Reptile & Amphibian Forums

im about to purchase a juvenile or baby leo from lllreptile.com or reptiledepot.com

and them being an online petstore, i have no idea how much theyve been exposed to handling

what is the best way for me to get them to tolerate handling?

also some other questions:
1) how do i ensure the animal is eating? (i will be providing mealworms first)
2) what else do i need to do the ensure a long life?

thanks

I think we need a stickied FAQ about the handling thing; the question comes up a lot. Anyway, my technique has always been to just put a hand down in their enclosure for 5-10 minutes at a time during the part of the evening when they're active. I don't chase them or try to pick them up or any of that. I just leave my hand sitting there. Yes, this takes patience. They will get curious and come to see what this big thing in their terrarium is. Usually they lick you, and eventually they decide you're ok to climb on. Once they've reached that point, you're pretty much good to go, but you have to be willing to let them come to you.

As far as the eating thing goes, there's probably not much to worry about there - it's unlikely that a healthy juvenile will starve itself. Shipping may be a bit stressful for them, so give them a day to just hang out, and then toss in some crickets of appropriate size - I'd be very surprised if they don't start chasing the crickets right away.

Ensuring a long life really just entails providing a proper environment and proper diet. Use paper towels or tile as substrate, not sand (sand can cause impactions, which can lead to death). Make sure clean water is always available for them - you may not see them drink very frequently, but it's important nonetheless; sometimes they drink a lot of water in one go.

Provide at least 2 hides, one on the warm end and one on the cool end, so they don't have to choose between security and temperature. The hides should be opaque or nearly so, and should have relatively low ceilings - reptiles feel secure when the walls are close around their bodies. Proper temperature gradient - the warm end needs to be between 88 and 92 degrees F, and the cool end should be about room temp. A humid hide is also a good idea - it helps them with shedding.

10 gallons is theoretically sufficient size for one gecko for its entire life, but mine lives in a 20 long (30x12x12 inches) and seems to like having the extra room to roam around - she certainly uses it all.

I'd also suggest picking up a copy of "The Leopard Gecko Manual." It's got a lot of good basic care info in it, along with interesting general info on leos, and can be found for under $10 in lots of places, including online.

I know I haven't provided every piece of info you could possibly need, so please don't hesitate to ask specific questions if you have them. That said, a lot of the info you're looking for can be found in the book I mentioned and/or care sheets provided by many of the breeders out there - theurbangecko.com has a good one, for example, so I'd suggest going to those resources first, and then if you can't find what you're looking for there, by all means, post a question - we're happy to help.
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0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko - Tigger
0.1 Crested Gecko - Pooh-Bear

yes i noticed you talked about crickets

ive had other pets that ate crickets before and i really didnt like caring for them

so is it ok for me to consider mealworms? ive heard taht some people have read taht the leopard gecko manual mentions taht mealworms can actually increase a geckos lifespan

thanks

Crickets can be a bit of a pain, yeah, but I personally prefer them, as then the gecko gets some exercise when it eats, and then they're hunting rather than just being fed. That said, mealworms are fine nutrition-wise. I've never heard about there being any health benefits to mealworms over crickets though, so without some real evidence I find that a bit hard to take.
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0.1 Albino Leopard Gecko - Tigger
0.1 Crested Gecko - Pooh-Bear

what about dangling a mealworm with tweezers, moving it around the tank and getting the animal to follow, and finally setting the worm down for the gecko to eat?

wouldnt that suffice for exercise?

if not are there any other ways i can get more exercise for the animal?

There's pros & cons with both. Personally I use only mealworms & only give cricket to some of my finicky ones. The main thing I would like to point out is which ever you use, be sure to gut load them.
Another thing & speaking from exsperience is if your going to go through the effort & cost of haveing the animal shipped to you, you would be way better off buying from a reputable breeder. Personally & again from exsperience, I'm a very hesitant when it comes to animals (especially geckos) from brokers/on-line pet stores for many reasons. Sorry can't say anymore. Some would concider telling it like it is slander.

I feed my Leos kingworms and crickets. Although kingworms are way too big for a juvi. I would supply yourself with mealworms for regular feeding. But throw in some crickets occasionally. You don't have to try and maintain them, just buy 5 or 10 if at all possible.

-Patrick

that sounds like a good idea to me

but i was thinking..

wont buying 5-10 crickets a day be a pain for me to do everyday?

What I meant was, mealworms on a regular basis, and a couple crickets maybe once per week. This assures the correct amount of supplements as well as hunting skills. Feeding mealies all the time is only taking away from the Leo's natural instinct to chase and kill. Sorry for the confusion.

-Patrick