Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i just built a new cage with a door that opens from the front. i thought i would like to get a giant day gecko for it but i was wondering if it would try to escape whenever i opened the door. also, do they tame easily. i wouldn't hold it often because i know of their delicate skin, but every now and then like for cage cleaning or something. thank you

I've had my giant day gecko for about a year and a half and have never really had any problems with him running out of the cage. They are very skittish animals but tend to run away from you if anything. In terms of handling, it is not a good idea to do this frequently. However, there have been occasions where I have kept the door to his cage open and allowed him to jump onto my hand when he felt comfortable to do so. I basically let it crawl on me without trying to grab him. This allows them to get into a comfort zone with you. I would NEVER try and grab him as this can only lead to bites or worse a dropped tail which never grows back as nice. Mine is even comfortable enough to lick nectar off my finger. Hope this info helps.

I have a Madagascar Giant Day Gecko, who is about 9 months old. "V" (that's his name, from a little boy with autism who was learning his alphabet ) is pretty skittish, but has mellowed slightly. By "mellowed", I mean that he no longer spazzes out every time I move or look at him, and I can reach into his cage without giving him a heart attack. He HATES being held, even for short periods of time while his cage is cleaned, so I actually touch him as little as possible. He has escaped his cage twice, though neither time was when I opened the door. He just found a crack and squeezed out during the night. Once I found him immediately, the other time he was missing for several days until he was found clinging to the wall outside the bathroom. His cage is front opening (actually, it is a 40 gallon aquarium turned onto one end, so that the locking screen "top" is now the front), and he has never once tried to jump out when I opened it (I think the fact that I am on the other side of the door is a large deterent!).

Definitely not a cuddly pet, but absolutely beautiful, adorable, and fun to watch!

Wendy

I have a tame GDG (it feels very weird), but i rarely handle it anymore, and I started since it was a hatchling...(i used babyfood). I'd say not to handle it, but to place it in a containor when your cleaning.
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azureus06leopard geckos, giant day geckos, gold dust geckos, stenodactylus geckos, crested geckos, anoles, red eyed tree frogs, green tree frogs, dendrobates azureusazureus06