Aliza
For new gecko owners, the first few weeks can be an anxiety-filled time. Without the knowledge base that comes with reptile experience, it can be difficult to know whether or not the gecko is thriving and whether the new keeper is using correct husbandry. In addition, many new gecko owners come from a background of caring for mammalian pets and are more familiar with a pet that needs to eat several times a day and moves around often. Since most new gecko owners seem to be caring for leopard geckos, this article addresses some of the questions and concerns that new leopard gecko owners have voiced frequently in reptile forums. Be aware that this is no substitute for a good caresheet and the advice of experienced keepers about your specific situation. Also, be aware that different keepers do things in different ways so there will not be universal agreement about every detail of what follows:
Situation Normal
Trying to climb up the glass
Why? Most animals, leopard geckos included, test the limits of their new environment for a few days or weeks. When keeping leopard geckos in glass aquariums or bins, seeing them trying to climb up the glass may be an example of this testing. This behavior is fairly normal and once your gecko becomes accustomed to its new home it should stop. It also could indicate that something in your gecko’s environment is less than ideal. If you are keeping more than one leopard gecko in the same cage and only one is climbing it may be trying to escape the territory of a more dominant cagemate or from an over-zealous member of the opposite sex.
What should I do? If you see your gecko doing this it is a good idea to check that your floor and/or air temperatures are not too hot and that your gecko has a warm and cool hide that allows them to hide completely from the light and feel safe. It also may be a good idea to shut off any bright lights over or near the cage or even cover the back and sides of the cage to block light from coming in from all angles and help your leo feel more secure. If you are keeping more than one gecko together and only one gecko is exhibiting this behavior it may be best to separate them. If the behavior decreases or disappears when they are separated it is likely this was the cause and it may be the best idea to keep them in separate enclosures.
Staying in its hide all the time
Why? There could be a few reasons for this. If you have just gotten your gecko it could be nervous or stressed out by its new environment and reluctant to come out if it has found a hiding spot that makes it feel safe. The behavior could also be completely normal. Leopard geckos that are happy and well fed tend to be lazy and sleep most of the time. The main motivation for a leo to be out and about is hunger. The older they are the less they need to eat to maintain a healthy weight and so they usually become less active.
What should I do? If you have had your gecko for less than two weeks, give it some time to adjust. Try to handle or disturb it as little as possible and feed it by counting 10 mealworms into an escape proof bowl and recounting them once per day to see if the gecko is eating when you are not watching. If you have bright lights over or near your gecko’s enclosure this could be making it uncomfortable or, if they are bright enough, be physically painful for your gecko (especially albinos). It may be a good idea to shut off any lights that are directly shining on the enclosure and/or cover the sides and back of the enclosure to block light from coming in from all directions. If your gecko is under 20g it should begin to eat within 10 days. If it does not it may be time to seek expert help. If your gecko is a healthy adult it may not eat for longer. I would weigh it once every week or two and start to worry if you see loose stool or if it loses more than 10-20% of its body weight (depending on how chunky it was to begin with).
Won’t go into its hide
Why? Some geckos prefer to be out in the open. Some will pick a particular location where they like to hang out and spend weeks or months there and then switch to another location. In some cases the hide isn’t comfortable because of the temperature.
What should I do? Check the floor inside the humid hide with a digital thermometer with a probe to make sure it’s not too hot (it shouldn’t be higher than about 92F). If it is, you’ll have to get a thermostat or dimmer to better control the heat. If the temperature inside the hide is acceptable, just let your gecko hang out where it’s comfortable.
I never see it drinking, shedding
Why? Geckos are nocturnal and unless you are nocturnal and spend the whole night staring at your gecko, you’re bound to miss something. If you see white droppings, those are urates which means the gecko is drinking. You may see bits of leftover shed on the gecko or the floor of the enclosure.
Not eating
Why? Based on the leopard gecko forums I’ve visited, most worries about new leopard geckos (and not so new ones) center around geckos who aren’t eating. Gecko Time has an article about geckos not eating as well as a sequel to that article. In general, many geckos stop eating in a new environment for anywhere from 1 day to several weeks. Male geckos interested in breeding, female geckos ovulating and geckos who are not getting enough heat also will reduce or stop their intake.
What should I do? Keep offering food. Check with the person or place you got your gecko from to see what it’s used to eating. Offer a variety of different feeders if possible. Try not to worry. If the gecko is visibly losing weight, contact a reptile vet.
Trying to catch the feeder and missing
Why? Some geckos are lousy hunters. Some, especially albinos, have difficulty with bright lights which can affect their vision. Personal experience also tells me that some geckos are lazy and make half hearted strikes at the prey without really trying. Some may not be that hungry. Some may have vision impairments, but this isn’t common.
What should I do? There are a number of suggestions in the feeding articles mentioned above.
Screaming every time I go near it
Why? This is usually something that happens with juvenile geckos. Hatchlings and young juveniles have a number of behaviors designed to protect themselves and scare off potential predators. The most common behavior is lifting themselves high up on their legs, possibly to seem bigger, and screaming. It works very well to startle humans and probably works to an extent on predators as well.
What should I do? Be patient and wait for your gecko to outgrow it. Try not to make sudden moves around your gecko or to corner or trap it.
Sleeping with its limbs in a funny position
This is normal for leopard geckos. Many of them sleep with their limbs pointing backwards towards their tails. Some fall asleep leaning against the side of the tank, or with the head on the hide.
What should I do? Enjoy the view and take some nice pictures.
Licking its bottom
Why? Male geckos lick their bottoms after mating to “clean the equipment”. All geckos periodically lick their bottoms, most likely if they have an itch or detect some substance there.
What should I do? Don’t worry about it unless you see it happening constantly, or if there’s a cut, swelling or redness there. In that case, a visit to a reptile vet is essential.
Throwing up
Why? Many leopard geckos, especially juveniles, may eat too much or may eat a feeder that’s too big. The result is regurgitation. Most of them learn quickly how to pace themselves a bit better. Constant regurgitation, especially of shed skin accompanied by significant weight loss requires a visit to the vet.
What should I do? Clean up the mess and wait for them to figure it out. If you observe the symptoms described above, make a vet appointment.
Retaining pieces of shed on its toes, eyes or body
This is a common problem. It may be due to the gecko not having a humid area to assist with shedding (or refusing to use it). Some geckos who are stressed or ill may not shed well. There is some information that suggests that shedding problems can be a sign of vitamin A deficiency. And some geckos just seem to have difficulty shedding in certain areas for unknown reasons.
What should I do? Make sure the gecko has a humid hide. Give the gecko 1-2 days to finish shedding on its own. If there is still shed sticking to the body, gently peel it off. For shed stuck on toes, it often helps to soak the gecko in about 1/2″ of warm water for a minute or two and then pull off the shed using the fingernails of your thumb and forefinger.
Has air sacs under its front legs
This has been a source of great debate, especially on one of the gecko forums. It may be a sign of over supplementation, too much protein in the diet, getting into shape for breeding, being overweight. No one knows for sure and there hasn’t been enough reliable research done to answer the question.
What should I do? If your gecko seems to be overweight, cut down on the amount of food you’re providing. If you have supplements like calcium in the cage remove them and dust the feeders instead. There is not complete agreement about whether this is a problem or not, so until there’s more data, you could just do nothing and let it be.
Situation Not Normal
Below are a few situations that are due to illness or disease. In most cases, the proper thing to do is to make an appointment with a reptile vet.
Has sores
Small scrapes and cuts can be treated by making sure they’re clean, making sure the gecko is on a non-particle substrate, and watching for signs of infection or poor healing. If there is increasing redness or other signs of infection, it’s vet time.
Vomiting all the time
It’s crucial to take any gecko that vomits constantly to the vet and to ask the vet to test for cryptosporidiosis, a highly contagious and ultimately fatal disease. Any gecko showing this symptom should be quarantined from other reptiles.
Crawling on its belly and dragging its legs
This is a sign of metabolic bone disease (MBD), caused when the gecko doesn’t get enough calcium and vitamin D3 to metabolize the calcium. Once again, a vet visit is in order to confirm the diagnosis and possibly for the gecko to get a calcium injection. The type and schedule of supplementation will have to be reviewed and modified if necessary.
Losing weight and has a pencil thin tail
Vet time again! Also quarantine time. Be sure not to buy any gecko that shows these symptoms. Some people feel they are “rescuing” the gecko, but what they are actually doing is greatly increasing the chances of introducing a serious disease into their reptile household.
Sharing a cage with another gecko and is all scratched up
The gecko that’s scratched up is being bullied by the cagemate, intimidated and probably prevented from eating. Separate your geckos!
Bitten by a cagemate
One gecko may bite another because of overaggressive mating, gender incompatibility (i.e. 2 males), inability to tolerate group housing or a single, unusual incident. Because of the variety of reasons for geckos biting each other, many people prefer to house their geckos individually. If you choose to house geckos in groups, you will have to make a decision about what has happened and why it did.
What should I do? If you’re not sure, separate the geckos, the safest move. Otherwise, make sure you don’t have 2 males together, observe closely for signs of bullying (see above), separate a male that is too aggressive with breeding. Treat the bite as described above.
We have covered a wide variety of behaviors that worry new gecko keepers. If you have a concern about a behavior that we haven’t covered, feel free to post it in the comments section and we’ll try to reply.
[ed. note: responses to the first 2 questions above were provided by Lisa Brooks]
Great article! Very helpful to me as a new leo owner and new reptile owner in general. I found a lot of this reassuring as my new leo seems to be settling in well, based on the information points here. 🙂
Very nice informative article for the beginner. Well done, Aliza! I’m sure we will be referring many a new leopard owner to this page in the future.
Thank you Aliza for a very informative article which I am sure many new Leo owners will find very helpful in answering many of their questions that come up from time to time, as well as avoiding problems that might otherwise come up.
Hello,
Just wanted to kindly give some feedback on 2 statements above.
Trying to climb the glass due to bright light…On the contrary, they will hide if it’s too bright.
Licking it’s bottom……. Unless you’re having regular fecal exams, this can be a symptom of Pinworms that can cause rectal itching. The count may be high and require medication. So it’s important to have fecals no less than once a year. Twice a year preferred.
Thanks
Thanks for the helpful comment
Very, very helpful! My Biology teacher had a couple of Leopard Geckos in her class room, and they were the sweetest little lizards I have ever seen! Ever since I’ve wanted some type of Gecko, although, me never actually being around a reptile, I’m still not sure on which type of Gecko I should have, being a first timer at all this. All the Geckos I have seen online are extremely beautiful, but I might get some type of Leopard Gecko, since they seem so easy to care for.. Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this article, since it’s helping me prepare to be a Gecko parent ^.^
This really helped me as my gecko has an unusual red lump on itsbhead and it has been there for a while I. Am going to take my gecko to the vet!
Glad this was helpful. I hope everything works out for your gecko
i was wondering if i had to clean the bites from a tank mate? if so how.
As long as the gecko is on a substrate that has no particles and has been separated from the tank mate, there’s nothing else you need to do (except if there is a particle substrate and the bites have dirt or sand in them, in which case, sponge them out gently).
I have a 3 year old gecko who is the sweetest little guy ever. I’ve been trying to find an answer all night so I hope maybe one of you can help me! He has always been healthy and I have never had any problems while caring for him until now. I went away for the first time in a while, and had my boyfriend watch him at our house. I’ve always been the one to take care of him, so I had to explain in detail how much my bf was to feed him and change his water. He went out and bought large crickets instead of small ones, and put meal worms directly in the cage (I usually feed him those with tongs).. I came back three nights ago and my gecko was shedding, I assisted him and peeled some off his head which was hanging (came off with ease).. I cleaned out his cage and the next day he seemed different. I know sometimes when he sheds he isn’t hungry but he’s acting strange. His head is raised as if he’s looking to the ceiling and his eyes arent open all the way. He looks tired and he really hasnt moved since I got back. He looks sick and the exotic vet isn’t open tomorrow, so I am going to call ASAP Monday morning but I am really really concerned and scared for him! Has anyone experienced or heard about a gecko raising his head like this? I am worried he won’t make it until Monday and he’s never acted like this or had any problem in the years I have had him.. help!
I wish I could tell you what’s wrong, but not being a vet I don’t have a clue. If for some reason he’s deathly ill (and it doesn’t sound that way), it’s likely the vet can’t really do much for him. Otherwise, I don’t think that waiting till Monday will change the outcome. He may just be really stressed. I do have to say, that unless he’s really small, large crickets shouldn’t be a problem for him. My juvenile leopard geckos are eating large crickets with no problem. Good luck with him.
