higher and she seems happy with it like that. Not so much scratching the corner glass anymore.