So far so good :) - 2007/01/13 15:56Well, it appears my panicking may be over for now regarding my new leo geckos I got the temps sorted out last week so that`s all ok. I was panicking cos I didn`t think they were eating at all, and I rarely saw them come out of their hides, but today I`ve spotted a few poops hidden behind a plant so now I`m quite satisfied they must be eating at some point during the night! They are still very shy, but I don`t want to stress them at this stage by interfering and trying to handle them until they get a bit bigger. Do you think they`ll be fine to handle in a month or two if I leave them completely alone now, or will that make them more skittish in future?
Re:So far so good :) - 2007/01/13 18:12To be honest I don`t know for certain, stupidly I forgot to ask when I got them, but they`re only about 4" - 5" long nose to tail (hard to measure exactly when they wriggle about!) so I`d guess at maybe 2 - 3 months? I know they`d not been in the front shop very long when I bought them and they keep their breeding stock out back until they`re ready to be sold. They just seem to stress out really easily when I put my hands into the tank. If I place my finger under their chin to encourage them to crawl onto me, they just swish tails and turn and run! I don`t want to grab them and risk dropping a tail as they have beautiful tails and I want them to keep them! When we handled them in the shop they did get calmer once in my hands. I`ve read somewhere that they can get calmer and more handleable as they get older, hence me wondering whether to just leave them alone for a month or two, but I don`t want to be faced with more problems if I do that. It`s my first real hands on experience with geckos!
Re:So far so good :) - 2007/01/13 19:57on your hands that are in the cage. Then, gradually get them higher until they are out of the cage sell them to get a 9month old beardie, but I decided that they were too precious to me to sell them http://www.kingsnake.com/cihs Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Herps!
Re:So far so good :) - 2007/01/13 21:40Handle them now and often. Can`t love them enough. I like to rub all my herps between the eyes while I`ll hum or whisper to them. Gets them used to my touch, sound, smell, positive input. Try not to restrain them, they will struggle and may lose the tail. If they want to move run them from hand to hand. Try hand-feeding. You are the alpha animal. You teach they learn. later, Pete Live by the Golden Rule. Pay it forward. http://community.webtv.net/SnakeBusters/SnakeBusters
Re:So far so good :) - 2007/01/13 22:39I think maybe I`ll try getting more contact with them in the evenings before they`re fully awake then. I`m just scared of damaging them as they seem so much more fragile than my robust beardies! Yeah, the tail is something I want to protect, hence me banning the kids going anywhere near them until they`re (the geckos, not the kids) a lot older They have such beautifully marked tails and I`d be gutted if they dropped one. Cheers for the advice
Re:So far so good :) - 2007/01/13 22:51old. It`s about 6 inches long. We handle it several times a week for a few minutes. It often tries to run away when I get it out of its enclosure, but I`m able to get it to climb onto my hand. Once it`s out of the enclosure it doesn`t seem stressed. It will climb up my arm or my daughter`s arm, or sit there quietly. Once it climbed into her hair! (Quite natural, considering that it`s arboreal.) It will also jump too, so we have to be careful! Pete, can you elaborate on your statements above? Is it better to hanlde the gecko more frequently (so that it gets used to it) rather than less frequently (so that it doesn`t get over-stressed)? What`s a good way to pick it up? I share Chloe`s concerns about hurting the little guy.
Re:So far so good :) - 2007/01/14 00:01I think that more sensory input from you will tame them in no time. Try lightly picking them up and putting them in the other. or just nudge them into an open hand. Hold them with fingers slightly curved. At this age, these things can fly. When I use leos in a program, they just sit like lumps of pretty! I just pick them up like I would a butter knife. Guage center balance, go in and very lightly put your fingers on it`s ribcage and hold still. Progress with lifting and holding at your pace. later, Pete Live by the Golden Rule. Pay it forward. http://community.webtv.net/SnakeBusters/SnakeBusters
Re:So far so good :) - 2007/01/14 01:15the bottom of the tank, then use my other hand to gently herd them onto my palm, and lift gently once they`re there and let them wander from hand to hand to hand. I also whisper to them a lot. fr0glet
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