I got my new leo and it is Albino… I tried to feed it some crickets in the morning on its first day. Since I have read this article it is has helped me out so much. Thank-you for posting this 😀
My son just got a leopard gecko for his birthday. The associate at the pet store had us get a light set up that had a daytime light and a night time light. Is this what we should’ve gotten?
We will be answering this question in a Geckotime article next week
I’ve been searching everywhere for an answer to this. But my gecko is a baby still. About a month old. He stares into space sometimes and I find him limping a lot but he has no abrasions. With the limping leg, when he walks, the claws will get caught in his ear canal as if he can’t tell where the hand is going. He’s eating and drinking fine, and he can hunt with out a problem. But it’s almost like his hand is numb, but for no reason. And it’s like he hallucinates..? What’s going on?
Where did you get him from and do you know what morph he is? I ask because one morph, the enigma, does show some strange neurological behaviors. In addition, I’ve hatched some geckos with odd problems with their back legs.
It’s in the front right leg only. And by what I can tell, he’s just a Mack snow.
thanks for all the information. I’ve had two leopard geckos for three days. I was told they were babies, but one is 5″ and other is 6″ long. I’m wondering how old they really are and if they’re mating, because they’re always cuddled up together in their hide. How can I tell they’re gender and if they’re mating?
We’re going to respond to this one at the end of the month or so in a Gecko Time article, so watch for it.
We changed our minds. At 5-6″, the geckos are probably still juveniles. The problem is that it’s hard to know exactly when they mature. If you don’t know the genders, I recommend that you google “sexing leopard geckos” and look at some pictures. They may be too young to sex, so you should definitely separate them. Mating involves male tail rattling and biting the female, not cuddling. Cuddling can be just what it looks like, or it can be a subtle sign of bullying. Make sure that both geckos are eating and that neither gecko has scratches or cuts on it. Once again, if you separate them there won’t be a problem.
Thank you so much! I just got a new little leo, and though I knew it was normal for them to hide/not eat for a while after moving, I couldn’t find anywhere that had a set number of days, so I didn’t know if three days was time to get worried. The leo I had before this was weirdly well-adjusted and was super friendly and inquisitive from the first day we had him. This little one found the tiiiiniest hiding spot and has only come out once. But it’s only been three days. I checked and everything is the right temperature, no bright lights, and she has food and water available. Guess I’ll just give her more time. Thanks for the great article!
Hi there, Aliza. I’m really concerned about my leopard geckos. I have three- the oldest of which I’ve had for eight years is a female, the male is about three years old, and the youngest one is a two-year-old female. Well today I noticed a big chunk out of the male’s tail and I have put him in a makeshift tank for now with a towel, so as not to get any more sand in the wound. I’m concerned that the youngest female is either in heat, or else having some attitude problem and needs to assert her position as the most dominant one in the tank. Now, these lizards have all been co-habitating for almost two years without any problems. They’re all very adorable, but the youngest is definitely on the more aggressive side. Unfortunately everything I’ve found online suggests that males will bite females sometimes, and to make sure never to keep two males in the same tank..but no mention of a female lashing out at a male. Any thoughts? I’m going to call the vet and pay close attention to the wound..man, I would really hate to have to give up one of my lizards because she can’t get along. *distressed* 🙁
hi i have a crested geko that i rescued just under a year ago. when i got him he refused to eat, now he is eating but is eating the substrait in the enclosure and i have a feeling this is blocking his boules on top of this he is constantly liking his bottom after he has past feases and sometimes when he hasn’t. he has gone from being a very active boy to very quite and just sleeps under his lamp. am very worried about him so if anyone knows or can sergest anything it would be very much appreciated.
thank you holly
What substrate is he on and how much time is he spending at the bottom of the cage? Where is his CGD, at the bottom or higher up? Depending on the answers to these questions, we may be able to suggest a solution:
–too much time spent at the bottom of the cage indicates not enough humidity
–CGD bowl on the ground increases the chance that the gecko will eat substrate
–sphagnum moss substrate is more likely to get eaten than eco earth
If this doesn’t address the issue, he will need a vet visit; sometimes a problem can’t be diagnosed and treated online.
hi i have had my gecko for nearly 2 weeks and he still not eating i aint seen no poo nothing also he dont seem to be losing no weight istis ok?
If he continues to be alert and doesn’t lose weight it’s probably OK. Some geckos wait a long time after they move to a new place before they start to eat. If you’re really concerned, you could always make a reptile vet visit for him.
I got a beautiful month old, chocolate albino, mostly because of your descriptive and helpful article! Thank you, Aliza. But I did have one question. A section was written on water source.(I think) Anyway, I spray my leo’s tank once a day, instead of having a water bowl constantly in the tank. Is this ok? His poop seems fine, but I wanted to clarify. Thank you for your time.
Hey guys,
So I have had two leopard geckos for about 3 years and they have always been a little aggressive here and there with each other. For the most part though, they are quite tolerant of each other and even hang out together sometimes, so I never put too much thought into it.
The first time they got into a real fight, one bit off the others tail and this was within the first year that I had them. Since then, I’ve only seen get aggressive every now and then and its not that bad.
But today I noticed that one of the geckos hands (who had bitten the others tail off way back when and is also a little bigger) was missing and he had a stub with a little piece hanging off of what was left of his hand. I can only assume that this was the work of the other leopard gecko. I feel really bad that it came to this point because now that gecko has to limp around and his quality of life is definitely worse now. I feel guilty and I don’t want anything like this to happen again. I can always separate them, but I was wondering what others’ opinions might be on the situation because they have been together for this long so it doesn’t quite seem right that I split them up and have them live alone.
What do you think?
Thanks.
I think you would do better to provide a water bowl and to stop spraying. Leopard geckos are low-humidity, desert creatures and frequent spraying could possibly lead to an upper respiratory infection. I suspect that in their native environment, leopard geckos may find higher humidity micro climate areas to spend time in, but for that reason we tend to provide a humid hide rather than constant spraying.
Just like people, leopard geckos can change in their behavior and reactions. Are you sure of the sex of these 2 geckos? Are they both males? Even if not, all the signs are pointing toward separating them immediately. As an example: I produced 2 hatchlings quite a few years ago that were brought up in a fairly small enclosure together with no problem. I sold them to my family doctor and set up a (large) 40 gallon bow front tank for them. Within a few month I had to rehome one because one was bullying the other (the other had scratches all over its body and was losing weight). Please separate them ASAP.
Okay I will do that for sure. One more thing, his arm is a little swollen and it’s bruised near his armpit, but it doesn’t look infected. I was just going to keep a watch on him to see that it gets better. Should I be worried about infection you think?
Keep it clean, keep an eye on it and if it gets swollen, pussy, or red streaks extend from it, find a vet.
Okay thank you so much for the advice it is much appreciated. One last thing I just thought of when talking with my dad, he said that a day before we found out that Lenny (that’s my geckos name) was missing a hand he was holding him and when he put him down on the couch arm, he wasn’t paying attention and Lenny jumped off onto the ground. It was a pretty far distance so now we are questioning if he hurt himself on that jump instead. But would that make sense for how he has a missing hand? Would he bite off his own appendages if they were broken?
I think the only way he could be missing a hand is if the other gecko bit it off. I’ve had a lot of geckos come down from the top row of cages with no injury. The good news is that most geckos do fine with 3 legs.
Hi I’m a new owner of a leopard gecko. This site has helped me loads and out my mind at rest. As a new owner I’m really anxious. Don’t know if I’m being silly but keep waking up in the nite and checking that his ok. Thanks for having a site like this it’s been so helpful and put my mind at rest. I do have one question I’ve not handled my gecko yet just been talking to him and striking him in his cage. He seems fine by this and let’s me do it with ease. I’ve only had him for two days when is it best to start letting him get on to my hand and maybe holding him. I don’t want to scare him or make him nervous would rather do it over time so his at ease and in his own time. 🙂
Congratulations on your new gecko. Give him a week and then start to pick him up. They are very hardy. As you get to know him, you will probably relax. I was the same way with my first child and by the twins came along I was much more comfortable.
My leopard geckos are always a bit darker in their habitat but brighten up when I take them out for attention. Does that mean they are happy to be with me? Also to help with a constipated lizard let them relax and run around in water that it hot but not enough to burn your own wrist. It will help with bowel movement and usually ends with the release of the stubborn waste
It could be that’s why they brighten up, or else it’s because you’re seeing them in a different light (literally) or they’re enjoying your warm hand.
Hi can u give geckos carrots and lettuce. I feed him locust and mill worms.
Leopard geckos will not eat vegetables, but if you feed the carrots and lettuce to your locusts and meal worms, the nutrition will pass to the geckos when they eat the bugs and worms.
Thank you. I’ve found your site so help. ive just got my first baby Lepard gecko and am very anxious. Thank you again for your help 🙂
So I got two Leo’s from petco yesterday. One of them seems to be doing great; he seems to be acting normal, he explored, he eats, and he’s very friendly. The other one however, isn’t friendly at all, he’s bitten me three times, but other than that he’s very curious and he eats. (I’ve been trying not to touch them too much) does anyone have any suggestions on what I could do to help him relax and maybe be more friendly? I really don’t want to retune him but I don’t want to have an aggressive pet! Help me please!
Congrats on your new geckos. Do you have them in the same enclosure? Even though they were probably sharing a cage at the pet store, sometimes in a new place the dynamics change. It’s possible that the aggressive one is being bullied by the other one and is feeling stressed. In addition, if they’re too young to sex and you keep them together you run the risk of having 2 males (who will fight) or a male and a female (who will breed). I recommend separating them, giving them time (at least a few weeks) to settle in with your talking to them and showing them that you’re the one who feeds them. I’ve hatched a lot of geckos, all in the same environment, and almost from the egg, some are social and some are not. I imagine the more aggressive one will calm down once it feels more comfortable.
Thanks so much!!!
Hi…we have a leopard gecko that is about 4-5 months old. We had originally bought a habitat kit from a local pet store and were lighting the terrarium with overhead lights for day and night. Yesterday, we changed his habitat based on advise from a local reptile store. We switched to an under the tank heating mat, changed out the substrate, and got him a new hide. He is totally stressed. He wouldn’t eat last night, keeps trying to climb the walls of the enclosure, and is acting differently. I’m not sure what I should do but I’m worried about him. Any advice?
Change is stressful, but he’ll settle down. Give him some time to get used to the new setup; he’ll be fine.
Thanks for the response! I am trying to relax and not worry so much. Is it strange that he won’t go in his new hide at all? He only curls up on top of it.
Some of them are just like that. I have a few that prefer to be out in the open. You may want to check (with a digital thermometer with probe or a temp gun) to make sure that it’s not too hot inside the hide (no higher than low 90’s). If you don’t have a thermostat for the heater, it’s even more likely that it’s too hot under there.
My leapard geako ive had for 1 year and he still doing it so i dont know if thats normal
Still doing what?
I tried to feed my gecko a little olive oil to save him from impaction! I’ve been soaking him and rubbing his belly and he’s twitching all crazy please help!!
My gecko is twitching and freaking out!! I tried to feed him olive oil to stop impaction and i soaked him and massaged him I tihnk he’s dying 🙁
There’s a good chance he’s freaking out and twitching because he’s stressed from the treatment. What is making you think he’s impacted? Give him some time to calm down and see how he does. If he seems ill after he’s had time to calm down you may need to take him to a reptile vet.
i have two female gecko one of them alway in the cool hide and the other gaining weight the other satying the sameweight
Either the geckos are on different weight gaining schedules or, more likely, the one in the warm hide is bullying the one in the cool side. Think about separating them to see if that changes things.
Well he’s dead now so thanks anyway ;(
Sorry for your loss
Thanks
My gecko drinks water off the Eco carpet after I mist the cage, is that normal?
hello, my leopard gecko is about a year and a half old, he looks healthy and eats healthily, but for some reason he seems to get anxious on occasions and starts running all around the cage and freaking out, kind of like an axiety attack. no twitching or anything, but it worries me. im wondering if the cage is too small or somthing. he looks a little big for his cage now. i dont know what gallon tank it is, like 10 or 12, but its small. any ideas?
It’s not unusual for a gecko to drink the water droplets when you mist. However, it’s not a good idea to mist leopard geckos because they do best in a drier environment.
I don’t know why your gecko is behaving that way. I have some that occasionally do that, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem. I do think your tank is on the small size. Ten gallons is barely big enough. He’ll do better (and may be less freaked out) in a 20 gallon long which is 30″x12″x12″.
