HJ Rudy
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Your Gecko Escaped, Huh?
Keeping positive about finding it is a must. Think about it like this: you do not have to find a lost gecko, simply find its hiding place. They can go a good while without food and water. Most are found quickly but I’ve heard of one appearing eight months later.
While you are in the hunt for your gecko you can also be assessing how the escape took place. Did you leave the key to its condo in the door lock? Supply a natural ladder that you spent hours of time on for them to climb? Or didn’t know you had a “carpenter morph” and left tools and a couple of two by fours in the tank…….… Seriously, figure out how the gecko may have gotten out so it doesn’t happen again when you finally find it.
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Some tips: your gecko is looking for its #1 need — SECURITY. This means a hidden spot where it feels safe and where the temperature feels right. Whether the gecko seeks a warm or cool spot can depend on the surrounding temperatures of where it was housed when lost and of the floor near where it’s kept. For example:
in a warm house with a carpeted floor the gecko may move about seeking other warm spots. In a house with cooler conditions, perhaps with vinyl floor covering or a concrete slab floor, it may be satisfied to hide in more of a brumation safe-spot tightly tucked away.
Here are some quick and easy places to look for a missing gecko. See if it’s still in its tank. If the tank has carpet, look underneath the carpet. Make sure it’s not in another gecko’s tank. Lift up loose rugs or throw-rugs and look under them. Check your bed coverings……geckos can jump up and climb the spreads, blankets, etc. Your gecko might even be under your pillow! You’ve gotta take it apart piece by piece; you can’t just glance at it. Look under ALL furniture and use a flashlight. Remember that it can be on the move so one check is not good enough until it is found. Any shoes on the floors or in closets? Shake them out because many have been found in the toe of shoes or house slippers.
Moisture in a nearby bath or shower area may attract your gecko. Check the shower curtain as one of mine was found in the folds of the curtain.
Check heat coming from a fridge floor area. Many have been found under the fridge. You may have to roll it out to check underneath. SO BE CAREFUL ! Don’t run it over or you have wasted your time finding it. Other warm places to check are the gas water heater area and the laundry room, especially the dryer area.
The first place to look is the room it’s housed in. If you have searched the room, and still have not spotted it, you now need to expand the search. With flashlight in hand look under every piece of furniture in the home. In the case of arboreal geckos, look upwards on the walls and windows.
When you search a cluttered floor area really well, such as your closet, and you shake out the toe end of shoes, etc., be sure to set all those things up someplace else so you know the gecko hasn’t re-entered after your search.
Once you’re sure your gecko is not in a particular area, you can set up an attractive spot for them there and try to attract them to it. For example, when a floor area, say a closet, has been searched well get an empty shoe box or something similar to make into a humid hide. Cut a hole in each end and one in the front, place moist paper towels in it and set it against a wall so it has a chance to be entered from 3 directions. Check it often!!! If the floor is empty it makes it easier to find the gecko, but if not do it anyway.
Sure, meal worms can be added, if you want. Put a slice of carrot in with the worms so they will remain healthy. REMEMBER: check often.
Your gecko can go a pretty good while without food or water. Its first priority will be to search for a protective spot, hot or cool (so it can be changing spots to find the temperature needed). Once it gets an opportunity or begins to feel safer with the surroundings it will search for water and food.
Remember, your gecko escaped while under your care. You are responsible for its safety. You are responsible to find it. So you should look everywhere if you have an escapee, even in the least likely of places, because it just might be there. Look and look again, and then again, until it’s found. And you will probably find it.
My cat found one of mine..… Ozzie sat looking at it on the floor until I got up to see what he was looking at. No harm to my gecko or Ozzie. Ozzie can be rented for $100 per day, airfare, room and board. plus a bonus when the gecko is found (and a minimum fee does apply for searches outside the USA). 🙂
May the ” Finding of the Gecko Force be with You “
Thank you for this advice! Panic insued this morning when my partner sheepishly informed me he ‘might’ have left the door to the tank open last night! 3 hours of searching (by me incidentally – he had to go to work!) later I find our gecko happily nestled in the workings at the back of the fridge! This was one of the first places i looked (since we found him in the same place last time my partner left the tank open!) but it wasn’t until I read your suggestion to keep re checking places I’d already looked that I finally saw him hiding amongst the pipes! So thank you again! He’s a lovely gecko and I was devastated at the thought he might be gone! Your suggestions were brilliant, I don’t suppose you have suggestions to prevent my boyfriend from repeatedly forgetting to shut the door?! 🙂
Thanks again!!!
I just lost one of my wild banded geckos! I had two banded geckos and when I was trying to take my geckos out of the tank, one of them escaped! Problem is my mother does not like creepy crawler things so we are worried it will show up in the kitchen. My geckos like moist places and we have a tiel floor,so I really don’t know how to find my geckos! Help!!!
FOllow the instructions in this article. I had a lost banded gecko for 4 months and found her by using this article.
Today, I found a leopard gecko, with distinct markings, that I bought about 6 years ago. At the time we had a decent collection of lizards. About 4 years ago I sold most of my collection, and haven’t had any lizards since! She had lost her tail, grown a decent sized new tail, and other than that appeared to be very healthy. I live in an average ( not too hot or cold) climate. I am not sure how the gecko has went undetected for this long.. Being that we have had 2 cats around ( however they have never been allowed in the guest room that is rarely ever used).. ” big mama” has definitely redefined ” guestroom” for us. I’m afraid shes not going to be happy having to trade her very own room for a tank, but we are glad to have found her safe and sound!
That’s incredible!
I have a gecko I got it an had 2 months so it was 5 months old I play with her on my bed an I was kinda dfalling asleep an for one sec se left an she normally goes next to my bed with all pillows an junk an i find her under stuff but this time i caant i took everything out an places by it an no luck. i started to really care for her. I lost her sun night the 22nd basicly 23rd 2am an now its wed the 25th an still cant find. I put @ nwarm pads out an water in 3 spots an I dont know what to do. I love her an just bought her a big cage 2 days before i lost her i love to play with her on my bed to get her out of her cage an get her use to being handled. but what can I do? Please help me I dont want to find her like a month later or something or see her dead that would be to sad. Please help if you can. Thanks!!!!!
The article you’re commenting on has good suggestions for how to find her, so follow them. You can look in the corners under things with a flashlight. It may take awhile but hopefully you’ll find her. Next time, play with her in a box on your bed so she doesn’t get away. Good luck.
I found my gecko thanks to this article. he’s a leopard he climbed out of his tank because i left the top open, believing he wouldn’t be capable of climbing out, and i found him on top of my curtains.
