Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i got a new male gecko with bout 5 inches last tuesday, he finally started to eat yesterday at night(i left 2 crickets all night)and he also shed, but there's still one more problem: he's quite afraid of humans that get near to observe him; he stands still, his respiration accelerates, and while we aren't paying attention, he runs to his hideout. After 15 min i go check him and he's out again. Same thing with the hand, i put my hand near him or when i give him some crickets, he stands still, his respiration accelerates, than i take my hand out and he runs to the hideout...

Is this normal? Should i just leave him without perturbing him for a few days?

well yes, i imagine it would be normal. just picture yourself being a gecko in a cage with glass walls that you cant see. also you have some GIANT things looking at you every few hours, sticking their hands in there and what not trying to pick you up. you would be scared too. yes you should leave it alone for a few days and try not to big it. after it gets settled in a little more you can start trying to give it attention. you can start by just checking in on it everyonce in a while. then you can start letting you hand rest in the cage next to it and maybe even try to pick it up after a while. be carefull when you evtually do try to pick it up. scared geckos like to run and jump so make sure you are not too far from the ground, so they dont get hurt. try to be above carpet or something soft. make sure if it does jump to try not to grab its tail. and if it does get away on the carpet cup your hands over it dont grab it. im sure some other people may have better advise...good luck

Yes, your new baby Leo is acting 100% normal. It is best to simply give him/her as much time as it needs to get settled in and adjusted to it's new home. Some Leos adjust very fast others don't. Some leos will tolerate being picked up and held within a week or 2, some can take months. Patience is the key. Just give him/her time to get use to your scent and your presence, this will happen while you are feeding, changing the water dish, spot cleaning the poop in the change etc. One thing I truly believe helps is simply talking to them too, no laughing, I'm serious LOL They get use to the sound of your voice and you become a little less scary And do be careful when you first start picking up your Leo, it's best to keep your hands in the tank with it just in case it takes one of those "leaps of death" they tend to like to do when they are young. Good Luck !!!
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www.StoplightCityLeopardGeckos.com

well, if that's 100% normal i suppose mine isn't...
when I first got him and put him in his cage he checked around it for a bit, i put some crix in there and he ate them right away, and within a couple weeks i could comfortably pick him up. I would suggest giving your leo a bit of space, and I would probably comtinue to echo the advice of shelley1063 (sorry if misspelled!). Good luck!

LOL Actually I also said in my post, "Some Leos adjust very fast others don't." So, your is very normal also. My 2 newest Leos have adjusted immediately also, from day one, were eating & absolutely did not mind being handled. Though they aren't "babies", one is 4 months old the other is 7 months old. I have a male that was 2 months old when I got him which was about 3 months ago now and he is still a big sissy LOL He finally quit running & hiding when I walk in the room and he seems to like to be talked to, but as soon as I open the lid to his tank and ZOOM!!! he's in a hide ROFL I bought a female about his age at the same time, she took about a month to settle in. Like I said all Leos adjust differently
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www.StoplightCityLeopardGeckos.com

Shelley is right. Every gecko is different, and age can plan a part in it. Also the breeder can make a difference too. I handle my newly hatched babies as soon has they have their first shed and start eating. I constantly look in on them to let them know form the beginning that I won't hurt them. Some breeders don't have the time to do this. I'm lucky that all three of my businesses I'm able to run out of my home and I have plenty of time to spend with my little geckos. Since they are born wild, it can take some time to get them tame. Also some morphs are know to be a little less tolerable of human contact than others. Two examples are Blizzards and Snake Eyes or Eclipse. I've also noticed that albinos seem to be a little more jumpy. Just give him/her some time and he/she will come around.
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www.LeopardGeckoBreeder.com

www.LeopardGeckoArt.com

6.16.1 Leos
1.0 Peach Fronted Conure
0.0.2 Red Ear Sliders
1.0 Pembroke Corgi
0.2 Cats
8 fish

ok, thanks for all of your advice, specially shelley's