Okay thank you soo much ill be on the hunt for a new tank!:)
I have had my baby Leopard Gecko for two weeks now and I’ve been taking him out for a while and he seems to enjoy it but one week later when I try to pick him up he hisses at me so a couple days later I try again and he still hisses at me HELP!!
Baby geckos are designed to protect themselves and they do it by standing up on their legs and hissing. if you put your hand it, it will probably hiss and if you can stand it, just keep your hand there and keep talking to it. Most likely it will eventually either ignore you, or investigate your hand. Then you can gently pick it up from underneath and make a little cave for it in your hand. If you’re prepared for it to hiss, you won’t be startled and drop it if it does. Most likely, as it gets used to the process it will be more tolerant. Be aware, however, that some geckos never get to really like being picked up.
Hello, I recently bought a baby leopard gecko and named it Milk Shakes. When I bought Milk Shakes he had a skinny tail. Me being a new gecko owner didn’t think to get one with a chubby tail and the first three days I had him he ate well and slept during the day. But now I’ve had him almost two weeks now and he seems to sleep all night and I keep finding his feeding crickets still inside the cage. I give him 3-4 crickets since he’s little but he’s not gaining much weight and his tail remaineds skinny. He has an under the tank heat mat thing and a heat lamp as well.
If he had a skinny tail when you got him, he may not have been in the best health to begin with. Often, young geckos kept in crowded condition get stressed and their (normal) parasite load gets out of control. You really need to bring the gecko to the vet. You can find a vet by checking out arav.com.
So I got my leopard gecko about 2 months ago and it still hasn’t shed :/ It is definitely a juvenile and it isn’t big enough for me to sex it yet. I see it every day so I can’t tell if it’s getting any bigger or not. It eats regularly so I’m not sure if I should wait it out or if it may be sick. And as of the last few days it’s been really lethargic, even at night. Any advice or help is appreciated.
There’s a good chance it’s shed overnight and you didn’t notice. Sometimes they get that frosted look for a few days before shedding and sometimes it happens quickly. If the gecko is eating regularly, I wouldn’t worry. It’s also not unusual for a gecko to have varying energy levels. Make sure your floor temp on the hot side is in the low 90’s and enjoy your gecko.
Hi, I bought a juvenile leopard gecko about 27 hours ago. The person I bought it from said I should start taming it right away but it sleeps all the time, and I don’t know if I should wake it up to tame it or not.
Here are some things you should take into account:
–leopard geckos are nocturnal, meaning that they sleep all day and they’re awake at night. The best time to find them awake is at sunset and sunrise, but they’re often awake during the night as well
–a new leopard gecko needs a little time to settle in. Give it a few days to get used to its new place and to start eating and pooping regularly. It won’t make any difference in taming it and it may be easier to tame that way
–many geckos, especially juveniles, are somewhat shy and lazy and may spend a lot of time hiding. This is to protect the juveniles in the wild since they are more likely to get eaten by predators
–to be sure you know what you should about leopard geckos, read my care sheet on my webpage: https://geckcessories.wordpress.com/leopard-gecko-care-sheet/
I have two leopard geckos and I’ve had them for about a month. I noticed one was bullying the other to the point it ate off its tail and left scratch marks all over him, I separated them immediately but the one that has been bullied doesn’t seem to be healing and what I thought was shedding I discovered burn like marks on his head and body. This is my first time having geckos so I’m not sure if this is normal or not
Were they both males, or are you not sure? If they were both males, they fought and the one that’s not healing well may be more damaged than it looks. Or else, it’s taking time to become less stressed from everything that’s happened. I find that some leopard geckos don’t shed well when they’re under stress and that may be what you’re seeing on its head. Keep it quiet without handling and consider a reptile vet visit if things don’t get better soon.
We have an older leopard gecko (approx 9-10) of age. Over the last several months she gotten very skinny (tale) but was still eating, drinking, moving and going to the bathroom. We feed her crickets coated in calcium/ vitamins. As of today she will not move, eat, drink and we noticed she has not gone to the bathroom in the last few days. She seems very uncomfortable. My thoughts are it might be her time and this is normal as they die or she might be impacted. Not sure what to do. We do not have an exotic vet where we live. We live in the country.
I’m no vet, but it would be unusual for a gecko who hasn’t had any diet change to suddenly become impacted. There may not be anything more you can do other than drip some water on her nose so she can be somewhat hydrated and make her comfortable. Although leopard geckos are said to be able to live for up to 20 years, I don’t think that’s any guarantee. Good luck with her.
My leapord gecko is pressing its head up between the glass and its rock shelter and resting like that for hours
Is this concerning
Not a problem. It’s found a location and position it likes and is comfortable. They can also be very lazy.
Hi I’m new at taking care of a leopard gecko so I’m kinda freaking over every little thing: ) I was just wondering if it is ok if my Leo is moving his feet in his sleep? Thanks!
I think I move my feet in my sleep and I know my cat does too, so I think you’re OK.
Hi! I have a Leo and she was aggressive as a baby towards her younger sibling, I want to get her someone to be with while I am gone but I don’t know how she will react, what do I do?
Also, just as anyone who doing any of the following I recommend you stop
#1 Never use heat lamps, these can damage a geckos eyes and they only need belly heat, use a heat matt, and put a cave or hide over it so they can have a place to rest
#2 NEVER use sand, although some sites will say to use sand , it could cause deadly inflammation in the stomach aswell as infection, my teacher had a gecko and used sand. He died early
#3 instead of using crickets use superworms, they are quiet, and are easy for the gecko to catch aswell as not living a foul smell in the room, and lastly do not use reptile rugs, the geckos claws may get stuck and cause serious injury or pull out the claw.
Hope someone finds this useful! That’s all
I’m guessing that what you’re saying is that you wonder about having a second leo with the one you have now as “company” for her when you’re away at work or at school. This is not a reason to get another leopard gecko. They are generally not social and don’t need another creature for “company”. If you yourself would like to have another gecko, that’s another matter. If you do get another one be sure to:
–quarantine it from the one you have for at least a month
–make sure it’s a female and not a male
–clean all the “furniture” and surfaces of the enclosure you’ll be using introduce them and give them time to get used to each other
–watch them carefully for signs of bullying (one losing weight, having scratches on the body, constantly being sat on by the other gecko).
–have a spare enclosure ready in case you do have to separate them
–be prepared for the possibility that they may not do well together
Also, Be very very careful around repti-carpet, I first used it, But soon found out that their mouths may get stuck when they strike.
I have had my female(i believe) gecko for about a month now.i bought her from the pet store and i would say shes about 6 months old. Shes actually really friendly and ive been handling her every other evening. The past 2 nights i will get her out and after about 20 min when i put her down to adventure she puts her tail straight up and waves it super slow… its freaking me out. And when she does this i feel like i cant get her attention. She just stares into
The slow tail waving usually means either “this is my space, watch out!” or (especially if she’s in a new place) “keep back while I check out this space”. Just let her get settled and do her thing for a minute or two and then she’ll be back to “normal”.
Hi,I have a gecko named Snowball. She has Enigma Syndrome. I have noticed that she is noticeably smaller than her tank mates. She has a lot of other issues but those are for a different day. I think it could be linked to her being albino, though I’m not sure. I would really appreciate your advice. Also, I would appreciate if you emailed me your response. If not, that’s okay. Thank you!
I have a Female Leo I have had for at least six months now. During feeding time today, she would miss her mealworm more than usual and would also bite the tongs. Idk if this is normal or not, or if it has to do with the season, but I am paranoid about my Skittles.
I don’t know why so many leos end up not hunting so well. For an extreme example, I have a leo that survived loose in my house for 2 years, so you know she had to be a good hunter during that time. When I first got her back, she would eat anything and never missed. Now that food is so easily available, she misses all the time. Who knows? Keep offering and don’t worry, I think it’s pretty normal.
I have had my leo for about 7 years now and this last year he started acting funny. His shedding became difficult for him and started freaking out and biting and holding on to his substrate (paper towels) and stiffening up as hissing. He has also become lethargic and when I go to pick him up he goes into panic mode and runs around the cage very disoriented, hitting everything and rolling around. Now he is barely opening his eyes and he lays outside of his hide which is not normal for him. Not sure what to do. He is in a 20 gallon high tank which I changed to a couple of years ago and I think that might be a problem so I am going back to the 20 long. No signs of MBD that I see or feel, and no real signs of impaction.
I don’t really know what then problem is, though if you made the change a couple of years ago, I can’t see that it would make a difference. I think that sometimes our geckos may be a bit marginal in health but they don’t show it. Then, after a number of years, something tips the balance and they act oddly, though the factors leading to it may have been in play for a long time. I highly recommend you take your gecko to a reptile vet. If you don’t know where to find one, check out arav.org and look at the “find a vet” part.
Hi there ! My Leopard gecko, gizmo, has been acting strange today… I’ve had her for about 2 months and she wasn’t very old when I first got her… Normally she’s in her nice warm hide that resembles a cave. Well all day today, she has been in the moist hide underneath all of the green I have in it . She looks as if she’s about to shed as she normally looks pale, but she has never stayed in the moist hide for more than a little bit .. Her cage is normally low because it was suggested not to use her heat lamp because of her sensitive skin, so it’s not too hot in her cage .. Any suggestions as to what’s going on and how to fix it?
Sometimes they just fall in love with their humid hides. It’s probably not a problem, she’s just exploring and found a place she likes.
Hey Guys!
I have had my Leopard Gecko for just about one year now, and it has been doing well, until today, that is. I had just changed all the river stones I use for substrate and Spot was doing the usual sniff and lick everything when all of a sudden he ate a rock! WHAT
There are plenty of crickets in his habitat for him to hunt, but he chose to eat a rock. Why and will he now become impacted and eventually …..Well you know.
Hopefully he will pass the rock. If you want to take immediate action, you could take Spot to a reptile vet, have him x-rayed and determine where the rock is (are you sure he ate it?). Otherwise, you could watch him carefully and watch for lethargy or other change in behavior. I had one gecko I was caring for drop her tail (before she came into my care) and later found that she’d passed a piece of walnut bark which she’d swallowed. I think she dropped her tail because it was painful coming out of her. Good luck with him.
Thanks, and yes he ate the rock. I would not believed it if I did not see it myself.
Could that be a natural response to a calcium deficiency?
I guess it’s possible, though they do tend to “taste” a lot of things.
I’ve only had mine for 3 days now,and he’s a little stressed.but i expect nothing less.Imore not worried at all
I have 2 crusted geckos. Ones is fine eatting normal but the other one has these moments where he falls off his trees and rocks and gets stiff and twitches. He does it when i try to get him out the cage for feeding time as well ….. Im not sure what to do … Whats some advice?
Based on what you’re describing, I would recommend a vet visit (arav.org).
Hi, I have 3 female geckos all housed in a large vivarium, two of them are sisters and another one is one they have been with since babies. Only recently I have seen two of my geckos biting and/or attacking each other every now and then. They are about 5 years old and this is our recently started happening
I have found that geckos, like people, can change. After 5 years, I imagine it’s definite that they’re all female. I recommend you separate the two that are fighting for a few months (you could put the most aggressive in an enclosure by herself and leave the other 2 together to see if that works out better). You may likely be able to reunite them after that and see if it’s different. I have a small group cage of gargoyle geckos and over the last 5 years had to separate one for several months at a time. I know that many people feel strongly that most geckos should be homed individually, even moreso if they fight, but in the interests of meeting the needs of both geckos and keepers, I think it’s worth it to try a trial separation and then see if things work better. If not, they will obviously have to live apart permanently.
Hi I just got my new gecko about 1 day ago, she has a nice tank with a humid and no humid hide, water,mealworms, and lights. I’ve been noticing she walks and then she’ll kinda create a circle with her head. She doesn’t drag her belly and I’ve seen her walk normal. What could it be?
Congratulations on your new gecko. Do you mean that she stops walking and then circles with her head, or do you mean that she walks in circles? Where did you get her from? Let me know the answers to these questions, and for now, watch her and see if it keeps happening or just happened once.
I have 2 leopard geckos. one just layed right on top of the other and i made him get off. is this normal or should i separate them? Please respond fast!
Do you know if they are males or females? If they are both males, separate them because they’ll eventually fight. If they are male and female, separate them because they will breed and it doesn’t sound like that’s something you’re going to want to get involved with. Sometimes two female geckos occasionally occupy the same hide. Other times the one lying on the other one is bullying. Other signs of bullying are: one gecko follows the other one around and lies on it all the time; one gecko isn’t eating and looks scratched up; one gecko is getting bitten. If you suspect that any of this is happening, you’ll need to separate them.