Well i lost a 2nd one 4 days after the 1st one was lost I made a message about it. well I found the one that was lost 2nd crawling on my floor yesterday an i was like wait huh? an it was her. i was so happy. an the a few hours later I look were i looked before an picked up everything were i thought she came from an once everything was off floor i see the 1st one pop out i was like hell ya an i grab her an she didnt want me an i grab her again an same thin an then she dropped an i thought i lost again an i quck look an i grab her for good an she finally realizes who i was an she calmed down. But i just gave up on the heating pads an water an then a week or so later i found thensomeone said your making it to easy for them your making it like home you want to make it hard so they come out an it worked. so they were lost about 3weeks to a month an they were still healty an fine as could be an gave them crickets right away an theys gobbled um up an was so happy. but i got 2 when they were lost so now I have 4. I want to sell one of them now cant keep 4.anyone intrested.
my name is shayna and im 15 my parents got me a leopard gecko about a month ago and he is a juvenile.
his name is marlo<3 it seems that while i was asleep he some how escaped. is it possible for him to have climbed out and lifted the lid? because its a glass aquarium and when i woke up the lid didnt look like it was touched. my room is heated the perfect temp. and i put his water dish on the ground and his two portable hiding spots he likes. and tonight im going to put food out in a dish for him and turn off the lights and wait to see if he comes out. is there anything else i can do? is there a way to attract him during the day? how long can he live out of the aquarium? do you have any advice i could use to catch him or lure him out?
Foung ours after over 6 months, or he found us. Just walked across the the floor when watching tv and this is in England, never give up hope.
Using this article, I just found Lee after she escaped last night but I only realised 45 minutes ago. Going from room to room with a flashlight I methodically searched everywhere and surprise surprise, she’s nestled in the workings of the fridge! Gonna from gutted to so relieved immediately!
Glad you found her!
I lost my crested gecko. My gecko is only 2 – 3 months old. I tore my apt apart and I still can’t find little Ann! What do I do??
Please this is an emergency she is just a baby. I left her on my couch then the next she was gone! I checked my couch and the environment around it
To find a crested gecko, look up –on the walls, the top of the cage. Follow the recommendations from the article as well. Good luck.
I unfortunately made the mistake of placing my daughter’s leopard gecko in a shoebox that had a small hole that I didn’t think she could escape through. When I arrived at the vet for her checkup she was gone! Escaped in my mini van! The guilt is horrible. The vet staff helped me look for an hour. I left a heating lamp in the van overnight with her cave and a dish of mealworms. I’m going to continue looking today. My guess is she’s somewhere within the front seats- close to where I had the box placed. I really hope I find her. Thankful I can park in the garage with the cold weather. I’m ready to take apart the seats. 🙁
Good news!!! My husband and I just found my daughter’s gecko up in the dash of the van!!! She is back in her viv warming up and resting. I pray she is ok! I’m so glad I kept looking and didn’t give up! Your site gave me the encouragement to be diligent. Thank you! 🙂
Glad things worked out! I’ve heard of this happening to someone else, actually, and they found the gecko weeks later. Hardy little creatures. Hopefully whatever you were taking her to the vet for is working out as well.
Lost lepord gecko in my car in July. Found it today, end of November!!!
We’ve had awful weather lately, cold, frost, snow, but he’s alive!!
Poorly looking now of course but hopefully we can nurse him back to health
Thanks for sharing this in-depth article, HJ! A very sad thought to have a gecko escape and have to go looking for it. Poor things. I’m positive this article has helped many a troubled owner though. Kudos.
My daughter’s gecko was let out by the person feeding him in July 2013. We scoured the house but to no avail. In November 2013 she got another one to fill the void. Then (amazingly) the original fella turned up yesterday (March 20 2014) alive and apparently pretty well. Her bedroom is pretty cold (which will have helped) and I guess he found the odd spider or cricket that escaped from our feeding stock. Still, pretty amazing given that there was nothing to drink for 8 months.
So today we had to buy a 2nd terrarium !!
Great story! I’m hoping for the best for my L. williamsi who is missing in action again.
L. williamsi has been found yet again!
Hey folks woke up this morning to discover the viv of my leopard geckos door is open an inch searched my entire room for her put food out for her turned the temp down in the house to entice her back to the heat of her viv any more suggestions iv got 2 cats and terrified they get her!! How far do u think she could go would she leave the bedroom she lives in to seek shelter somewhere else? Should I tear my whole house up?
Any help would be appreciated I’m distraught!
Thanks Lindsey
When it’s dark, go through the room with a flashlight. Look around the perimeter of the room, under furniture and near the walls. See if there are holes in the walls where the gecko could go through to another room. Close the door of your room so the cats can’t get in. They usually don’t go far.
When my 6 year old lost his Gecko in the house we went to the pet store to get large-(noisy), crickets and meal worms to set some of these traps we read about. When we got home, he reminded me that on my old I phone that I had given him there, is an app for called “Sleep Machine” that makes cricket noise. Would you believe it worked! In 15 minutes it drew him out…oh well, have lots of food for him now!
Mine got lost in the car and we cant find him
He probably went up into the warmth of the dash like mine did. Just keep an eye out!
My leo went missing last night, she’s very young (just over 15grams). Been decorating the house so there’s stuff everywhere. Checked everywhere I can possibly think of, just concerned that because she’s so tiny she won’t survive very long. Any advice????
Best advice I think is in the article. Good luck. THere have been a number of successes reported to me lately.
Aliza
I have a gecko living under my fridge for about 4 months and I’ve tried everything to get it out…even moving out the fridge doesn’t help since it crawls up inside…any words of advice
My best suggestion is to set up a hide with food and to try to catch the gecko inside the hide eating the food. This worked for me once.
Aliza
My crested gecko is missing! Hope I find him before the cars do!
Good luck!
My pet house geco is lost any pacific areas I should look?
Since the house gecko usually is arboreal, look up on the walls and the windows.
hello
I woke up this morning to find that one of my leopard geckos had got out of its enclosure I have trashed my room to try and find it and im not to sure on where to look next! I have 8 cats and I am very worried that they will get it before me!
I hope someone can help
Close off your room (evict the cats from it first, obviously) and then follow the instructions in the article you’re commenting on. Search at night. Good luck.
I usually let my gecko out with me while im doing stuff, but i wasnt aware there was a crawl space under the bathroom sink, a room i thought would be safe for her to explore, well she found it and I havent been able to see her for 5 hours now. ):
i even ripped up some paneling.
She’s 15 years and I can’t believe this is how she might go.
I just lost my first pictus gecko today she escaped at night i dont know how the lid was on i m really scared shes my baby i devastated i use all these techniques but i really dont want to find her dead she is my world i really hope i find her how long does it usually take i have two story house thats incredible large plz i need help
It’s hard to know. They can last quite awhile. I had a male gecko who spent 3 weeks in my downstairs neighbor’s linen drawer and a tiny SW banded gecko hatchling that I found and caught after 3 months! Keep trying, keep looking and keep hoping.
My daughter’s leo went missing in July. By November we’d lost hope and replaced him. In March (8 months later) he turned up. Presumably survived by not being too warm and eating insects behind furniture. Rude good health.
My juvenile crested gecko, Kevin, just got out during the night. We have four cats that are probably the reason for his escape and I’m really worried! We keep him in the living room so he could’ve gone any where, including a cat’s stomach. Any advice?
Keep the living room door closed if possible to keep out the cats. Look up since he’s arboreal. Good luck
Hi! My leapord gecko has been lost for about 2 nights now. It has no food or water and is probably really cold!! Do you think it is dead now, because my family is worrying very much. If someone could reply soon, I’d be ever so grateful 🙂
Of course I have no way to know what has actually happened with your gecko, but they are hardy creatures who can survive for quite awhile. One of my geckos was lost for weeks a few years ago and was discovered eventually in my downstairs neighbors’ linen drawer. I still have him. Someone else’s gecko was lost in a pickup truck in the winter and was recovered. Follow the suggestions in the article and hope for the best.
