Reduced feeding frequency...now they are more active...good or too hungry?

tb144050

New Member
Messages
1,050
Location
Texarkana
6 of my Leo's are 10-12 months old. Of the 6, 3 of them are gravid females. I was feeding them every day and removing uneaten crickets an hour after putting them in.

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The males and 1 ungravid female never came out of the hide, but would eat a few as they came in the hide. They also were very inactive, even at night.

The 3 gravid females have unpredictable appetites...they are either hunting or completely off-feed for 5-7days at a time.

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I reduced to feeding every OTHER day (1 nonfeed day gap). Now they all, except the 1 ungravid regen-tail female, are ALOT more active. These 5 are roaming about every 30 minutes even during the day or night.

Is this roaming and increased activity actually a sign of them being hungry (browsing/hunting for food that isn't there)? Or is it a sign that they aren't stuffed and sleeping all the time as if they just finished Thanksgiving dinner?? I like seeing them more often, but I wanted to make sure that they are old enough to feed every 48hours.
 

lisa127

New Member
Messages
777
Location
NE Ohio
They are definitely old enough to be fed every other day. I have a 6.5 month old juvenile that no longer wants to eat daily.
 

tb144050

New Member
Messages
1,050
Location
Texarkana
Thanks!! They are more active after switching to every other day. Maybe they just aren't being "stuffed and lazy" now? :)
 

Olympus

Biologist & Ecologist
Messages
295
Location
Miami, Fl.
They may be more active because they don't have to be glued to the hot spot, digesting? Frees them up to pursue other activities lol
 

DrCarrotTail

Moderator
Messages
3,589
Location
Ridgewood, NJ
I feed all of mine over 25g every other day and those over 40g every 2-3 days. Gravid females usually stop eating a few days to a week before they lay their eggs. Males often are too preoccupied. I generally weigh my geckos every 7-15 days (depending on how old they are and if they're actively breeding or not) to make sure their maintaining weight. I expect females to lose 2-3g with each clutch but no more than 15-20g over the course of the breeding season (depending on how big and how chunky they were to begin with. I make sure breeding females have a dozen or so mealworms in their dish at all times and offer superworms and/or dubia every few days.
 

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