When you first get your leopard gecko.

[snavelykl]

I'm about to get a RAPTOR Giant at the Tucson Reptile Expo (well I hope to get a RAPTOR Giant) and I know all my care and husbandry and such. But what I'm not too sure about is what to do when I first get him/her. Obviously he/she is going to be super skittish after spending a day in a container at a reptile expo, and the drive home. So I plan on putting him in his viv and letting him venture for an hour or two, then playing with him for a little bit to immediately begin acclimating him to my self. That way he knows when he was scared I was there to help him.

But should I feed him wax worms at first to get him to a fat healthy weight and then switch him to supers? (I plan on buying an adult, my beardie eats supers it would be super convenient.) And when should I feed him and how much should I expect my gecko to eat? 3-6 supers? should I feed him at about 8 PM because they are nocturnal or feed him in the morning so he has worms through the day. And at what weight/age should I start to feed him every other day? So basically should I give him wax worms maybe once a week to keep him plump and healthy? or just when I first get him? or only if he loses weight? these are all the questions I had, please sure to answer questions I didn't ask!

Also when I'm at the breeder at the expo, what characteristics should I look for? I want a very hyper, very active gecko. what should I look for?

thanks a ton,

Kyle

 

[Mel&Keith]

Hi Kyle, congrats on getting ready for your first Leo. I'm glad you're asking questions. For some reason pet stores love to push wax worms as a good food for "fattening them up" but there's really no reason to ever feed them unless it's to a laying female who's refusing food. When you give them to a healthy gecko it's like giving a kid candy instead of a proper dinner. They'll gain weight that way too but not in a healthy way and all they're going to want to eat after that is candy! Just stick with all of the regular feeders and the gecko with stay healthy.

As far as handling, geckos do get very stressed out any time they move into a new home. This stress is obviously raised by having sat under lights in a deli cup at the expo. The best thing to do (and I know how hard it is, lol) is to not handle them for the first week. When they're new and exciting it can be hard to keep your hands off them but it's better in the long run. Adults especially need time (as in weeks) to settle in to their new environment before they get back on their normal eating routine and every time you stress them out by handling them it sets this back.

First off, look for a gecko that has a healthy body and tail weight. Look out for tail kinks or legs and jaws that look soft or bent (this can be a sign of MBD) Once you've narrowed it down to a couple that you're serious about ask the breeder about their temperament and what they like to eat, etc. You can get Leos switched from one food source or another but if your decision comes down to one that is eating crickets and one that is eating supers go for the one that's already eating supers. These should be easily answered questions when you're dealing with adult geckos. (Assuming that the seller is actually the breeder and not just a reseller). When you think you're set you can see if the seller will let you hold the gecko just keep in mind that they can act a little differently at an expo that they might in everyday life. They'd rather be sleeping in a hide during the middle of the day, not in a deli cup under lights so they can be a bit cranky.