I got up In the morning to find that my leopard gecko wasn’t In his terrarium tried to look for him and he hasn’t appeared what should I do? Can someone plz help
Hi I just lost my leopard gecko in the past 24 hours and if been searching and searching I have 3 dogs 1 isn’t allowed up stairs and the other 2 don’t mind my geckos yes I have to but now I can’t find the other.
For both of you who have lost your leopard geckos: Read the article and follow the directions there!
I just found my leopard gecko it was under my oven!!! Thanks for the advice☺
I still haven’t found it yet it was not my fault that it’s gone because my dad was giving him water and my dad left the lid off and this is the fourth time he ran away from terrarium
I found a gecko out in the living room and its tail came off when my dad took it and put it in a jar. What do we do with that gecko? With no tail?
Our gecko looks really weird without a tail
I assume this was your gecko that you found. Put it back in its cage, if it has one. If not, get a proper sized cage for it (there are many places you can read about gecko care, provided you know what kind of gecko it is). Don’t use any kind of dirt or sand on the bottom of the cage so the tail can heal. Many geckos will regenerate their tails to look nearly as nice as the original tail. Good luck.
i lost my gecko 4 days ago. i have bin trying your stuff. my gecko 1 1/2 years old, how long do you think he will live.
I have had geckos survive for up to 4 months running around my house.
Hiya my leopard gecko escaped from its tank pushed through a hole I had duck taped up but anyway the tank was near my door and I live in an outhouse (room/chalet outside of my parents house) and have searched high and low for him inside, I do have a cat but no evidence that she got him. I am 50% sure the door which leads outside into the garden was open, do you think he could of gone outside? I have searched all around my garden in the smallest of hiding places! I have put hides close by too he will have plenty of water and food outside but obviously it’s a lot colder but humid maybe 20 degrees. I do know what happens to geckos when they get cold so makes everything worse! Any advice?? Thankyou! Can’t begin to tell you how heart broken I am!
Hopefully you’ve read the article. Geckos are amazingly hardy. Just read the latest Gecko Time article to see how I found a gecko in my basement that escaped 2 years ago. Keep trying to find him. If it gets cold, they just slow down, though, obviously if it gets below freezing they won’t survive. Good luck.
Hi , our crested gecko got out last night or this morning . We are trying the box idea. Does anyone know if a crested gecko make it down a flight of stairs ?
They can, unfortunately, go all sorts of odd places, but the best place to look for a crested gecko is in the up direction.
I too just lost one of my cresties and we are in the process of moving, do you think he would have dug into a box of packing peanuts ( we have a lot of those ) also might he have gotten in the couch? Help please 🙁
Unfortunately, you’re just going to have to look everywhere. In general, I think cresties would tend to head upward, so check your walls.
Its been four days And i still haven’t found my ping gecko (can someone tell me what kind of gecko it is)Ive searched the whole house 12 times and ive tried the shoebox idea
My gecko has excaped from his cage..last night and we have looked every where and no sign of him we have put the home on the floor and we have put food putand water every where nothing has changed
Can’t tell what kind of gecko it is without a picture.
It can take awhile to find an escaped gecko. SOmetimes they don’t survive. I found one during the summer that had escaped 2 years ago, but this is rare.
I had my Crsted Gecko out and he climbed up our fireplace and is now stuck under the mantel sitting on the fireplace. I can’t reach him. Any idea how I can get him out?
Call a carpenter (I’m serious)
I have been scouring the internet trying to find tips on how to find my lost Gecko! I only got her 2 weeks ago…she is a Fat Tail and about 1 year old. I am so upset within myself for leaving the feeding port door open! Anyway, its been 2 days missing now and I have looked everywhere..she got lost in the upstairs of my house so I am assuming she can’t climb down the stairs and is still up stairs..unfortunately there are 3 bedrooms and all the doors have gaps at the bottom so she could be in any room! Any ideas on how to locate her or coax her out of hiding? Thanks
Your best bet is to follow the advice in the article. Also, look in the corners and under furniture with a flashlight after dark. Good luck!
Hello I lost my precious frog eye gecko Teratoscincus roborowskii. I have it only from October 1, and it is Adult female. I tried to handle it to change something in its cage. It ran away, and then I tried to move everything in the room to find it. The room has a lot of tools and unwanted things, and so it is cluttered. I finally found it between to full plastic bags, I picked it up carefully because I feared it would lose scales, but then he made a crazy manouver with no warning, plopped down on the floor, and disappeared again. I then made another, smaller search, and I didn’t found it. Then tired and sweaty, I became disappointed. I will go to look for her sometime later, and then tomorrow. What should I do? Can she climb up the Relief wall? Fortunately there is no exit to the outside. I have also an old washing machine there, on Top of which is my bearded dragon cage, which is too difficult to move. How can i search below it? Will using a stick or piece of paper startle her out, provided she is hiding gthere which I dont believe? Should I make noise to startle her, should I remain calm? Will I hear her if I close all lights?
As I understand it, these are terrestrial, burrowing geckos, not arboreal geckos. In that case, how about if you put a shallow bowl of water as well as a container of burrowing substrate with a hide on top in the area that you lost it. Hopefully it will reappear in the substrate. Also, so some searching at night when they’re active in corners with a flashlight. Good luck.
I don’t know, I don’t believe that it will seek to burrow if it will find a good hiding spot. The good thing is that it didn’t climb anywhere. Yesterday night I foudn it twice, but it ran away. Today I found it under a BOX packed with wine bottles, it had squeesed under it because of an abnormality of the floor. I was too hurried to catch him, I didn’t wait, and he ran away before I noticed. When it runs away, it is like fluid, it disappears. I will go search again either today or tomorrow, probably today though. From my understanding, it is safe there, and he might have some stray insects to eat.
move some things around in that area so it’s not so easy for him to escape from you. Check out the article from August about a leopard gecko I found in my basement that had been on the loose for 2 years!
my leopard gecko got out about 3 days ago now, she is only 2 months old. The first day me and my dad figured out how she got out and then started looking from there. Finally found her in the vents because we heard her scratching but we cannot find a way to get her out of the vents. Day 2 we put some leaves and her hammock there so she could use that to grab onto to get herself out of the vent, instead she decided to poop all over her hammock and move to a different vent. I have search every single vent in my house and i can not seem to spot where she has moved to. I spent the whole of last night up to listen to where she could possible be, but there was no sounds none at all. She now has me worried after day 3 because there is still no sight or sound of her being anywhere. i have no idea what to do . 🙁
If I’m understanding this correctly, she is in your heating vents. She may have left the vents or possibly fallen through the ductwork into the heating system. The best thing you can do is to continue to follow the advice in this article and hope for the best. Good luck.
