Kreuniclus
New member
First off, i am a new member here but i am on an Animal Care course so i am not new to this website. I've always used it as reference in school.
Last August i got a Leopard Gecko. Back then i knew a lot about them as my Animal Care team also has a pet Leopard Gecko. I named mine Link.
Just before christmas i learned that Leopard Geckos need wet moss to help them shed. I thought 'Well, why didn't the shop tell me that!'
I'm just wondering, because of this, if i am missing anythng else. Keep in mind, Link has NEVER looked or been ill as far as i know. He is FINE.
I recently got him a new vivarium with a heat mat. The old one had a heat rock and i know how dangerous they are to Geckos. I keep him on a diet of Mealworms now because he refuses to eat crickets. I always keep his water bowl topped up. I only found a shop that sold calcium powder kust before christmas so that's when i started feeding him food with calcium powder. I always keep a dish in there full of calcium powder which i rub the food in and put it infront of his hide.
Also, i have NO clue as to what the temperature is. I had a thermometer in to old one and it usually read 68 - 71. I rarely checked it. I thought that was too cold for geckos but he's been fine with those temperatures.
As i said before, i only found out that moss helped them shed just before christmas. I got an old mealworm box, cut a hole in the side (which i first objected to because i thought it might be sharp and cut him but then found out he couldn't get in) and filled it up with moss. He NEVER uses it. EVER. One day i got home from school and caught him just starting to shed. I put him in his moss box but he climbed out and went straight back in his hide and continued shedding. I tried turning it upside down, putting the moss in his hide and a few other things but whatever i tried, it failed. I don't use the moss anymore and he seems to be coping fine without it.
I heard something about 'humidity' which i have no clue as to what it is or ho to measure it.
His substrate is and has always been repti-carpet. I don't know anything about my his age as i bought him off of a man who was low on money and thought it was best to sell him. (He sold it to the pet shop who re-sold him. He had a great deal!)
I don't think he likes me. I've heard stories on this very website of people just putting their hand in the vivarium and their gecko rushing out to greet them. I tried that. He ignored me. When i have my hand in there and he's out i do sometimes stroke him like i would my cat which he never used to like but i think he's warming up to it now. Though, i think he's greatful for the new vivarium. The old one was so small.
Ever since i got him a new vivarium, about 2 weeks ago, he has been trying to get out through the glass, which he never did before. He has also been looking at me, which he never did.
I got the new viv for 3 reasons. The third one was because it was so small, the second one was because he had a heat rock in there. The main reason was because my cat, a very fat cat, who is very heavy, was sitting on the mesh on top. It looked like it was about to give in and collapse. This one is made of wood and glass.
I guessed my gecko was used to the light being turned on and off, and this new one 'didn't need it' so i got the light box from the old tank and just put it on the glass on top, which takes up most of the top so the cat can't sit on it. I do, though, have a stool infront of it (which i must keep there as i have nowhere else to put it) that the cat sits on and can look at him perfectly on. I presume that is alright as they have never scared or acted aggressive to eachother. But the other day my cat did get on top of the viv (not all of the space is taken up) and did try to put her paw in a few times. My gecko just stared at the paw. I did stop my cat as it looke like she wa about to fall off but the gecko really didn't seem to care at all.
I think that's it. That's all i know. Is there anything i'm missing? Am i taking good care of him as i am now? Keep in mind that he has never looked ill or shown any symptoms or anything. I just really don't want him becoming ill or something. I REALLY don't. I would hate that.
Sorry if i wrote too much...
Last August i got a Leopard Gecko. Back then i knew a lot about them as my Animal Care team also has a pet Leopard Gecko. I named mine Link.
Just before christmas i learned that Leopard Geckos need wet moss to help them shed. I thought 'Well, why didn't the shop tell me that!'
I'm just wondering, because of this, if i am missing anythng else. Keep in mind, Link has NEVER looked or been ill as far as i know. He is FINE.
I recently got him a new vivarium with a heat mat. The old one had a heat rock and i know how dangerous they are to Geckos. I keep him on a diet of Mealworms now because he refuses to eat crickets. I always keep his water bowl topped up. I only found a shop that sold calcium powder kust before christmas so that's when i started feeding him food with calcium powder. I always keep a dish in there full of calcium powder which i rub the food in and put it infront of his hide.
Also, i have NO clue as to what the temperature is. I had a thermometer in to old one and it usually read 68 - 71. I rarely checked it. I thought that was too cold for geckos but he's been fine with those temperatures.
As i said before, i only found out that moss helped them shed just before christmas. I got an old mealworm box, cut a hole in the side (which i first objected to because i thought it might be sharp and cut him but then found out he couldn't get in) and filled it up with moss. He NEVER uses it. EVER. One day i got home from school and caught him just starting to shed. I put him in his moss box but he climbed out and went straight back in his hide and continued shedding. I tried turning it upside down, putting the moss in his hide and a few other things but whatever i tried, it failed. I don't use the moss anymore and he seems to be coping fine without it.
I heard something about 'humidity' which i have no clue as to what it is or ho to measure it.
His substrate is and has always been repti-carpet. I don't know anything about my his age as i bought him off of a man who was low on money and thought it was best to sell him. (He sold it to the pet shop who re-sold him. He had a great deal!)
I don't think he likes me. I've heard stories on this very website of people just putting their hand in the vivarium and their gecko rushing out to greet them. I tried that. He ignored me. When i have my hand in there and he's out i do sometimes stroke him like i would my cat which he never used to like but i think he's warming up to it now. Though, i think he's greatful for the new vivarium. The old one was so small.
Ever since i got him a new vivarium, about 2 weeks ago, he has been trying to get out through the glass, which he never did before. He has also been looking at me, which he never did.
I got the new viv for 3 reasons. The third one was because it was so small, the second one was because he had a heat rock in there. The main reason was because my cat, a very fat cat, who is very heavy, was sitting on the mesh on top. It looked like it was about to give in and collapse. This one is made of wood and glass.
I guessed my gecko was used to the light being turned on and off, and this new one 'didn't need it' so i got the light box from the old tank and just put it on the glass on top, which takes up most of the top so the cat can't sit on it. I do, though, have a stool infront of it (which i must keep there as i have nowhere else to put it) that the cat sits on and can look at him perfectly on. I presume that is alright as they have never scared or acted aggressive to eachother. But the other day my cat did get on top of the viv (not all of the space is taken up) and did try to put her paw in a few times. My gecko just stared at the paw. I did stop my cat as it looke like she wa about to fall off but the gecko really didn't seem to care at all.
I think that's it. That's all i know. Is there anything i'm missing? Am i taking good care of him as i am now? Keep in mind that he has never looked ill or shown any symptoms or anything. I just really don't want him becoming ill or something. I REALLY don't. I would hate that.
Sorry if i wrote too much...