I have a very young leopard gecko that I bought yesterday from the pet store. He is under 6 weeks and he seems very healthy and curious. I was told that baby leopard geckos need to stay in their warm hide during the day while they sleep, and if they leave it you need to take them and put them back in it. It’s his fist day here and he stays in his warm hut for most of the time, but then leaves to walk around, enter his moist or cold hide, or to check out his environment. Should I be concerned and keep moving him back into his warm hut, or is wandering outside of his warm hide safe for him to do?
In my opinion it’s fine. I often get questions from new owners of hatchlings who worry because the gecko was all over the cage at first and then never left the warm hide. It’s normal for a gecko to investigate its new environment. Don’t be surprised if it spends a lot of time after that in the hide. It’s good instinctive protection for hatchlings. Or you may have the kind of gecko that comes out to “see you” every time it sees you coming. The only thing to worry about would be if the gecko spends all its time on the cold side. If that happens, the first thing to check is that the hot side isn’t too hot (should be a maximum of 92 or so measured on the floor [not in the air] with a digital thermometer with probe or with a temp gun. Enjoy your gecko.
I got my leopard gecko around 2 weeks ago and he’s looking healthy. However, he (when I bought him they said it looks male so I’m going off of them) has started pooping in his cool/humid hide. He went in a corner one time but now has started going on the hide, I was wondering if there is a way to “convince” him to go in the corner or is he going to continue going in this hide. Also, they said he was a few months old I believe they said 4 but he is very big and I would say maybe even an adult?
Those geckos love to frustrate us with their habits! I have 2 suggestions that may work for keeping him from pooping in his humid hide:
–move the humid hide to a different location and see if he’ll keep pooping where the humid hide originally was
–put some kind of hide at the original poop spot and put some old poop in it. Some geckos seem to love to go in an “outhouse” (you should probably also move the humid hide to try to reorient him to the poop spot).
Good luck!
Welcome to the Gecko family. Now as for him pooping in the hide, it has been my experience with my two geckos they will pick a corner to poop in and you have to rearrange everything around that. Look at it like this….it is a GREAT thing they pick one corner as it is way easier to clean up after them.
Hi, I have a leopard gecko that is a little over 8 years old. I noticed she has become very lethargic, is sleeping more (pretty much all day and night) and stopped using her hide the past few months. She’s not nearly as active as she once was. More recently, she started walking around more and more with her eyes shut or she is squinting. I got her to open them and did not notice any film or stuck shed. She eats mealworms every 2 or 3 days, drinking water and using the bathroom, but decided to do her business on the opposite side of the tank in front of the hide she doesn’t use. Is there any cause for concern or should I contact a vet? Thank you so much!
In my opinion it never hurts to have a vet visit when the gecko is acting differently in the absence of any obvious cause.
I just got got a Leopard today and I have the habitat at the optimal temperature which its sitting around 85° but he is shaking and walks rather slow, is it just because he is scared or nervous, he has all signs of being healthy
If the 85 is on the floor (as measured by a digital thermometer with probe) it’s a bit low (low 90’s is best). If it’s the air temp it’s a bit high (while leopard geckos can do fine during summer heat waves, consistent temps are best in the 70’s and consistent high temps can lead to dehydration). In general, new geckos can act a bit odd while they are settling in. That said, if you got a tiny gecko from a big chain pet store, there’s a greater chance that it won’t thrive. Give it a chance to get settled, offer food and if, after 10 days it’s not eating or acting otherwise unhealthy, bring it back to the pet store (and consider getting one from a reputable breeder). If you’ve gotten a somewhat older gecko and/or one from a reputable breeder, just give it some time to adjust and feel free to write in again if you’re still having problems.
Hi, My name is Mia and I just got my gecko about 4 days ago 12/13/16 it is now 12/17/16. Lèon (that’s him) has not pooped since I have gotten him. Today 12/17/16 I put some olive oil in a spoon and had him lick it. I also put some on his lips. I do not use sand so I don’t think it’s impaction and the seller had him on excavation clay (I have him on eco-earth dry). He is eating perfectly fine but now since I’ve put the multivitamin on the crickets, they have begun dieing and he only likes them live. He’s had about 3 crickets today and the rest died. I’ve been trying to keep the lights off so he can rest but I have handled him and I’m worried that he’s too stressed and that’s why he’s not going to the bathroom. When I got him he also had some leftover shed on his ‘bumps’. I’m just really worried and he seems fine but I don’t know if it’s stress so I was going to leave him alone for a couple of days and see. I really want your advice and sorry if this is a waste of your time. I also have a YouTube channel- https://m.youtube.com/my_video I can also send you pictures of him via email.
– Mia
No sincere question is ever a waste of time! I find that sometimes the gecko just takes awhile to poop. As long as he’s eating and active, I don’t thing there’s anything to worry about, and besides, you’ve already given him some olive oil. Let him get used to his environment, keep offering food and try not to worry. Hopefully you’re dusting the crickets with the supplement right before you feed him. They should stay alive long enough for him to hunt. Crickets sometimes die for no other reason than that they got to the end of their 9-week life. Feel free to write again if you have any more questions.
He just pooped today, the olive oil really helped. I dust the crickets in a multivitamin on the weekends and calcium on weekdays. He seems pretty fine now. Thanks for the help!
I received my leopard gecko on Christmas , the week following he has been out exploring the cage drinking eating fine , letting me pick him up and everything . Until 2 days ago after we drove him back to my house . He has been hiding in his log and running away and won’t crawl on my hand anymore. ( he has been in a car before and was acting normal , crawling out and everything).
He had to get used to a new routine when you got him and then, after a week or so, his new routine was disrupted by another move. This isn’t a problem, but it does explain why he’s a little skittish. Let him settle into his new, and now permanent, home for a week or so. Talk to him while you’re feeding him and let him get used to your voice again. It’s likely he’ll be more friendly after he settles in.
i just got two leopard geckos about two months ago (one male and one female) and just the other day i noticed some red stuff on the floor of the cage but neither lizard looks hurt. Any ideas of what the red stuff is?
Hello, My kids each got their own geckos for Christmas, in their own tanks etc.
1 is extremely social and active until I noticed his skin seems to be a bit pale. I read it could be shedding but are they a little less active before they shed?
They are often less active before they shed. They can also go through periods of being more “out and about” and then being more reclusive. As long as they get appropriate heat (low 90’s on the floor [not in the air] as recorded by a digital thermometer with probe) and proper supplementation (periodic dusting of feeders with calcium, vitamin D3 and other vitamins) they are pretty hardy creatures. It’s great that you have them in separate enclosures.
It’s hard for me to tell without seeing a picture. A few possibilities:
a. If you’re using a powdered supplement, some of them contain beta carotene and when the supplement gets on the bottom of the cage and gets wet, sometimes the beta carotene shows up as red or orange
b. Someone was shedding and had trouble getting the shed off the claws. Check them carefully to see if there’s a black or bloody looking claw (if there is, don’t worry about it. The gecko may lose the claw, but it’s not a big deal)
c. Someone got bitten and there was a little bleeding but you didn’t notice a fairly small, insubstantial wound
If you have a male and a female together, you will get eggs. If they are juveniles, you may get eggs from geckos that are really too young to be breeding. If you’re planning to breed and have an incubator and housing/food for the potential offspring (and if the geckos you have are the right age and weight), then you’re in business. If you’re not planning to breed, the female is going to spend a lot of resources producing eggs to no purpose and I highly recommend you separate them.
Hey guys had a question about my leopard gecko it’s really stressing me out
I’ll try to answer when you get to the point of actually asking the question.
I have a female leo who’s just over a year old and I was thinking about getting her a cage mate. Is it too late because she’s lived alone for a year? Is bullying more likely when introducing another gecko to one that has lived alone for a long time?
Some geckos live well with a cage mate and some don’t. There’s no way to know in advance, so if you get another gecko, you have to be prepared for the fact that they will need to live separately. In order to give keeping them together the best shot here’s what I’d recommend:
–make sure that your new gecko is a female, and an adult (if you get a hatchling, you will have to keep it separate until it matures)
–make sure that the enclosure you want to put them in together is at least a 20 gallon long and that there are multiple hides
–keep your new gecko quarantined in a separate location for at least a month
–when you’re ready to try them out together, thoroughly clean the enclosure and wash all the furniture so it doesn’t smell like the original gecko. Put them both in together and watch to see what happens. It isn’t unusual for them to wave their tails slowly at each other or to lick each other. An actual biting attack is a sign that this isn’t going to work.
–watch them carefully over the next few weeks. Signs that would indicate they need to be separated: one stops eating, one appears scratched or bitten, one gecko follows the other around and sits on it wherever it goes (this isn’t cuddling, it’s bullying).
–if everything looks fine, you just have to keep in the back of your mind that problems may develop, so be aware of that as their time together progresses.
Hi. I waited so long to be sure I would be a good gecko owner. Meaning reasearch and time. I got a leopard gecko that maybe part giant. She is great. I felt bad the other day her shed hardened on one of her paws. I soaked her and it same off nicely. Then I noticed she is not walking right. She is dragging her body. Then I looked it up and found out the powered I have is all wrong it has calcium but not enough. It is multivitamin one. I am beyond upset as I feel like I just killed her. I don’t know how I missed this as I had adopted an Iguna many years back where he was calcium deprived. I am hoping I can get her into a vet today. I am hoping the damage is not done but very worried. Is there any hope she can live a decent gecko life?
My g coke is behind his foam wall no I don’t know if he can get out . What do I do? Please help
Yes, there is a very good chance she can recover as long as this is a relatively new problem. The vet will give her some calcium. A good product for you to get is Repashy Calcium Plus which has all you need in it. Dust her feeders every other feeding. Talk to the vet for more specific instructions.
Is this a foam wall in an exo-terra enclosure, or a customized foam wall. If it’s an exo-terra enclosure, remove all the furniture from the cage. Remove the screen top. There are some clamps or turnbuckles that you turn so you can lift the top off. Pull the foam background forward and pull out your gecko. Then you can either remove the foam background altogether or figure how the gecko got back there and then block off the access.
Hi!I just got an adult male leopard gecko about 3 weeks ago . The first week he seems to be fine and ate 5 crickets. But the next two weeks he ate only one cricket per week and I tried to feed him today again but he showed no appetite and just went back to sleep. He also had a shedding problem so I helped him so it’s fine now but I’m afraid it will happen again.I did research and some info said it’s because the lack of vitamin A (I moisted his enclosure)so I’m pretty afraid that he didn’t get enough nutritions due to one cricket per a week(i dust the crickets with zoo med reptile vitamin with D3).I also tried some different food but he still shows no interest.
I’m sure he got enough temperature ,his tail is fine and pooped normally.But I hope he can have a fatter tail.
Another question is he is scared of me and would not let me handle him so is there any tips of taming a gecko?
Sorry if my English is awkward I’m not a native speaker and lives in Asia.Thank you so much for your help!
Your written English is fine. As you can imagine, it’s impossible to accurately diagnose a reptile over the internet. However, here are a few things that may help:
Is your gecko a hatchling, juvenile or adult? Some older juveniles and adults don’t eat much in the winter. I find this to be more a matter of how much light there is, rather than how much heat there is. I don’t know where in Asia you are, but unless you’re at the equator, the days are probably shorter even if it isn’t as cold there as in other parts of the world. It’s always possible that the gecko isn’t as hungry as it will be when it warms up.
Leopard geckos can go for a surprising amount of time without eating much. I have a female who ate virtually nothing for 2-3 months. She just started eating again and she’s fine. Not eating much for awhile will not necessarily mean that vitamin deficiencies will occur.
You could try holding your gecko and gently poking a feeder into its mouth. Sometimes this works to get them interested in eating again and sometimes they won’t do it. It’s worth a try.
I don’t know how easy it is to find a reptile vet where you are or if there is any vet that can analyze a poop sample. It’s not essential but it may put your mind to rest.
If your gecko is pooping regularly, he’s probably getting enough to eat.
Good luck with him.
I wrote a couple days ago about my gecko Lucy. She was walking funny and not acting right. I was thinking it was a calcium issue. Since I had the multivitamin powder and not the right powders. Well, she went to the vet, he said she is perfect. Perfect weight very social and looks good to him. He popped open her mouth and looked inside. He said that is where you usually see first symptoms of the calcium deficiency. Nothing she looks great. Bones good. My friend brought me over all kinds of worms and powder until mine arrives. She said Lucy does walk funny. She is not up on her legs, she kind of scoots. She thinks the same thing I do she has defiency. Is there anything else that would cause her to not stand up on her legs but more flat? She does look health, but walks like she is lazy. Is she maybe cold? 90 on warm hut side. Which she loves. I worry she is not warm enough too.