I left my leopard gecko out today on the table I was just playing with him. He jumped off the table and he was gone. I was distracted as I was cleaning his cage. I turned around and remembered I had left him on the table. Now, my leopard gecko’s name is piglet and he was a rescue from Petsmart. He is blind and very small because he was underfeed, as the Petsmart employees didn’t realize he was blind for quite some time, when he was young. His growth had been stunted. He has been doing great with me but as I said how stupid was I to leave him alone. Anyhow, I called the kids to help me search the house and they were really ready to tear the whole house apart.
After some time. I decided to take Halo out an put her on the table and to see which way she would go to give me an indication as to which way Piglet would go. Halo went to the fridge. But Halo is not blind so I put her back and decide to keep looking. I pulled the fridge out three times no piglet.
Finally, I decided to open the back of the fridge. I opened the back no gecko. I was really thinking where did that little guy go. Then out of the corner of my eye I spotted a tail and there he was inside the fridge.
It took me a few minutes but I eventually got him out.
So, please keep looking for them. The will not travel too far so close off rooms as you look and they will most often go to a warm spot that is dark. Fridge was my first guess. Imagine if I didn’t open the back of the fridge it would have taken a long time to find piglet.
What a sad story if we had lost him in the fridge a blind rescue he would have died in the fridge.
KEEP LOOKING AS IF YOU LOST YOUR FIRST BORN YOU OWE IT TO THE ANIMAL.
I lost My leopard gecko 2 days ago and have striped my house from top to bottom trying to find my leopard gecko what do i do
Hopefully you read the article you’re commenting on. There’s not much more to do besides keep a hide and water available and search for the gecko in a darkened room with a flashlight at night. Good luck.
Hello,
Sorry for the delay, but in the second day when searching for the teratoscincus I found it and caught it with some difficulty. The problem is now that she seems more reclusive and stressed. Only the two recent days she started becoming more active again. Temperatures might be the problem as well, because recently I noticed the heating to be inadequate due to falling fal temperatures, and changed the heat mat to reach the normal temperature. But this experience of escaping, chased and caught again set mine back. She doesn’t eat ravenously in front of Me as it is said for this species when adapted well.
Glad you found her! I think you’re right that the combination of dropping temperatures and stress have affected her behavior. Remember also that some geckos, even without the stress of being lost, change their behavior in winter, eat much less and are more reclusive.
ill try it
I just got a leopard gecko yesterday, after my last one died, on sunday, and we put him in a 30 gallon tank, went to check on him and no whare to be found. we think he is in a stone tree branch with a round whole in the bottom but he might be wedged but, can’t see inside the stone branch I can’t see anything anyway, but: smiles. so, I ordered a new leopard gecko from http://www.reptmart.com will be trashing that stupid stone tree! once I get him!
What are you going to do if and when the original gecko comes out?
Hey, I lost my boy L.E.D. for the first time since i got him between 4-5 years ago and i wanted to say thank you so much for these tips because though I have lost geckos before, L.E.D. in specific has never escaped so I didn’t have the slightest idea as to where he may have gone, and I recently discovered him under a wooden board fallen off of the trundle of my bed. These tips were very helpful and are what got me to find him anyway, and thank you Aliza for your added help through the replies you left! I would like to ask a question still on geckos, if anyone has an answer as to this i would appreciate help. L.E.D. has a scar on his nose form biting at the glass of his cage a lot. He is not underfed, has a medium-large sized tail, and is given a steady amount of water. I covered the front of his cage with my jacket since he only bites when he sees movement or anything of interest outside of the cage (which is actually how he escaped, climbing up the jacket hood that flopped inside of his terrarium and hung to the mat). Is this simply stubborn aggression or do you think he may be in need of more food than he is being given? He is a normal sized gecko, there is no need for pictures and he has only ever been underfed when he wouldn’t eat when he was sick two years ago. I ask if it is food related because I may sometimes feed him up to 20 superworms (usually what he eats until he is full) and then he will attack the glass and when I take him out all he is interested in is more food. So from anyone here’s knowledge, is this simple stubbornness, a constant need for food, or another possible reason? I appreciate any help and thank you all again for helping me find him. The scar (if this helps for whatever reason) goes along his face on the top of his nose and has caused pink discoloration. Thank you all!
I apologize, I left out some information.
1-He has shed since the scar showed up.
2-He has had it for around 3 months.
3-He is naturally orange and black, so the discoloration is from the scar.
4-He is not a biter outside of the cage, but will attack things inside.
Thank you again, and I apologize for some poor sentence structure and comma splices in my last comment, but once again any help is appreciated! Hope anyone else here finds their geckos using the information too, and remember don’t lose hope! They are your babies, do your very best to find them, and love on them as much as you can when you do!
I see the comments are moderated, if my comments derive from the main topic to much I apologize and I understand if they are removed. Sorry if they did derive, and thank you for reading this!
No problem, we’re not that strict here. Glad you found him. I find 20 super worms at a meal just amazing. I think you’re on the right track with putting some things on 3 sides of the tank so he doesn’t see outside or see his reflection. Maybe a background or something like that. I made my own by downloading and printing pictures of Pakistan/Afghanistan landscapes, mounting them on nice paper and laminating them. He does sound food obsessed, but he may become obese if he eats too much. If he’s eating huge amounts and not gaining weight, it wouldn’t hurt to make a vet appointment to see if he’s having some kind of thyroid or other metabolic problem. Good luck with him.
So I had my gecko and was holding onto it for dear life and next thing you know he jumps (he’s a baby) and right away crawls into speakers and that are not plugged in and for the past 8 hours has not come out. I saw him in there but he won’t leave.
Sorry that happened. Here are some suggestions:
Move the speaker into a small room like the bathroom that you can keep closed off and that doesn’t have more places the gecko can get into and hide.
If possible, take the speaker apart
If not possible, leave a hide and a bowl of mealworms near the speaker. Keep the room dark. Check with a flashlight at night and see if it’s come out to eat. They are very hardy. I had a hatchling escape in 2013 and found it as an adult gecko last summer (check that out here: http://geckotime.com/found/)
Last saturday i came home from work to find my mac snow leopard gecko was missing only issue is i work nine hours a day i brought a new 3D climbing wall i didnt think he would use it to escape my 40 gallon breeder tank just a couple of days i lost my beloved leopard gecko who pass away once i removed her and bury her he started acting different when i got him he was depressed from petsmart but i brought her they were roommates at petsmart and they were very close so im assuming hes looking for her it’s truly sad i miss my ome year old boy gecko i check everyday i used the tips i check my closet every room every shoe under everything and behind everything behind the water heater and fridge and dryer but mo luck i try findind hos droppings but no luck i have small dogs but there mostly outside im starting to get very worry i know he ate before he escaped can someone give me tips i need help please i try putting out hinds and food and water but i haven’t seen anything .
I’m so sorry this has happened to you. I think you’re doing about everything you can do. All you can really do is keep it up. I have found missing geckos after as much as 2 years (check this story: http://geckotime.com/found/). They are very hardy and can often live for quite awhile on escaped crickets and spiders. Look at night especially with a flashlight in the corners. Good luck.
My leopard gecko went missing three-four days ago, and we have not been able to find him. We have checked everywhere multiple times, but could he have crawled down a flight of steep stairs? He has escaped before, but found later the same day. We also tried setting the shoe box “trap”, and looking for him in the middle of the night. (About midnight-ish) Any advice???
