Can I handle a flying gecko?

The Geckoman · #1 08-03-2011, 03:26 PM

I would love to have a flying gecko, they're so cool. I've read that you should never handle a flying gecko but I've also read that it is okay. So should I or not? I don't want to buy one if I can't hold it.

**Riverside Reptiles** · #2 08-04-2011, 08:20 PM

It depends on who you ask and what you mean by "handle". No, it's not like a leo that you can take out and play with like a toy. But yes, it can be handled in that you can remove it from it's enclosure when you need to clean or weigh it or examine it for various purposes. No gecko species actually enjoys being handled. At best, they tolerate it. They'll live a much happier life if you simply leave them be and observe their natural behaviors.

Sporonicle · #3 08-04-2011, 09:35 PM

It some what depends, like riverside said you can't play with it like a toy, it is more of a hold and look at animal, if it will even allow you to hold it. If it is wild caught you should not handle it unless necessary as it will bite you, if it is captive bred it will be more cooperative but will try to get away. A member on here named Palor breeds them and the babies will allow them to hold him for up to 15 minutes without a fuss. And I agree with riverside in the fact that they would much rather not be handled and should mainly be left alone.

**Elizabeth Freer** · #4 08-05-2011, 12:35 AM

Captive bred or wild caught?

My 8 yo captive hatched female flyer tolerates some handling. My wild caught male is almost as tolerant. Sara accompanies me to reptile shows twice a year and is somewhat out and about during them. In fact, once about noon at a show when she was 16 months old, she laid two eggs on my friend's wrist...note my avatar!!!

That story made an English edition of Reptilia.

Both my male and female flyers will sometimes accept handfed crickets and/or dubia from me. Sometimes they both shake away first feeding attempts, but a 2nd or 3rd try is usually successful.

Ptychozoon kuhli rival Uroplatus in my estimation.

AeroWRX · #5 10-12-2011, 10:30 PM

Supposedly they can be tamed. You can hold it if you can catch it. I was holding onto it with my hand in the tank. Coincidentally, the Mist King turned on and it freaked out and ran up my arm trying to get away from the "rain"

Flying Gecko is HERE!

**Elizabeth Freer** · #6 10-12-2011, 10:36 PM

Hooray!

Great arrival!

grmblmonster · #7 10-15-2011, 11:36 AM

I would not recommend to handle them. They're best left alone, unless it is really really necessarily.

They are very very fast, have no problems with jumps at all, and catching them is extremly exhausting, once they fled.
By the way they can bite very very heavily in your fingers.

To sum it up: They HATE being handled. Some animals tolerate it for a small amount of time, but anyways they are NOT comfortable with it.

And the risk of them getting away and/or loosing their tail when you try to get them back, is just too high.
And believe me, they're just pure evil and so fast, that you'll have quite a lot problems to get them.

AeroWRX · #8 10-15-2011, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grmblmonster

I would not recommend to handle them. They're best left alone, unless it is really really necessarily.

They are very very fast, have no problems with jumps at all, and catching them is extremly exhausting, once they fled.
By the way they can bite very very heavily in your fingers.

To sum it up: They HATE being handled. Some animals tolerate it for a small amount of time, but anyways they are NOT comfortable with it.

And the risk of them getting away and/or loosing their tail when you try to get them back, is just too high.
And believe me, they're just pure evil and so fast, that you'll have quite a lot problems to get them.

Was yours CBB or WC? Elizabeth sounds like she has had better experience with taming a flying gecko

With each handling session, my baby has been getting more and more curious and ballsy. If it gets the chance it will start climbing up my arms and sit on my shoulders or chest instead of staying on my hand. Seems to like to be at a higher ground to feel safe.

grmblmonster · #9 10-15-2011, 09:13 PM

I do have my experiences with CBs, Wild caught animals and my own breed for several years now. I guess, over 50 animals from my own breeding group is quite enough to say, that i'm experienced with those animals.

And even if the animal becomes a little less bustling, they still really HATE being handled.
I do have a lot different species, and the flying geckos are the most "unhandlable" species of all geckos.

**Riverside Reptiles** · #10 10-15-2011, 11:41 PM

I imagine that it's similar to working with tokay. They can be "tamed", but it's really not in their nature. That being said, I don't handle my tokays any more than really needed. The reason being is that I feel like the less stress my animals are put under, the healthier and happier they're going to be. And that ultimately applies to all species I think.