Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
I have had my leopard gecko for 6 1/2 months. I've had no problems and she is very healthy. The only thing is I think she's extremely lazy. She sleeps at least 23 hours a day. She has never walked onto my hand. She is used to my hand being in the tank and is not scared. If i reach in, she looks, then goes back to sleep. 6 PM every night she poops and eats, she isnt scared at all. She is just lazy and never comes out. When i go to bed at night, i look at her, when i wake up she's in the same exact position. This isnt a coincidence, its happened every night for 6 months. Half the time i try to wake her up to make sure she's not dead. Every site i read befofe i got her said that leopard geckos are great pets and good pets to be handled and fun to watch. I really love her and would never even think about getting rid of her or anything. Any suggestions as to why she's lazy and will she ever get over it??
Thanks Alot,
Joe

Sounds like something's not right. Have you ever had any fecal tests done for her?
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chickabowwow

3.2.3 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)

I've taken her to the vet a couple times and had a fecal test done. Vet sais she's healthy, i've never asked the vet about her behavour though. Think they would know?

Nearly all of my leos seem to spend the bulk of their time hiding, but I know they still come out. That's because I have a very irregular sleep schedule, so when I check on them in the middle of the night, I see them chilling out on top of their hides. All of them do that at one point or another, even the little babies.

There were two of them though that were acting really lazy. It's not that they were scared, but it's that they spent a lot more time sleeping than before. They weren't eating as much, but they weren't losing weight. This lasted for a couple of months. I figured they were just slowing down for the winter, but it turned out that both had pretty heavy loads of worms. When I started treating them, they went back to their normal selves. Really excited about eating and a lot more active than before.
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chickabowwow

3.2.3 leopard geckos (Rosie, Locke, Lisa, Caesar, Tommy)

I have a few females and a male or two that act the way you described. I don’t think it bad for them, unless you notice a weight loss or complete loss of appetite. I think some leos can be extra lazy, all they need is a TV and some beer.

IMO it’s ok to take your leo out of their hide, and put them on your shoulder or hand. They will begin to trust you and realize that you are not a threat. Your leo sounds like it is plenty old enough to be handled. I’ve noticed that males seem to be tamer, and readily handled.

If you’d rather let her be, that’s ok too. She may learn to walk up your hand with time. You just need to find a happy medium with your gal. Good luck!

DaveCable

my leo used to be the same way...
actually she kinda still is that way, but she's a bit more active.

a few months ago, i posted about the same behaviors you were talking about. but, i tried handling her some more, and that's when she started becoming more active. if she was leaning against something, i'd block her path with my hand - or if she was in a standing position against something - i'd just lift her up onto my hand. i thought she'd stress out, but she ended up just exploring. after 15 or 20 minutes of handling, her activity increased each night. but, she's still pretty lazy - the difference is, she moves around the tank a lot more often and is always excited to crawl up my hand.

try handling your leo a few more times and hopefully she'll pick up the pace. because of the winter season, she could be a little more lazy.

good luck..

[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)
aimee.i8.com

Hey,

I have a female leo who sleeps ALL the time, but she still comes out when I'm sleeping. I find that yes, handling does help, because now when I stick my hand in her tank to hand-feed her she thinks I want to take her out and she climbs on my hand and looks up, lol(She loves to go on adventures). She's pretty smart. Each gecko varies in personality and habits. As long as the vet sees nothing wrong with her, she's eating and is using the bathroom routinely, there really shouldn't be anything wrong. Take care.

-Britney
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1.1 Leos(Ron and Raine), 2.1 Kitty Cats(Bubba, Angelo and Cookie) and 1.1 Rouen Ducks(Buddy and M.J.).