handling my gecko

[bpcrally]

so we got our giant p.m "used" and the owners said he had never came out of the habitat, meaning i dont think he's ever been handled.. He trusts me enough to eat from my hand but ive never tried picking him up. im also afriad about the skin tearing thing..

How should i go about handling him? especially when it comes time to take him out to switch terrariums or for the major cleaning id like to do of his? im kinda nervous about it :S

 

[AWW]

I have some young grandis that will take crickets and lick babyfood off my fingers but whenever i try to handle them or lure them onto my hand they make a run for it. i'm also scared of injuring them especially their skin like you mentioned.

in terms of moving them for cleaning etc, i followed the advice of others on the forum (sorry i forget which post) and got clear plastic containers (cheap sandwich tubs etc from supermarket). i move their tank close to a blank wall and then herd them onto the wall one at a time (make sure they don't get out of reach!) from there its pretty easy to distract them with one hand and come from behind and above with the plastic container to cup them against the wall (be careful not to pinch their tail, toes etc). then slide the container lid between the wall and the container (watch the toes again) and they're safely captured. doesn't solve the wanting to handle them issue but does provide for safe transport, cleaning, escapee captures etc. once they're on the wall i've found that as long as i move calmly and slowly they don't freak out and move pretty slowly as well. hope that helps!

 

[Gecko Guy]

I don't recommend trying to "handle" it. If you do ,,, at the very least it will come out and then bolt, It may drop its tail, (which it can do in the blink of an eye) or it will end up with torn skin if you try to restrain it.....I handle my hatchlings and Juvi's all the time and as they get older they get more skittish. Once they hit about 6 months they just don't seem to tolerate it at all.
As for cleaning I do pretty much what "AWW" suggested,, I coax them into a rubbermaid container that I hold over the top of the tank. On the exo terra's I move the top screen back about half way and hold the rubbermaid there and coax them upward. Its easy as thats the way they like to flee anyways.
Getting them back into the tank can be a little trickier, especially when dealing with my breeding pair. (they always want to go different directions LOL)
Hope this helps

 

[erik]

simply take a plastic bottle and cut of the entire head of the bottle. small bottle for small gecko's, big for big gecko's. then take as many things you can out of the terrarium. put the bottle in front of the gecko and gentley touch him with twissers or with your finger on his back leg.he will run into the bottle. pretty simple and works realy well with all species.

grtz,e

 

[dedula]

I don't recommend you to handle with them by hand. Their skin is really very silk. The best way is to cup them on the wall and put under them a lid. It is very good to make it before you turn lights in your terrarium on. They are little bit slowly. I don't recommend to put the pair out of terrarium and after cleaning back. I have bad experience with it. After this removing and putting back male attacked female. They couldn't be no more together. They were together cuple of months. I clean my terrarium with grandis. I just put the lights off in the evening and I clean terrarium next day in the morning. I think that they aren't so stressed.

 

[frogsnbugs]

You can try using an empty Paper towel roll, get them in one end with your hand on the other. I put Clear tape on the end, then they think they can go right through. Works for me anyway.