I obviously can’t see the gecko, but there are several possibilities I can think of:
–if she had a calcium deficiency before you got her, that’s what you could be seeing. If a gecko doesn’t get enough calcium and vitamin D3, as you know, the bones get soft. Once she starts getting the right supplementation the bones will get strong and the gecko won’t get worse but sometimes they continue to show the symptoms from the previous deficiency. I have a gecko I got when she was 3 months old and when I got her home I realized she had MBD. I’ve had her for a year and a half now. She’s strong and healthy but still does have a tendency to scoot a little bit.
–there are some geckos that seem to have loose ligaments in their hips, usually the hind legs. I have a gecko like this too. She sometimes walks normally, but then her back legs flop. She’s also strong and healthy and has been a breeder for the last 3 years. She has never produced a hatchling with this problem.
Did she walk funny when you first got her but you didn’t notice, or did she start walking funny later? Did the vet make any comment about how she walks, or did s/he not see her walk? I ask because if she was walking funny the whole time but you didn’t notice, she may have had calcium deficiency before you got her but you’ve corrected it. I bought a gecko from an expo once and didn’t realize until I got her home that she was walking funny and had the calcium deficiency. Some vets are better than others. Crested geckos store calcium in sacs in their mouths, but as far as I know, leopard geckos don’t. If the vet didn’t see her walk, s/he may not have gotten all the info needed to do a complete diagnosis. In any case, in my opinion, if you supplement her properly and keep her warm (90 sounds fine to me) there’s no reason why she can’t have a great gecko life.
Hi, Since she is my first gecko, I think she probably always walked funny. She is doing really well right now. I have her on the right powders right now. Next time I get one I will ask to see her walk, etc. I think she may have had before I got her. The vet was super happy with how healthy she looks. He really checked her out.
She is low in the front and higher in the back when she walks. She has a different gait than Gecko’s I have seen walk on Youtube. But she does not seem unhappy anymore. She is spending more time out of her hides.
Her new thing is to lick the calcium off my finger. I hope I can have her for a long time, I am very attached to her.
The situation sounds pretty good. Just don’t go overboard the other way and over-supplement her. If she’s stable, consider dusting her feeders with calcium with D3 every other feeding or so.
So, I got a new leopard gecko today, and I tried to feed him, but he/she isn’t eating. And he/she is walking around slowly, and looks like he is breathing really fast. Is it just because of the new habitat, and he is just trying to adapt? Also, the lady at petsmart told me to put calcium powder in a bowl. And he would just eat that calcium. Im not sure why. Please give me some advice on what I should do. Thanks!
Your gecko needs some time to get used to its new environment. It’s not unusual for a gecko in a new place not to eat, sometimes for more than a week. Keep offering food and try not to worry. The employees at the big pet stores usually have very limited information about proper care of reptiles. Your gecko does need supplements, specifically, calcium and vitamin D3. Google “leopard gecko care” and read some care sheets about how to take care of the gecko. You can also read my personal care sheet which is located here:https://geckcessories.wordpress.com/leopard-gecko-care-sheet/
I have two leopard geckos(one male one female). I have never seen the male shed, so I figure he does it at night. The female has been constantly shedding for about 2 weeks. After she gets all the shed off of her, she starts again within a day or two. Is it bad, what do I do?
Hi, my boyfriend got a leopard gecko about 2 1/2 months ago. She seems fine but I’m really concerned about how long she’s been shedding. She started shedding about 2 weeks after we got her & hasn’t stopped shedding since. She’ll stop for about 3 days & start all over. She never fully gets the skin off her face & its starting to layer up but I’m too afraid to get it off. What’s wrong w/ her? What do I do?
I don’t know why she’s shedding so much, but the most important thing right now is to get all the stuck shed off her. Hopefully you’re comfortable handling her. Soak her in about 1/2″ of warm water to soften shed on her belly and toes if it’s still there. For the shed on her face, spray her head (spray it from the back so you’re not spraying into her eyes). Then you just have to use your fingernails to pull the shed off. It may take several sessions. She may try to crawl away. Let her go and then pick her up again and continue. If you feel she’s going to bite (can happen but doesn’t always), put a fold of your shirt lightly around her head and hold her on your belly while you continue pulling at the shed. If that doesn’t solve the problem, she will need to see a reptile vet (www.arav.org)
Someone just asked the same question. I don’t know why she’s shedding so much and may need to see a reptile vet (www.arav.org). One other thing I can think of is that if you have them housed together, this may be stressful for the female. Consider separating them and seeing if that helps.
Maybe it’s the time of year? Also maybe suggest a moist hide if they don’t have one?
Okay, I got all the skin off her face. She actually seemed relieved, but there’s gunk in her eyes so she still can’t see. Is there anything I can do about it? My boyfriend is currently away but I’m not too familiar w/ taking care of her. He left me detailed instructions but nothing about the shedding. She’s also lost a bit of weight & I’m afraid its because she can’t see the mealworms. Should I try crickets?
You can gently swab out her eyes with warm water and a q-tip and hope there is no infection. If she can’t see the mealworms, she’s never going to be able to follow and chase the crickets. You can try holding her in one hand and gently poking a mealworm at her mouth. Hopefully she’ll eat it.
Hi there! I bought a leopard gecko last summer from a breeder (she will be 2 years old in May) and have been having problems with her eating/gaining weight. When I first got her, she was decent weight, but still had some weight gaining to do. I spoke with the breeder and he mentioned that they had tried to breed her, but had no success and the stress of that possibly combined with the trip to the convention impacted her weight a bit. Other than looking not as fat as most other geckos, she looked perfectly healthy. She did some more traveling before I was able to get her into the proper tank, so I expected her to be a little off for a few weeks in terms of eating and acting normal in general. She would eat crickets that she saw in her tank for the first few weeks after her settling in, but never wanted anything to do with mealworms, superworms, etc. I started to gut load the crickets and dust them with calcium before giving them to her, as this was all she was eating. A few months ago, she rapidly declined in weight. Her backbone was easily seen, and her tail had lost a significant amount of weight. I immediately brought her to the vet and they assured me nothing was wrong – no parasites, no compaction – and suggested I try some meds to flush out any viruses or bacteria that could be causing this. After 2 weeks of meds, she still had not gained weight. I brought her into the vet again and they tried new meds, even though it was just experimental. 2 more weeks of meds and nothing new has happened. I have been monitoring her weight and she has not lost or gained weight for about a month (staying at a low 20g), even though I have tried force feeding her a powder supplement, a mix of baby food and electrolyte water and using tongs to hold the crickets right in front of her (she is not the best hunter and usually will miss and give up). I am noticing she is eating crickets, as I will usually see her eat about 2 every other day and poop like normal, yet she is not gaining weight. I am not sure what else to do, as I feel like I have tried everything. Do you think if I were to introduce her to another female gecko who was at a healthy weight and was free or parasites (like she is), would that benefit her? Could the healthier gecko basically “teach” her how to properly hunt? Or maybe she could be just lonely?
(I am sorry this is so long, but I figured I would mention everything!)
I’m glad you covered all the bases with the gecko to figure out what’s wrong. I definitely don’t think introducing another gecko will solve the problem. It will probably make it more difficult because it will add stress. There could be a few reasons why she’s not gaining weight (just brainstorming here): she’s now off her feed because of the antibiotics, she’s ovulating (even at only 20 grams) and isn’t eating because of that, she’s stressed with all the treatments and is off her feed, she has something wrong with her that is undetectable. I recommend that you keep offering and encouraging her to eat crickets or whatever she’ll tolerate. Hopefully she’ll either slowly gain weight, stabilize at the current weight, or decline (through no fault of your own). I have a few geckos going through this now for no obvious reason. One is seeming that she will stabilize and slowly gain weight and I’m not so sure the other is going to make it. It can be very frustrating.
I have a female leopard gecko ( I checked myself) and all she will do is sleep or hide in her hide all day. she was slightly abused with dehydration and slight starvation and very little handling. when I do get her out, she is a sweet little thing, but she won’t sit still. I guess what I’m asking you is how can I get her to be still when I hold her and how do I get her to come out of her hide every now and then. THX. 🙂
What you’re essentially asking is how to make your gecko more like you want her to be as opposed to the way she normally asks. I see you say that she sleeps or stays in her hide all day. Did you really mean “all day”? I ask because leopard geckos are nocturnal so it’s natural that they would be sleeping all day. Leopard geckos are also lazy and some of them, even at night, will spend most of their time in the hide.
Here is the way I would recommend making a compromise between the way she is and the way you hope she’ll be:
–don’t expect her to be active during the day since she’s nocturnal. Expect to interact more with her at night
–when you take her out, hold her in your cupped hands to make a little cave. If she wants to move around, let her move from hand to hand in a sort of gecko treadmill
–pull the couch pillows forward and let her walk around behind them
–get a large box and put some low climbing items in it. Put her in the box and see if she’ll explore
Hi I just got a leopard gecko a week ago and I was wondering at what age can you tell what gender it is I have had people and sites tell me different things and I was just wondering what age you can first tell the gender
It’s more a questions of size/weight than age. You should be able to tell pretty well by the time the gecko is 20-25 grams. Sometimes, though, it can still be hard to tell. The best indication is prominent pre-anal pores in a “V” shape
Every time I try and feed me leopard gecko he seems interested at first and then ignores it and try’s to climb out of the cage. He also always searches at his cage doors
what are you trying to feed your gecko and how are you doing it (are you putting food in the cage to run around,food in a bowl, or handing the gecko each piece of food)?
Hi. I’m a fairly new Leo owner (my first and only for the moment was purchased from a small, fairly reputable pet shop at Black Friday this past year) and I’ve noticed a couple of strange behaviours that I can’t seem to find an answer for. She seems really healthy and really active but I haven’t seen her shed or noticed any skin while cleaning her habitat. She seems to be active during the day as well as night, and when I walk by her tank she tries to follow me and has also been jumping at the tank glass the same way she jumps at her food while hunting. She also doesn’t seem to be getting really pudgy like I’ve seen in a lot of photos online; I feed her gutloaded crickets with vitamin dust every other day and a hornworm once a week. She seems to be urating and I haven’t noticed any impaction, and like I’ve said she’s really active but I don’t know if her activity levels would indicate illness or health like it does in mammalian pets.
It’s not unusual for some geckos to be up during the day as well as at night (after all, we don’t sleep from sundown to sunrise). They also gain weight at different rates and I’ve had some that took a good 2 years to really get up to weight. You could see if she’s hungry if she’s jumping up and down during the day like she does when she’s hunting. Some of my breeding females start doing that when I pass by during the day and are always willing to take a few feeders.
Hi i have got two beautiful Leos from pet smart and first they were doing fine but about a week ago Treecko ( my big boy) disappeared with out a trace i have a 55 gallon terrarium and there is absolutely no way for him to get out, well we thought he was Houdini, and we hunted for him to no avail, well a few days later Dragonite (little boy)disappeared i was crushed , we discovered the other day that they are hiding in the tree we got for decoration and as a hide, i know this sounds normal but i mean hiding IN THE TREE. the small holes left in the bottom from the factory, i just got Dragonite out not 10 mins ago but Treecko has yet to be seen. P.S. i have tried to lure him out with food water everything im worried he may be stuck and starving but im afraid to try and cut the tree open , for risk of injuring him or worse. Im super worried any ideas?
What’s the “tree” made of? You need to enlarge the holes where the gecko got through, just enough for him to get out. Meanwhile, keep the tree in a dark, quiet place with food and water nearby and hopefully he’ll come out on his own. In general, I don’t recommend keeping them together if they’re both males.
I just bought a baby leopard gecko and she wont eat or drink. The other day managed to get 5 meal worms down her but that all she touched, she is scared of the locusts and crickets. what can i do? she staying up the hot area all the time even during the night as i set up a camera to monitor her .
There are several possibilities for what’s going on. One is that the gecko just needs more time to settle in, and the amount of checking and hand feeding you’re doing is stressing it. These geckos are not that fragile in most cases and if it doesn’t eat for a few days it will be OK. It’s also normal for babies and juveniles to spend nearly all their time inside their hides in order to protect themselves. So, give it some more time and see how it does. Poops are a good sign that there is some eating going on and if you see the white urates with the poop you’ll know that the gecko is drinking as well. I rarely see my geckos drinking,and it may be doing that when you’re not watching.
There are, however, some leopard geckos that are bought from big pet stores that are too small and too stressed to do well. If your gecko looked considerable thinner and/or smaller than the others in the cage with it at the petstore, it may not have been in good shape when you bought it and you should consider returning it for a more healthy one.
