skittish gecko

[Marleykeeper]

Hey guys im new to the forums and i was just wondering whats the best manner to go about taming a gecko. I just got Marley today, a large Male. When i asked the store clerk to hold him he said he was an aggressive gecko, i was very sceptical and after the guy harrased him into a small bin i got a chance to hold him. he is in absolutely no way aggressive but he is very skittish he seems like he wants to run away and is scared of contact. Like i said i just got him home today i think my game plan for taming him is giving him at least a week to settle in then slows start peting him and getting him introduced to touch then move to handling. i know lizards are solitary animals and get nothing from human contact but i would really enjoy being able to hold my gecko but i dont want to stress him out to much. Any input on the subject would be very helpful

 

[shadowdragon619]

yep...let him settle in for a week....no touching him. just do your thing, like get rid of poop, change water, fresh mealies, feed crickets...etc.

then i would start putting your hand in the tank and let him get used to your scent and your hand.

soon enough he shouldnt be too bothered by your scent or hand and you can start handling him.

when i first handle my new leos....i let them crawl around on my bed they love crawling around on the crumpled bedspread and they think pillows are mountains.

just make sure you stay on the ground...like sit on the ground and handle him. my leos think they can fly...so in case he decided to take a flying leap...he will only fall like a few inches out of your hand instead of four feet up while standing.

 

[Marleykeeper]

alright thanks for the help. but he should warm up to me over time right? i just dont want him to be this skittish all the time

 

[M_surinamensis]

they love crawling around on the crumpled bedspread and they think pillows are mountains.

my leos think they can fly.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/anthropomorphism

That should hopefully sort you out.

alright thanks for the help. but he should warm up to me over time right? i just dont want him to be this skittish all the time

Leopard geckos tend to mellow out and slow down substantially as they age. It's a direct result of shifting instinctive responses. Adults have fewer (not none of course, but fewer) potential predators and fewer predatory species where fleeing is an appropriate course of action. So their behavior shifts as they get bigger and older and some of those flight responses tend to be far less frequently seen.

You can't tame them in the same sense you can tame a dog, cat or bird. They haven't got the physical brain structure for that kind of behavioral modification and declarative thinking. They're predominantly procedural with a very small window for conditioning of behaviors that have an associated instinctive response (but can not be conditioned outside of additional stimulus being associated with an existing instinctive behavior).

 

[Marleykeeper]

Alrigh cool. I get what your saying how you can't tame them. I just don't want him going into fight or flight when handled. Thank you both for the help I apreciate it

 

[gothra]

If he is resting outside of his hides, you can try rubbing the side of his body/belly gently with a finger, while talking to him softly. They usually aren't so opposed to touching those areas. Avoid the bumps (tubercles) though; they get jumpy if you touch their back or tail. That's what I do to gain their trusts.

p.s. one of my big male is called Marly too, although spelt differently.

 

[Marleykeeper]

That's awsome. I've been sticking my hands in the tank he took 5 crickets from my hand today and in between bites he would let me pet his head a little

 

[Autra]

That's awesome!

You want to be careful with the hand feeding, though. You don't want the lil one to become dependent on you for all it's food and stop chasing its own.

 

[Marleykeeper]

Alright thanks for the tip. It was mainly because I didn't have a lid so I didn't want the crickets to jump out. Also how many should I be feeding him. He's eaten 5 real big ones is that good till tomorow?

 

[5HiddenLizards]

I think he'll be fine, as long as you feed him everyday. I usually feed until they stop showing interest in their food. I leave dishes of mealworms in my tanks & they feed when they want & stop when they want.

And when i put crickets in its only 5-8 at a time, depending on who I'm feeding.

 

[Northstar Herp]

Can you post a picture? Is it a leopard gecko? I know that sounds like a dumb question, but it wouldn't be the first time someone new asked something about their gecko in the leo forum but it turned out to be something different.

 

[Marleykeeper]

Lol yea he's a leopard gecko. Let me try and get some pics up shortly

 

[Northstar Herp]

Sorry to ask, but you never know...

Mine have calmed down as they age, just like surinamensis has said so well. Some individuals might stay a little more skittish than others, but they should mellow with age. Let them settle in for a while before you handle them and then things should be just fine.

 

[Marleykeeper]

Dumb Question how do i insert a picture. ive got some saved on my computer but it wants a url for the pic? sorry its so off topic

 

[Marleykeeper]

Ok i think i got it Sorry about the lighting/quality View attachment 33893

View attachment 33894

 

[Northstar Herp]

Dumb Question how do i insert a picture. ive got some saved on my computer but it wants a url for the pic? sorry its so off topic

Absolutely not a dumb question... it was one my first ones.

Here's how I was told, and how I still do it. I have it saved on my pc, then I use some kind of online picture storing site (I use photobucket), then if you mouse over the pic or choose "share", it will give you different types of copy and paste link options. Choose the one that says "for bulletin boards and forums". You just have to make sure you copy and paste the right kind of code, that's what confused me for the longest. Then you just control C the link, go to the reply to thread box and control V. BAM! pictures...

Hope that helps a bit.

 

[Marleykeeper]

Awsome update. A few minutes ago i had my hand in to mist his humid hide and give him some fresh water and he came over and started licking my hand so i laid it flat on the ground and walked onto it so i slowly lifted him out of the tank. He spent the next 5 or so minutes exploring up my arm to my shoulders and back down. I know i wasnt supposed to handle him but he was freaking out at all, just leasurly pacing and licking. He is a very sweet boy and i think hes relaxing rather quickly

 

[Northstar Herp]

Now THAT sounds like a leo...

when you said "aggressive gecko" it just didn't compute. Maybe they tried to house some males together or something. Congratulations, and enjoy your new boy. He looks lovely.

 

[Marleykeeper]

Thank you, I know when the clerk said he is aggresive i was skeptical. He was housed all by himself i just think he didnt get human contact and when he did it was rushed and rough.

 

[prettyinpink]

I haven't read this whole thread but I just wanted to say, if you're scared of him honestly he'll act skiddish. I notice if someone tries to pick up Beau and is nervous he gets scared. He doesn't like to be poked, or pet w/out seeing you... freaks him out. But I can pick him up and pet him and everything.

There's many peeple that I've heard of were told the gecko was tame then after it settles in it's 'scared'. It may just be the way they're handling it.