GreenOasis
Well-known member
Oh, and a 10-gallon tank will be all he needs for his entire life...just thought you'd want to know. 
New Leopard Gecko
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Mvalenz
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I keep a humid spot for him to hide. However, he has been hanging out in the dry spot more often. I live in a lower level apartment so it tends to be a bit cooler down here that is why i use the heat lamp to help out with the temp.Didn't know if y'all know, but we breed & sell leopard geckos (I have a bunch of eggs in the incubator as of right now, as well!) Many different "morphs", but there are literally hundreds of morph combinations out there.
We keep all our geckos on paper towels or newspapers. Change once a week and they will not stink...ever. Your lil guy is NOT too skinny...he's just fine for his age, which I would put at roughly 6 mos. He will continue to fill out as he gets older & have a very fat tail in another 6 mos.
I don't want to handle it too much to sex it yet. I want it to get to use to it's environment first. But i am curious though. Maybe I'll sex it after this weekend.
Thanks for all your input Carey.
Definitely keep a moist mossy hide in there at all times. Most of ours spend 90% of their time in the moist hide and only come out at feeding time. We also use ONLY orchid moss, as the cheaper stuff molds quickly & is a pain to keep clean. You can utilize a 16 oz deli cup with an entry hole cut into the lid as a moist hide to keep the moss in one place. We also give them regular hides, with no moss, but they tend not to use those.
We also do not use supplemental heat, as they don't need it unless you are keeping your house VERY cold. (i.e. 70 degrees or less) And they absolutely do NOT need a "basking" lamp. They are nocturnal & live in the deep rock crevices in Pakistan & northern India, so they do not naturally get exposed to a lot of light/heat.
They DO need a grit substance which they need to properly digest food (like birds). We make ours with clean sand, ground egg shell & calcium supplements (which they need to prevent metabolic bone disease.) We sell this premade, but you can mix up your own.
In order to sex your gecko, you may need the assistance of a bright light & a magnifying glass. He looks like he *should* be big enough to sex without the magnifying glass, but it can definitely help. Turn him over and look near the "vent" area. You should see a 'V' shape of scales there. If there are actual PORES in those scales, your gecko is a male. If there are just slight indentations or no pores at all, it is a female. If you are having difficultly, see if you can get someone to take a pic of this area (on macro setting) while you hold the gecko on his back...and I can look for you.
As for food, he'll eat crickets, mealworms, roaches & smaller superworms right now. I just put the mealworms in the dish of calcium grit, so that they get coated before being eaten, but you can also dust roaches, crickets & worms in a baggie with calcium, too. They need a LOT of calcium, so dust all the time! (Use NO D calcium...they don't need Vitamin D, and too much can kill them.)
Let me know if you have any questions at all, and congrats! These guys are one of my favorite geckos!
I thought sand was bad for them because they can eat it when eating crix. And my sister said that her geckp died because she feed it mealworms and they chewed through their stomachs. I see everyone feeds geckos mealworms but i am kinda weary about feeding them that. Have you heard of this or experienced it before?
Myrmecologist2
Well-known member
Nice info, I really didn't know about the grit, that's the first time I've ever heard about that! Is that really true? Since in a way I'm a little bit wary of it!Oh, and a 10-gallon tank will be all he needs for his entire life...just thought you'd want to know.
Also, do you know if it is normal for an adult female to eat one large male dubia every 2 weeks or so? She's active and retains a good weight but I was just curious.
Myrmecologist2
Well-known member
About the mealworms chewing through stomachs, that's a myth, a BIG myth. Probably spread by misinformed pet stores, and I've heard it probably originated from someone feeding a sick or dying gecko mealworms. A healthy gecko will crunch the mealworms straight away, and if that doesn't kill them, the stomach acids will.
GreenOasis
Well-known member
LOL...I've heard the same bull from a person who bred bearded dragons, saying her VET friend told her it was possible for superworms or mealworms to chew through a dragon's stomach. If it IS true, it has NEVER happened here, and we feed both types of worms to all of our stock (not exclusively, because we like to give them a varied diet...but often!) and have done so for years.
I think this myth actually stems more from folks who, not having seen their animal at the exact time of death, didn't realize that the mealworms had attacked the animal AFTER it had died from whatever illness, and NOT chewed its way THROUGH the animal. The worms will sometimes attack a very weak animal that has absolutely no strength left to defend itself, but then, crickets will do the same thing, if given the chance! (Which is why you're supposed to remove any uneaten crickets within a few hours.)
The sand is bad for them because of the dryness factor, not because they will ingest too much. Sand will dry them out too much and make shedding difficult. And you can just imagine trying to "help" a squirmy, dry gecko shed!
The BAD sand is that calcium sand stuff that is often sold at pet stores. (It comes in different colors.) We tried it on our babies one time and had SO MANY eye infections from it, we promptly threw it out & never used it again. Whoever came up with that stuff ought to be ashamed of themselves. That stuff also clumps, and so will cause impaction if too much is ingested.
The grit mix is necessary for proper digestion, and proper calcium intake. The small amount of sand they ingest from the mix is beneficial in this case, rather than harmful. And believe me, if we didn't think it was necessary, we wouldn't do it!