I got my female Leo 5 days ago everything’s normal but tonight she won’t leave her moist cool hide since I fed her she’s never done that ever I’m kinda worried she’s my first and love her to death! Please help
Congrats on your new gecko! This is very common behavior. Many geckos love their humid hides, even if it’s on the cool side. It’s fine for her to be there. It’s also not unusual for geckos to pick a spot they like and use it often, and then weeks or months later, decide there’s another spot they like and start using that. Enjoy your gecko.
Random question but i just changed my geckos substrate from repti carpet to eco earth and shes now climbing the glass. This is normal for her right? Should i change back to the carpet if this continues?
It’s not unusual for a gecko to react to a change in its environment. I recommend giving her some time to re-settle.
Hello I just got 2 leopard geckos form my school and I’m taking care of them for the summer, I was wondering if I can keep my fan on at night while they are in here?
Yes, you can keep the fan on any time. As long as the temperature in your room is comfortable for a human and you have the under tank heater for the gecko, it’s fine.
Hi we have a leopard Gecko, we’ve had her since October when she was just 4 weeks old. We’ve never had any concerns with her until this week. We have had a heatwave and it’s been unbearable for us in the heat.
We have the heat mat on still but could she be too hot?? She’s pulled all the moss from her moss cave and has spread it all over the floor of her vivarium. I replaced it all but she did it again.
Could there be something wrong??
The thermometer must be broken so that will be replaced tomorrow as it never seems to drop below 55 degrees!!
There is no way it is that hot, I can be certain!!!
Thanks
I assume you mean 55C, right? Ideally your enclosure is long enough (at least 24″) so that with the heat mat on one side there is a noticeable temperature difference on the cool side. I do keep my heat mat on through the summer, and, as I have no AC and live in New England, it can get quite hot –in the 90’s (F) in my living room! When this happens, the geckos all go over to the cool side and hang out there. Some geckos really like digging and she may be having a good time pulling out the moss because she’s digging. In a very few cases (it’s only happened once to me in 14 years) a female leopard gecko will lay eggs without benefit of a male. I’m not saying this is happening (and if she does, the eggs won’t be fertile), but there’s always a slight chance she’s digging because she wants to lay. Google an image of a gravid leopard gecko to see what her belly would look like if she were carrying eggs.
Why is my gecko hanging out in the same corner it always poops in. I know it’s probably not a big deal but it’s still kind of weird. Is there anything I can do to change this behavior?
You can put something else there, but otherwise you’re kind of stuck until it decides to be somewhere else.
Hi there, we got our Leopard Gecko 18 days ago, she’s about 8mths old according to the pet shop and has a nice fat tail. When we put her in her new home, she wandered around, did a healthy white/brown poop and went in and out of the warm hide, popping out for drinks. Then the next day or so she pretty much moved into the cool hide and we haven’t seen her out since. She hasn’t touched her food (meal worms, kept fresh with calcium) and we haven’t seen her drink. We can peak at her in the hide by removing the magnetized section outside the glass, She looks asleep then she opens her eyes once she realises we’re there. She moves around in the hide and is usually in a different position when we check. Often she’s curled up like a cat. Her tail still looks fatish from what we can tell. The temperatures seem ok. Could she be hibernating? We’re worried that she’s not drinking, we’ve not seen any poop evidence of eating or drinking. Any advise gratefully accepted. 🙂
The behavior you describe is very common for a leopard gecko in a new place. First they explore all over the place and then they hide. It’s not unusual for them to refuse food for awhile (sometimes even a couple of weeks). Unless you live in the southern hemisphere, it’s too early in the year for her to brumate (reptile version of hibernating). Do you know what she was eating at the pet store? Some geckos aren’t that interested in mealworms because they don’t move around that much. Reptiles can go for much longer without food than mammals because they don’t have to use calories to keep their bodies warm since they’re cold blooded. I recommend you keep offering food and give her a chance to get used to things.
We’re actually in good ole’ New Zealand so our winter at the moment. At the pet store she was feed primarily meal worms. We’ve popped a few tiny crickets in her terrarium and they’re still in there appearing fairly unfazed about their fate. I’ve put a little piece of carrot in there so they don’t die. I’ve heard crickets can bite your gecko, but these crickets are tiny babies so haven’t taken them out. Would it be disruptive to take her out and check her out her behaviour outside the hide. There’s sphagnum moss in her cool hide (where she’s currently residing). We didn’t get to spray it before she started using. it. Do we need to take her out to moisten the moss anyway? Lastly, she only pooped the once on her first day. From what I could tell a healthy brown/white looking thing. But she hasn’t pooped since. (I’m giggling at myself using the word poop). Thanks SO much for your help. Super appreciated it. 🙂
Yes, she may be brumating or even ovulating (if so you’ll see pink spheres about 1/2″ in diameter in her belly). It’s pretty common for ovulating females not to eat for awhile and some geckos do move to the cold side and become much less active in the winter. My geckos are all starving hungry now because it’s the end of the summer, but in about a month, the eating will go way down. Yes, it’s OK to remove her from her hide, check her out and moisten it. If you do decide to feed crickets, your gecko should easily be able to eat adult crickets. She may not even be noticing the tiny ones (I feed tiny ones to my micro geckos that are only 1 1/2″ as adults).
Hey,
I was wondering if a new young gecko who prefers it’s cold hide, can die from the cold after a certain amount of time. Should I occasionally remove it from the cold hide and place it in the heated area? Do I intervene at all?
Also, living in the Arctic, I have not only a warming pad but also a heating lamp with a red light because the air in my home is often unpredictably cool. I was told that red light would be the least bothersome for her if left on 24/7. The temperature for both is controlled by a thermostat. Does this sound reasonable?
Thanks.
SO how cold does the air in your home usually get? If it is comfortable for humans, i.e. in the low to mid 60’s, it’s probably fine for your gecko. Check the ground temperature for the heated area. If it’s above the low 90’s it may be too hot for the gecko. Geckos who are in lower than desired temps may eat less but in 50-60 degrees will not die of the cold. You could try moving your gecko to the hot side a few times to see if it decides to be there (as long as it’s not too hot) but I wouldn’t force it. I don’t remember whether geckos can see red light, but they likely can’t see infra red light and you can get infra red bulbs.
Hi! I just got my first baby leopard gecko on Saturday (3 days ago). She’s eaten about 9 mealworms, pooped, and is drinking water. Staying in her cold hide a lot, but when she sleeps she goes and wedges herself in-between the wall of the terrarium and the warm hide so that it looks like she is almost stuck. She can always get out and will move as well, but I was wondering if this is normal? Is there anything that you think I should change? I’m just worried that this is not normal and she is not happy/ok. Please help!!!
Congrats on your new gecko. Yes, this is completely normal: she’s eaten, drunk and pooped. She likes to be in a small, narrow space which also isn’t unusual. I have one who seems to spend most of her time standing up on the side of the cage! You could check to make sure that the floor on the hot side is not any hotter than the low 90’s. You could move the hide a little bit away from the side of the enclosure if you’re really worried that she’s uncomfortable (but it sounds as if this is exactly where she wants to be). Don’t be surprised if she spends a lot of her time hiding. It’s normal for juveniles who are programmed to know that they could easily be someone’s prey.
Hi,
We have had our female leopard Gecko now for around 2 months. In the first few weeks she was alternating between her 2 hides but now seems to spend all her time in her cold hide and doesn’t seem to come out at all. Is something wrong? She appears to be still be eating and drinking.
I have found that many geckos pick a place where they like to be and spend a lot of time there, until they pick a different place. The “cool” side is fine, as long as they’re still eating and drinking. I don’t know where you live, but here in New England it’s in the 70’s outside so even the cool side isn’t that cold. Is she an adult or a juvenile? Some adult geckos decide that they’re going to brumate (sort of like hibernation, but not an unbroken deep sleep) and spend the winter months on the cool side without eating too much. Even though as I said the weather where I am is still pretty warm, some of the geckos are getting “winter” signals because the amount of daylight has decreased.
Hi!
I have two gekko adults. one male,one female. I am babysitting them for a couple of months and I try to take care of them as best as possible. I did a lot of research, and I think they are happy. There is one thing,the male is shedding and hiding all the time (what’s normal I think?) I made a humid shelter with paper towel out of a tupperware box. Sadly they both have not used it as fat as i know. Now today i noticed his tail is bleeding… like it has wounds. I thought it’s from the shedding,but suddenly the female bit him very hard in his tail! He was scared off and went in his hide…. I have seen this before with her while goed them. At first i thought she just doesnt see the difference between crickets or food and his tail (he has a big fat one) …. should i seperate them? They have been living in the cage for over seven years.it’s about 70 cm and about 40 cm high…. thank you for your answer!
I know it’s kind of odd that they could live together fine in one situation and not in another. I don’t know why that is, but I’ve seen it before. Unfortunately, I think you’re going to have to separate them. If you can get another enclosure that’s at least 60cm long by 30cm high and another heat mat, you should be able to do this. Is there any way you can communicate with the person who owns them to let them know what’s going on? I’m sorry that there will be an added expense for you, but I think this is the safest thing.
Hm.. yeah if it needs to be done, it needs to be done! He says he has seen it before.. he thinks the female may have a bit of a problem with seeing because she doesnt seem to see the difference between food and other things. She has bitten my finger before, it definitly didnt seem like she was agressive. She was just so concentrated on my finger and then bit it…. I will contact the owner anyway and seperate them if this doesnt get netter.
I got my leopard gecko a week ago and I think I tamed him but I’m not sure.. I did the whole “leave your hand in the tank” thing and only sometimes does he crawl on my hand, other times he seems to run away. Also, whenever I play with him he is always on the move, he never seems to settle on one place on my body. Why is that?
If your gecko is a baby or a juvenile, this is not unusual, since they are conditioned to hide in order to survive (and also, babies of all species are pretty jumpy and skittish). In addition, individual geckos have different tendencies. I have raised hundreds of geckos from the egg and, given the same conditions, food and handling, they range from coming out to see me and climbing on my hand to squirming and struggling every time I pick them up. I find that most leopard geckos do not climb on your hand and try to be taken out of the cage if you put your hand in and wait. I feel that once the gecko is comfortable in its new environment and is eating reliably, it’s fine to pick it up and take it out even if it doesn’t independently climb on your hand. For a very “frisky” gecko, either let it walk from hand to hand (the “gecko treadmill”) or find a safe place for it to explore (i.e. on the couch behind the cushions, on the floor of a small bathroom, on carpeted stairs, in a shallow box –obviously you will be there to supervise). Geckos are more likely to just sit on you when they are adults and when it’s cold out and they’re appreciating your warm hand. Spend only a few minutes at a time with your gecko holding it and letting it explore. It will likely calm down as it matures and hopefully will tolerate more handling.
i got my leopard gecko 3 days ago and since yesterday he hasn’t been eating as much as he was the other days. i put 4 crickets in each night and keep a few mealworms in a worm dish for during the day/when i’m asleep. yesterday he only ate 1 out of the 4 crickets and he didn’t touch the worms. the other days he ate 3/4 of the crickets and some of the worms. since last night he’s also been laid behind the warm hide and against the glass. it isn’t because of the temperature and the heat mat as they’ve been approved and we pushed the hide back a bit further so there isn’t as much room for him to get behind but i just checked on him and he was squashed up behind it, his left legs on the hide and his tail on the glass. he’s also only around 4 months old so his tails on the thin side due to his size and age, but i’m still a bit worried about him. this week we’re booking him in for a check up thing at the reptile vets which we’d have to do anyway so if this issue isn’t solved by then we’ll bring it up w/ the vet. any help prior to the vet appointment would be greatly appreciated.
The behaviors you’re seeing aren’t unusual. Some leopard geckos don’t eat at all when they come to a new place and some eat at first and then back off for awhile. Reptiles don’t need to eat as often as mammals. Also, they tend to like to cram themselves into narrow places. Often they choose the hides we provide for them, but sometimes they come up with their own ideas. They often spend a lot of time (days or weeks) in one preferred place and then choose another place. It’s a good idea to have a check up anyway. Keep offering food and see how he does within the next few days.