The comment doesn’t appear until I approve it, which is why you probably felt you needed to post multiple times, but now I’ve approved it. There’s not much more you can do besides what you’re doing. Make food and a hiding place available, keep looking at night and hope for the best. I have lost some leopard geckos that were never found alive, but I also had one turn up in my downstairs neighbor’s build in linen drawer after about 3 weeks, one turn up in my basement after 2 years (!) and a micro gecko hatchling that got away turn up in the living room after 4 months. Don’t lose hope.
Thank you for the article, it has renewed my hope. I have lost my gecko twice before but it was in my bedroom before, which was only about 120 square feet. Both previous times I found him in under 24 hours. Now the terrarium is in the living room in a new home and all the bedroom doors were open as well, which gave him about 1,000 square feet to roam in about 12 hours before I noticed he was gone. It has been 3 days and I am very worried, and thought that maybe it’s been too long and that my chances of finding him delcline each day. Because of your article I will continue to look for him day in and day out. Thank you.
Good luck. Also check out the article “Found” where I describe finding a gecko that had been missing for 2 years!
Ii have lost my leopard gecko for about a week and dont know where she could be.. and i’ve tried all your suggestions.. but still no luck.. is there an suggestions
Keep providing shelter and keep looking. No guarantees. I found one of mine after 2 years!
My gecko jumped off my shoulder and was lost for almost 3 weeks. He’s 6months and I found him last night. His tail fell off when he was a baby but it looks like it’s deflated. He’s way darker then he was before and I gave him crickets and meal worms right away. How ever he hasn’t tried to eat any of them. He has energy enough to try to get away when I hold him in my hand but he’s not moving a lot in his cage. Please message me back asap
He’s dark colored because he’s cold and stressed. His tail looks deflated because he hasn’t had much to eat. He’s also stressed about being found, but it’s a good thing you found him. See if he’ll tolerate a short soak in about 1/2″ of water which should help to rehydrate him, especially if he’ll drink. You could crush up a mealworm or cricket and rub the guts on his nose to see if he’ll lick some off. Otherwise, keep him quiet, without handling him too much, keep offering food and hope that as he calms down from his “adventure” he’ll start eating again. If you’re really worried about him (after you’ve given him some time to relax and start eating on his own), you could consider a vet visit.
So I had a rather healthy female Leopard gecko and unfortunately she escaped.To be honest, I cried for 2 hours while looking for her. I set up hides and I put out a water dish for her. After a couple weeks I hadn’t gotten. He slightest clue that she could still even be alive. At that point, I had just about assumed she was dead. I still left water out for a slight chance of hope and I still didn’t remove the hides. I lost her during the summer, around July. It is now November and I looked at her water dish and found some poop on it. Now I don’t know what to do!
keep a hide near the water dish and put a bowl of mealworms out if you can. Keep watch there at night. They tend to poop in the same place, so you could likely find her. It wouldn’t hurt to keep a small dish of calcium with vitamin D3 there as well. Maybe you could dust the area with flour in case there are little gecko footprints! Check out the Gecko Time story called “Found” (check geckotime.com/archives) for the story of my gecko that was missing for 2 years!
Wow, two years! I have some hope now. I placed her hide nearby the water and sprinkled flour. Now all I need to do is wait until night. Thanks for responding.
Hi my sis gecko Iliad gone into a hole in corner of bathroom. Will he for sure come out ? I’ve placed his cage and food and water out. Should I keep lights on or off ??
Keep the lights out so the gecko feels comfortable in the night time. Put a humid hide near the place where he is because it will be easiest to catch him if he gets himself into the hide. Hopefully you’ll be able to catch him soon.
This article makes me worried because I just got a leopard gecko I have a Cage cover for it and nothing for it even crawl up with but did you have any of this or did you allow them to run freely. I wouldn’t worry but I have a crab in another tank and dogs that would gladly like a snack but I do not want to have a gecko snack thanks.
I did have a gecko escape once when the cage cover was left open a bit. I don’t know how she managed it. Your best bet is just to keep the cage covered (leopard geckos don’t do well running free) and then you won’t have any problems.
My crested gecko got out about a month ago. Part of the habitat he was in was left open and he got out. I haven’t been around to look for him and I don’t think my mom tried putting out water. He’s also only about 3-4 months old by my guess. Still too small to actually gender yet. I’ve been reading and looking behind things, I’m leaving out water tonight. I just wonder if you think that one as young as mine after so long would still be findable. I know you mention one being found after 2 years. Should I keep looking?
It never hurts to keep looking. Yes, my leopard gecko was found 2 years later after escaping as a hatchling. I also lost a hatchling SW banded gecko that was only 1″ long (they’re only about 3-4″ as adults) and found her after 4 months. When looking for it, look up on the wall as well as down on the floor because it’s an arboreal gecko. One of my cresties got out a few months ago and I did find her on the floor a week later.
My Gecko just went missing about a day ago.
I don’t understand how he could have gotten out though as he cant climb, and all I have are two little hiding caves. Any idea how he could have gotten out?
And I’ve looked everywhere I could, but I still can’t find him 🙁
The first gecko I ever owned managed to escape from a 20 gallon tank where the cover was open about an inch. She also could not climb and to this day I don’t know how she got out. It happens. Maybe they have some super powers when we aren’t looking! I’ve had other geckos missing anywhere from 1 day to 2 years and found them. There are others I haven’t found. Follow the suggestions in the article, look after dark and don’t give up. Good luck.
Help I lost a wild geck I brought in to show my mom and it jumped out of my hands and I can’t find it HELP
Wild geckos (even more than other geckos) are “programmed” to escape from predators, and that’s how they perceive you. If the gecko you brought in is arboreal (usually hangs out on trees or walls), look up and maybe you’ll find it. If not, look under things. You may or may not find it, and it may exit your house on its own. Good luck.
Thank you it worked your awesome I am a scientist in mammals so I am surprised I didn’t think of this
What kind of gecko was it (I’m betting on house gecko) and where are you located?
So my crested gecko took a 3 day vacation somewhere in the house i used the same method i used to catch wild ones when i was in florida if you take a water bottle and cut the top 1/4 of it off and flip it into the inside of the containor so that the mouth piece in inside it makes a great trap that the gecko wont get hurt in just but critckets or meal worms whatever your gecko likes most in it for larger geckos you may need a larger mouth peice but i will work i hope this helps it stinks to loose a friend good luck
Ours has just turned up tonight after 9 months in the bathroom. Escaped behind the toilet. Lost forever. Bought another as son upset. Can’t believe it! Apart from being paler in colour his tail is fat and he’s ok! Not a clue how he’s survived. Now scared to overfeed him etc in case I make him ill.
Congratulations! I’ll bet there have been fewer loose crickets and spiders in your house during the past 9 months.
Our gecko has just turned up last night! 8 months after he disappeared into a hole behind the toilet. He looks well- plenty of meat on him … but a bit pale. We’ve made a makeshift home as his other has been taken over by his replacement- oops!! Presumably it’d be a bad idea to put them together. Any advice on careful care for next few days? Don’t want to bombard him with food / heat in case it makes him ill – what should I do!!!
