Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm very confused, my always hungry female standings day gecko is acting strange. I haven't seen her eat anything in about a week, the weird part is she is so incredibly active. The minute I put food in the tank, she's usually all over it, but this past week she wont touch anything. Her chubby stomach is much slimmer but her tail is still busting out. She has been wandering around the tank like crazy. I'm concerned that she has only urinated this week as well, probably since she hasn't had any crickets, fruit or mealworms. Should I be worried? I have a feeling she's going to lay eggs. If so, how long will this behavior last, she's making me exhausted!
Thanks, Lisa

A couple of things come into mind -- to do and to think about. If she is with a male, she may be planning to lay eggs. It is not unusual for a female preparing to lay eggs to cease eating a few days prior and to begin pacing about an enclosure looking for a proper laying site.

When crickets are left in an enclosure uneaten, they can tend to bother a day gecko enough that the gecko will act restless, and they will not attempt to any any more crickets until all un-eaten ones are removed. Even then, it may be a couple of days until the gecko eats again. Remove uneaten crickets, try fruit baby food instead in a day or so, and then try crickets again in another day or two.

If the tail looks good, a couple of days without food is okay. Look for underlying possibilities and eliminate any problems.