My baby leapord gecko is really stressed when i try to pick him up?

Question

My baby leapord gecko is very stressed and frightened when i try to pic him up. He runs the other way of my hand and tries to bite me what do i do koz i really want to hold him

Answer 1

Oh geez! It's not a dang toy! It's a living thing.

Reptiles DO NOT LIKE TO BE HANDLED

They won't love you more because you "cuddle" it. You will just stress it out. AND STRESS CAN KILL A REPTILE. Geckos also have delicate skin which is torn easily. If you tear it and it gets and infection, that can kill it too.

Leave it be and treat it like a reptile should be treated. A living thing, and not a toy or ornament for your self absorbed amusement.

Answer 2

Don't pick up the baby. I have a leopard gecko, and I got it when it was still very tiny. They don't like to be picked up until they're older. Don't pick the baby up until later. You can pet it a little, but just 1 or 2 strokes every hour. Here are some tips to reduce your gecko's stress:
1. Don't bother it too much. Don't bump the terrarium. Don't make loud noises. Pet it once every hour.
2. Don't put in too many crickets at a time. Put in about 3 crickets at a time. If the little lizard eats them all within 15 minutes, put in a few more. If the lizard doesn't eat them all within 15 minutes, somehow take them out. Trying to catch crickets it can't catch is probably the best stress-maker.
Ok. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Hi, First things first, they should not be on sand, of any type (even calci sand). For babies you could keep them on kitchen roll to make it easier to monitor feeding, but large (large because they're a lot less likely to eat these with food as opposed to small) wood chippings will be fine. Why were you only feeding them mealworms? Personally I think the key to a healthy animal is variety where diet is concerned. Keep giving crickets (of appropriate size), try small locusts and small mealworms. When fully grown you can try occasional waxworms and pinkie mice. Are you dusting their food with a good reptile vitamin/calcium supplement? I'm not sure why he's behaving like this, it could be any number of things. When you see something out of the ordinary you should (if it's nothing obvious) always look at their husbandry to make sure you're not going wrong somewhere. If everything that you can see seems ok and you are worried, I would take him to a vet who's got experience dealing with reptiles. As for shedding, if he is still shedding you'd know. If he has or ever gets any stuck on him try giving him a warm shallow bath and/or gently rubbing un-shed area with damp cloth.

Answer 4

I agree fully with fireside's answer.

If you must handle your leo, start with getting it used to being fed by you. This does NOT mean pick it up and put crickets or mealworms in it's mouth. Mealworms should not be the only thing your leo eats, but when you do feed it some, hold the mealworm by the butt end between thumb and forefinger, and hold your hand down in the cage where the mealworm is at a level that your leo can get it. Or, let the mealworm crawl around in the palm of your hand, this should get your leo's attention. If it's a baby, please make sure you are using tiny mealworms. Let him/her get used to approaching you, you need to prove to it that you're not going to hurt it. When it gets to the point that it will chill out on your hand in the cage, your set. Don't grab at the poor little thing and make it be held, for all he knows, and this is what instinct tells him, you're going to eat him after you get ahold of him. He's got a tiny brain, he will learn, but you need to go about it the right way.

Answer 5

Most juvenile reptiles do not like being picked up, heck, most reptiles do not like being handled. the only time they are handled int he wild is when they are eaten.

You need to give it lots of time, say until it is nearly full grown to actually pick it up unless necessary to clean the enclosure or relocate it.

For the first several months you need to just gently stroke it along the back several times a day when you feed it and clean its enclosure out. That way it slowly gets used to being touched by you. After it doesn't run away when you are gently stroking it, then gently let it walk into your hand, but leave your hand at the bottom of the enclosure so that it has a quick escape route.

After a while it will settle down and you will be more able to handle it without worrying about stressing it out too badly.

-Good Luck.

Answer 6

Give him some time. Depending on how long you've had him, he's still probably adjusting to the environment and to you.

Try working your way up to holding him. Get him used to you putting your hand in the cage beside him (but not touching him), so he'll learn you aren't a threat.

Also, leopard geckos mellow out a lot more when they get older. By the time he's an adult, you should have no problem picking him up.

Answer 7

Give it some time. Baby leos don't like to be picked up. Just put you hand in the cage and let it get used to your scent. Then try to pick it up.

Answer 8

Stop picking him up. LOL