Very aggressive male leopard gecko!

[Keagan]

Hello,

Recently out of no where my male leopard gecko has become very aggressive. I can't handle him anymore because when ever I put my hand in the tank to goes into the famous S-shaped stance. When I try to scoop him up he just hisses and try's to bite. He never used to do this, I could handle him whenever I wanted before, now nothing! Any help is appreciated!

 

[Neon Aurora]

Hmm, that is strange. I don't have experience with this issue, but I have a few ideas.

First, I wonder if he could be being territorial. It is breeding season after all, and (although I haven't seen evidence for it) perhaps some males go through a more significant hormonal change at this time of year than others. Maybe you could try removing him from his enclosure with a plastic bin (use the bin and a pen or something to sort of herd him into the bin) and then let him calm down for a few minutes and than try handling him outside of his enclosure. Then you would know if this was the problem or not.

It could also be that he somehow built a negative association with your hand/being handled, in which case I would go back to the basics. Don't try to touch him for a while and just put your hand in the tank, feed him with tongs, etc.