Odd Behavior.. Am I just over reacting?

Mollyloo

New Member
Messages
10
I've had me Gecko for almost a year now. It took him (I assume its a him?) a while to get use to us. I currently have him in a 20 gallon HIGH aquatic tank. There is a warm side with a uth under ceramic coaster sitting over the uth inside the tank with his warm hide on top and a basking light that we turn on during the day. I also have a moist hide with moss in it that we mist. There is also a log for climbing and a DIY rock mat for texture. Of course his water bowl and a meal worm dish.

Recently he has been doing somethings that we thought is because he is comfortable with us. Like when he is out and we take the lid off the tank he comes right up to the glass walking over his food and water bowl to get to us and begin to climb up almost like saying "Hold me". When he comes out we hold him let him crawl for a little, he loves to explore. Then we put him back in and sometimes it feels like he doesn't want to go back in.

When he is in his tank recently we have noticed he has not been eating. At first we thought it was but actually the mealworms were escaping and I found some when I went to replace his moss. So this is why I started to get concerned. It has been about 3 days without him eating, I feel like his color is off. I also am questioning if his new behaviors are not due to him being more comfortable.

Is he dehydrated? Did he eat a meal worm that go him sick? Is he blind? Is it normal to be in his humid hide with his tall sticking out when basking light it on? Is it normal to push out his moss (which I have been using the same brand in the same way since I brought him home) out of this hide?

Another thing is last night I was so concerned that I took some repti vitamin calcium with D3 in his food dish and held it up to him and he did start licking the powder. I'm not sure if this is ok to do? I know that he gets his vitamins because we dust his food every other feed (mind you with a different type of calcium powder).

I have cleaned up one bowel movement in the past week, but I feel like this is because he hasn't eaten much. Should I buy him a hornworm as a treat?

Please help I know this is a lot and kind of rambled but I'm hoping someone can help me! PLEASE.
 

Josh

Administrator
Staff member
Messages
10,112
Location
Southern California
Licking the powder is normal. Not eating for 3 days isn't too much reason for concern. If you'd like you can track his weight with a food scale.
Everything you're describing sounds relatively normal. You can give him a shallow bath if you think he's dehydrated.
 

Mollyloo

New Member
Messages
10
This is what he keeps doing. Also he tipped his food bowel over and allowed me to use a wet paper towel to clean it up. Almost like he enjoyed it... image.jpg
 

acpart

Geck-cessories
Staff member
Messages
15,119
Location
Somerville, MA
He looks like a healthy and well-fed gecko. I find that geckos adopt certain behaviors for awhile and then change to other behaviors. This can affect where they sleep (in the hide, outside the hide, on the hide . . . ), whether they dig (throwing out the moss), how much time they spend in the humid hide, how much they want to be held, etc. Many leopard geckos don't take advantage of basking lights because they prefer to be in their hides. I have to say that some of my geckos often don't eat for weeks or months and also don't seem to lose weight. If your "male" is actually a female, she may be ovulating and this can result in not eating. Keep offering and try not to worry.

Aliza
 

New gecko mom

New Member
Messages
24
I've had me Gecko for almost a year now. It took him (I assume its a him?) a while to get use to us. I currently have him in a 20 gallon HIGH aquatic tank. There is a warm side with a uth under ceramic coaster sitting over the uth inside the tank with his warm hide on top and a basking light that we turn on during the day. I also have a moist hide with moss in it that we mist. There is also a log for climbing and a DIY rock mat for texture. Of course his water bowl and a meal worm dish.

Recently he has been doing somethings that we thought is because he is comfortable with us. Like when he is out and we take the lid off the tank he comes right up to the glass walking over his food and water bowl to get to us and begin to climb up almost like saying "Hold me". When he comes out we hold him let him crawl for a little, he loves to explore. Then we put him back in and sometimes it feels like he doesn't want to go back in.

When he is in his tank recently we have noticed he has not been eating. At first we thought it was but actually the mealworms were escaping and I found some when I went to replace his moss. So this is why I started to get concerned. It has been about 3 days without him eating, I feel like his color is off. I also am questioning if his new behaviors are not due to him being more comfortable.

Is he dehydrated? Did he eat a meal worm that go him sick? Is he blind? Is it normal to be in his humid hide with his tall sticking out when basking light it on? Is it normal to push out his moss (which I have been using the same brand in the same way since I brought him home) out of this hide?

Another thing is last night I was so concerned that I took some repti vitamin calcium with D3 in his food dish and held it up to him and he did start licking the powder. I'm not sure if this is ok to do? I know that he gets his vitamins because we dust his food every other feed (mind you with a different type of calcium powder).

I have cleaned up one bowel movement in the past week, but I feel like this is because he hasn't eaten much. Should I buy him a hornworm as a treat?

Please help I know this is a lot and kind of rambled but I'm hoping someone can help me! PLEASE.
I am no expert but maybe his color is off and he/she is not eating because he is getting ready to shed? Or maybe the season change is causing an appetite decrease? A few days of him not eating isn't going to hurt him. Mine have done this before. And as for him not wanting to go back in the enclosure mine do this as well and I think it's just because they love to explore. As for the moss...they like to dig so thats most likely why. Or unless your leo is a female and shes getting ready to lay an egg or two...and yes they can lay eggs (unfertile eggs) even if they haven't mated. Hope this helps!
 

