update on new leo

[somehelp123]

Hello everyone. Today is day 5 of having my new leopard gecko. For the first four days I left him alone to get acclimated to his new home. Never saw him at all, he was either in his warm hid or moist hide the whole time. Last night I tried to give him some mealworms. He didn't seem interested, actually he was quite scared when I dropped a few in the feeding bowl. This morning I checked to see if he had eaten any; nothing. Guess he's still nervous and stressed .

Any advice on feeding/caring for right now? I know 5 days is not enough time for him to feel at ease.

Thanks everyone.

 

[indyana]

Sounds like you're doing fine. Just move slowly and quietly when you're trying to feed him, as you don't want to startle him if he's already timid. Do you know if he was eating mealworms out of a dish before you got him? If not, you might want to try tong feeding or putting some on the floor at first until he gets the idea.

 

[somehelp123]

Not sure if he was being fed out of a bowl, I'm assuming he was. But I def tried feeding him with tongs as well as putting them on the floor...He didn't budge at all.

 

[somehelp123]

How much longer should I wait before becoming concerned with feeding?

 

[indyana]

As long as the gecko was healthy to start and doesn't appear to be losing a ton of weight, most people suggest waiting them out. You could also try a different food source, like crickets or roaches, that might spark more interest in food. Don't leave them in the cage though.

Besides that, just make certain the cage temperature is correct for digesting, with a warm floor spot ~90 F.

If he hasn't eaten by the end of the week, I'd start getting a little concerned, especially if he's not an adult gecko.

 

[somehelp123]

Thank you for the reply. He's showing no interest in food at all. His hot spot is exactly 90. The meal worms in the dish become very stagnant in the bowl. What's the best way to keep them moving so he notices them?

Also, something good else which is concerning me is, my gecko lunges at me all the time when I'm just looking at him. It's like he hates me or something lol....but he will lunge at me and then walk into his hide. Not sure if we are a good match, starting to get a little upset :/

As long as the gecko was healthy to start and doesn't appear to be losing a ton of weight, most people suggest waiting them out. You could also try a different food source, like crickets or roaches, that might spark more interest in food. Don't leave them in the cage though.

Besides that, just make certain the cage temperature is correct for digesting, with a warm floor spot ~90 F.

If he hasn't eaten by the end of the week, I'd start getting a little concerned, especially if he's not an adult gecko.

 

[indyana]

People sometimes put a piece of carrot in the dish to keep the mealworms eating/moving.

Honestly, sounds like he's frightened and lashing out at you a bit. Not sure if you have a juvenile or an adult, but you really have to give him some space until he calms down.

Here's a great little article about taming lizards, and I'm sure other folks have techniques as well, but given that you've only had him for six days, it's too early to start taming. The less contact the better for the first few weeks.
How to Tame a Lizard

 

[somehelp123]

I really appreciate your helpful replies. My leo is about to be 1 yr of age in august. I left a carrot and a slice of apple in the mealworm bowl. Should I just leave them in there for the time being? Or take them out after a day if he hasn't eaten?

Thanks again.

 

[Herbiebug]

Do you know if your leo was eating mealworms before you got him? If he was fed crickets prior, he may not immediately recognize the mealworms as edible food given that they are not very wiggly. If you give crickets a try, you can disable them by removing one of their rear jumping legs to make them more manageable in case you need to go in and remove them if your gecko won't eat them. Also, as your gecko is approaching 1 year old, try superworms. Superworms are extremely squirmy and will most definitely grab your gecko's attention. I have heard hornworms can be effective at ending a hunger strike- just be careful you don't offer one that is too big.

If worms have not been eaten in 24 hours, remove them, toss them back in the worm bin, and replace with a fresh batch to offer to your gecko. The uneaten worms generally do recover after some time back in their substrate, so you're not wasting any if gecko refuses them.

When you stick your hand in his tank to clean/change out water etc. be sure to move very slowly. Talk softly as you do this (it really helps!). Make no sudden movements. If your gecko lunges at you, try not to flinch away.

It can also help to cover some or even all four sides of the tank to help your gecko feel safer. Then gradually remove the covers over time. I believe the method I read was to remove one side cover per week.

Good luck. Your gecko doesn't hate you. He's just frightened and out of his comfort zone in the new surroundings.

 

[somehelp123]

Thank you so much for that helpful reply.

Yes, the breeder told me that he feeds all of his geckos mealworms. I will try a different type of food soon. I hope for the best.

Thanks

 

[Herbiebug]

Oh, that's good to know. The good news is that once they start eating again, they'll continue eating on regular basis from then on. It's not like a ball python or something that will go off feed seemingly at random for multiple weeks at a time. >.<

 

[somehelp123]

Ha. so just now was the closest I got to feeding him. He licked the mealworm when I was holding it in a pair of tongs...wow...he licked it twice and went back to his hide...can anyone dissect this logic lol?

 

[indyana]

Not quite hungry enough to risk eating, I would assume. Be patient and keep offering.

 

[Herbiebug]

Ha! Yes, mine has done that on a few occasions too. It usually means he's thinking about. Mine will do it if I'm offering food when he isn't particularly hungry, or sometimes when I offer a food he hasn't tried before. He was deeply suspicious of phoenix worms when I tried those.

This is a good sign. Feeding response is there. Try again tomorrow.