Leopard Gecko

[spAcE mOnkEy]

I've had my leopard gecko for a while now, since April. He has grown alot and was eating crickets and super worms. Just a month ago he stopped eating super worms. I was feeding him super worms for a while straight, and he just stopped eatin them because i guess he was afraid of them biting him. So i waited for a while because i figured he was gonna shed, and even after he did shed he wouldnt eat. So i got some wax worms and he still didnt eat the wax worms, i think he was afraid they would bite him too. I also got some crickets which my mom dumped the whole dozen in the tank, which shouldnt be done, and then i thin he must have eaten a couple of those. Whenever i saw a cricket runnin around i fed it to the fish. Theni figured if i ordered silkworms, which are the best type of feeders you can get, then he would end his hunger strike. (He did eat a couple wax worms by the way....) Well he only ate one of the silk worms out of the 10 i tried to feed him. He just seems to look interested, then as hes about to strike he closes his eyes and backs away. His tail is still really fat, and he doesnt look too thin, but hes not eating and i dont get how hes alive. Can somone help me to get him eating again?

 

[xautomaticflowersx]

Firstly and most importantly:

*How old is your leo?
*What are the exact temperatures on the substrate (not the air temperatures) at the cool end and the warm end?

My female leo did a similar thing last year - she went on hunger strike for over two months and didn't eat a single thing, so I know it can be pretty scary when they stop eating. However, since he's plump and healthy with good fat reserves it won't hurt him in the slightest to go without food for a bit, so don't begin panicking just yet .
My advice initially would be to stop feeding him altogether for 5-7 days. Don't offer him any prey items whatsoever, just change his water and that's all. Once the week or so of fasting is over, just offer him a single dusted cricket that's maybe just a tiny bit smaller than he usually eats... give him one that's medium/4th instar sort of size (just under 2cm). Sometimes if they don't feel like eating, a bombardment of prey items can stress them out and make them even less likely to want to eat.
Anyway, give the above a go and if that seems to fail then get back to me (on here, via email or whatever).

 

[maryjason]

Hi space....this is happening to mine too at the moment....It apparently happens sometimes at the colder time ov year...its like a kinda hybernation ....mine is active still she comes out for a walk about , everything is how it normally was apart fro the fact she dont eat. The only thing i ve managed to get her to eat was a few wax worms. The guy at my local reptile shop said this is ok as she will just top up her fat supplies that she is living off. But i do know wax worms arent ideal for a regular food because ov there fat content but for now they are fine. I understand as long as u keep to your normal day and night lighting and temps are correct during day and night this will pass, the gecko has a huge amount ov fat supplies in that chunky little tail ov theirs so dont worry but do keep an eye on it. Mary x

 

[xautomaticflowersx]

Yes, what you're describing maryjason is brumation behaviour which is the reptile equivalent to mammalian hibernation. At the moment I am 'cooling' my leopard gecko. The temperature of her tank has been gradually reduced to around 23C for the next few weeks so that she has an effective 'winter period' in the hopes of helping to prevent the sort of hunger strike that tends to occur around winter and early spring.
Cooling is a good idea as it is natural and simulates winter conditions for the gecko, but it's not something that you have to do. Animals that aren't cooled will tend to go off their food for a while (often a few wekks). As maryjason rightly said, this isn't something you need to worry about as long as the gecko is healthy and doesn't appear to be losing weight. However, you will need to keep a close eye on him to make sure that he doesn't lose too much weight. A little weight loss is to be expected though - his metabolism is still normal because the temperatures (presumably?) are 29-32C on the warm end, but he's not eating anything. So there's nothing to metabolise but the body's fat reserves.
You should still stop offering him lots of prey items and try the method I described in my original response to see if he wants to eat the odd cricket. Allowing him time between attempted feedings to become hungry is a good idea. If your leo is off his food due to the winter then you should still keep offering him a single prey item every couple of days (after the initial 5-7 days fast that I mentioned originally), or more if he is eating them. I wouldn't offer him waxworms though... they are pure fat and nothing else. If your leo has decent fat reserves then there is no need to 'top them up' with nutritionally poor treat foods like waxies. It's far better to allow the body to naturally reabsorb some of the fat reserves (that's what they are for). Geckos have also been known to become addicted to waxworms very easily... the last thing you want is a gecko that eats nothing but waxworms. Trying to wean them off waxies can be extremely difficult.

 

[maryjason]

She hardly eats waxworms......shes only ate a few........i do watch her weight thou and her eyes to make sure they arent sunk in etc...shes really looking healthy and is actually say in her viv looking at me as i type hahaha lovely little things they are

 

[demonmagus]

I'm thinking about getting a leopard gecko (i will do lots of research ), and am just wondering if they are the kind of pet that likes to be handled?

 

[xautomaticflowersx]

Hehe yeah they certainly are lovely. Geckos are my favourite reptiles. I just finished cleaning mine out. Since I'm cooling her she's been a sleepy leo lady and has spent the last couple of weeks napping in her humid box. I haven't really wanted to disturb her because she doesn't take too kindly to being woken unexpectedly (there was a lot of tail waving and mouth gaping the last time I accidentally took her by surprise), however she was awake this evening so I took it as an opportunity to clean out her tank. Whilst she was in her 'cleaning-out box' I took some pictures of her (literally about 10 minutes ago). They aren't very good because I was holding the box in one hand and trying to guard her from the edges (didn't want her leaping out) and trying to operate the camera with the other hand! Anyway, her name is Devika and here she is:

demonmagus - Leopard geckos are fairly laid back and will tolerate gentle handling once they've become used to you. Personally, I wouldn't say that any reptiles really enjoy human contact for what it is. Some just tolerate it better than others. They may enjoy being out of their enclosure for a while as it is stimulating for them to be in a different environment and to be given the opportunity to explore, climb and investigate. But that doesn't mean they want 'cuddles' as a lot of people tend to refer to it as!
This is probably the best leopard gecko site on the net that I've seen. The caresheets are really excellent! Check it out for your research: http/www.thegeckospot.net

{Sorry spAcE mOnkEy, I don't mean to hijack the thread!}

 

[MAM]

hey space
As automaticflowers and maryjason brought up, this is probably perfectly normal. My crested gecko has also slowed down on the eating (so have my anoles and rosy boa), she won't touch crickets on only eats a tiny bit of her favorite fruit food. Its that time of year. They slow down and eat very little. You can still try offering a few live crickets, but don't get too frustrated or upset if he still doesn't eat. Keep an eye on him. If he appears to be getting quite thin, looks to be breathing heavy, etc, then get him to a vet, as there may be some other problem going on. But if he still looks fat and healthy, he's probably just fine and will perk up more once the weather starts to get warmer.

And to demonmagnus, just to add, of all the geckos out there in the trade, leopard geckos are probably one of the best for beginners because, as automaticflowers said, they are the most tolerant of being handled. Some geckos, you just can't handle (I had a bibrons, she'd bite if I tried, left a nice little mark too). Some tolerate it fine if they are started young, or if you introduce them to it slowly, handle them a bit every day, then slowly handle them a bit longer to get them used to it. You just need to be careful when you handle them, you don't want to stress them out, geckos CAN drop their tails............ Do plenty of research, there's lots of great leopard gecko sites out there, and ask someone at the petshop to show you how to properly handle one before you ever buy one.