Handling

[iz249]

Any handling advice? My 9 month gecko wont let me handle them. Any time I try to take them on my hand they make a squeaking noise and move away from me / hide

 

[acpart]

are you approaching it from the top? It may feel as if you're a predator. Try scooping it up from underneath. Make a little cave with your hand and hold it inside the cage so it can jump out if it wants to and you won't have to chase it through your house. Just do this for a few minutes every day. In all honesty, some geckos just don't want to be held. I have a male that I got in 2016 as an older juvenile who really hates to be held. I only pick him up if I have to do something like remove shed and he's not happy, but I've picked him up enough times that it isn't a major tragedy for him.

Aliza

 

[Josh]

I think the key is to limit the handling to a few minutes at first while the gecko is learning to tolerate it.

 

[Kwazarr]

I found i had to experiment with best ways to initiate handling with my young Leachianus gecko. I used to find trying to pick it up from above, or trying to nudge it sideways onto my hand would get it upset and squeaking at me. After some trial and error, i ended up finding that gently moving the big end of a chopstick towards its nose from the front would encourage it to back up to where it would eventually crawl calmly onto my hand by itself. I don't know if that might help you, but hopefully it will.