Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey guys. I've had a blizzard male for about a month and a half, and for the last week or two, I've noticed him getting skinny. He's still eating like a pig, but he's not putting on weight. He's had a pinkie, supermealies, and crickets, but still gets skinnier. He's in with my female, and he's got her gravid for the second time. They don't fight or anything, but I've noticed his color getting darker, and the weight loss. Any ideas on him? I can't figure it out, and I'm hoping he's not ill. I'm thinking that possibly moving him into a new tank with her has stressed him a bit, and I'm hoping he'll be ok, but I just wanted to see if you have any ideas.
Thanks!
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1.0 Giant
1.0 Blizzard
0.1 Patternless
1.3 Normal
1.2 High-Yellow
0.1 Snow (possible)
Pictures:
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1360820

id seperate them and get a fecal done on both of them
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1.0.0 super giant albino "coz"
1.0.0 giant chct super tang het for raptor "Diablo"
1.0.0 yellow banded albino " sammy"
1.0.0 shtct " chico"
0.1.0 patternless "precious"
0.2.0 yellow banded albino "steph & mimi"
0.1.0 normal giant"dotty"
0.2.0 htct " heather & bertha"
0.1.0 hi yellow "lisa"
0.1.0 hypo tang het albino"donna"
1.0 pitbull "deuce"

One is that the temperature might be too cool for him. Make sure you've got the floor on the warm side of the cage heated up to around 90 degrees. I'm sure you've heard that they need the warmth to digest food, but what that literally means is that he needs warmth in order to break down proteins and obtain the nutrients that he's consuming. Otherwise, most of the nutrients would just enter and exit his body without being absorbed.

The other possibility is that he has parasites. Eating without gaining weight could very well be a sign of worms, which are known to rob a significant amount of nutrition from the host.

Both situations are pretty easy to fix especially since he's still got his appetite, but you have to help him out. I second the other post's suggestion to separate him from your female and have fecal tests done.
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www.BugChick.com

chickabowwow

I know they need heat and all of that, I've kept herps for years. As far as the parasites go, I had him tested when I got him, and he was clean, and I know my female is clean because he's her first tank-mate, and she tested clean. With him getting considerably darker, I'm thinking it's a stress thing. I don't have a spare tank that I could put him into right now, so seperating them isn't really an option at the moment. I'm going to keep an eye on him. He's always been lanky since I have had him, I just thought I noticed him getting skinnier. Part of it could be me, too. I recently got a few more males, and they are much bigger and fatter, so maybe now he looks skinny to me. I dunno. I'll keep an eye on it and see what happens.
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1.0 Giant
1.0 Blizzard
0.1 Patternless
1.3 Normal
1.2 High-Yellow
0.1 Snow (possible)
Pictures:
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1360820

I'm willing to bet he's getting stressed from mating. It can be hard on the guys too! You should seperate them ASAP.
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Official Leopard Gecko Freak

1:1 Leos - Gilean and Aurora (1:3 more on the way! WOO!)
2:0 Cats - Troi and Mitsu (shhhhh...don't tell them they're neutered!)
4:0 Betas - So pretty, yet so violent!
1:0 Husband - Eric (He's a lot of work, but it's worth it.)

I was really hoping that wouldn't happen. I know my giant, who is with 4 females, has been doing just fine with them. If I have to, I'll put her back in with the other females and the giant, and leave the blizzard solo, although that's not what I had planned.
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1.0 Giant
1.0 Blizzard
0.1 Patternless
1.3 Normal
1.2 High-Yellow
0.1 Snow (possible)
Pictures:
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1360820

Just because he had a clean fecal when you got him doesn't mean that he is still clean. Parasites are sneaky little buggers and they can multiply in your herps system and can appear at any time. I would get fecals done on both the male and the female. I would also definately seperate them, that is the first thing to do whenever you have any health concerns about a lizard. Having said that, you dont want to put the female in with the other geckos because she may have parasites she got from the male even if she isnt showing any symptoms, and you could risk infecting the others. If you dont have a spare tank you can use a rubbermaid container lined with paper towels for now. Eating a lot and not gaining weight is very suspicious, especially if the temps are good. If the fecal comes back negative agfain then i would keep him on his own with some TLC until he gains some weight
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0.1 Bearded dragon
0.1 mexican Black kingsnake
1.1 Leopard Gecko's
0.0.1 Tokay Gecko
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink
0.0.1 Reverse Okeetee Corn
0.1 Anerythristic Corn
0.0.1 Red Tegu
0.1 Bullmastiff
4.1 Cats

I agree with everyone else, it could be the temps, he could be getting stressed out by the female, parasites, etc. Definently seperate the geckos and don't put the famale in with the other females because you might be spreading parasites like alteredmind said. Another thing about parasites; even if you've gotten a fecal done doesnt mean he doesn't have parasites now and didn't have parasites then. Sometimes the fecal tests don't always show the parasites, so thats why occasional fecal tests are important, like every 6 months, or a couple more than twice a year.

I fed them again today, and he devoured a bunch of crickets. He then went back into the hide that he claimed as his, and it dawned on me...he's been staying on the VERY cool end of the tank all of the time, whereas the female has the hide right on the UTH. I rearranged some stuff so that he can still get at the pad without being in the hide with her, and sure enough, when I got home tonight, he was laying alongside her hide, right on the pad. I think it's a temp issue more than anything now. I'll keep an eye out and see what happens.
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1.0 Giant (Omega)
1.0 Blizzard (Odicius)
0.1 Patternless (Zephyr)
0.4 Normal (Oryon, Spaz, Frost, Onyx)
2.1 High-Yellow (Oberon, Scythe, Twig)
0.1 Jungle Hi Yellow (Angel)
Pictures:
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1360820

it sounds like you only have 2 hides. Your going to need more than 2, 2 is just the minimal for 1 gecko...

Your set up sounds fine and if he's eating as much as you say, he should be maintaining his weight through breeding. He may have picked up some parasites. It is fairly common for leos to pick up pinworms from crickets. You may want to get him retested.

-Alice

I have one per gecko plus one... in the warm, the medium, and the cool end... So if you have for example two geckos, you want three on each.

Coconuts are a cheap hide, a dollar makes two...
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Mommy of Many

1.0 Tremper Albino Leopard Gecko
0.1 Normal Leopard Gecko
0.4 Incubating Leo Eggs
0.1 Rosey Tarantula
1.0 Boxer Pit Bull
0.1 Springer Spaniel
0.1 Lhasa Poo
1.1 Domestic Cats
3.1 Humans

Email Me!

I don't even have enough room in my tank for that many hides. They seem to be doing better now, he's gained a little more weight in the last few days, I notice his tail getting fatter again. I'll keep updating the post.
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1.0 Giant (Omega)
1.0 Blizzard (Odicius)
0.1 Patternless (Zephyr)
0.4 Normal (Oryon, Spaz, Frost, Onyx)
2.1 High-Yellow (Oberon, Scythe, Twig)
0.1 Jungle Hi Yellow (Angel)
Pictures:
http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1360820

Thats great to hear. And Leolover, 3 hides per gecko seems a little extreme. One on the cool and one on warm and a humid hide is perfect. Thats all you need for one gecko, when you have more than one gecko you should definently add more hides but not 3 per gecko.