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My Adult Gecko!

1K views 34 replies 9 participants last post by  Emz118 
#1 ·
He doesnt come out much i started to asume he didnt like coming out

So i decided to check if he comes out when im not around - so i flattended all my sand and waited to see if he would come out - and i woke up this morning and his foot prints were there just wondering why he hides so much any ideas?
 
#3 ·
if ur gecko is a leo, then that explains it, cause they r nocturnal, if not ive no idea what it could be
 
#4 ·
yeh he is a leo - he comes to the edge of his hide to feed and will chase crickets / eat them my room is pitch black and has a red heat light in the viv - when iv seen him out and come in my room by sneaking he skuttles of - I donth think he was handled when in the shop so i think he is very nervouy - but i was getting worried about it

So I flattend the sand to monitor if he comes out - he does as his footprints were everywere he must come out when i sleep around 3 am! :( my others are always active !
 
#5 ·
If you want him to be out and about more often then try handling him more? get him used to the idea that you aren't anything to be frightened of. Also just checking what type of sand you are using? Is it child's play sand? Other than that, keep in mind what people have said already, that he is a nocternal animal and may just want to sleep :)

mine sleep during the day but rarely go in their hides to sleep, usually they curl up in the corner like a dog lol they're so cute, so it just depends on the gecko itself to how much you'll see them. I also handle mine quite a lot so they're used to the idea of movement. They're kept in my bedroom and there's always something going on since I'm in here most of the time.
 
#6 ·
HE is 2 years old so getting him tame is a task i handle him twice a week but he runs so fast or scratches to get away :( which i feel am hurting him or stressing him so i always put him back my others r fine tho
 
#7 ·
mine are the same very rare i see them during the day unless i'm feeding them but i work late so dont go to bed till 3am some mornings and they are always out and about at that time lol

I wouldn't worry as long as he is feeding and looks healthy.
 
#9 ·
Can you not be so rude and yes i did do reading. - I asked the question as my other 3 leos are very active and out and about.

So I appreciate it if you werent being rude to rethink how you type to people.
 
#13 ·
No he is housed in my 4ft long viv - as my other leos are only 4-6 months old and female - and he is 2 years old and male so I have them in seperate tanks.

My adult gecko has Riverbed sand from Petzoo.co.uk it is very fine sand.

He has a red heat light with dimming thermostat on it.

My other leos my youngens are on repti-carpet with a heatmat on thermostat with several coco cave hides and moist hides and drinking water.

As my male has 3 hides and his main Large cave which he seems to stay in alot - However is only ever active when noone is in the room as several times I have opened my door slowly and quietly and caught him out walking.

But runs back in when I enter the room. he is fed every other day on brown and black crickets an medium Locusts dusted with Repti calcium on feeding days an nutrobal other feeding days.

And my youngens are fed daily on brown crix and small locusts with repti calcium daily and nutrobal every monday- and friday.

As for my large male - taming him IS A TASK as i stated he is was in bred and born in the shop were he has been for 2 years - and was not handled just fed and changed.

And is extremely skittish when handled hence why it is hard to get him used to being handled as he rushes of very fast - and when looping my finger and thumb under his legs to hold him he will kick to escape
and I feel i am stressing him so i place him back in his viv.

My question was simply is it normal for leos considering my others dont to hide so much and only at one place
 
#16 ·
I have my blinds closed during the day as im in work and noone is at home and alot of houses behind my house id rather them not see in my bedroom..

I leave my big light of since they are nocturnal and the red heat light is on a dimmer it dims and heat reduced every couple of hours so it is not a solid source of heat it allows time to cool off.

I also have a white light which i was advised to remove to rpelace with this red heat light which i have done so.

But my other leos are set the same and are active - and come to the glass when I enter my room and will climb out when opening viv and place my hand under neath
 
#17 ·
do you have a heat mat in there aswell coz leos dont really need over head heat as they absorbe heat from there bellies so all a heat lamp would do is heat the sand up out side of the hides so he will be getting no heat during the day while hes in there

if you know what i mean lol

not being snotty in this one

i have appologised about my previouse post

pmed you mate
 
#20 ·
I was going to a get a heat mat for him - but I was told that a heat light on a dimming thermo stat would be sufficient i measure my temps..

Hot end well half of tank measures at 30oc to 333oc

cool end is always between 22oc and 25oc -

I guess your right about him used to people tapping he only had a couple of hides there...

In my tank he has a huge cave thats well pitch black and he isnt constantly disturbed.

I leave them to it for couple of days Only disturbance is feeding time or when I clean any mess out at the weekend or when I get them out for a quick wonder around my arms!

I have another skitish one but again she is new to my collection so i can understand my 2 others who I have had for nearly 3 months now are used to me an will come upto the viv if i open it to come and get out.

Its just right now the male one is not a major concern as he is eating a pooing ok and sighns of him coming out are there due to the footprints i saw this morning....

Its just I like to see him out for my own peace of mind! if I ever disturb or stress them i will feed them a wax worm to show im not diliberatly trying to stress them they usually accept this
 
#26 ·
Outside the hides - his giant cave hide is kind centralled - its away from the heat lamp but also in the cool area if you get me so its warm and cool
 
#28 ·


That was how it was but as you can see the heat light shines on the cave thats now bin moved away so the heat is on sand not on the cave as the cave has some height and was getting hot so i moved it away from direct heat to allow the heaight to sporead instead of being direct on the cave

above tank is not heat light just a red light
 
#30 ·
I've got 4 leos, and they all have different habits:

  • Mack loves to come out for a cuddle and a chat, is hand fed and stands at the glass willing me to pick him up. He's often out and about during the day.
  • Mabel will tolerate being handled, is hand fed and comes out occasionally during the day.
  • Maud isn't too keen on being handled, is hand fed, prefers to sleep in the moist hide but is active during the day.
  • Mildred hides in the warm hide all day, doesn't like being handled and prefers to have her food introduced into the hide for her to hunt in private.
I think they just have personalities, like humans.

I agree that if yours has been in a shop all its life it probably won't be too happy being handled at the moment, and you've only had it a very short time. But I think if you're happy to persevere with putting your hand in the viv so that he sees you're not a threat, he will, with time, come around.

Try hand feeding him waxies as a treat (I use tweezers, as they're less threatening) to reinforce the 'nice' nature of having humans around!
 
#31 ·
yeah i was trying that last night but he just had his head out looking when i put it down he then ate it

But yeah i guess your right i regards to different personalitys - I suppose if we could speak to them and understand it would be a different ball game! but since we cant I worry alot!
 
#32 ·
but if he see's you putting the food down, he would probably think that your the good guy. when ou do feed him do you put the grub infront of him or do you just tip a box full o crickets into the viv? i realise that when i hand feed a leo, they look at your hand, then the food then eat it, so i geuss they are warry of hands. ive heard that if you bring your hand down in a certain motion you can scare them, because your hand may look like a eagle :)
 
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