No problems, just questions!

[ravensong]

I'm a fairly new leo owner, but I've been lurking these forums since before I got him (her?). It has answered a lot of my major questions, but now I have several of my own that are either unique to my leo, or I just read a lot of conflicting information, and this seems like the best place.

He's about 3" right now - I was expecting something larger when I finally went out to purchase one. I was so afraid of him being fragile at first! Anyway, about how old would you guess that he is? Pic was taken yesterday (sorry for crummy phone camera), he didn't have much pudge at first.

He had a settling in period, and now I'm on day 3 of handling. Both my husband and I will handle him for very short periods of time. He already calms down pretty fast after he's in our palms, but of course every once in a while he'll still panic at a moving finger or a loud noise, so we're taking it slow. My big question on this one is, can reptiles associate safe feelings with people? Or do they just grow out of being afraid once they realize nothing will hurt them?

The little guy seems to have adjusted well to his tank, I feel bad because it looks like a hobo hideout right now (paper towel flooring, little tea box houses). He tends to stay mostly on the heated side of the tank - does that mean I should try to amp up the heat? Or is it a baby thing? He always feels warm when I hold him, and he's eating/active. I just never see him hanging out on the cool side.

He is only eating crickets. Which is strange because where I got him, they said he was eating two mealworms a day (which... I'm not even sure if that's enough for him, since he can pound away three crickets easily in the morning). But he looks almost disgusted by mealworms and will move away from them. I've tried warming them in my hand, getting them to twitch around.. sometimes he'll lick his chops, but he just won't eat them. He'll go back to his house before he eats a worm. But toss a cricket in there, and he's all over it, he gets super excited. So is it possible that maybe he wasn't actually eating mealworms and they lied to me (after all, who wants to buy a reptile that's not eating)? They were keeping him on wood chips, so maybe the worms were just digging away and they thought he was eating? Or can changes in the environment just spur changes in behaviour? Either way, it's not a problem, it just puzzles me.

(EDIT - removed the question about calcium dusting, I just now noticed the supplement forum... d'oh!)

Thank you in advance!

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Age is hard to guess with that pic, but I'd say about 1-2 months. Maybe someone else can weigh in on that.

Regarding heat, how are you heating the tank? How are you measuring the temps? Where is the thermometer set? What are the temps?

It's hard to say what he was eating before. He might have been eating a few mealworms if that's all he was being given but just prefers crickets. All leos are different, and some prefer certain foods over others. I know mine prefers crickets over mealworms too.

~Maggot

 

[Kylerbassman]

I would honestly just get some Repashy calcium plus. It's the best in my opinion. All in one with no thinking involved, just gut load feeders and dust them with the Repashy every feeding. As far as heat goes, do you know where your temps are at currently? Them laying on the warm side isn't weird necessarily as my male loves it a bit warmer, but it could be him digesting his food. Best way is to get an Infrared thermometer and get accurate temps ranging from about 72 cool side to 92 ish hot side on "Leo level". A bit warmer isn't a big deal on the hot side as long as the tank has good heat gradient for your Leo to thermoregulate if he wants it a bit cooler/warmer. Handling is just going to take time. I have a 2-3 year old male that hates being held/touched but have a 5-6 year old female that will walk right into my hand and up my arm. Some of its time/dedication but unfortunately sometimes it's just personality. As far as mealies go, my female would never touch them, only crickets at first, but now she likes supers. I thought it was a little odd, but I think if you were to cut out crickets completely and started feeding only mealies, overtime he would get hungry enough to try. I'm not saying starve him, but maybe only try mealies for a week or so. Feel free to ask more questions. Hope the best for your new addition. Just watch out, they are extremely addicting

 

[ravensong]

Thanks! We are definitely enchanted by the little guy. The addictive part is what worries me about some of these reptiles... I have a friend that started with one bearded dragon a few years ago, and now she has several - her house is like a shrine to them

On the handling, if it's mostly personality, then I think I might have lucked out with a good leo.

The heat source is an under tank heating pad. The warm side is pretty much a constant 90 (didn't think to gauge the other side, so I'll get one for that). I think I probably spoke too soon, though... several times tonight, in the dim light I saw him marching across the cool side in exploration mode. I feel kind of silly for worrying because he's been pooping on that side too, so obviously he has been out and about, I just never saw him.

I will look into ordering the Repashy, I noticed a lot of people recommended it on the supplement forum too. I don't mind the crickets now, I have a store next door that I can visit regularly so I don't have to stock up and endure cricket stink. But now I have a tub of pet worms in my fridge. I'll keep offering one occasionally and if he keeps refusing, I guess I can just put it out with the birdfeeders.

 

[JasonO80]

Age is hard to guess with that pic, but I'd say about 1-2 months. Maybe someone else can weigh in on that.

Regarding heat, how are you heating the tank? How are you measuring the temps? Where is the thermometer set? What are the temps?

It's hard to say what he was eating before. He might have been eating a few mealworms if that's all he was being given but just prefers crickets. All leos are different, and some prefer certain foods over others. I know mine prefers crickets over mealworms too.

~Maggot

I am new to all this but everything I read points to 3 inches as being slightly larger than newborn so I would say he or she is very young but I could also be getting my facts mixed up and very wrong on this. Where ever you bought the little one should of had a general idea if they didn't hatch them themselves.

 

[katie_]

Hatchlings can range in size and depending on how much they eat, can grow at rapidly different rates.
I would also guess anywhere to 1-3 months

 

[Embrace Calamity]

I am new to all this but everything I read points to 3 inches as being slightly larger than newborn so I would say he or she is very young but I could also be getting my facts mixed up and very wrong on this. Where ever you bought the little one should of had a general idea if they didn't hatch them themselves.

Not necessarily. I know many people who've been told completely incorrect ages, probably just made up on the spot to make it look like they know.

~Maggot