Is the lamp located over the moist hide area? (Can't look at the pic while I'm typing this!) If so, that could be why he is hanging out in the dry area...humidity makes it seem hotter, so, even if the area under the bulb is only 85 degrees, the inside of the hide may be 90 degrees or more. Trying switching the two hides around & see if he still prefers the dry one.
-Carey Kurtz-
www.mantispets.com
GreenOasis
Well-known member
As long as her tail is nice & fat, she's doing just fine. Although, the prey item might be just a tad big & that's why she doesn't eat very much of them. Try offering a few presub dubias instead (like maybe 2/3" long?) Also, are you feeding her by hand? She may eat more if allowed to actually "hunt" them.
GreenOasis
Well-known member
Ah, I just noticed the pic. You have a heat mat under & a heat lamp over. No wonder he wants to stay on the other side!I have my leo in a 10 gallon tank. Thought it was going to be big enough but not so sure now. What do you guys think?
I have a heat mat under the tank and an infrared heat bulb on the left side keeping it at about 90 degrees. I have nothing on the right side keeping it around 80 degrees. Moss in the hiding place on the heat side to keep it humid and I keep it dry and cooler on the right side.
I have a little water cap i fill with drinking water everyday. and throw a couple crix in with it as well. However, I think the crix are just hiding in the moss in the humid hiding place on the left. also I'm not sure if the heat from the mat is penetrating the moss. Do you guys think I should remove it all together? He seems to like it in there with the moss.
You don't need that much heat on these guys. What temp does your room stay at? As long as it's not seriously cold (like 70 degrees or less), you don't need heat at all on them.
GreenOasis
Well-known member
She a Tangerine Super-Hypo Carrot Tail. I have one of those. A girl, too!This is my Nemo!
Psychobunny
Well-known member
Carey,She a Tangerine Super-Hypo Carrot Tail. I have one of those. A girl, too!
I sent U a email. I want to try some of your gecko grit home mix
After reading these posts, and those cute pics, I decided to get another little one!!
I ordered one from my old friends at VMS Reptiles and should have him (incubated male!!)
next Wednesday. It's a baby Bell Hybino, very pretty orange and yellow.
Most of my gecko supplies were tossed, so I have to get all fresh stuff!!
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Mvalenz
Well-known member
The room gets kinda cold at night. Like 67 degrees. The heat side was about 80 degrees without the lamp. Is that enough heat?
GreenOasis
Well-known member
GreenOasis
Well-known member
VMS is where we got all of our breeders, and the idea for the mix!Carey,
I sent U a email. I want to try some of your gecko grit home mix
After reading these posts, and those cute pics, I decided to get another little one!!
I ordered one from my old friends at VMS Reptiles and should have him (incubated male!!)
next Wednesday. It's a baby Bell Hybino, very pretty orange and yellow.
Most of my gecko supplies were tossed, so I have to get all fresh stuff!!
Sean's a great guy. Quirky, like me.
Mvalenz
Well-known member
Removed the heat lamp and it seems to like the humid spot more. It still hasn't eaten yet though. I am not feeding it by hand. I'm giving it the chance to hunt. When should I try to hand feed and how do you do that?
GreenOasis
Well-known member
I wouldn't bother trying to hand-feed. Most won't eat from your hand anyway. It will eat when it's ready. We only offer food twice a week to our larger, adult Leos. Yours is about half-grown, so feeding 3x a week is probably fine.
Psychobunny
Well-known member
Dont feed it by hand unless U want to train it to think your finger is a fat, tasty
mealworm!!
mealworm!!
Mvalenz
Well-known member
Thanks for the advice.
I covered the glass on the tank with paper bag. It seems to be coming out a little more often during the early morning and at night. I don't think it has eaten yet. However, I have seen it with its head over the water bowl late at night.
I covered the glass on the tank with paper bag. It seems to be coming out a little more often during the early morning and at night. I don't think it has eaten yet. However, I have seen it with its head over the water bowl late at night.
Really?She a Tangerine Super-Hypo Carrot Tail. I have one of those. A girl, too!
I bought my little Nemo from a chain pet store. I didn't know that there would be some different morph of leopard geckos in there! A another pic of Nemo!
God may bless her soul. :c
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Mvalenz
Well-known member
Those pics are awesome!! I finally got a 10 gallon tank. Can't set it up till tomorrow though. I am going to make it like the Taj Mahal. Should I transfer it directly to the new enclosure before it is use to the first one? It does seem to be getting accustomed to its surroundings as of right now.
Thanks!
You may as long you don't handle her too often. Let alone and your gecko will explore her new enclosure.
I use UTH (under tank heater) for hest source which I had a couple of it to heat up Nemo's enclosure. Did you purchase this for your gecko? It helps digest the food. I had Nemo in her 20 gallon long. I just like to spoil her Haha!
Psychobunny
Well-known member
I got mine on the 25th, when did you get yours?
Still had a Zoo Med Repti Shelter (small) for his moist hide (with a little damp moss) and he loves it so much he doent want to come out!!
I slowly put my hand into the cage and let him smell and lick it, then slowly go away (I dont mean hand feeding!!)
They need to get used to your hand being in there and that you are not a threat.
They should also resume their normal eating habits BEFORE you attempt to handle them (IMPORTANT!!).
I hate to see those YouTube videos were kids just rip into the box, rip the deli cup lid off, and stick their hand in and grab them out to play with!! :no:
