#123---Taming your Leopard Gecko . . . . . . GU's mecoat, Zux (Shane), & others
Leos can be very skittish. Don't scoop up your leo from above like an eagle would. That's what a predator would do!
With your palm facing up, slide your hand underneath your leopard gecko's belly. Then lift.
- Let your leo settle in. He should be eating & pooping regularly before trying this.
- When approaching his cage, always speak quietly. Move slowly so as not to startle him.
- Avoid sudden movements. They will spook your leo.
- Next visit place your hand in the cage palm facing up. See whether he'll walk up to it.
- Try that on several different days.
- See whether he'll come up & sniff/lick your fingers. Maybe he'll climb on your hand.
- If this goes well, with your palm facing up gently slide your fingers underneath his belly & lift him.
- Judge your progress by your leo's reaction.
- Remember baby steps. Don't rush it.
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mecoat -- Nov 2016
"Start with talking to your leo when you're feeding him, so he recognizes your voice and associates it with food, and non-scary stuff.
"Once he's used to that, add your hand in at the far side of the viv from him, talk at the same time. You may want to try having a mealworm on your hand at this point, so he might feel he'll come for the food.
"Once he's used to that, slowly add your hand closer to him.
"Once he's used to that, he may climb on board to get at the mealworm, don't pick him up at this point, let him get used to the fact that the hand isn't scary.
"Once he's used to coming on board, then you can try picking him up. Keep an eye on his body language and breathing rate, if you think he's starting to panic, keep calm yourself and pop him back in the viv near a hide so he can skuttle in there if he wants.
"Always be aware of him, and stay calm. (Beware if he strikes for a mealworm on your hand, try not to jump yourself). Slow and steady for taming."
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Zux -- Jan 2016
"I have gathered the following information from taming a number of different Geckos with wildly varied personalities and tolerances of human contact. This is by no means the only way to do things.
The first thing to remember when trying to tame any Gecko is that they all have distinct personalities. Anything you have read about a particular keeper's experience may or may not apply to you.
None of the taming process is scripted. It is wise for us to be respectful and to go at a pace comfortable for the individual at hand. Forcing things too quickly is likely to have a negative mental impact on the Gecko and, believe it or not, they do remember these (sometimes forever).
With that said there are some rules which you can/should always follow while taming your pet.
- When close to your reptile never make sudden/jerky movements. This instantly triggers a flight response in all Geckos irrespective of their personalities. In other words - They all hate it.
- When close to your reptile speak at a reasonable volume. Shouting or other loud noises tend to startle and/or stress them out, making them less receptive to handling or anything but hiding. Getting them used to your voice is very useful long term.
- When taming any Gecko do so at a time they are normally comfortable being awake and outside of their favorite hides. For example, a Leopard Gecko or African Fat Tail will likely not wish to come to your hand for any reason including food bribes during daylight hours as this is a time they normally stay hidden, compounding the stress of your presence further.
- When introducing your hand to the Gecko, and assuming you're not fortunate enough to have a terrarium with front opening doors, then let him/her see the hand coming from as far away as possible. In other words, just don't reach in from the air above the gecko as this is seen by them as predatory behavior and instantly makes them wary!
Keep these rules in mind as you begin the sometimes lengthy process of taming your Gecko. As I hinted at earlier this may take a very short or a very long time (likely somewhere in between) depending upon the Gecko's personality and how careful you are throughout the process.
For example, I have one Leopard Gecko who is now almost 10 months old and will still instantly flee to her hide at the sound of even my voice despite hearing it every night and tolerating handling itself very well. Some of them are just nervous individuals and this in most cases can still be worked with, though there are rare exceptions.
In contrast to that, another Leopard Gecko I have took no taming at all, and I mean none! She came and ate from my hand the first night I placed her in her terrarium. The next morning she instantly crawled onto my hand, up my arm, and out of her environment. I have yet to see a single sign of fear months later. No matter what happens even her breathing doesn't elevate.
My point is that Geckos can be vastly different even with the exact same care from the owner. Don't worry if things do not go as quickly as you'd like. Some things, as with humans, take time.
Follow, then repeat, these steps one by one until your Gecko is totally OK with each of them.
- Step 1: After you have given the Gecko one to two weeks to settle in and begin functioning normally, begin to familiarize them with your sight and sound. Sit by the tank when you know they can see you and talk to them, a little softly but not too far from what they are going to hear daily from now on. This will help your new pet realize you are not there to hunt them. Do this at night as often and for as long as you have time. A friend of mine studies and reads books aloud next to his African Fat Tail Gecko's terrarium.
- Step 2: Now that your Gecko is used to your presence, get him/her used to your smell and your hand. Begin by slowly placing your hand (palm down) on the floor of the terrarium. See if they will come to investigate. This may take a long time. If this isn't working or stopped working, move your hand to the door of the hide. Wait for them to come and investigate. Position your hand so that if your Gecko wishes to leave its hide it must walk across your hand. I have yet to see a gecko that, without due patience, won't come and at least look at your hand to see what it is. They are naturally curious. However, please note that some may take significantly longer than others to show any interest. Patience WILL be required. Getting the Gecko to realize that your hand is absolutely zero threat to them is your aim. Developing real trust with your hand enables further taming throughout the next stages. It's highly advisable but not a prerequisite to wait until the Gecko walks onto your hand by itself before moving forward with the next steps.
- Step 3: Once your Gecko has no fear of walking onto your hand, slowly lift it off the ground. Do this slowly. Only lift it a couple of inches at first before slowly placing it back down. This allows the Gecko to get used to the sensation.
- Step 4: The next step is some short hand walking. Once your gecko is on your hand lift it up. Slowly place your second hand in front of your Gecko as it begins to try to walk off the lifted hand. Judge your Gecko's comfort level by the speed at which it walks. If it slowly ambles from hand to hand continue this for 30 seconds or so. Otherwise, as soon as it begins to run, carefully lower your hand and place the gecko back on the ground in a secure spot. Repeat this until you can get the Gecko to calmly walk between the hands at least 10 times. At first the Gecko may not even like walking once, but this will improve with time.
- Step 5: Next up is getting the Gecko used to not just your hand, but to your touch. Once your Gecko is comfortable climbing on and over your hand, start very slowly touching it. I gently stroke its side with a finger, because that's the place it would be lifted up from when it comes to handling. Generally speaking, once your Gecko is used to your hand and sees your touch coming, it won't react badly to very light contact. Repeat this until you can tell that the Gecko is not frightened by touch. Try different areas such as the back and top of the head. Always be gentle and avoid the tail. Mistakes here can push taming backwards, so pay attention and be gentle.
- Step 6: The next and final step is picking up your Gecko. Note I did not say grabbing your Gecko! That isn't and never will be something I suggest doing, no matter the situation.
Using as many fingers as the space between your Gecko's legs allow, very gently push your fingers underneath his/her belly while doing the same with your thumb from the other side. If you're doing this while they are laying down, make sure that you do not pinch his/her skin. With your fingers and thumb under the belly supporting your Gecko, gently lift the Gecko out of the vivarium.
So that covers the basics. Once you have gone through all of these stages and allowed a sufficient amount of time within each for your gecko to become accustomed the the new experiences, it becomes a matter of repetition in order to fully tame your Gecko.
As a final note I can't stress enough the importance of patience and of trying to look at things from their point of view. Rushing things like this with reptiles only has negative consequences on their long term tolerance to handling and to people in general.
Be aware when your Gecko is not happy or feeling scared. Quick pulsing of the throat almost always indicates increased fear! Extra care should be taken when your Gecko is feeling this way. Likewise when they move in sudden bursts and stay deathly still between those they are behaving defensively and shouldn't be stressed further. If you are somewhat informed as to how they normally move and act, you can make more effective decisions on how you behave around them and minimize the negative experiences they associate you with.
Good Luck"
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