EddieLizzard

New Member
Messages
6
I agree with others that the color could just be getting ready to shed, but it would be helpful to know his full diet (what feeders, is he mealworm only?) and supplement routine (like how often he gets a multivitamin, D3, straight calcium), as well as what the temp range is in his tank.

With both the UTH and the basking lamp in a 20 gal High I wonder if it's getting too warm and he's looking for a place to cool off? He should have a cool area as well as a warm area (check the area on the floor of the tank, since that's where he will be)

For reference I also have a leopard gecko in a 20 gal high (we've had her for about 12 years at this point). I have an uth on the bottom and side at one end with a thermostat that keeps the hot hide around 90 F. I have the flooring made out of homemade foam hides covered in grout, and even with all that insulation the cool side stays around 70 F. That's what has me thinking that the basking lamp might be warming it up a lot?

I feel like we've really stepped up her care in the last couple years, thanks to info we've found on this forum. We recently started feeding her a lot more dubia roaches, with occasional meal worms and horn worms (she used to be mostly mealworms and crickets), and we noticed a huge improvement in her color and general condition.
 

RyleeRellik

New Member
Messages
19
I've had me Gecko for almost a year now. It took him (I assume its a him?) a while to get use to us. I currently have him in a 20 gallon HIGH aquatic tank. There is a warm side with a uth under ceramic coaster sitting over the uth inside the tank with his warm hide on top and a basking light that we turn on during the day. I also have a moist hide with moss in it that we mist. There is also a log for climbing and a DIY rock mat for texture. Of course his water bowl and a meal worm dish.

Recently he has been doing somethings that we thought is because he is comfortable with us. Like when he is out and we take the lid off the tank he comes right up to the glass walking over his food and water bowl to get to us and begin to climb up almost like saying "Hold me". When he comes out we hold him let him crawl for a little, he loves to explore. Then we put him back in and sometimes it feels like he doesn't want to go back in.

When he is in his tank recently we have noticed he has not been eating. At first we thought it was but actually the mealworms were escaping and I found some when I went to replace his moss. So this is why I started to get concerned. It has been about 3 days without him eating, I feel like his color is off. I also am questioning if his new behaviors are not due to him being more comfortable.

Is he dehydrated? Did he eat a meal worm that go him sick? Is he blind? Is it normal to be in his humid hide with his tall sticking out when basking light it on? Is it normal to push out his moss (which I have been using the same brand in the same way since I brought him home) out of this hide?

Another thing is last night I was so concerned that I took some repti vitamin calcium with D3 in his food dish and held it up to him and he did start licking the powder. I'm not sure if this is ok to do? I know that he gets his vitamins because we dust his food every other feed (mind you with a different type of calcium powder).

I have cleaned up one bowel movement in the past week, but I feel like this is because he hasn't eaten much. Should I buy him a hornworm as a treat?

Please help I know this is a lot and kind of rambled but I'm hoping someone can help me! PLEASE.
Can you attach a picture of his cloaca area to make sure it’s a boy this is exactly how my girl acts during breeding season
 
Messages
57
My males have stopped eating for a little now and then. As long as he's not losing weight he should be good. Also, he might not like mealworms any more. My geckos for some unknown reason stopped liking crickets so I switched to mealworms. Hope this helps
 

Mollyloo

New Member
Messages
10
Thanks for all the responses. After a week past this post I went and bought some cricket & wax worms (which I know is only a treat but I just wanted to see if he would eat anything at that point. Needless to say he is back eating and he exploring. I dust his food every other feeding with Repti Vitamins (black bottle red cap). He’s not to happy right now though since I broke his moist hide.RIGHT AT THE ENTRANCE! I tried to hot glue gun it and now he refuses to go inside! he is a very silly gecko. I’m also wondering has anyone tried to get a friend. I know there are certain rules but I’m planning to upgrade his tank to a 40 gallon (lots of roaming room). And was thinking about getting another one. Suggestions?
 
Messages
57
I wouldn't house multiple in the same terrarium. It is good he is eating. Might I recommend buying one from a breeder as opposed to a pet shop like petco or petsmart as they often get animals from awful places like reptile mills. Geckos Etc. Is a good website to look for geckos on. Hope this helps
 

acpart

Geck-cessories
Staff member
Messages
15,119
Location
Somerville, MA
I do house my geckos in small groups successfully. Some things to keep in mind:
--he's not lonely, so if you get another gecko it's for you, not for him
--if the one you have is truly a male, your only choice would be to house a female with him and then you're getting into eggs, possible mating injuries (I don't find it happens too often but it does happen occasionally) and depleting the physical resources of the female
--if after all that you do want to get another, it's really important to quarantine them from each other for at least a month and (based on my unfortunate experience) to get the new gecko tested for parasites and especially for cryptosporidiosis before putting them together.

Aliza
 

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