Hi. I lost my lizard about 10 months ago and I just found him next to me at 11:30 at night. Yes, I did give up all hope.My mom never did. I love her for it. At first, I actually thought someone in the neighborhood lost a leopard gecko. I grabbed my camera with a video of me playing with her and realized it was… Don’t do what I did. NEVER give up. Try as hard as you can and hope. You WILL find your lizard. Have a great day.
-Sara S.
I literally brought our Crested Gecko “Get-one” home last night around 6 PM and when I was leaving for work at 6 AM it was gone! I think it escaped from a tiny whole in the cage! It is STILL a hatching. I’m afraid it hopped into the rabbit cage for warmth and the rabbit might have ate it! My DD says rabbits are vegetarian. I’m still afraid that it was eaten…
1) Could it have been eaten, do you think?
2) Do you think it knows not to try to keep warm in a rabbit pen?
I’m going to try your recommendations here… I’m worried that I don’t know what will attract him since he was only with us a few hours. I’mthinking of damp towels around the shoe boxes, flour around the boxes, and filling the six food trays in each corner of the living room.
We have a very open floor plan on the first floor.
3) Do the hatchlings go up and down stairs very easily?
I’m hoping to find him soon. He’s a hatching from the fall. I think the lady said that it was “hatched” in November.
I look forward to your response before the end of the night. I’m a school bus driver and don’t think I’m going to be able to sleep tonight! I need rest. I couldn’t focus all morning while I was driving. Totally unsafe.
I’m so sad and mad at myself for not sealing that 2-3 cm hole that he couldn’t possibly squeeze out of… But DID!
I’m sorry you’re having to go through this, and I hope you can find him. Don’t worry about him being too cold –room temperature is fine for him. I doubt the rabbit ate him. Check at night. Check along the walls and be sure to look up as well as down to find him since he may climb. They can get out through very small holes, as you can see. Good luck.
You will not believe that hours after I sent you the below email, my Son was downstairs playing and watching TV at around 12:15 AM. He had all the lights on as well. And Get-go walks right on out from some boxes in the corner. He hops a little towards my Son. My Son runs up the stairs to wake me up that he found Get-go. I couldn’t believe it, until I saw it, and it didn’t resist us as we guided it into the container we brought him home in. I set up a smaller critter keeper until I get a 20 gallon one with a proper covering!
Get-go didn’t look dehydrated at all which led me to believe that my water bottle contraption worked in keeping him hydrated the past 6 days! He was drinking and eating right away when I put him in the critter keeper! Thanks for giving me hope!
{Get-go is Still not found. I decided to not go away for the weekend hoping to find him. We don’t have curtains. We just have blinds. I play cricket music every night and have water dripping out of a bottle that I put a hole in the cap. I’m hoping that as I, myself, fall asleep to the cricket music he’s getting his nourishment and needed water.}
Congratulations! I have also had some amazing gecko “finds”.
All of these stories are give me some hope, thank you!!
My almost 3 year old Leachie Gecko, escaped Friday night. o.O Has been one of the worst weeks for my Wife and I. We have turned the house upside down, emptied closets,looked on top of every exposed bit of furniture, on top of blinds, even bought an endoscope to look places we can not get to without risking injuring her if she was there, and placed 12+ treat dishes throughout the house and also using a night camera on time-laps looking for movement. All with no luck at all.
I will keep holding out hope and encouraging.
Any ideas you have are greatly appreciated.
Good luck. I’ve found geckos missing anywhere from 24 hours to 2 years!
I found her!! My Leachie (who is ironically nicknamed Pickle) was found, of all places in a box of PICKLES!! She was at ground level in the bottom box in the corner of the pantry, very strange place for a Leachie. She was so excited to be found that once I got close to her tank she started to try and jump back in! A bit dehydrated and very scared but she is alive and home. My wife and I probably sat crying for a good 20 min after finding her.
Thank you for rekindling my hope, and I hope this helps someone else some day. When you have checked every high place for your high climbing gecko its time to look down. 😀
~Shawn
Great news! I guess it’s lucky you didn’t name her Ice.
Our leopard ghecko escaped a few days ago and she’s now under the fridge. We’ve tried enticing her out with mealworms and crickets, but she won’t come out into the open for us to catch her. Any tips, apart from extreme patience?! Thanks.
do your best to block off the area around the fridge so she doesn’t get away again and then slowly move the fridge out of its area. Be prepared to grab her.
Thanks, I’ll give it a go. Was too nervous to move it out, hoping she’d come out at night, but she’s just staying out.
Look everywhere you don’t think they are! My crested gecko escaped a week ago and I just found him in the basement bathroom. There is hope to find your lost pets who got out in your home. Good luck everyone! Thanks for all the advice too.
I lost my leopard gecko about 4 days ago, baby Bella. Apparently I didn’t latch the door right so when I was at school she managed to push it open and fall out with her partner in crime Khronos who I found in their roach bin. But I can’t find Bella! I tore apart my whole room and I’m scared one of my mom’s dogs (she has 4) turned her into a snack. I’m honestly terrified because of your stories of geckos showing up months later but what if she comes out and I’m not the one find her? Not even emmi can find her (my cat) she’s the one who was meowing at the roach bin because their was scratching from Krow trying to claw her way out (at least that’s what I’m guessing) i don’t know what to do in honestly terrified about what could’ve happened to her
My only suggestion is to follow the recommendations of the article and hope for the best. I have 2 cats and have found many geckos despite that. I hope to have an article coming out soon about great gecko finds.
I actually just found her 2 minutes ago! She was at the bottom of a box that had a small tear in the corner, I guess she slipped in there and was hiding. I cried I was so happy
Lost leopard gecko. I lost her sometime through the night and don’t know where to look or how to set traps. We recently got a puppy and have been putting a lot of attention on it. I don’t know if she could’ve felt neglected and ran away or if that’s even possible. Otherwise I don’t even know how she got out.
Sometimes they get out in unimaginable ways. Read the article again and follow the suggestions. Many people have successfully found their leopard geckos this way.
I lost my baby Mediterranean house gecko in my house and I put down wet paper towel cause he likes that, wish me luck cause my moms gonna flip.
Wow thanks this totally worked
My geko got lost a few hours later we found him near the fridge when we got him he bit me and ran under the fridge what do I do he is a fat tail geko
Keep an eye out for him. He’ll come out again. Throw a towel over him so you don’t get bitten.
Lost my leopard gecko over 2 weeks ago due to my own mistake- if you’re not careful, his tank doesn’t latch that well and one night I guess I wasn’t careful enough and he made it out (presumably in the night as I slept- I was holding him before bed). It was well into the day before I noticed his tank was open, and that he had made it out into the house some where. We have cats, so usually every room in the house is left open- so he could literally travel anywhere except for our basement, which does remained closed. We’ve turned my bedroom inside out looking for him a dozen times, to no avail. The rest of the house has been searched as well, we even set up little “traps” in hopes of finding him (water stations with flour sprinkled around it). We heard playing cricket noises may draw him out of he’s hungry, and we’ve left his cricket box out beside one of his hides incase they manage to draw him out. We’ve set his tank on the floor incase he crawls back inside on his own… but we’re honestly at a loss on what else to do. Nothing we’ve done has given us a clue of his presence or where he might be… no poop, no tracks through flour or evidence he’s been drinking, from what we can tell he hasn’t used any of the hides…
Is it likely that he would go down a whole flight of stairs (the room his tank is in is on the top floor)? And could he squeeze under a door and make it into the basement? (He’s full grown and was a healthy weight before he escaped) And what about air vents on the ground? I can hardly stick a finger through it, so I’m hoping he wouldn’t have made it into one of those.
