Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey there folks!
I finally adopted 2 leopard geckos today. They are aprox 6 yrs old, one male and one female. Judging by their tails I'm guessing they are not quite as healthy as they could be. When I got them at 8:30 this morning they were in a 20 L (I think 30 X 12 X 12) with cali-sand, 1 hide, an UTH, and too many very small crickets. I took the geckos out and put them in a shoebox for the time so that I could clean the cage. I got rid of the crickets and sand and put in paper towels. I made a moist hide out of a butter bowl I had laying around and got two jar lids for calcium and water. So currently they have 2 hides, and I realize they need more. I noticed that a few of their nails were green from the calci-sand (which was also green) and I'm hoping thats nothing serioues. After I got the cage put together I put them back in. The female went into their old hide and layed down with her head out so she could see me, and the male was scoping the place out when I left at 9:30.

From what I've research I'm guessing these are just your average jungle morphs?

Please give me your thoughts on these geckos, how do they look to you health-wise etc? I'm not sure if they were getting any supplements, calcium or other wise and their tails look kind of thin to me.

Also, I know you are suppose to have 2 hides per gecko, 1 dry and 1 humid. I don't know how on earth to do that without taking up most of their ground space. I want them to have plenty of room to roam... so any suggestions are welcome!

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~~Tania~~
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon - Jake
1.0 Maltese Shi Tzu Mix - Mosley
RIP 1.1 Med. Geckos - Mary and Peter

looks like they've been neglected to me... get the poor things some food! about the hides, i very very carefully stacked rocks on and around the hides to create a climbing surface and more basking spots... they seem to love it and utilize all available space. otherwise the debate on supplements continues... i dust my crix 2 a week... and leave a small dish of cal. powder out for them to induldge in as they please. good luck with your new found friends.
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there are things known, there are things unknown. inbetween are the doors.
-jim morrison-
1.1.0 leopard geckos
0.0.2 crested geckos
0.1.0 cat

Thanks for the suggestions. In addition to the crickets I mentioned I also have some mealworms waiting at home too. We'll try both and see what they go for.
If they didn't grow up having calcium in a bowl, or food in a bowl for that matter, do you think they will take to it now? I put the calcium in there, and I will try the food this evening. I don't have a bowl to feed them from right now, but I'm making a trip to the pet store first thing tomorrow. Since they are paper towels, I'll just drop some mealies on the floor.
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~~Tania~~
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon - Jake
1.0 Maltese Shi Tzu Mix - Mosley
RIP 1.1 Med. Geckos - Mary and Peter

the way i feed my gecko mealies is i put them in a bowl and leave them there till they are all gone. i put about 20 in and he eats when he is hungry. i also jsut put the calcium in the same bowl with no d3 jsut stright calcium. and then dust the mealies with calcium D3 once or twice a week. and place them infront of him and he just eats them up quick so no need to leave them sit in a bowl. anyway yes they will eventaly fined the food in the bowl and the calci bowl. and know to go there when they need it. jsut be sure to leave a cornor for them to do there bussness in because they go in the same place all the time... like a bathroom
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1.0.1 Green Anole(tedo, bubbles)
1.0. Tremper Albino Leo gecko (Brut)
0.0.1 Bearded Dragon(AXE)
1.0.0 Small Dog( Cho lu la)

0.1.0 Girl Friend

you can also toss the crickets in the freezer for about 5 or 10 minutes... slows them down a whole lot. that or rip off the back legs of the crix. the calcium bowl, my guy digs through it when he pleases. some weeks he doesnt touch it, some weeks its empty, and the worse is when i find the snapple cap i use upside down and calcium every where. i toss the meal worms in another snapple cap, but few and far between he gets worms. i like to stick to the crix.
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there are things known, there are things unknown. inbetween are the doors.
-jim morrison-
1.1.0 leopard geckos
0.0.2 crested geckos
0.1.0 cat

Thanks for the suggestions. I am gut loading a batch of large crickets to feed to them, but I wanted to let them settle in a little first. They were in the cage with tons of little crickets, but I think it was more frustrating than anything. Those guys were too little and too fast.
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~~Tania~~
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon - Jake
1.0 Maltese Shi Tzu Mix - Mosley
RIP 1.1 Med. Geckos - Mary and Peter

Sounds like you are doing really well by those little ones. I would suggest though that you seperate them. Since they look like they have been starved, they might have more of a tendancy to fight over food now. If this is not possible, try putting something in the tank at feeding times, to seperate them. I would suggest taking them out and feeding them seperatly, but those two don't look like they could handle the excess stress. As for the calcium dish, my adults did't have one when they were with their previous owner. He had them for two years, and they took to their calcium dish readily enough. I started out with a flat container, and put a couple mealies in it just to peak their interest. Hope this helps. Feel free to any other questions you have, there are bound to be quite alot of them if you are new to Leos. I know that was the case for me.
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7 Leos
Milo(my adult male) Mongo, Raptor,and Spaz
Popeye and Boo(named after Monster's Inc. Character)sex unknown, but I am pretty sure they are females.
Pumpkin the Patternless (he's a boy too.)

