Humidity?

[geckogirl227]

Hello, I have been noticing lately that my gecko has dry skin on her head, lower back, and tail. I have feeling this has to do with humidity levels. I was just wondering, how can i make it more humid in her tank. Also this could be important, i do have another gecko in with her and this gecko does NOT have dry skin at all. If i could get some help with this, it would be very much appreciated. Thanks

 

[Gopherhockey03]

You can add real plants to the enclosure that can help a lot. Or you can spray down the enclosure a lot more then you do now. Or what I do is I bring them in the bathroom while I take a long hot shower and set them by the shower and their skin usually comes right off with a Q-tip. What type of geckos are these btw?

 

[Leporard Geko Keeper]

He may be getting ready to shed and what type of gecko do you have

 

[LeoLover1]

Do you have a humid hide? And does she use it? I've seen cage mates who don't wanna share. Perhaps add a second one?

 

[geckogirl227]

My geckos are leopard geckos, she isnt shedding that is for sure. In the winter when your lips become dry and crack, well that is what is happening to her skin. She doesnt like it when i accidentally touch it either. I have a mmoisture hide, but i don think it is creating enough humidity to keep her skin from cracking. Thanks so much for the tips so far Hope this helps.

 

[Geckomaster743]

Humidity is the problem! She needs some of it to shed and normally when she's shedding you can use Spray Bottles to help get it off.

 

[Josh2]

Definitely try upping the humidity and keeping it up regularly. I know it's hard to constantly spray/water but there are some solutions out there. Please keep us updated on her progress!

 

[geckogirl227]

I read that you can put a couple moist paper towels under a container with a hole cut in it over a heated area, so i tried that and she like lives in it now! I will let you know how her dry patches turn out

 

[Gopherhockey03]

It should work if you do it that way. But if it doesn't work a vet visit might be in order!

 

[Apocalypse910]

Upping the humidity is your best bet. Usually my geckos do fine in the summer but as soon as the furnace comes on in the winter they start getting stuck sheds. It seems to affect each lizard differently - my female almost never has stuck sheds while my male and the babies have problems every time in the winter. I usually put a tall glass of vermiculite or potting soil dampened with water under the heat lamp. The soil is just to keep the water from evaporating too fast - and to prevent a possible drowning hazard in case (read when) your gecko figures out how to get in the container. You just want to make sure to use something that won't mold, and that you don't add so much water that it turns into quicksand.

There is the possibility that what you are describing is a fungal infection of some sort. Be careful as upping the humidity could potentially make this worse. It is hard to say which you are dealing with without seeing the gecko. Can you provide pics?

Other possible causes are nutritional problems and burns from UV lighting - again hard to say without seeing her.

If you are sure that you are dealing with a humidity issue I've found that gently dabbing the area with a mixture of water and glycerine can help. If the cracks go deep neosporin can help them heal- but generally if it is that bad I'd recommend getting to a vet.