help with handling and care of a gecko

Hi there, i have recently been given a gecko as he was unwanted,but i dont no much about them (i can assure you that i want him and will do my best for him) He seems very healthy, eats almost everyday,though some days he eats better than others, but he is not very freindly,he spends all his time in his hide, other than coming out to poop,lol, is this normal? I think he is a lepord gecko he is bright yellow with black spots,and his tail is almost pinky purple, and im told he is 4 yrs old. He has had a shed which was a full shed,that he ate, as i was peeping in his hole. Ive not yet handled him as when i go near him more often than not he just runs away, he's not to scared, but obviously nobody has bothered with him. I would really like him to be handled in case i ever need to take him to the vets or bath him ect, and so that he can come out of his viv and get a better quality of life. The thing im worried about most is him loosing his tail if i freak him out, as im not sure how easy it is for a gecko to loose its tail. At feeding time i remove his hide(otherwise im sure he wouldnt come out)to feed him, and then he goes for a walk round, i put my hands out so he has to walk over them,im trying it slowly, he does sometimes let me stroke his head, but dont seem to like it much. Does anybody have any hints or tips of how to tame up this gecko? He is absolutly beautifull(well i think so ) He does have a small uv light tube but ive read that geckos dont need uv light, so any help on that matter would be great. He has a cage carpet made for reptiles, and he has something to climb on, but i never see him come out,and im a bit scared of him becoming fat. Do geckos need to brumate in winter like beardies do? And last of all do gekos bite? he's never gone to bite me yet,but i suppose there is always a first time, lol Anyhelp greatly appreciated. Many thanks to you all.

We've had a few over the years. Here's a care sheet we put together for them.

Main Category: Lizards
Sub Category: Leopard Gecko
Sexing and Characteristics: About 6 months old the males will develop hemipenial bulges or pre-anal pores at the base of the tail or vent area.
Mostly Active During: Night
Substrate and Water Needs: Paper towels, newspaper. Water bowl and wet hide.
Lighting and UVB: Lighting and heating elements are for temperature. Anything that can keep the temp in the 80’s works.
Temperatures and Humidity: Temperatures should be should be 85 during the day, 82 at night. Temperatures should never go below 80 degrees during the day or be above 95 degrees at any time.

Mist the tank and use a wet hide.
Heating and Equipment: Heat pad and heat lamp on one side of the tank.
Diet: Carnivorous
Description of Diet: Crickets.
Wax-worms as occasional fattener.
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: Occasionally dust your crickets or worms with calcium powder.
Breeding: The breeding season is January-October. The female should be at least 1 year old and the male should be 1-2 years old. You will need to put the male in the tank with the female for about one week. The male will follow the female and eventually bite the female on the neck. He will then get on top of her. This will only take a few minutes. Do not disturb them. Egg-laying will normally take place 3-4 weeks after mating.
Maintenance: This species is easy to care for. They rarely bite. Clean water and paper towels regularly.

More info can be found on my web page.

kathizzy wrote:

Hi there, i have recently been given a gecko as he was unwanted,but i dont no much about them (i can assure you that i want him and will do my best for him) He seems very healthy, eats almost everyday,though some days he eats better than others, but he is not very freindly,he spends all his time in his hide, other than coming out to poop,lol, is this normal? I think he is a lepord gecko he is bright yellow with black spots,and his tail is almost pinky purple, and im told he is 4 yrs old. He has had a shed which was a full shed,that he ate, as i was peeping in his hole. Ive not yet handled him as when i go near him more often than not he just runs away, he's not to scared, but obviously nobody has bothered with him. I would really like him to be handled in case i ever need to take him to the vets or bath him ect, and so that he can come out of his viv and get a better quality of life. The thing im worried about most is him loosing his tail if i freak him out, as im not sure how easy it is for a gecko to loose its tail. At feeding time i remove his hide(otherwise im sure he wouldnt come out)to feed him, and then he goes for a walk round, i put my hands out so he has to walk over them,im trying it slowly, he does sometimes let me stroke his head, but dont seem to like it much. Does anybody have any hints or tips of how to tame up this gecko? He is absolutly beautifull(well i think so ) He does have a small uv light tube but ive read that geckos dont need uv light, so any help on that matter would be great. He has a cage carpet made for reptiles, and he has something to climb on, but i never see him come out,and im a bit scared of him becoming fat. Do geckos need to brumate in winter like beardies do? And last of all do gekos bite? he's never gone to bite me yet,but i suppose there is always a first time, lol Anyhelp greatly appreciated. Many thanks to you all.

With Leopard Geckos deing nocternal they do hide away during the day sleeping, they do tend to be quite shy. Handling is best taken slowly nd doing as you are already by letting him climb over your hands he is getting used to you so don't worry. Caution should be used when handling him and don't grab him by the tail or he will drop it, otherwise you won't have any problem.
When do you feed you gecko and what are you feeding him? Make sure you dust the food with Nutrobal daily. Nutrobal has vitamin D3 in it so he cn absorb calcium. He will not require a UV as they are indeed nocturnal and the fact the Nutrobal has the D3 in it. For substrate I recommend Eco Earth which is coco fibre and is ideal to keep some humidity to help with shedding, he will require humid hide too, using moss is a great way to achieve this. Leopard geckos do love to climb, I have many ornamental piece of wood and bark inside my viv for ours to roam, they love it. I would also suggest using a coloured light instead of a white one. Gecko's do brumate to some degree, they will sleep longer during winter and don't eat as much I find. Finally geckos can bite and will make you bleed but it isn't a bad bite and in most cases wont bite unless they feel threatened.