New Gecko Maybe Stuck Shed?

[ad456m]

I bought myself a young(3-4 months old) Leopard gecko about a week ago and he seems to be settling quite well but isn't really eating a big lot but that seems to be the way for new surroundings with these guys.

I have noticed him licking his bum a fair bit and looked a bit closer at him while he was doing it tonight and saw his tail base looking a bit pink and what looks like it could be some stuck shed around his tail at the sides and onto the leg(he hasn't shed in the time i've had him) and i was wondering if someone could tell me from my pictures i took(not great but he doesn't really want to pose)?

Also is he a "normal" morph?






Thanks for reading

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[vgorst]

It's difficult to tell from those pictures but it does look very much like stuck shed. Best ways to get it off is either a very shallow warm bath and let it soak, creating a sauna effect (tub of warm water with lid on) or using moist cotton buds to gently rub the area and loosen the shed. It should be fairly easy to remove but do it carefully and gently, especially as it is near the tail.

Yep he looks like a wild type to me

[jools]

Hi ther and congrats on the new Leo!

It is hard to tell from the pics but it could be stuck shed. In the first pic it also possibly looks like it could be a bite mark - was he kept with other Leos? To take a better pic of his underside you could pop him in a clear plastic tub and take the pic from underneath. But don't stress him too much ATM. If it is stuck shed it needs to come off. But the site where it is it won't be doing a lot of harm. You could try giving him a sauna or using a cotton bud as suggested by Vgorst.

Yes, he is a lovely young normal / wild type.

The only other thing I would say is this, and I am not wanting to worry you, but his tail looks a little thin in comparison to his tummy. It may be nothing - just the shape he naturally is - juveniles often have a slender tail. But if you feel he is slow to grow, if he (after a week or two of settling in) is not keen on food, or if he keeps his fat tummy compared to his tail then IMO it would be a good idea to have him checked for parasites. You can get this done by post here Veterinary Laboratory, Tests For Companion & Exotic Animals

Keep us updated on his progress

[ad456m]

Thanks for the quick replies.

It looks a lot more prominent when he's in your hand and with only having him 8 days i haven't picked him up since he came home with me until about an hour ago when i took the pics. He's quite mellow and sleeps all day on show which is great but is a bit skittish when i picked him up but with time he'll settle i hope.

He was kept with another in the shop but i think they got on fine, he'd been there a month before i bought him(and if he hadn't still been there i'd have waited for another one that had great patterns like him).

I'll get him into a clear tub and see if its just bad shed or if its more than that and try get a photo thats a bit better if I'm still unsure.

Thanks again!

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[jools]

Just to let you know Ad, his pattern will change as he gets older. He will lose most or all of the "banding" and his markings will become more generalised. He will still be very pretty tho.

[ad456m]

Yeah, I have read they change indeed, it'll b interesting to see how much by.

I jus took him out again and put him in a 6ltr tub and took these pics(don't know if they are any better or useful. I tried not to use too much flash to keep an already slightly stressful night to a minimum.







I was going to try and get the skin off tonight but he's already wound up and darting around the tub so I'll leave it until tomorrow to let him chill out

[jools]

Looking through your pics - especially at this one ImageShack® - Online Photo and Video Hosting I would say it is definitely stuck shed and it runs halfway down his tail. Don't stress him again today but possibly later on or tomorrow give him a sauna as Vgorst has suggested and then gently pull it off. It should come away very easily.

[Marcia]

What I did for one of my girls was to put some moist kitchen roll under the hide which is on the hot end. It created that sauna effect and worked perfectly

If all else fails, you can use repti shedding aid


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ad456m]

I gave him a wee bath in the bathroom sink and it seemed to loosen a touch but i couldn't keep a hold of him tightly enough and he kept wriggling free from me. Maybe I should've held tighter but i don't know how much without hurting him. He can bloody wriggle some!

I've moved his damp hide up to the warmer end a bit to see if that will help him get rid of it himself failing that i'll have another go tomorrow and if still no then i'll get some shedding aid stuff.

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