Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm a new proud parent of a Leopard Gecko, named Mackie. I purchased him/her (still not sure) about a week ago after doing extensive research. Mackie is approximately 4 months old, which is strictly a guess, but I'm going with it. A friend of mine has two adult Leos, one male, one female, and I fell in love with them and just had to have my own!
However, I have a problem. Mackie is NOT eating. She/he only ate 2 mealworms and one cricket the day after I purchased her. The tempurature is typically between 85-90 degrees, humidity averages around 60%, and I've cleaned and taken care of the tank just as recommended. It's been 5 days now since she first ate, and I'm worried! Would this be considered an "extreme condition" whereas I should force-feed? Mackie already shed once, so I figured she wouldn't eat during that time, but that was 4 days ago, now, and still nothing. I put in fresh food every day, usually right before I turn off the "daytime light", but i can't entice her to eat! Am I doing something wrong? What can I do? I'm dreading the possibility that I bought a sick gecko, but she/he has seemed healthy other than the lack of appetite.
Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated!

To you typically feed worms or crickets? Some geckos are really picky eaters. When I first got mine he ate a couple worms the first day and then none for almost a week! I had to switch him competely onto crickets and dust.

I actually offer both. I keep them in a shallow dish, but the sides on the dish are high enough that the crickets can't jump out. I never even see her go near the dish! The one and only time she ate was because I put a mealworm and cricket right in front of her!

Well It's possible you gecko is still stressed out from it's time in the pet shop and the moving. You could try warming it up a bit more then usual as well. If your gecko is ill keeping it a little warmer can help it's immune system. Is your geckos tank in an active part of the house? Moving it to a location where there is little activity might also be helpful. Another Idea is keeping your crickets warm. Warmer crickets tend to move faster and might be a more appealing snack. I wouldn't go as far as to force feed, it is very stressful for the gecko and is hard to do, especialy with the little ones. Putting a sheet over your tank might help minimize the stress on your new gecko as well. Sometimes when i'm up late with the lights on or have a lot of guests over I cover us my geckos to help muddle out the noise and light.Just be careful if you use a heat lamp, don't want to start a fire.

When I first got my baby leo she didn't eat much and would wait until I was long gone before even going near the food dish. My african-fat tailed didn't eat for several days when I first got him and to this day is not interested in worms.
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~Akira
1.0 African Fat-tailed Gecko
0.0.1 Leopard Gecko (hypo tangrine circle-back?)
0.0.2 Red Ear Slider

Hey, thanks so much for the advice...I moved Mackie to a different room where we don't walk by much, and she has had a mealworm since her move! I think she's becoming more accustomed to her new home. Thanks again

They might take a while to settle in, they might be a little stressed from the move. After about 10 days of not eating, you should start to be concerned, and get a fecal test done. I think 60% might be a bit too high for humidity. They live in pretty arid climates and should have pretty low temperatures. Also, my girl will only eat crickets, and an occasional wax worms that Ill feed her, but she will only eat a few of the many mealworms I feed her, so she doesnt like them too much.