Tail wagging? Too cute!

[sushikam]

Just a few minutes ago I walked into my room where I have my gecko and I put some mealies in a dish in her cage and then sat down on the bed to watch her eat, it's always amussing, to me anyways ! Well she caught sight of something and kinda took off towards the side of the tank ,looking directly at me and then started wagging her tail way up in the air back and forth. I've never seen this, but it was too funny...what does it mean though? Was she seeing her reflection maybe and reacting to that or what?

I was just curious...any ideas would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Scott&Nikki]

I saw this happen before too and posted about it. Tail waving is a sign of aggression. If she did it at you while you were watching her eat, she probably wanted to be alone and was trying to "warn you off". You know... "big bad geckos"....

 

[GeckoStud]

Well actually it depends there are two tail waves. The slow vertical serpentine one, which is aggression. Or the excited horizontal dog tail wagging spastic tail. The latter of which is usually experience during hunting.

 

[Scott&Nikki]

Well actually it depends there are two tail waves. The slow vertical serpentine one, which is aggression. Or the excited horizontal dog tail wagging spastic tail. The latter of which is usually experience during hunting.

True, from the description she gave I immediately got the picture of a slow snake-like sway rather than the rattling motion...

 

[sushikam]

It was the vertical tail wave. I guess now I know I shouldn't watcher her eat . I just thought it was too funny how she started doing that, reminded me somewhat of a cat.

 

[GeckoStud]

It happens, I have a few that will randomly do the death wave of leave me alone-ness when they are chowing and I breeze by the cage. Either way nothing to worry about, just means they want some space.

 

[ALGeckos]

Well actually it depends there are two tail waves. The slow vertical serpentine one, which is aggression. Or the excited horizontal dog tail wagging spastic tail. The latter of which is usually experience during hunting.

I was going to say the same thing My gecko has only done the slow vertical serpentine one once - her body was facing away from me while her face looked to the side and her eyes were at the corner looking at me That was the first month I got her, but she never did it again after that. I probably just bugged her a little bit. Now, I always see the spastic tail wag right before she attacks at any of her mealies or crickets. They're just too cute!

 

[ByRandom]

It is also done to get predators to attack their tail, instead of their head... Can't really grow back a head....

 

[Scott&Nikki]

Can't really grow back a head....

You sure about that?

 

[ByRandom]

Apart from Men in Black.. it's quite impossible. :main_laugh:

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

Yes, the cat-like tail waving is a defensive threat.

 

[sushikam]

Thanks everyone! I now know what she means when she does that to me...I'll leave her alone now !