Tail Dropping

[jbodkin]

How hard/easy is it for a gecko to loose/drop it's tail ... I ask because I have kids (6 and 11) who love the geckos and we have gone over how to handle them correct ... However they handle them like they are glass almost like they are afraid the tail will drop off if you look at it wrong ... Which in it's self is not a bad thing for them to be very very careful .. However I also want them to enjoy the handling and not be afraid.

Just looking for some general ideas hear.

 

[daveim]

If you don't grab onto the tail or pinch it in anything, it shouldn't drop it. I handle my gecko relatively regularly and there are small children in my household as well, but we stay away from the tail and he hasn't dropped it yet. If you want some practice handling lizards that will drop their tails very easily so you know how to handle your leo without having him losing his tail, visit southeast texas and catch yourself some Mediterranan geckos.

 

[Mel&Keith]

*knocks on wood* We've never had a Leo drops it's tail. Our dogs play in the gecko room and I'm constantly dropping things and making noise in there. You would just have to make sure your kids know not to grab the tail. Getting an adult gecko might also be a good idea as they tend to be more mellow that juveniles.

 

[breanna-banana13]

i think it might have to do with their stress level also. i have 2 leos that live a pretty cushy life lol. however my male (eval- aptly named) bites on a regular basis and sometimes it is necessary for me to grab him by the tail and hoist him out of the tank, (i kno- shame shame) i dont grab hard, or pinch, or hold him like that for hours but i have never had a problem. im guessing that if he was extremely stressed on a day to day basis there might be a better chance of it dropping. ((please dont yell at me lol)). also, i believe his tail is a re-grown tail anyway (i got him like that), it looks funny but i dunno- maybe its stronger the second time around.
Bre

 

[estott]

i havent experienced a tail loss yet and hopefully i dont. it really depends on the gecko sometimes for the most part. out of the 12 that i have only one is easily startled and she is a juvenal so hopefully that gose away with time. yhe i think that the kids may be a little overly cautious, which like mentioned is not a bad thing. i can a be clumsy some times but one time and only one time i was lifting the hide from where my mack SS way sleeping and i droped the hide on her tail, she was fine and she didnt drop the tail she is one of the most calm geckos that i have though.