One thing to note is that I’m very confident my cats would not harm him, and we do not have any other pets that could do anything to hurt him.
There’s nothing more you can really do except to keep the interventions going and hope for the best. I’m planning to write and publish an article here soon about some incredible lost gecko finds I have experienced. You can also check out the article on this site titled “Found” which describes my finding a leopard gecko that escaped as a hatchling after 2 years.
The tactic I used to find my crested gecko was to leave the lights low and wait until late at night, around 1 AM when I knew he was usually active. Then I walked around quietly, listening, and looking. Within minutes I found him on the kitchen floor near the fridge. I presume he was camped out under there for the day because he darted under as soon as I tried to grab him. I had to pull it out and chase him out from behind the compressor. He’s safely back in his now-secure home.
No matter what I do I cannot find my tokay gecko I have tried everything any other tips please
Since your tokay gecko is arboreal, look up. There is a chance that you’ll find it eventually towards the ceiling. I once lost a much smaller electric blue day gecko and found it after about a week just handing out on the wall. There is always the chance that it’s gotten out, or wedged itself in some place that it can’t get out of. You could try hanging some kind of fake plant high up on the wall and maybe it will decide to hide in it.
Mine came back 9 months later …….
I lost my leopard gecko and i’ve been having some trouble finding him. He has been lost for two days now and I need some tips.
I hope you’ve been able to read the article, which I think gives extensive tips. The only other thing I can tell you is that I’ve had a gecko missing for as long as 2 years, so don’t give up!
Hey my golden Gecko got out, and I have an idea of where he is but I can’t get him out. I left meal worms out and a dish of water. I have a cat and she found him once but I smacked her out of the way but he took off and he is in the most impossible place to reach. I keep going back to check on him but he won’t come out.
Okay, I just lost my gecko and I searched for her. In fact, she’s a 3 month old baby so I’m naturally panicking on the insides but this article helps me relax and laugh a little.
I thoughtlessly left cage door unlocked on Phelsuma Guimbeaui enclosure,the male stayed in situ but the female took off,after an hour of searching i saw her above a window(luckily closed!) she then hid in the mounting bar of the blinds above the window and when i attempted to capture her,she jumped onto a large(and expensive )recliner chair and disappeared inside ,where their are myriad places to hide or get trapped,this necessitated dismantling the chair! Halfway through this extensive operation i saw her perched on a lampshade next to the chair,she leaped off the lamp shade and ran across the floor and i threw a bath towel over her and scooped her up safetly and returned her to her enclosure.All of this drama due to a moments negligence…
Been there done that!
My daughter got a gecko for Christmas this year. It jumped off of her and ran under a piece of furniture. When we moved the furniture, we saw the gecko crawling into the corner where two walls met – he (leopard gecko) escaped into that corner in a small gap between the carpet and the floor board. Behind the walls it is cold, so I’ve got to believe he is looking for warmth. I have put his aquarium on it’s side, his aquarium warmer is on its side and just outside the corner he went into, put his rock condo down in the same area, caged in the area as best as I could, and I’ve got an app going on an ipad playing cricket noises next to his cricket holder. I loaded a night-vision app on my daughter’s phone and she is watching the hole and sobbing. Very sad. I don’t believe there is anything else we can do, but I would love any input.
I’m sorry you’re going through this. I think you’ve gone way above the call of duty! Remember that he’s more likely to come out at night, and you can let her know that if it will make her feel better. It may take awhile –I’ve had geckos missing anywhere from 1 day to 2 years! Later at night, try turning off the lights and looking through the entire room with a flashlight. Good luck!
Hey I just walked upstairs to my room to find my geckos door open and him no where to be found idk how long the door was open and I have 2 cats and honestly hes my love and joy and idc what to do I’m scared
Hopefully you read the article about finding an escaped gecko. If not, please do. Close the door to your room and keep the cats out. Use the information in the article to look for your gecko. I have 2 cats and have had numerous geckos escape and get found. Often they turn up under the fridge because it’s warm. Pay attention to any place that your cats are paying a lot of attention to. The last 2 times I located a missing leopard gecko were because the cats were looking really hard in a particular place and there she was!
My mom left my tank lid opened to give him water and never closed all the way. i dont know if he went out of my room since i didnt know until today evening. i think he escaped yesterday not sure when. i laid out containers around my room but not sure if he is in there at all?? any help tips or anything? could he climb on my high up bed? can he climb on my furniture? could he be wondering around my others room, just to say we have a huge house and steps could he go down there?
You don’t say what kind of gecko it is. If it’s a leopard gecko, it’s highly unlikely that he would climb up anything. I just found two of my geckos that escaped, one after a day and the other after a week. Keep looking, especially in the evening. Keep the containers out. Look all around the house just in case. Be patient!
yes its a leopard gecko, but good news i found him yesterday night. i was laying on my bed and he got up on my bed and found me. so he is fine and back in his tank.
That’s great! I’ve generally had good luck with a variety of escaped geckos. I’m glad you found him.
My son left his tank lid off of his Created Gecko enclosure. We’ve looked under fridge and other warm spots, will crested’s go high or stay low?
They tend to go high because they’re arboreal, but no guarantees. I’ve found escaped crested at all different levels. It is often possible to find them. Don’t give up!
My cat is a demon….
2weeks after a get my baby leo gecko she.broke the glass and get him out. She eats the worms. I find him after 5 hours is the room next door. My male cat hear him and he scream.
After another week a put the terrarium in another room that is closing door. I friend is maken me a place for the terrarium. But yesterday the door didnt close and my female cat get In. I dont know where is my gecko now. Im searching in the night. Thinking of start moving the furniture. My cats also dont find him. Belive he is too afraid to.go out.
I’m sorry to hear you’re having so much trouble. This happened long ago with my cat and a captive mouse. The result was that we couldn’t keep mice. Keep looking. I hope you find your gecko.
I lost my leopard gecko for now 24 hours and I can’t find her anywhere I have been looking everywhere! I just don’t know what to do any tips? I have been crying and looking all day
Hopefully you have read the article you’re commenting on because it’s full of tips. Keep looking, especially at night, which is when the gecko will be moving around. You’d be surprised how long they can be OK when they’re lost. I had one I found after 2 years!
It’s also helpful for non-arboreal geckos to lay some flour on the floor near perimeter of the wall.
I lost my leopard gecko 2 days ago and still no sign of him. He is my pride and joy and I love him so much I’ve been bawling my eyes out. I set up multiple hides and cricket clear small containers as well as mealworms and wax worms. I have searched all over my house but his terrarium was kept in my room. I even have a motion sensor activated camera set up. I’m really scared I will never find him again. I have searched everywhere and I’m so sad and scared. What are the chances I will find him and will I have a chance?
