New Gecko!

[Jeremy012]

Hey guys,

I finally made the big purchase last week at a reptile expo after a few months of research. He's a juvenile and is quite shy. I've been told by a breeder that It is a good time to begin handling him so that he can get used to me. He is usually in is hide at night, once in a while I'll see him out but he goes back to his hide as soon as he spots me. Is it ok if i lift up his hide to get him out or would that make things worse?

 

[jerrymb]

Hey guys,

I finally made the big purchase last week at a reptile expo after a few months of research. He's a juvenile and is quite shy. I've been told by a breeder that It is a good time to begin handling him so that he can get used to me. He is usually in is hide at night, once in a while I'll see him out but he goes back to his hide as soon as he spots me. Is it ok if i lift up his hide to get him out or would that make things worse?

I wouldn't lift his hide. He feels safe there and lifting the hide will probably stress him out even more than he is already stressed out.

 

[OnlineGeckos]

Give him time, especially when you just got a new leopard gecko. First he has to adapt to his new environment. Secondly he has to get used to you and realize you are not a predator. So that's 2 things that scares the crap outta him right now.

You should start handling him when he stops hiding away when you approach the tank. As soon as he gets used to you being the "food guy", he won't shy away as much. So, give him time.

 

[Thorgecko707]

radio helps too so he gets used to sudden noises. it works for me.

 

[Bighouchin]

Congratz!!

 

[Jeremy012]

Thank you all for the suggestions! I will give him some more time to adjust. I placed some strips of paper around the outside of the tank to make he feel more confined. ( he was kept in a hatchling tub previously). Ill update as he progresses.

Thanks again

Jeremy

 

[LeoMerlin]

Yep time to adjust is a good thing, I just wish I'd known that when I first got him. I didn't know a lot about them, but I used the best common sense and asked a ton of questions. Merlin gets excited whenever the cricket tank is nearby because he knows it's supper time, so I think he's getting used to me now, which is great