1 Female Sandfire X Blood Aboriginie Red Bearded Dragon. Tequila Sunrise, Tequila for short

1 dog
Baby (Peekapoo)

2 Cats
Mr. Kitty and Shelly (my adopted senior citizen. She's 14!)

I lost my baby blizzard before I even picked out a name. May he/she Rest in Peace

When feeding them they seem to do just fine. I usually keep them on seperate sides of the cage by dropping food nearby them for them to eat. I'm making sure they are both getting plenty of food and that the food is cleared out before I go to bed. If Chorky (male) steals one from Gilbey (female) then I just drop one closer to her next time around, and vice versa. The only thing that has happened is that the male was lunging for a cricket next to the other, and ended up smashing his face into her side. He didn't seem to bite her or hurt her, and they continued hunting. I can seperate them if it is absolutely necessary, but they've been together for years and I have no idea where our old 10 gallon tank is. I'll start the hunt if ya'll think its necessary.
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~~Tania~~
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon - Jake
1.1 Leopard Geckos - Chorky and Gilbey
1.0 Maltese Shi Tzu Mix - Mosley
RIP 1.1 Med. Geckos - Mary and Peter

It is really your call. My four adults we together for a couple years, and then I started having problems. I had to take Raptor out first, because she has trouble seeing and was losing out on food to the other geckos. Than I had to take Mongo out, becasue she was getting attacked by Spaz. Then I had to seperate Milo because Spaz was attacking him. Boo and Popeye had been together since I got them about two years ago, I only seperated them, because my baby gecko ended up dying and I had an extra tank. Now however when popeye sees Boo through the tank, she tries to attack her. I have a divider up so they can't see each other.That has just been my experience, I also just happen to have a psychotic gecko. I would just keep an eye on them and make sure they aren't getting stressed out from being together. Good luck, and keep us updated on their progress.
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7 Leos
Milo(my adult male) Mongo, Raptor,and Spaz
Popeye and Boo(named after Monster's Inc. Character)sex unknown, but I am pretty sure they are females.
Pumpkin the Patternless (he's a boy too.)

1 Female Sandfire X Blood Aboriginie Red Bearded Dragon. Tequila Sunrise, Tequila for short

1 dog
Baby (Peekapoo)

2 Cats
Mr. Kitty and Shelly (my adopted senior citizen. She's 14!)

I lost my baby blizzard before I even picked out a name. May he/she Rest in Peace

I have no idea whats going on in there when the lights are out. But I'm not sure I can afford to get another setup started, not to mention muster up the time to try and find that other tank.
I'm in over my head, I have alot of non pet stress in my life at the moment. And then there is the pet stress, which is 1000 questions and I can only imagine what I"m doing wrong.
Yikes.
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~~Tania~~
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon - Jake
1.1 Leopard Geckos - Chorky and Gilbey
1.0 Maltese Shi Tzu Mix - Mosley
RIP 1.1 Med. Geckos - Mary and Peter

As long as you just make sure they have adequate hides, and aren't competing for food, and are warm enough that is all you can really do. Don't beat your slef up dor not knowing everything, I have had geckos for years, and there is still stuff I don't know. That is why I come on here. Whatever the case they are much better off with you than their previous owner. I understand about stress and money problems. As I said I only seperated Boo and Popeye because I had an extra tank already. By the way, what are you using for heat? I am not sure if you said that already. Well, just keep doing research on them. You'll do fine.
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7 Leos
Milo(my adult male) Mongo, Raptor,and Spaz
Popeye and Boo(named after Monster's Inc. Character)sex unknown, but I am pretty sure they are females.
Pumpkin the Patternless (he's a boy too.)

1 Female Sandfire X Blood Aboriginie Red Bearded Dragon. Tequila Sunrise, Tequila for short

1 dog
Baby (Peekapoo)

2 Cats
Mr. Kitty and Shelly (my adopted senior citizen. She's 14!)

I lost my baby blizzard before I even picked out a name. May he/she Rest in Peace

I have a UTH. I posted on a newer thread the temps and some updated information. No one seems to be reading this one anymore except you and I
Newer Information

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~~Tania~~
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon - Jake
1.1 Leopard Geckos - Chorky and Gilbey
1.0 Maltese Shi Tzu Mix - Mosley
RIP 1.1 Med. Geckos - Mary and Peter

When I went home at lunch they were both sleeping in their old hide. No one was in the moist hide I made lol
When I was heading back to work I noticed that they were both standing up in the hide *shrug*
I'll try and feed them tonight. I always slow the crickets down before I feed them to any of my reptiles, so I'll probably do that tonight too. We will see... some reptiles don't like it when they're cold.
Thanks
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~~Tania~~
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon - Jake
1.0 Maltese Shi Tzu Mix - Mosley
RIP 1.1 Med. Geckos - Mary and Peter

Yep you right they need some work feed regular with dusted crickets also give every now and then (pinkie mice & wax worms or silk worms if you can get them) to help things along not to meny though to much to soon an't gona help.As to there morph (both are normals).

Do you know if they are (WC-LTC) or (CB).If (WC-LTC) they would want treating for internal parasites.

Anyway welcome to the world of leo's.Hope you get them sorted out good luck .

.
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~~Tania~~
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon - Jake
1.0 Maltese Shi Tzu Mix - Mosley
RIP 1.1 Med. Geckos - Mary and Peter

Then they should have been it better nik than that really but what done is done i'm sure to'll yet then back to 100% just keep feeding .

Well its been 6 yrs since they left the breeder. I adopted them from their previous owner who no longer wanted them.
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~~Tania~~
1.0 Chinese Water Dragon - Jake
1.0 Maltese Shi Tzu Mix - Mosley
RIP 1.1 Med. Geckos - Mary and Peter

Congrats on your new Leos They are so lucky to find an owner who wants to take care of them properly. They both look awfully thin & not in the best of health to me, but I'm sure you'll have them looking good in no time. The only thing that would worry me right now is having the female with the male especially in the condition she is in. She is definately not in any shape to be breeding. If it were me I would get her setup separately if at all possible. She will come around quicker that way too. Good Luck & keep us updated on how they are doing. I'll be looking forward to "Before" and "After" pics !!!