is my leo too young to handle?

[magsmagsmags]

Hello

Just wondering what sort of age i should really be playing with and handling my leopard gecko?
I've looked online and the general view seems to be to put your hand in its viv daily and allow him to investigate and climb on it

However 2 days ago he climbed straight up my arm and walked all over my back, neck and shoulders, back down my arm and let me put him back in his viv.
Ever since then whenever i put my hand in he climbs out and onto me. He's not quite 2 months old yet and he still gets panicked quite easily and can run incredibly quick.

I'm just worried that because he's so young if i take him and he gets scared or suddenly runs off i might lose him, anyone got any input on this?

Thanks

[Pepper]

If he is crawling on to your hand its a great time to start holding him. You just have to be careful that he doesn't fall off, so its best to sit down somewhere with them. And probably only for a little bit at a time. He is young and will jump right off while standing. Usually its best to start out letting them walk through your fingers and just keep putting one hand in front of the other.
When he is a bit older You can let him crawl on the bed or couch when they start to get nervous you can tell and then its time to put them away.

[geckodogtuker]

One thing I did with my young female to start handling her was made a cardboard play pen, made out of taping cut cereal boxes together, I used three boxes and cut off the edges so it sat flat on the kitchen floor. I would handle her in the play pen, holding her only an inch or two above the ground. Since yours loves to climb, just make the pen large enough for you to sit in, then if the little guy gets out of your hand then you will be completely surrounded by the cardboard, which leos can't climb. then you can re catch the little guy and there ya go! No escaping! B)

[magsmagsmags]

Geckodogtuker - that's exactly what i was going to to do, pinch a big old cardboard box from work and make a pen thing for it so if it got away i could catch it again.

When i said it in my first post that when i put my hand in it climbs straight on me, i mean up onto my body, not just onto my hand. It loves to climb! managed to get out of the shoebox i use to keep it in when i'm changing his substrate etc, not quite sure how!

[Tonkatruck]

I have a hatching...they are adorable...all the Geckos I have owned wanted to climb my arms...but I would not let them get high enough to reach out side of the tank...glad I did not let them get to far, because I didn't know they might jump. (Well I thought they could fall, but I didn't know they could jump.)

I like the cereal box idea!!

[Pepper]

Ya the box idea is a good one. I just sit on the couch with mine, they don't run very far if they do run. Usually they just walk around exploring. While carrying them I don't let them climb up my arms, I always keep one hand in front of them and that helps keep them where they are or use a container to take them to and from the area.
Yep they sure will jump off if they get the chance.

[geckodogtuker]

I think its hallarious when they jump...they look so awkward! When my older male Toby jumps he always starts on all four feet and lands exactly on all four feet....it almost is like a string is attached to his body and someone lifts the string then sets him down again...its great! I've always let mine climb onto my shoulder, they like to watch from there, but whenever they try to climb down my back I stop them.

With the box thing, if you make it large enough to sit in, you can let the little guy wonder and gain some confidence with you and if he climbs up your arm and down your back, he still can't escape. About climbing out of the shoe box...mine have been able to climb out of anything the hieght of how long their body is plus about 3 inches. So if he is 5 inches, they can usually climb out of something 8 inches tall...and so on. =)

[magsmagsmags]

Haha yea mine loves to climb all over me, as the first few times he climbed out of his viv onto me i wasn't in any sort of box and didn't wanna lose him in my room i just kept really still and let him climb down my bacl, arms, wherever he wanted - but he always seemed to come back up to my shoulders and back on my hand.

[geckodogtuker]

They do love to be up high...as high as they can physically get. They're supposed to be ground geckos but I think they wish they were tree geckos. =)

I know with my two they will even try to use eachother as stairs if they know they can almost reach...of course they usually end up toppling down...such as leopard geckos do....in a very ungraceful *plop* sort of way. lol

[Tonkatruck]

I always wondered if the bath tub might work too...I might try that one. I haven't brought mine much further then the tank yet, I still am working on the handling part. Tonka is to figity still....I have been trying to break her of wanting to roll out of my hand...but she will climb if I let her, I won't let her. I don't want her to hit the floor.