Gecko is settled...now what?

[TeacherWithAGecko]

Good evening (Pacific Time Zone)!

I have had my leopard gecko in and out of my classroom for about 3 months now. She is a 5 year old Normal (Wild Type) morph. I named her Grace, after noted 20th-century herpetologist and snake breeder Grace Olive Wiley. Grace the Gecko and I have grown well accustomed to each other, and she associates me with food and a chance for exercise outside her viv.

Pleasantly surprising, the students are being respectful of her space..for the most part. They expect to see her in her viv, and when I've taken her home (winter weather/power cuts made me nervous), they were stressed about her well-being until I brought her back. There are several who are experienced reptile parents who have expressed interest in training to feed Grace. I have even thrown up a live feed so I and the kids can check her out outside of school hours.

All in all, I'd say so far, so good.

Now, for the questions.

1. Per the Reptile shop's instructions, I have been feeding her crickets with the occasional dubia roach. Now I'm reading that dubia roaches might be better nutrition, and that it's a matter for debate. What say this group? I am thinking of balancing the nutrition by giving her more roaches and fewer crickets, but do the crickets and roaches have the same needs to keep them alive and as healthy food for Grace?

2. When I first brought her home, Grace regularly ate 4 medium crickets every M-W-F, and I offered roaches every T-Th, which she ate more often than not. Now, she will vary from eating no crickets to 4, and regularly refuses roaches. She is still eating, just far less. At her age, is this just her growth slowing down as she matures?

3. As far as feeding times, I try to mimic the crepuscular cycle of a gecko. However, since I am almost never at school at dusk, I have been feeding her first thing as the lights come on in my classroom (about 0645-0700 PST). She seems to associate the lights with food. Still, her feeding is sporadic. Should I instead try to mimic dusk with my classroom lights at the end of the day and feed her then?

4. She molted every couple weeks in the first month or two I had her. Now her molting has slowed, maybe once this month. Is this normal? And again, could it just be aging/maturity?

Thanks in advance. I'm sorry for so many questions, but I want to do right by Grace and give her the healthiest life she can have.

 

[acpart]

Questions are always good. Here are my answers:

1. I think the key to good nutrition is variety. Don't worry about how many crickets vs. dubias, just give her an opportunity to have both (as well as occasional treats like hornworms or silkworms but don't bother with waxworms) and she'll be fine.

2. I don't know how old she is, but geckos as young as 9 months can ovulate and this is the beginning of breeding season. It's not unusual for them to eat less while this is happening. Some geckos actually go through most of the winter without eating much. They can go for quite a long time with no food. Keep offering and try not to worry.

3. If you have her on a regular schedule for feeding, just keep that up and she'll adjust.

4. They do tend to shed less often when they get older and you may miss some sheds because they may occur overnight.

Keep asking!

Aliza

 

[TeacherWithAGecko]

Aliza -

Thanks for your reply. Grace is 5 years old.

Do you keep dubia roaches and cricket both? Are the needs of the different insects different? I give the crickets the gut loading powder I get from the reptile shop, as well as shredded carrots for moisture. Will this also work for the roaches?

 

[acpart]

Dubias may need it to be a little warmer. You can google their care. I don't use dubias (promised the family). I use mostly crickets and super worms and occasionally get hornworms and silk worms in the summer when the mulberry tree in the neighborhood has leaves.

Aliza

 

[TeacherWithAGecko]

Thank you!

From what I've read, they only need extra heat for reproduction, and if I'm just keeping them as feeders they should be able to survive at room temperature. They need peelings or fruit chunks or apple cores for food, plus water.

Sounds like a little added water with the carrot peels, I should be able to keep the crickets and the dubias in the same place.

https://dubiaroaches.com/pages/dubia-roach-care-sheet

 

[acpart]

I'll tell you something really funny about that dubia roach care sheet: I wrote it! I write copy for that website and I wrote the care sheet a really long time ago (but I researched it well!).

Aliza

 

[TeacherWithAGecko]

That IS funny!