Hi! I got a leopard gecko for Christmas this year (( about 3-4 weeks ago. )) and I was wondering how to keep it humid enough for him to shed. I live in southern Arizona and the normal humidity is around 0-4%. I’ve been running a little humidifier but I don’t think it’s enough to impact it since I have a semi large room. Is there a way to make a spot for him to shed or should I try and invest in a bigger humidifier. He hasn’t shed before with me but he is looking a little foggy (( similar to what my snakes look like before they shed ))
Most people make a humid hide for their leopard geckos: get a gladware container. Cut a hole in the top or the side. Use paper towel (best for hole cut in side) or coco fiber (best for hole cut in top). Mist paper towel or add water to coco fiber to keep it moist. Some people use sphagnum moss or vermiculite, but there have been a number of reports of leopard geckos eating that stuff and having impaction trouble, especially with the moss.
Hello I have also some problems with not so new leopard geckos.
First I have a nearly 3 year old female that I got from a reputable store two years ago and she was already fertilized. She bred that year and although I had some failures with the eggs as it was my first time breeding any reptile, I managed to produce some hatchlings which all were healthy, grew up and I sold them. For most of the first year I was housing her with another female and everything was ok. Then I gave the second female and held the breeder. She passed through hibernation ok, woke up and ate the second day.
That was the first year. The second year I bought a snow enigma male for her, but because he had severe neurological problems, he was very noisy moving through the cage and she was quite stressed. He was always trying to mate with her, but his balance problems didn’t allow him to do it well, and she was even more stressed. She ended up in her hide for much time. I gave the male to someone who wouldn’t breed it. Then I noticed that the last digit of the right hind foot had its tip missing, and also that the third digit of the same leg and the fourth digit of the left hind foot were twisted horizontally, the claw didn’t point downwards but horizontally. The gecko never had any shedding problem, I think it was either from the male missing his mark and biting the legs rather than the tail, or from actual fighting. When she was still with the male, I had brought her to the vet for a checkup and she said she is actually fine and has a healthy weight. That was before some of her toes got damaged.
So after all this ordeal the female was losing uncharacteristically much weight, her tail started to thin and she was laying eggs outside the laying box, which were drying up before I found them. I managed to save the last egg pair, but they were poorly calcified. I was force-feeding the gecko to keep her in a good weight. From the end of summer she started eating well again, and in September she ovulated again, but she absorbed the eggs soon and focused on weight gain. At October she was again as before, and she was ready for hibernation.
At that time I bought another male, now smaller than her to avoid any similar bad issues, and put them together. It wasn’t breeding season, so they were ok. The male took a lot of time to eat, approx 2 weeks, but he started eating onwards. Then I hibernated both of them.
This year, because I was worried, I woke them up a month earlier, and put them in individual smaller tubs. The female ate two days after hibernation again. The problem is that until now, that is 6 days after the feeding, she hasn’t pooped yet. She has paper substrate, so no threat of impaction. Otherwise she seems well.
The male on the other hand has lost more weight and his tail vertebrae are palpable. He didn’t eat two days after waking up, so I force-feed him. But if I force-feed him too much, he will regurgitate the insects. Otherwise he can run and bite fine.
What can I do for both of them? Are the bent toes of the female a problem for her. Should I go to the vet to have them amputated? How to make her defecate soon, if needed, and what can I do to make the male eat a lot?
This is only my impression since I can’t see the geckos and I’m not a vet:
toes: in my opinion if the toes aren’t causing her problems in walking I’d just leave them alone. If they seem to be impeding her mobility, it makes sense to take her to the vet to get the vet’s opinion
defecation: if she’s not impacted, she’ll go when she’s ready. I have a male who is nearly 12 years old, eats regularly and I rarely find poop in his cage. You can give her a warm soak if you want, or put a single drop of mineral oil on her nose for her to lick off but otherwise, try not to worry about it and let her system get itself running again.
male eating: if he’s eating when you hand feed him, just give him a little at a time and let him ease into it. Unless he has another medical problem of which weight loss is a symptom, he just needs time to get started again
other issues: I hope you are quarantining any new geckos you get from the one you already have in case there is a problem. Also, most people don’t “cool” or hibernate leopard geckos. I haven’t in 13 years of breeding. Some of my geckos cool themselves by moving to the cool side of the enclosure and not eating much. You may want to consider not hibernating them next season because I don’t think it will necessarily affect the breeding outcome and then you can avoid some of the transition difficulties.
Hey everyone! I just recently adopted my friends leopard gecko because she couldn’t keep her. I’ve only had her a few days but I changed her tank layout and got her some new stuff so she had more room (the hide i was given with her was much too big for her tank and she had literally no room to walk around or room for a second hide, and she had paper towel as substrate) now im using reptile carpet as her substrate, she has a warm hide, cool/damp hide with moss inside, water dish and a few plants. After I put her back in after the changes she was trying to climb up the glass of the tank for awhile and i havent seen her do that. Is she just confused with her new area? I just want to make sure its normal and she’s okay. Thanks!!
Yes, it’s normal and she’s OK. She’s just reacting to a different environment that not only looks different but probably smells different too. Give her some time to calm down and she’ll be fine.
Hi, my sister got a new gecko and I looked up that they usually shed 1 a month and two months has past and she hasn’t shed once. Not only that but recently she hasn’t been eating her worms. I don’t know what to do.
Sometimes the gecko sheds overnight and you may not notice it at all. If she is an adult gecko, she may be ovulating and often females don’t eat for awhile. She could also be bored with the mealworms, so you could try crickets and see if you get a better response. Geckos can go quite awhile without eating so try not to worry too much.
I have a three month old leopard gecko. We just got a new heat light, and it gets nice and warm fast. I plan to use it only two hours a day, because it overheats fast. The terrarium stays warm for the gecko, but I’m afraid of the light change between the bright heat light and a normal light. Will this effect him at all?
I don’t think it will affect him. If you’re not using an under tank heater, I recommend you use that. If you are using one and feel that the air is not hot enough, in my opinion as long as the temperature in the air is warm enough for humans, it’s probably fine for him. If he gets cold, he will be in his warm hide where the air will be warmer since the hide is trapping heat from the under tank heater.
I’ve have two geckos one is friendly and was able to put up in 3 days of having but the other still isn’t adjust but when I try to mess with it it trys to bite me every time I’m not sure what to do
Some geckos adjust easily to being handled and some do not. I have some crested geckos that let me handle them with no problem, a few that hate being handled and one that lunges for me whenever I come near. The one that doesn’t like being handled may never be happy with it, but sometimes we have to handle them in order to take care of them. Try this: take a soft cloth and use it to scoop the gecko up. That way if it tries to bite you, you won’t get hurt. Once you’re holding it in the cloth, see if you can make a little cave for it with your bare hands and let it sit there. Hold it only for a moment or two and then put it back. You’re probably not going to be able to handle it for pleasure, but at least it will be comfortable enough so that if you have to pick it up to check it out, it may be used to it.
I just got my gecko almost three days ago, and he is still not eating I know he’s drinking but he won’t eat the meal worms(dried) I’m trying to get him live to see if that helps him eat bit is it normal??
It is very normal for a new gecko not to eat for awhile. I will also tell you that it is very normal for a gecko not to eat dried meal worms at all. Try the live ones. There is a chance you have a gecko that prefers crickets, but start with the mealworms.
Is it normal for my new Leopard Gecko to not eat? I just got him about two days ago and he still refuses to eat. Should I be concerned, or is he just stressed?
It is very usual for a gecko to refuse to eat sometimes for more than a week. In addition, it’s winter still and some of them don’t eat much during the winter. If he’s still not eating in a few weeks check to be sure that he likes the feeders you’re providing.
My leopard gecko has one ear stuck out and the other not. Whats going on??
I would need a little more information to understand exactly what you mean, since leopard gecko ears are holes so there’s nothing to be stuck out. If you see some white stuff sticking out, I imagine that’s a piece of shed that’s stuck in there and you can just pull it out.
hey I’ve had my geko for about 3 years and he is acting abnormal?i just got him new sand and a new encampment hes been he was adventuring around like normal when he gets the tank arranged but this time he’s laying on the encampment I got him the whole day steeping waking up to ujust an lick himself he also looks like he’s starting the process of shedding (pale look) should I be worried?
If he’s looking pale then maybe it is a shedding issue. I imagine from your post that the gecko has been on sand for the last 3 years If it’s calico-sand it should be changed to play sand. Some geckos can get impacted from sand, even after several years. If his poops look sandy then this is happening and the sand should go. Also, often if you change the stuff in the cage (like the new encampment) the gecko may act different for awhile until it gets used to the new situation.
My geckos substrate is just paper towels. She’s been digging and ripping through them his past week when she was shedding (this is in her moist hide). She stopped eating today and only managed to eat a meal worm since the last time I fed her on Friday. I got her recently, and her tail seems a little thinner on the end. She’s also staying on the cooler side of her tank and seems very tired. I have no idea if I’m overreacting but this is my first month of having her and I’m just freaking out a little bit.
It’s not unusual for a gecko not to eat much before, during, and sometimes after shedding. It’s also not unusual for an adult (sometimes they become “adult” as early as 7months) not to eat much around now because they’re ovulating. Some geckos love tearing up the paper towel (many of mine do that). It also isn’t unusual for a gecko to spend a lot of time “sleeping” –they’re somewhat lazy.
Take the temperature of the floor on the hot side, ideally with a digital thermometer with a probe. If the temperature is higher than the low 90’s she may be staying away from that area because it’s too hot, in which case you need a thermostat for the heater. Otherwise, keep offering food and try not to worry. Some geckos don’t eat for quite awhile and do fine.
I’ve had my gecko for about 6 months and she will be 1 year old next month. She eats 10-15 meal worms a day and some days 8-10 small crickets. She used to only like eating crickets but now she seems to prefer the mealworms. Is it normal for them to change the food they like most like that? Also is 55grams normal for an 11 month female tamgerine Leo?
Yes, it’s normal for them to change their minds about what to eat. You could wait a few weeks and offer the crickets again and see what she thinks. At that age and size (yes, it is a good weight for an 11 month old), she can handle full-sized crickets and may find them more interesting than the smaller ones.
I have recently noticed that my leopard gecko’s back feet are a bright red, but only on the bottoms. She does not seem to be in any pain, and her eating is normal. I have had her for a few months now, and haven’t noticed it until now. She’s a pale yellow, and I’m not sure if this is just her natural coloring or if she’s got a shedding problem.
What substrate is she on? Is it red? What’s the temperature on the ground on the hot side? I ask because if she’s on something red, her feet are getting dyed. If the hot side is too hot she may be getting burned. If neither of these is the case, she just has naturally red feet I guess. If it were a shedding problem, she would have white pieces of shed on her toes.
I got a Leo for my kid its about 4-5 ” long how old do you think that is and also I’m wondering about the D3 for diet how often should I use it for feeding I was told by a reptile store owner that they do not need it. he’s really jumpy and not really wanting to be held yet but I know that’s kind of normal he’s hunting cricket’s about 6 and I’m putting mealworms in a dish 6 of them he seems to eat them all there not there at the end of the day when I get home is that to much for him thanks.
Congratulations on your new gecko. I would guess it’s a few months old. It’s not unusual for juvenile leopard geckos to be pretty jumpy. You can read my personal care sheet here: https://geckcessories.wordpress.com/leopard-gecko-care-sheet/. It includes observation questions and activities for kids to do with their geckos. Leopard geckos don’t particularly need UV light because they’re nocturnal but they do need calcium and vitamin D3. Your best bet is to get some Repashy Calcium Plus and dust the crickets every other feeding. The care sheet has more information about that.
I have a juvenile leopard gecko. His name is Leo. Ive had him for about a 2-3 months. He is sick. He wont eat unless I syringe it into his mouth. He absolutely refuses to eat. I tried cutting off the head of a cricket so it couldnt bite and i rubbed it on his nose. It was still there the next morning. His tail is deathly skinny. I cant afford to take him to a vet. His cage temperature is 90-95 degrees fahrenhiet. I try feeding him calcium dusted crickets. I have gotten a “Worm Guard” and “Flukers Repta-Boost” thinking it was worms or parasites that were making him sick. Ive fed him this 2 days now. I dont know if its just not working or if it takes a few days. Please help. I am super worried about my baby leo.
Where did you get the gecko from? Is the 90-95 temperature on the floor or in the air? Just like with people, sometimes we can’t figure out what’s wrong with them without taking them to the doctor, so I can’t diagnose your gecko. Even a reptile vet would need to see the gecko to figure out what’s wrong. There are some diseases that affect geckos where the main symptom is diarrhea and weight loss. If that’s the case there’s really nothing that can be done unfortunately. I am going through this with my geckos and all I can do is to keep them as healthy as possible and accept that some will pass away. Let me know the answers to the two questions I asked at the beginning and I may be able to tell you a bit more.
Hi Everyone!