I found a gecko after 2 years! I have found many geckos after anywhere from a day to several weeks. Keep lookpng. Check under the fridge; that’s a favorite hiding place. Look around your place for poop since they tend to poop in one place. I hope everything works out OK. Let us know when you find him.
Just got a female gecko yesterday and she jumped out of my hand and on to the ground she went behind my dresser then behind my wall!!!! What do I do?! She is a line bred snow pos het eclipse.. so far I have a little bottle I made into a trap I guess you can call it, with the bedding from the tank she was in inside the bottle with meal worms in a small dish in front of the bottle..
That’s about what you can do. At night, use a flashlight to see if you can spot her coming out. Chances are good that you can catch her.
Hi It’s Mia here again! I posted on the forum about 2 1/2 months ago after i lost my gecko. We just found him last night. He managed to make it down three flights of stairs and outside to our garage and under a concrete slab. After 3 days and 2 hours of persuasion we got him out successfully! He is chubby and healthy and happy to be back! I say never lose hope and just know that you can find your gecko no matter what. Letting crickets lost into a controlled area and waiting.
i found one of mine behind my dresser, yall ever bruh moment when you fall asleep with the lid still off your geckos terrariums? cuz i do
Dear HJ, Thank you so much for the helpful information and encouragement. It was just what we needed as we faced the prospect of a night in the car with the heat lamp trained on the floor hoping that she would emerge. She did, from behind the glove box. It was an accidental transport escape. Whew!
I realize this is an older post but I just lost my gecko. I’m seeing here alot of Leo & cresties owners. Mine is a cave gecko. Do these tips still apply? I kno they like it on the cooler side but I’m hoping to find him in a warmer spot as most of my house stays the same temperature. I found a poop outside my reptile room so I know hes made it outside of his room. Fingers crossed.
It’s harder to find the rarer geckos sometimes. The most important thing is to follow the leo hints if you’ve lost a terrestrial gecko and the crestie hints if you’ve lost an arboreal gecko. I’ve had some amazing finds. Last month my electric blue day gecko and my leachie escaped the same weekend. The electric blue teased me for 2 days on the shelf near his cage until I got him to hit the ground and then I grabbed him. The leachie actually returned to her cage on her own! Good luck.
I got a leopard gecko today and i went to check up on it, but couldn’t find it anywhere. The whole enclosure was locked and i looked at all hides and such even the dirt and still couldn’t find it,,,, im so worried!! :”(
Sometimes there are tiny spaces inside the hide or some other piece of furniture that the gecko can cram into. I lost my first gecko who somehow managed to get to the top of a 20 gallon tank that was open about 2″. Keep checking the enclosure and also put a hide and a water bowl on the floor nearby and hopefully you will find it. Good luck!
Thank you for the helpful article. I just had a clutch of Giant Day Geckos hatch and one of my hatchlings decided to become speed and yeet it self out of the deli dish that i was closing so I could transfer it and then scurried into my baseboard vents. currently playing the waiting game since i was able to corner them it one section of the vent with papertowels. currently have a deli cup with a hole for it to fit and a mealworm inside.
Good luck!
i cant find my mediterranean gecko i’ve tried my room and the rest of my house and still can’t find her shes pretty big and she jumped off me and into the floor please give me advice on
how to find her
I’m assuming she’s an arboreal gecko, so look up! If she’s nocturnal, look in the evenings. My leachie gecko has escaped a number of times (because I forgot to close the cage). It has taken up to a week to locate her. I’ve searched the whole area at night with a flashlight and found nothing only to find her sitting on something a few days later. The last time she got out, I actually found her back in her cage! I’ve had 2 day geckos escape and they didn’t go very far from their enclosures. So keep looking for her near her cage and don’t give up.
UPDATE!!! So I lost my gecko on 8-10-2019!! And about 2 months she decided to come back! Lol.. for anyone has lost one.. DONT GIVE UP!! it’s been almost one year since I lost her and she managed to survive!!
Nocturnal leopard gecko. A friend of mine is really panicking that her baby leopard gecko that’s probably only a week old has escaped through the night with any knowing. I’ve read the tips and will keep following them. Any extra ideas and tips of behaviour with him being so young,
I think the tips probably cover most of the possibilities. The only thing I can offer is 2 more Gecko Time articles that should give your friend some hope:
http://geckotime.com/escaped-geckos-impressive-finds/
http://geckotime.com/found/
We were looking for our gecko for three days. There was a small gap between the door and terrarium wall so we assemed he went missing. We looked everywhere in the hose, whole place turned upside down and when we almost lost hope we found him back in the terra. He came back, or so we thought…The next morning he’s gone again. But this time we looked inside. We took out all of the sand. And he was there, sitting under the sand, close to the wall. So, first: check the terrarium thoroughly!
Thanks for sharing your story. At the moment I am pursuing my electric blue day gecko around the piece of furniture where his cage is and hoping he’ll go back in by himself.
Just lost my daughter’s Leo last night. We’ve been searching all morning checked her room, my room etc. We’ve looked under everything still can’t find him or her. Please help us. My daughter and I have lost hope. Please help!!
I hope you’ve read the “find an escaped gecko” article. All I can tell you is to follow what the article says, be patient and keep trying. I found one of my geckos who had escaped 2 years before (you can check it out here: https://geckotime.com/found/). Here’s another article to keep your spirits up: https://geckotime.com/great-gecko-escapes/, and if it makes you feel any better, after 2 weeks of chasing my small blue day gecko around the house, he actually went back into his cage tonight by himself! Good luck!
Thank you for this article!! My leopard gecko (4 months old) escaped under my dishwasher this morning. I watched him crawl under but by the time I got a better look, he was gone. There’s a teeny tiny little opening back there that leads back behind the cabinets. Do you reckon he coulda squeezed himself back there? It’s a really narrow opening even for a juvenile but I wanna cover all the bases just in case.
It’s amazing where they can end up and very possible he squeezed himself into that opening. Follow the suggestions in the article and he may very well come out to eat or drink what you’ve provided.
Aliza
As my gecko went missing a few days ago, I looked on a lot of websites to try and help me find him. I checked mostly everywhere I thought that he would be. I left my school bag at the bottom of my bed and as I was shaking my blanket trying to find him he must of slipped in. For 4 days I was looking for him and this morning as I was going to get my school shoes out of my school bag he was sat in my shoe. The feeling of joy that rushed through my body is a feeling I can not explain. I’ve let him settle in while I was at school and I came home and fed him. Honestly check anywhere you can if you have lost your leopard gecko. They will be in the place you least expect.
Glad you found him! What a story
I lost my crestie who is about 4 months old and it’s been 5 days now I’ve barely had sleep looking everywhere and I live in an unfinished basement so I’m terrified he got into the insulation. But I took all the insulation out around where he could have gone…put a big extra hexagon tank with food/water/plants/hides/cork bark in it on the right side of the tank and a big fake tree on the left side along with 2 x 4’s so he can climb down toward water, food & shelter. I haven’t stopped looking and I have tried playing crestie noises but right now I am sitting in the dark with just my lap top light on and cricket noises playing on an extra phone I have. I’m heartbroken I don’t know what else I can do to lure him out! Should I be worried about him going towards insulation and will cricket noises help lure my baby? =( =\