Please advise ! Baby crested gecko does not want to eat!!

**Carien** · 04-07-2021, 10:50 AM

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Some tips and tricks for a baby crested gecko not wanting to eat would be greatly appreciated.

This is my girlfriends baby crestie, I do have snakes so it is not our first reptile.

1 Husbandry is in order , we have a temp gradient of 75 degrees to 81 degrees F. Humidity is on 75%

2 He is a baby crested gecko of 4 months old and weighs 2 grams exactly. (M or F we do not know.)

3 We take note of poop on a white paper towels, but there is no poop and there has been none for 3 days now. ( we can see food is definitely untouched.)

4 He/she has only been with us for 3 days now. Research was done well although the pet shop we got it from was not all that helpful, so asking advice from them will do no good.

5 The enclosure is not too big and he can find his food easily. It prefers not going down all that much and when it does go down its not for long, still the food remains untouched.

6 Girlfriend is sad and worried.

Is it that he is just stressed out and needs more time settling in ? Any and all advice is appreciated.

**acpart** · 04-07-2021, 09:13 PM

How long have you had the gecko? If you smear a little food on its nose it will probably lick it off. Start there and see if that works.

Aliza

**Elizabeth Freer** · 04-08-2021, 06:22 AM

5 The enclosure is not too big and he can find his food easily. It prefers not going down all that much and when it does go down its not for long, still the food remains untouched.

. . . . . .

Is it that he is just stressed out and needs more time settling in ? Any and all advice is appreciated.

Welcome to Geckos Unlimited, Carien! Thanks for your thorough message. Your girlfriend's new crestie may just be adapting to his new environment.

In addition to Aliza's recommendation, how about adding a second feeding location higher up? Clamp-down feeding ledges are the safest.

Please share a photo of his enclosure.

Are there many hiding places so he can feel safe?
Place his home against a wall and cover 2 sides with brown paper bags cut to size or something more decorative.

**Carien** · 04-09-2021, 07:55 AM

Hello Elizabeth and Aliza

I will try smear food on the nose tonight and take it from there.

Do you think perhaps it could also be because I have changed the food from pangea (which the pet shop gave the little one) to Repashy?

I did change his setup when we got home and added in more fake plants and then ended up changing it back to how the pet shop had it thinking that maybe was the reason why.

The enclosure is small as the little one is still small and then I have put the tank in a bigger tank and have actually covered the sides of the bigger tank with toweling (you will see in the photo with the less fake plants in which the pet shop had it and is how it currently is)

The pet shop did not have much hiding places for the little one.

See photos attached and let me know your thoughts?

I had the food on the ground and have it now on the log that is in the enclosure.
I will get clamps tomorrow from the pet shop that I can elevate the food that it is this was my setup with more fake plants.jpg current setup.jpg

**Carien** · 04-09-2021, 02:24 PM

Update: I put some food on the little ones nose and it licked it off and seemed so chilled, very happy!
Added another plant in and the food is on top of the log for now.