Behavioral enrichment?

RandomWiktor · #1 07-20-2009, 10:29 PM

I was wondering if there is any sort of behavioral enrichment that one could offer a golden gecko or tokay gecko. I have one of each, both in well-furnished tanks, but I feel like there isn't much to stimulate them. My leopard gecko goes outside at dusk in a digging area, which lets her get out of her tank, dig, experience outdoor sounds and smells, etc. Obviously a tokay or golden gecko isn't going to be down for being handled and brought out of their habitat, so I was wondering if there is anything I can do in-tank to make life less dull. Do they respond to novel scent/smell stimuli like iguanas do? Are there any natural behaviors I can encourage by creating certain conditions in their tanks? Any input appreciated

Osbain · #2 07-20-2009, 10:56 PM

well my tokay is very tame and IMO enjoys coming out every once in a while, she seems to enjoy sitting on my leg or in my hands and watching the colors on the tv... She also Really likes, this im sure of, when i let my snake slither all over the glass of her tank. she always comes out from hiding to check it out...so my advice would be to buy a small snake haha

RandomWiktor · #3 07-21-2009, 06:58 AM

Haha my Tokay is kinda the opposite of tame (you can see her lovely self in my avatar)... the owner relinquished it in part because of its nasty temperament. As in she'll actively go after your hands if you're working in the tank. So bringing her out to play probably isn't a good option as she is very stressed by handling and the affair is likely to result in getting bitten something fierce.

That being said, your post is helpful because it sounds like she is stimulated by new items (in this case a snake, haha) being placed by her tank. Makes sense; they are visual animals. Right now she can see the Golden and the Leopard Gecko from her tank, but perhaps I'll try putting some new items around the tank daily for her to look at... and maybe see what she thinks of my conure, since he loves climbing around on tanks. Thanks

**Riverside Reptiles** · #4 07-21-2009, 11:23 AM

They love it if you give them little kisses on their nose. Try it...you'll see.

On a serious note, my tokay viv is next to my computer. My computer has a fish tank screen saver that looks very real with lots of different fish swimming around. I'll often walk in the room and find the tokays both at the edge of their viv watching the fish swim around like they're waiting for one to swim close enough so they can make a meal out of it. They seem quite enthralled by it.

I'd say that the snake idea is probably more scaring the crap out of the tokay as opposed to "enrichment". I don't think I'd use fear as a form of entertainment. It certainly must be stressful. Same with the bird idea.

RandomWiktor · #5 07-21-2009, 11:26 AM

Oh how cool! I wonder what they'd think of bettas; I have plenty of them, so plopping one of their tanks outside of the gecko vivs certainly wouldn't tricky.

**Riverside Reptiles** · #6 07-21-2009, 11:32 AM

Give it a try and see what happens. You can always move the betta if the geckos don't pay any attention to it.

Osbain · #7 07-21-2009, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverside Reptiles

I'd say that the snake idea is probably more scaring the crap out of the tokay as opposed to "enrichment". I don't think I'd use fear as a form of entertainment. It certainly must be stressful. Same with the bird idea.

Oops, i should have said my very small ribbon snake. i dont think its fear because the snake is much smaller then my tokay, he is only 14" long and thinner then my pinkie, its a very small species. but i can see where your coming from, i wouldn't put a ball python there, that would scare her for sure, shes kind of a wimp sometimes... for example. if i reach in to take her out sometimes and she does not see my hand coming she will get a fright and jump suddenly like when a person gets a fright, then gets real pissed and runs to another hide to escape.

But i agree with the beta idea. i put a goldfish in a glass next to my snake tank once before i was ready to feed it to him and he watched it for about an hour steady so i could see it having the same effect on the gecko, just make sure it isnt red mine looses her mind if something red flashes in front of her, or someone is wearing a red shirt when she is out. i guess it is because there eyes cant see that color which would probably freak me out too if i was color blind that bad...

Sinosauropteryx · #8 07-21-2009, 11:22 PM

Visual stimulation does sound like a good idea but I doubt I would be able to try very much with Pepe. He just runs away from everything...or maybe he only runs from me and I'm just not there to see what he's interested in. Right now his tank is in the greenhouse against a front wall and faces a table where we put plants during the winter. There isn't very much stimulation for him in there (other than the large bumbling human who comes in every night to dispense crickets) so I often wonder if he does get bored.

The only thing I can suggest right now - other than what has already been mentioned - is to make feeding time fun. I don't like letting crickets loose in the terrarium because there are too many places to hide and I don't want the crickets ganging up on Pepe, but there are other insects that may not do that. Try putting lots of flying insects into the terrarium like butterflies, moths, mayflies, damselflies, and small dragonflies, and let your gecko chase them. They will provide both you and your gecko with something interesting to watch and will offer additional variety to their staple diet. Plus they won't eat your gecko.

michjael · #9 07-22-2009, 04:43 PM

I got 2 little fish in with my female tokay and she will sit by the little tank I put in there and watches the fish swim around she dose almost every night.

Airedale · #10 07-22-2009, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Riverside Reptiles

They love it if you give them little kisses on their nose. Try it...you'll see.

On a serious note, my tokay viv is next to my computer. My computer has a fish tank screen saver that looks very real with lots of different fish swimming around. I'll often walk in the room and find the tokays both at the edge of their viv watching the fish swim around like they're waiting for one to swim close enough so they can make a meal out of it. They seem quite enthralled by it.

I'd say that the snake idea is probably more scaring the crap out of the tokay as opposed to "enrichment". I don't think I'd use fear as a form of entertainment. It certainly must be stressful. Same with the bird idea.

Try to find a roach or cricket screen saver

. JK. That would probably just stress them out even more.