Hi!
My name is Emily, and I just started keeping Leopard Geckos about a month ago (boy, I sound like an addict). Unfortunately, my baby Leo was dropped and suffered internal bleeding that she could not recover from (her condition was also worsened by my inadequate temperatures and general inexperience). Of course I was horribly sad, and have been tentatively seeking another Leo to fill my empty tank.
So of course when I heard from a boy on campus who claimed to have a Leo that needed rehoming, I readily agreed.
It's a Tokay. Unabashedly so: she is young (about six inches long), dark-colored, and wholeheartedly wants to knife me in my sleep. I can't/won't give her back, obviously. I'm committed to this animal (despite her obvious homicidal tendencies). Besides, she's cute.
Regardless of her aesthetic appeal, I was completely unprepared for a Tokay when I picked her up two days ago. Right now she is in my Leo tank (10 gal), with the hot end pushing 87-ish degrees and the cool end at 78 or so. Until I can get branches and more things for her to climb on (she has an assortment of deer antlers, corkboard, and a tupperware for now), I've left the hides in her tank. I've been handling her as little as possible, but I think I upset her horribly when I checked on her this morning! I will be leaving her alone for the next week or so until I feel like she's settled enough that I can start sort-of hand taming her (ie: teach her only to bite me SOMETIMES).
The humidity is pretty high (70%). Substrate right now is paper towels until I can get moss or soil or something (this weekend). She's eating like a champ (complete with dinosaur noises). Food is dusted and gut loaded (crickets).
My issues:
- She is TERRIFIED of me. I don't mind getting bitten, but I feel like I'm kicking a puppy in the face every time I open the tank. Barking and rearing and biting. I realize Tokays aren't easy to tame, but is there something I can do to relieve her anxiety? I have to give her fresh water/drop in some crickets/etc.
- I am going to have to redesign her whole tank set-up. Now, this is a stupid question, but how the hell do I get her out of the tank? I'm sure not going to grab her...I'll hurt her by mistake, and even if I did, what should I put her in? I don't want to stress her out (the big issue) or risk an escape.
- She doesn't climb. I'm sure this is just an acclimation thing (?), but she's mostly inside her little hide. I assume that once she gets more comfortable and there are more places for her to climb, she will do so?
- If I turn the 10 gallon on its side, to give her more climbing room, will the wire lid hurt her feet?
- What else do I need to pick up at the pet store this weekend to make this little gal more comfortable?
Thanks!
Emily
My name is Emily, and I just started keeping Leopard Geckos about a month ago (boy, I sound like an addict). Unfortunately, my baby Leo was dropped and suffered internal bleeding that she could not recover from (her condition was also worsened by my inadequate temperatures and general inexperience). Of course I was horribly sad, and have been tentatively seeking another Leo to fill my empty tank.
So of course when I heard from a boy on campus who claimed to have a Leo that needed rehoming, I readily agreed.
It's a Tokay. Unabashedly so: she is young (about six inches long), dark-colored, and wholeheartedly wants to knife me in my sleep. I can't/won't give her back, obviously. I'm committed to this animal (despite her obvious homicidal tendencies). Besides, she's cute.
Regardless of her aesthetic appeal, I was completely unprepared for a Tokay when I picked her up two days ago. Right now she is in my Leo tank (10 gal), with the hot end pushing 87-ish degrees and the cool end at 78 or so. Until I can get branches and more things for her to climb on (she has an assortment of deer antlers, corkboard, and a tupperware for now), I've left the hides in her tank. I've been handling her as little as possible, but I think I upset her horribly when I checked on her this morning! I will be leaving her alone for the next week or so until I feel like she's settled enough that I can start sort-of hand taming her (ie: teach her only to bite me SOMETIMES).
The humidity is pretty high (70%). Substrate right now is paper towels until I can get moss or soil or something (this weekend). She's eating like a champ (complete with dinosaur noises). Food is dusted and gut loaded (crickets).
My issues:
- She is TERRIFIED of me. I don't mind getting bitten, but I feel like I'm kicking a puppy in the face every time I open the tank. Barking and rearing and biting. I realize Tokays aren't easy to tame, but is there something I can do to relieve her anxiety? I have to give her fresh water/drop in some crickets/etc.
- I am going to have to redesign her whole tank set-up. Now, this is a stupid question, but how the hell do I get her out of the tank? I'm sure not going to grab her...I'll hurt her by mistake, and even if I did, what should I put her in? I don't want to stress her out (the big issue) or risk an escape.
- She doesn't climb. I'm sure this is just an acclimation thing (?), but she's mostly inside her little hide. I assume that once she gets more comfortable and there are more places for her to climb, she will do so?
- If I turn the 10 gallon on its side, to give her more climbing room, will the wire lid hurt her feet?
- What else do I need to pick up at the pet store this weekend to make this little gal more comfortable?
Thanks!
Emily
. I would start looking for a larger tank however, and doing research before general inexperince takes another life. Im sure justin will be on this thread in no time, hes much more experinced with these guys.
