Screamed at for the first time?

[Hexaclover]

I'm a night dweller so I usually do quick hide spray downs at night and water refills and stuff.

I picked up one hide I needed to spray and my gecko was in there and I was like okay I'll wait until- and I got interrupted by a scream. Did I just startle him by picking him up in hide?? He has never done that, only croaked at me during handling... if anything we were both startled because it was loud and at night and totally unexpected.ĺ

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[Neon Aurora]

Yes, it's very likely you just startled him. A leopard gecko will screech when it feels threatened as a way to distract predators so it has a chance to get away. I had a hatchling that screamed at me every time I so much as looked at her.

Is he a young gecko? I've actually never seen a full grown gecko screech before.

 

[scottm91]

Mine has been doing that lately, too. She's not quite 3 mos old. Monday, we had her out and my kids and I were playing with her and she was great. Tue and Wed I went to try to get her and she hissed at me, then she (I guess) screamed - a long, drawn out hiss. So - I left her alone! She's been in her moist hide some lately - could it be that she's shedding? A combination of that and maybe just age and having been handled so much Monday? Main question - cause for concern, or no big deal?

 

[Hexaclover]

Oh man, well I don't think he's a juvenile or a baby. He's around 7+ months, that's why it confused me. I've had an adult kinda scream at me before, I got it as a rescue and was not tame and even as an adult screamed until I tamed him...

I guess we both just scared each other

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[Neon Aurora]

scottm91:
She may have been stressed. When you say your kids were playing with her, what does this entail? She could be shedding, but I don't really notice any change in temperament when mine are shedding. Also, 3 months is pretty young and geckos this size often will be more skittish and less tolerant of handling than adults. Try to take it easy with her. Don't handle her for huge periods of time, make sure that your kids are calm and quiet when they are handling her. Kids are often loud, fidgety, and not always gentle which can be stressful to the gecko. Not saying your kids are this way or anything, so of course no offense intended. =)

Oh yes, didn't you say that you dropped her a fair distance recently? Usually they are not injured in these falls, but she may have been. Is she showing any signs of pain or injury? Leopard geckos are also certainly capable of making basic associations, so it's possible that she associated being handled with the fall and has become more fearful of it.

Hexaclover:
7 months is still juvenile. Next time, maybe try lifting the hide slower so he is not startled quite so much. It's probably no big deal, though. He will become habituated soon enough.

 

[Hexaclover]

Yeah I lifted it pretty fast because he's a weird form of albino that he's a bunch of light colours with no spots so he blended in with the paper towel, I didn't even notice he was inside until he was a at my eye level, and then we both screamed haha

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[stager]

Lots of hatchlings scream bloody murder when you first open the deli cup. I recently startled one of my friendliest young males and he bit me not hard but it startled me.