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I have a young Leo about 2.5-3" in total length. The individual is extremely aggressive producing a loud hiss when the enclosure is opened and snapping at me if I get within a few inches. I would like to calm it down a lot but I am not sure how to go about it. While holding it I would have to restrain it as to keep it from jumping or going on the attack. Is it ok to restrain them this way? How do I know when enough is enough? I do not want to overly stress the individual but do want to tame it down a little. Thank you in advance for the help.
My reptile collection and research

3 inches...that means its pretty young..its not being agressive, its just terrorfied of you

i would not handle it at all for a few weeks, give it time to settle in and gain more weight, you can slowly put your hand in its tank or whatever you have it in for aqbout 5-10 mins a day, this way it realizes your not going to eat it ad he'll get used to your smell
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Dan Quinn
Manhattan Herps

CONDITIONING! Really the best. least stress way to tame a gecko is just to spend lots of quiet time interacting with it so it learns to trust you, you will not hurt it. Liked your website by the way. Just stick your hand in the tank, far enough to not get bit, sit it there and bestill for a period of time. continue to do this every day and gradually get closer and closer, start to move a little, etc. your gecko will get used to it. Also keep in mind that young geckoes are generally a little more high strung. If you want to chat, I can give you more pointers. yahoo gex419
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1.0 Blizzard Bill
1.0 Hypo stripe, Het Rainwater from JL (BJ)
1.0 HypoTang from Crested (Apricot)
1.0 Tremper Albino (Cloud)
0.2 Hi-Yellow Leopard gecko (Beatrice, Pepper, Goldie-now w/SD)
0.1 Normal (Freckles)
0.1 SHCT Leopard Gecko (Brite)
0.1 Tangy Mutt Leopard Gecko (Rainbow)
0.1 Tremper Albino (Leucy)
RIP Peaches, Ghost
3 eggs a-cookin'

Thanks for the compliment on the website I try hard. Also thanks to everyone who replied. I will do as suggested. I don’t let any of my other snakes or lizards bite me but if Kirmy “My leos name” lunges at me should I just let it happen rather than pulling away? I could not imagine a small lizard like that hurting at all if he lands a bite.
My reptile collection and research

To get mine use to me i just hand fed him with a mealie. and now when i put my had inthere he comes up and licks me. he wont climb on the hand yet but working on that. so u can try hand feeding him.

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1.0.1 Green Anole(tedo, bubbles)
0.0.1 Tremper Albino Leo gecko (Brut)
1.0.0 Small Dog( Cho lu la)

0.1.0 Beachy Girl Friend

i agree with the others- try just sitting quietly by his tank a lot, and just resting your hand in there. i find it's a good idea to handle them (whether they like it or not) once every two weeks, just because (in my personal experience) they tend to get terrified if you haven't ever handled them, and then you have to take them to the vet, or take them out for removing stuck toe sheds. i do have one adult male that has never calmed down, and who is extremely agressive (his name is rasputin). and what i do (as he needs to be handled fairly often, as he's not good about removing toe sheds), is just use a paper towel to pick him up. thin enough to get a good hold (and not hold too tight), but thick enough to keep a bite from hurting. and even when he does land one, it really doens't hurt too bad, other than my ego. and i've found that, with time, as he feels i'm removing his toe sheds and not hurting him, even rasputin is trying to bite less often. another technique i use on my most nervous ones is to put little pieces of fabric i've been wearing around, in my clothes, into one of their hides (no perfume or anti-perspirant, though). then they get used to my smell a bit. can't tell if it helps, but rasputin seems to like the fabric either way.
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marla
currently: 0.0.9 catfish, 0.1 ferrets, 2.8.3 leopard geckoes, 0.0.13 oriental fire-bellied toads, and 0.2.0 sugar gliders

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Dan Quinn
Manhattan Herps

totally, that one was on purpose- he came to me a bad (but handsome) seed!
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marla
currently: 0.0.9 catfish, 0.1 ferrets, 2.8.3 leopard geckoes, 0.0.13 oriental fire-bellied toads, and 0.2.0 sugar gliders