tail wagging

[GatorGirl286]

hey guys. does anyone know what it means when a leo raises his tail and wags it slowly back and forth? kind like a cat? i know they shake the ends of their tails rapidly right before they strike for food, but today my leo has been doing this cat-like, stalking, "im about to pounce on something" stance. is he just feelin feisty today? haha

 

[nats]

My leos do that when they are roaming around their tank.
They have their own tanks and I am all the way accross the room watching.
So I know they are not doing it because I am there or another animal in there with them.
They raise their tail in the air and slowly wave it around.

It can either be a sign that they are upset about something, or as a signal to another leo. But why they would do it when they are all alone, I do not know.

P.S. just thought, maybe they are seeing their reflection in the glass and think there is another leo in there with them.

 

[LeapinLizards]

The only time I've seen my leos do that exact "cat-like" wave with their tail is when I put another gecko in with them. I see the rapid "rattle snake" shake when it's feeding time, but never the wave like what you're describing.

 

[nats]

I do think they are seeing their reflections in the glass and think there is another animal in there with them.

There is a thread around here somewhere about problems with reflections.

This is why the professional cages are all plastic with a glass front that is elevated from the floor. No reflections. That's great, but who can afford them?

 

[Jaiden23]

My newest girl does this on a regular basis, usually for no apparent reason. She is housed alone, so I'm not sure what causes it either.

At first I thought it was a stalking reaction, because she would do the 'tail wag' while following my finger around, but since then I have seen her do it every evening just while walking around her tank... *shrugs*

I do remember seeing a youtube video that depicted this exact behavior. There were two females being housed together and one of them (The one wagging her tail) was slowly trying to sneak up on the other female.
Aha, I found the link :main_laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QdXKtOzGQ0

This is why the professional cages are all plastic with a glass front that is elevated from the floor. No reflections. That's great, but who can afford them?

No kidding, especially if you need more than one tank. You're kind of stuck with either building your own, or trying to modify the one you already have.

 

[nats]

My newest girl does this on a regular basis, usually for no apparent reason. She is housed alone, so I'm not sure what causes it either.

At first I thought it was a stalking reaction, because she would do the 'tail wag' while following my finger around, but since then I have seen her do it every evening just while walking around her tank... *shrugs*

I do remember seeing a youtube video that depicted this exact behavior. There were two females being housed together and one of them (The one wagging her tail) was slowly trying to sneak up on the other female.
Aha, I found the link :main_laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QdXKtOzGQ0



No kidding, especially if you need more than one tank. You're kind of stuck with either building your own, or trying to modify the one you already have.

Some folks stick wallpaper on the "inside" walls to prevent reflections.
I dont know if thats a good idea or not.
You would need something that is easy to clean I guess.
Cricket guts get splatered on the walls sometimes, so you need something that can be wiped down with hot water.

 

[GatorGirl286]

ok thanks guys. todays is the first time ive seen my leo do it, maybe just upset over me taking his hides out temporarily to feed him. dunno. thanks for the responses!

 

[Willowbyrd]

Lol. My Epic does that all the time.

 

[OHRobert]

A good pic I got of my gecko doing the tail wag.