Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Its been awhile since ive had "new" geckos. I just got 2 babies yesterday and they have been hiding ever since (which i expect). I put crickets in their tank at 1 today and they didnt touch them which i also know can be normal. I am going to remove them but I was wondering when you think I should try again. Should I put mealies in a dish they cant get out of and leave them in the tank during the night or should I hold off altogether? When should I start to handle them? They are still stressed and skittish. Thats all the questions for now...Thanks.

because they are nocturnal, you might want to try feeding them at night. if you put crix in @ 1, don't leave them in for more than 30 minutes. take out the remaining ones as they can #1) annoy & stress your leo, or #2) if there a lot of them, they can "gang up" on your leo and pick at them and eat what they can. try feeding them again at night and make sure the crix aren't bigger than 3/4 the size of your leos head

if you put mealies in a dish, your leo might not be able to see them unless the dish is clear. your leo has to walk around and find them, and if they're struggling, wriggle one in your fingers and slowly lay them in the dish while your leo is watching - this way, he begins to learn where the food is if you leave them in during the night, you'll have to recollect the ones that weren't eaten to see if your leo even ate. if you use paper towels, the mealies will crawl between the layers. if you use sand, they'll bury themselves into the sand, etc. clear, shallow dishes are good - i've heard people say that petri dishes has worked well for them make sure you feed at night when your leos are awake & alert - so you don't need to hold off on mealies. if you have babies - they're more interested in active foods, so crix might be good to start... but mealworms are still an excellent staple diet if you prefer to use those!

start to handle your leos after they have adjusted to their new home... maybe a week or so. but, until then, let them get accustomed to your hand being in the tank. don't touch them, just kinda let your hand stay in there for a minute. this way, they realize that you're not some mean animal that's trying to eat them but don't pick them up until they're ready - it's best to have them crawl on you too, that way you can start handling

[aimEe]
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0.1.0 Albino Leopard Gecko (Marlene)
0.0.2 Fire Bellied Toads (Norman & Forman)
0.2.0 African Dwarf Frogs (Hobo & Bobo)
1.0.0 Fighting Fish (Blue Balls)
0.0.2 Hermit Crabs (Kirby & Furby)
1.0.0 Black Lab / Pit Bull (Mikey)
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