Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was feeding my baby leo today and right before he went for the cricket he shakes his tail. Is this normal and does anyone's else do this. Why do they do it? Thanks

It's normal. I like to think of it like a cat. Cat's sway their tails before the pounce. It doesn't always happen though.
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- Melanie

2.0.0 cats
0.0.3 crested geckos
1.2.2 leopard geckos
1.0.0 Bernese mountain dog
1.1.1 red ear sliders
0.0.1 emperor scorpion
0.0.1 chilean rose tarantula
1 south american cichlid tank
2 planted tanks with dwarf cichlids and platies

yeah its normal mine did it all the time and i dont know why but its just instinct i guess

My brothers male shakes his tail so hard, it wakes me up at night whenever it hits the glass. Like everyone else, however, I have no idea why they do this.

Most baby and juvenille leopard geckos rattle the tip of their tail when they are *just* about to strike moving prey. I think this is the cutest thing ever! But hey, that's just me. I believe its a response due to the excitement (see mating below). As some of my females have gotten older, they stopped doing this all together even though they did so as babes.

This can be paralleled with male leo behavior. Tail shaking can be a way of discerning sex: When males approach another leo, they shake their tales. If the other leo shakes its own tail in response, then he knows the gecko is a male and most likely a fight will ensue. If the other leo does not respond this way, the male knows she is a female and will probably have something other than fighting on his mind...if ya know what I'm saying

Males also shake their tails when mating. All sorts of funky unusual behavior can be seen here. Its really quite fascinating!
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Too many Leos
1.0 feline "Spot"
0.1 canine "Tika"

Thanks everyone for the help!

I get a kick out of watching them jiggle those tails too. It is the most darling view!
Enjoy it while they're young. Then they turn into boring adults
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