Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a concern about a gecko my girlfriend and I have taken as a pet. This is our first Gecko, and is considerably young. He is quite timid, and does not seem to be interested in eating. A couple days ago I was able to hand feed him at which point in time he happily devoured 2 crickets. Since then I have tried to hand feed him (he seems to have trouble catching the crickets on his own) and didn't want to have anything to do with the crickets. I have read on a website that loose substrates are not good for geckos, (which is what we have) and that reptile carpet would be better, however at the pet store they said that the carpet can cause the claws of the geckos to get snagged, and thus cause an infection. I have also heared that loose substrate can cause problems with the geckos diet. I have been seeming to get conflicting replies on how to properly care for leopard geckos, and would hate to lose him based on this. I have also noticed his coloring has become quite dark, and his tail seems thinner. He was a pinkish color when we first got him. Sorry to write a novel, however I am concerened about his well being, and would appreciate direction and advice to care for healthy, and happy geckos. Thanks.

Concerened New Gecko Owner

Loose substrates are not a good idea with a Leo, especially a young one, high risk of impaction. Repti-carpet is fine, it won't harm your Leo. I use a combination of repti-carpet & slate tile in all my setups from babies to adults and have never had a problem with it. Yes, they will accidently bite the carpet when attacking crickets, getting teeth hooked on it, but they quickly learn how to avoid grabbing the carpet. It doesn't hurt them

As for the crickets, you might try removing their back legs, that slows them down making them much easier to catch LOL

You need to make sure the temperature on top of the substrate on the warm side is in the 88-93 degree range. Leos need belly heat in order to digest food properly, if it's too cold they can stop eating. You will need a thermometer with a probe to measure the temps on top of the substrate.

I have a lot of information in my care sheet on my website, if you'd like to read it, the link is below.
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www.StoplightCityLeopardGeckos.com

Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate the input. I do have one question about his coloring though. I understand that geckos have "phases", and I was wondering if his darker appearance could mean he is getting ready to shed. Is this something I should be concerened about?

I think you should familiarize yourself with a leopard gecko caresheet. Kingsnake has them for all kinds of reptiles, includings leos.

Educate yourself. This creature's life is in your hands.

The 2 biggest reasons Leos turn dark is stress and cool temperatures. If it is getting ready to shed it will get dull looking and a whitish haze to it.
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www.StoplightCityLeopardGeckos.com