Reptile & Amphibian Forums

is it normal for a new gecko to not eat and not move to much i bought 2 of them one is very active and eats like mad the other hides alot and dont eat im new at it and not sure if i should bring it back or just wait it out any sugestions would be good

PLEASE HELP....I am afraid she is sick because it is much thinner than the other and I do know that it will take time for her to adjust but the other one acts like it has been in there forever and it is only 6 hours new to the tank. she is 2 days new to it. p.s. I heard that the fecies are supposed to be round and dry she finally pooped and it was "wet" and not too formed. PLEASE give some advise

You should seperate them in different enclosures. The one that is eating my be intimidating the smaller one.

Also the runny poop could be a sign of parasites you should have a fecal test done by a vet. I am assuming you bought them at a pet store cause you said something about taking her back, if it was petco I think they pay the vet bill if something is wrong if you do it w/in 5 days of buying or something like that.
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Sarah H

thanks for the input sarah. Um, it isnt a matter of intimidation because the male was just put in there. they snuggle up together in the hut. she does drink though. I dunno maybe I should just wait? I was wondering about a parasite of sorts too.

I was assumeing they were babies/juvies. Sometimes adults take a little longer too get used to new surroundings.
Although adding a male will put more stress one her becausehe will try to breed. You might want to let her get used to where she is and eating first then add the male, because if she isn't eating or has a parasite you don't want her laying eggs.
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Sarah H

Also, if she has a parasite, then you definitely don't want her passing it to the male. You should always have a quarantine period for at least 1 month, but preferable 3 months - and always by themselves so you can watch for individual signs of sickness.

How much does she weigh? If she's as skinny as you're describing her, she shouldn't be in with the male at all. Females need to be at least 50 grams before breeding - that way, breeding isn't quite so much of a stress.

Definitely Separate them and take her to vet with a fecal sample. Ask them to run a fecal test for parasites/worms. It normally costs about $20-30.

If you got her from Petsmart/Petco... Well, I'd bet she's not healthy. And I'd be really surprised he were completely healthy.

~~Dusty Windom
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So Many Alleles, So Little Time...!
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~~The Gecko Barn~~

no, they are both juvies. and I agree about the petco/petsmart comment. The male I bought from a well trusted and highly knowledgable man that owns a local privately owned pet store. I gauantee the male is healthy. is it normal for a leo to have somewhat wet stools or should they always be dry. it also had a white film surrounding it. is that normal?

A white film? Maybe you should photograph so we can see what it is..

I do know that it's common for the feces to have a white blob in it (that concerned when I first got into leos a while ago, but Crystal told me it was okay.. )

~~Dusty Windom
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So Many Alleles, So Little Time...!
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~~The Gecko Barn~~

well that is good that others have said it is ok. that makes me feel better. as the hours wear on she is slowly starting to examine the tank. maybe she really is just a bit timid. I hope.

p.s. she isnt disgustingly skinny or anything ( no bones showing) but she is noticably skinnier than the male.

Where did you buy the female from?
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So Many Alleles, So Little Time...!
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~~The Gecko Barn~~

I bought her from petco...normally against my better judgement but they seemed to look ok but on the other hand I only had the ones in their tanks to compare with eachother. My bad. I have spent countless hours already reading about leos and I saw that is said a geckos tail should be at least 3/4 the size of the neck. I thoughtr it was, so I bought it. It wasnt until I bought the male from the local pet shop that I saw what a HEARTY leo should look like. again she isnt gross, she is actually really pretty but just alot thinner than my male.

Definitely keep her separated from the male. Get her fat & healthy (geez I wish that were the same for human females sometimes LOL)

Also, if you're planning to keep them together, be prepared for eggs.

~~Dusty Windom
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So Many Alleles, So Little Time...!
@
~~The Gecko Barn~~

lol that is funny. just get married seemed to work for me. ( was 125 when dating now married and 145 hahahaha. anyway, yes mating was definetly a plan for the future but I know it doesnt happen till they are about a year old. thank you so much for taking all this time with me it was really above and beyond what you could ahve done. I appreciate it. I love my new babies hehehehehe. btw i named them calvin and mandy ( short for mandarin. ; )

mating can happen alot sooner then a year old posably around 6 months old. And it could be very bad for the female if she isn't the proper age/weight.
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Sarah H

I will keep an eye on the two and if I see any sexual advances from calvin and she isnt better by then, then I will seperate them.

Please, don't just "keep an eye on them."

Separate them immediately!!!

You're not JUST having to worry about sexual advances here.

There's also the worries of possible parasites & diseases - ESPECIALLY considering the origins of your female. You do want your leopard geckos to be as healthy as can be, right? Then don't take any unnecessary risks. You can buy a 10 gallon tank for less than $10 at Petsmart.

~~Dusty Windom
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So Many Alleles, So Little Time...!
@
~~The Gecko Barn~~

ok. I already have a ten gallon set aside for emergencies. I wonder if i should just return her all together and get a female from the local store instead. although I have only had her for 2 days I care for her so much but at the same point I dont want toget extremely attached and have her die on me especially where I am new at this. maybe hearty would be my best bet???

b.t.w. can you help me ditinguish exactly what types of leos I have? mandy has an orange head w/a white strip from her mouth to the back of her head along her jaw lines and a dark grey under her mouth, orange and black bands on her back, and white and black and orange rings on her tail. CALVIN has a grey head with green eyelids, a grey banded back with light purple almost orchid bands inbetween, and a grey and light grey banded tail.

anyone???