I’ve had my little leopard gecko since May (3 months now). I think it’s a “she” based on online pics and stuff. My question is; we just transfers her from the 5 gallon tank we started with to a 40gallon tank. She seems to be sad about it. Is this normal. For instance, when I pick her up now she doesn’t even crawl up my arm, she just sits there. And now I don’t even see her out at night time when I check on my kids late in the night. She is looking rather fat too but I’m feeding her the same amount of food as I always have. Maybe she is getting ready to lay eggs?!? Idk, will she just need time to get used to her new home? It was also a tank I bought online (I cleaned it but may smell like previous reptile)!?
Any thought swould be helpful 🙂
It’s likely she’s just getting used to the bigger enclosure. Maybe she was so eager to come out of the old enclosure because it was too small for her and now she’s enjoying the new one. Some female geckos do lay eggs without a male but not that many. Keep handling her and give her time to get used to the new situation.
Thanks so much Aliza!! I don’t think maybe she was excited to get out of her tiny tank!!! It turns out that I thought she was blocked from injesting the calcium substrate. I gave her a warm bath as recommended and changed her terriane to the carpet until she’s a little older! She finally went!!! Yay and now I see her playing around her new home like crazy!! I think she just had a growth spurt and was getting used to her new sourroundings!!! Thanks!!!
On a new note. Can anyone tell me do I leave the red heat light on at night? I have this light that houses a red and a frosted bulb. Do I leave the white on during the day and red at night or both on all day and none on at night?!? Lol, I’m clearly learning as I go….
TIA
I am not a fan of huge amounts of heat. I think heating the air in an enclosure can potentially dry out the air too much. I actually don’t use any lights for any of my leopard geckos. As long as they’re in a room where there is ambient daylight during the day, they’re fine. If you do want to use a light that’s OK, but I’d recommend not using the red light at night (I don’t think they need an extra heat light if they have proper belly heat, and it’s not entirely clear that geckos can’t see the red light).
Edit from my last post. (Damn auto correct) what I meant to say was “I didn’t even think that she would be excited to get out of her tiny tank”!!! It didn’t even occur to me that’s why she was running around on me so much! Thanks for that insight!
Thanks for your lighting response! By the sounds of what everyone is saying I need an under tank heater! That’s next on my list!
Thanks again!
IM SO SAD!!!! My little leo got caught under the a rock and her carpet terrains and lost her tail!!!! It looks awful and I feel terrible. I just changed the terrains from calcium substrate to the rug! Worst Leo mom ever :(((
Sorry that happened to you guys. The tail will grow back though it won’t look as good as the original. Don’t beat yourself up too much. I’ve done it too! (and worse). Last week one of my dwarf geckos escaped (my fault) and I ended up having to take the window track apart to get her back!
I have had me leopard gecko for about 6 months now and I’ve noticed recently that he hasn’t been walking on his front feet but more on his forearms. I’ve read into mbd and have started him on a calcium schedule. Im very upset and feel like a bad gecko Mom because I was told that the crickets I bought from my local pet store were already dusted with calcium. Is there any tips or advice you may have to help maybe gain some strength back into his legs. He still eats regularly and gets around.
As of a month ago he was walking fine and I had no problems so I’m hoping that I caught it in time and able to atleast get him back to good health.
Your gecko needs calcium and vitamin D3. Even if the crickets at the pet store were dusted with calcium, the crickets will groom it off themselves pretty quickly. Get a calcium and D3 supplement. Repashy Calcium Plus is a good product because it’s calcium, D3 and vitamins all in one. Dust the crickets at every feeding for 2 weeks to give him an initial boost and then dust them at every other feeding. It’s possible that the gecko will improve, and also possible that he won’t improve but will not get worse. I’ve had geckos with these early signs of MBD that did get better with calcium and D3.
I recently got a leopard gecko from PetSmart. After being in the enclosure for a few days, however, he still stays in one spot, pressed against the heating pad. Is there something wrong with him?
It’s not unusual for young geckos to hide most of the time. During the day he will be asleep. He may hide for quite awhile. Is he eating? Are you feeding him at night?
I just got my leopard gecko this week and I know it is normal for her to be stressed out and not eating right now. (She’s also an adult) I currently have her on Calci-sand but bought eco-reptile carpet to replace the sand. The store had her on calci-sand so I was not worried about it, but the more I read the more I want to change the substrate. My question is should I change her substrate now or wait until she gets less stressed out in her new home?
I recommend you change the substrate and let her get all the stress out of her system at the same time.
Hello!!
I just got my leopard gecko this past weekend, it’s eating pretty well, between 3 and 9 crickets a day. It’s staying it it’s hide most of the time, which is kinda normal, but I haven’t found where it’s gone to the bathroom since coming home with me. This will be the fourth day I’ve had the little one. I’m concerned that this is not normal?
Thanks in advance!
It may be going some place that you haven’t found yet. Otherwise, I have had geckos go weeks without pooping. It happens. Don’t worry, it’s probably fine.
I bought a leopard gecko 2 day ago and set up its cage with ground substance and a water bowel and food bowel and a hiding cave of some sorts. But after few hours of exploring the gecko seems to hide behind the fake rocky wall in the cage and doesn’t come out.
Should i get it out and close its way in ? Or just leave it be ?
P.S. i have a thermometer hanging showing 25.4C (78F) and 65% humidity should i change it
It’s not unusual for a leopard gecko, especially a new one, to find a nice snug place to hide and it sounds like that’s what’s done. It may come out at night. If you feel that it’s dangerous for it to be in there, you may either need to wait till it comes out on its own or take it out and then put some paper towel or other substance there so it can’t get back there.
What kind of “substance” do you have on the bottom of the cage? As far as the temperature goes, it would be best if you can measure the ground temperature on the hot side. I hope you have an under tank heater to make the floor of the hot side in the low 90’s. Low humidity is best, but as long as you’re not misting the cage, 65% will do (and I’m pretty sure those round hanging thermometers and humidity measurers aren’t very accurate). Feel free to post again if you still have questions, and also look for a decent care sheet. Here’s my personal one: https://geckcessories.wordpress.com/leopard-gecko-care-sheet/
We just bought a baby leopard gecko. On the first day it went up into a rock hide. The hide looks like a tree stump with a branch sticking off of it. The gecko is up inside the branch part where it can’t be reached. It looks like it could be lodged up there. Is that possible and how do we get it to come out?
Not seeing it myself, it’s hard to know. It may be able to come out and will eventually. Is it really made of rock or is it plastic? If it’s plastic, you may be able to slowly cut it away to get to the gecko.
The gecko came out today!! He was out for a little bit and then went back in. This must be his hiding spot.
I just got a new gecko the other day and he’s been laying in the one corner of his tank the first day he kept climbing up the glass .. I haven’t seen him go into any of his hides it’s this normal ?
Yes, it’s normal. They spend awhile just getting used to things and different geckos have different ways to get used to them. Make sure the floor temperature in the hide isn’t too high (if you don’t have a thermostat there’s a good chance it may be too hot in there).
What are some tips I can use to get my geckos to trust me more so that I can start holding them
Some geckos just never want to be held. In my opinion, the best thing to do is to talk to your gecko(s) when you’re feeding them and when you’re near the enclosure. Once you’ve had them for awhile, you can try picking them up by scooping them from underneath and making a cave with your hands. You can let them walk from hand to hand (the gecko treadmill). You can put them on the couch to explore. Be sure that you don’t have them in a place where they can get away and run into some little crack in the wall or something where you can’t get them. Be sure there are no cats or dogs in the room. Young geckos tend to be pretty squirmy. If your gecko gets to be near adult age and size and still gets very upset every time you try to handle it, it may have to become a display only pet.
Can they feel if your nervous of them also ? Cause I’m still a bit nervous when putting my hand in the cage close to them so just wondering maybe if that’s a factor to why she’ll come close and then decide not too lol
I don’t know for sure if they sense that we’re nervous. Just to be sure, focus for now on talking to your gecko and putting your hand inside the cage to feed, clean up and change the water. As you get more comfortable, see if the gecko will let you touch it gently. Maybe you can feed it a cricket or a worm by hand. Just take it step by step and make sure you feel comfortable before you do more. That way you’ll both tame each other!
I caught my leopord gecko slowly waving her tail at nothing she does this randomly sometimes not very often why does she do this it’s very random that she does but when she does it always at nothing at all she’ll just be laying down and do that sometimes
I just got my Leo 2 days ago and it’s eating find and even climed up on my arm when I was taking it out of it feeding been but it alwasy spends it time in it cool hide and I now that the hide is only room temp and the other side is warm of course but I just wanna know if that’s a issue or normal
Check the temperatures on the ground inside the warm hide (with a digital thermometer with probe or a temp gun) to make sure it’s not too hot. It should be in the low 90’s. If the temperature is too high and you don’t have a thermostat, you need one. If it’s OK, your gecko just wants to be cool and as long as it’s eating, don’t worry about it.
Hi my Leopard Geckos are 2 years old they live separately but both is looking pale im aware of shedding but they been like this for nearly 2 weeks now and one is refusing to eat , if they having any shedding problems can you suggest any which could help them please or any unlining issues this could be if its not shedding .
Make sure the temperatures on the floor are OK. I’ve had geckos not eat and then discovered that the heat was accidentally unplugged. Of course, I’ve also had geckos not eat and the heat was fine. Sometimes they just don’t eat. Usually if a gecko has shedding problems, there are pieces of stuck shed that need to be removed. I’ve never heard of a shedding problem where the gecko is about to go into shed for 2 weeks. If they continue to act normally (except for the eating issue) just keep offering and be patient. If you are concerned about behavior change I’d recommend a vet visit.
I just picked up my first leopard gecko and reptile ever yesterday and he mostly only spends time in his cool hide. I have the warm side set to about 91 degrees. I’m just wondering if that is just because it is new to the environment or if i have the temperatures off.
Are you sure it’s 91 on the floor with a digital thermometer and probe? Also check under the hide because sometimes it gets even hotter. If it’s 91 in the air that’s too hot. Otherwise, some geckos are very particular about where they want to be, so if the warm side is truly the proper temp as described above, you may just have a “cool” guy!
I just got my leopard gecko 4 days ago and her underside has turned a faded brown. On the internet, it says it is because of high humidity. I can’t control the humidity at night and skyrockets to 55%. I keep the humidity below 40% during the day but nothing changes. I don’t know what to do!! She is healthy otherwise!
I don’t think the humidity has anything to do with it. What substrate is she on? is the top part of her a little dull and frosted looking? Answer those questions and I’ll try to help you. She’s probably fine.
Substrate: https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwikiq-KjvbpAhXNwMAKHetbBogYABAFGgJpbQ&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESQeD2pAKlbWfouqNucA_1o6Tu9dnO9xX8nVcl0fSJ_XnH2ZCul14luk0p1U-HYIYtbgerlbbfwDYzXewWvLgMjwUi&sig=AOD64_0mTvri4IULJqEX_Swvjf8KSnvhNQ&ctype=46&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjt1KaKjvbpAhVDYs0KHb-eDi0Qzzl6BAgLEBQ&adurl=
The top of her: used to be bright yellow but now dull yellow.
There’s a very good chance she’s getting ready to shed. If you want, you can send me a picture to my email: [email protected] and I’ll take a look.
I have a female and a male that have been together since we got them, they were under a year old and we have gad the a little over a year. I used to see them come out every now and again but now I never see them being active. The female climbs up in a hide and stays there for days. Idk if she comes out at all, but I never see her. I just want to make sure there ok. Is it just that they r getting older? I don’t see anything physically wrong with them, the male just sleeps all the time. He eats, but when I feed them the female still don’t come out, its been a week or 2 since she came out to feed.
Some geckos prefer to be hidden all the time. I once had gecko I named “Cameo” because she only made cameo appearances. It would be a good idea to pull her out occasionally to make sure she’s not losing weight.
Hi so I got my chocolate albino Leo or a tremper albino idk but anyways it’s always in its hide (btw she/him is probably like 3 month’s old) when I pull her out her hide she freeze for like ten sceond and just walks on me and when I’m just watching her in her cage she only leaves to drink and poop I force her out to feed her is this normal?
This is very normal, especially with juveniles. They have an instinct to hide because they’re small and in the wild if they don’t hide they will get eaten. It sounds as if she does OK with you when you take her out. I don’t thing there’s anything wrong with taking a gecko out for a few minutes at a time if they don’t seem terribly stressed about it. Your gecko may come out more as it gets older and it may even start coming out more because it sees the time outside the cage as a desired experience. There are leopard geckos who seem to spend all their time in their hides even as adults (and others who seem to spend all their time outside their hides!) so you’ll have to see what you end up with.