snapping leo

[startdigging]

I just bought a sub-adult leopard gecko roughly a month ago, and have heard that they are generally a little less fond of being hanled. He's been quite jumpy the whole time and whenever I take him out, he darts. I'm hopeing one of you will understand his behavior. Today I went to take him out and before i could even approach his hiding, he started snapping. He did this about 10 times in a row and then went down on his belly and jumped towards me. I don't know if something is bothering him. I keep his UV light on during the day, and a heat lamp. He's got water (Which he doesnt seem to touch), and hasn't eaten today or yesterday. I fed him superworms but they don't seem to digest so i've taken him off those as they are too big. Anything you guys think could be wrong??

 

[Ian S.]

Hi there,
For starters as far as is disposition, it just seems like he/ she needs some TLC. Since you just aquired the animal give him about 3-4 weeks to acclimate to his new surroundings. Leopard geckos also do not require any ultra violet light, for they are strictly nocturnal. It won't hurt him but there's also no benefits. (cut down on electricity):main_yes: When you say that he isn't digesting the super worms, are you finding whole specimens regurgitated?? If so it's not so much that he can't handle the large prey, but possibly too stressed to digest them. Another possibility for the regurgitation could be internal parasites. Keep a good eye on his skin make sure it doesn't seem wrinkly (this would be a sign of dehydration) and a fat healthy tail are also good indications that he'll be just fine. A few weeks time will only tell. Just be sure that his/hers overall physical condition is good. If it appears thin or dehydrated seek vetrinary assistance A.S.A.P.:main_thumbsup:

 

[startdigging]

Thanks. That was very helpful. I'm so confused about that UV lighting because my last lizard apparently died of MBD because she had no uv light to absorb calcium And then the lady at the pet store said they DEFINATELY need one, yet goldengategeckos states they arent necessary. Yes, entire superworms are coming out, pretty much minutes after eating them. IS there any vet test that would diagnose internal parasites?

 

[brandy101010]

You can take a fresh fecal sample to the vet and they can test it. They don't always show up on the test though. I usually always get fecals on all new arrivals. I

 

[Jeanne]

Thanks. That was very helpful. I'm so confused about that UV lighting because my last lizard apparently died of MBD because she had no uv light to absorb calcium And then the lady at the pet store said they DEFINATELY need one, yet goldengategeckos states they arent necessary. Yes, entire superworms are coming out, pretty much minutes after eating them. IS there any vet test that would diagnose internal parasites?

About the UV lighting. All Lizards are different. Some lizards come out during the day (Diurnal) and some come out during the Night (Nocturnal). Leopard Geckos are nocturnal, they come out when the sun is already down, so they get their heat from the ground. They do not use UV lighting for heat, they need a Under-The-Tank Heater. They need this heat not only to heat their bodies, but also to help digest their food properly. You can find these in almost any pet store, here is a link to one on LLL Reptile Website :

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/heat-pads-and-rocks/-/zoo-med-10-to-20-gallon-heat-pad/

Hope this helps! :main_thumbsup:

 

[startdigging]

Thanks. I've noticed in the last couple weeks his skin becoming wrinkly due to him not drinking water, so I tried to soke him today (my last gecko drank plenty at that time) but he was pretty unenthused, and then began snapping again. He took a terrible tumble 3 days ago when I went to put him back in his cage, and as he is so jumpy, he got spooked and tried to jump into his cage..Failing miserably. I checked his overall state and it didn't seem like his legs were hurt but maybe thats another thing contributing to his moods. What a mess ! Thanks so much for all your help so far. And, yes i do have an under-the-tank heating pad.

 

[BalloonzForU]

Another reason other than parasites that can cause them to regurgitate their food is over feeding when they are very hungry. Try giving him only one or two worms depending on his/her size and the size of the worms. Then if he keeps those down give another one in about 30 min, and so on till he won't take anymore. This will correct that type of gluten eating, that can cause regurgitation. Also get a fecal to be on the safe side, it's always a good idea when bringing home a new friend.

 

[NewportGeckos]

UV light provides a source of Vitamin D3, but leos do not rely on UV lighting as the only way to acquire the vitamin. D3 is common in many brands of reptile calcium, and can be found in the widely used "repti-cal" with the pink label. D3 poisoning is a possibility if used too much, but if the worms are only lightly dusted every once in a while the gecko will be fine. As far as dusting schedules, everyone has their own method. I would suggest a search on "dusting" to see what other people do, or if there isn't any information about that on this forum yet I'm sure the conversation will come up soon! (or even on this thread ) With Vitamin D3 and calcium supplementation, the gecko should not develope MBD (although some geckos still find a way!:main_angry: ).

Now, as far as falling, it depends on how far he fell and what he landed on. I think everyone has had a jumpy gecko fly out of their hands onto the floor, and most of the time the gecko receives no physical damage. The moods are probably just because of his age and lack of handling. Holding the gecko a few minutes each day is a good way to get him used to you.

If dehydration is the case behind the skin, I would suggest trying a home-made slurry (such as Marcia's famous gecko saving slurry ), or taking him to a vet. The vet should be able to give it a shot of fluids, which can stimulate the gecko to drink on its own. However it is also perfectly normal not to see your gecko drink! Much of the moisture a gecko receives is from the worms it is eating and its environment. Try giving the gecko a humid hide to chill in for some moisture. As far as worms go, I'd try mealworms beefed up on carrots, apples, or potatoes for moisture.

I also recommend a fecal for checking for parasites. Any cat/dog vet can do one, because all poops pretty much the same! Fecals can be as cheap as 5 bucks to as much as 30, but the information you can attain from them can save your geckos life! Many vets require a visit before doing a fecal, but if that's the case, the vet can also address the dehydration issue and any other concerns. Hoped this helped!

 

[gko reptiles]

Research Research Research!!!

My best advice for you is to get online, get books, get anything you can get your hands on and read read read about the care of Leopard Geckos. There are a few books that I always recommend to new or unsure gecko owners. The best book by far is "The Herpetoculture of Leopard Geckos" by Ron Tremper and co-authored by many other reliable Leopard gecko breeders and vets like Klingenberg...etc. This book goes into great detail about breeding, natural vivariums, parasitic diseases, lighting, heat sources, and just about anything else you would want to know about Leo's. Another simpler book about owning Leo's is "The Leopard Gecko Manual" by Philippe de Vosjoli. This book is less than 100 pages and is very easy to read; it doesn't really go into great detail about breeding and so forth, but it gives a lot of good general info about supplements and whatnot. Either the first or the latter are good books to look at, but none-the-less research is very important when owning one or multiple Leopard Geckos! Good Luck and happy reading!!!:main_thumbsup:

As for the snapping at your hands and such, 1- he/she may be hungry since he/she is regurgitating all of its' food or 2- It's just a juvie and they tend to be mean for the first few months of their lives