New to reptiles -- Shedding issue

[ChicagoSound312]

Hi everyone,

I just got my first leopard gecko (also my first reptile pet) on Saturday, and I'm wondering how I should go about helping him get some shed off the top of his head. I'm a little nervous about handling him as he's only been here for a couple days. Will he get the extra skin off on his own, or will it just come off the next time he sheds? Should I be worried about this?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[csdelisle]

Do you have a moist hide? One side of the tank should have a damp area (whether it be a wet towel or paper towel, etc.) This will help your leopard gecko shed easier.

 

[ChicagoSound312]

Yes, I do have a moist hide, but I just put it in there earlier today. I haven't seen him go into it at all, though.

How wet should the paper towel be? Soaking wet, or just damp?

 

[gaparicio]

How big is your gecko? If it's an adult, you can add bed-a-beast in the hide box and wet it a little. Paper towels are ok but you'll have to keep wetting it everyday since it dries much quicker. The towels should be damp but not soaked.

Welcome!

 

[ChicagoSound312]

They didn't tell me how old it was at the pet store, but judging from the pictures I've seen on this site and others I would say he is pretty young. Probably about a month or less. He's still pretty skinny, only about 4 or 5 inches long (including the tail) and has quite an appetite.

Another question: At the pet store they used male pronouns, but I've read it isn't possible to determine the sex of the gecko until they are a few months old. Is it possible for them to know it's a male?

 

[BrilliantEraser]

It is possible to predict a gecko's sex by incubating the eggs at a certain temperature. However, this is not always 100% foolproof. Most likely, the pet shop workers just 'decided' that your gecko was a male, and started referring to it as such.

 

[roger]

I use a margarine container with a hole cut on top and fill it with damp vermiculite.I only have to moist it down every 3-4 days.U can get it at the Nursery garden where they sell plants

 

[ChicagoSound312]

I'm still not sure if its been using the moist hide, but I have noticed that there have been little flakes of skin around the tank, and that there seems to be less skin on its head. I'm still a little nervous about handling it since I just got it on Saturday, so should it be OK if I just leave it alone? Should I help it get the skin off?

 

[ChicagoSound312]

Here is a picture of the gecko. It's still pretty nervous around me, so I don't want to stress it out. Should I be worried about that skin on its head?

Also, how does my humid hide look?

 

[Dead Dreamer]

Wet a q-tip and gently rub the skin. If it's really attached you don't want to rip it off, but after doing this and if it is real loose and feels like it will come off painlessly, peel it off. This happens to my girl every once and a while, and if it's not attached on her eyes I give it more time. It has been stuck on her eyelid before and I used the q-tip and also used a little antibiotic ointment to loosen it up continuously. I helped to peel it off when it felt ready and she was very appreciative!