Can't tell if my leopard gecko is drinking?

[Mortalvis]

I have recently purchased a juvenile (2-3 months old) leopard gecko (as recently as Thursday, in fact) and so far things have been pretty alright. She eats, poops and is active at night, catching Zs during the day. I mist her cage a couple times a day only because the humidity is otherwise very low in her vivarium and needs a little help. As far as I've seen, she has not touched her rock pool, despite it being a clean source of water, changed twice a day. I have caught her licking the water off of herself once or twice, but no discernible or extended amount of water consumption has really been observed. I worry that she'll get dehydrated, even if it doesn't seem like she is now. I've watched her both at night and during the day. I figure if she's eating, pooping, and urinating properly that she is getting water into her system, but I could use some tips on how to get her to either use her rock pool or maybe drink more frequently from the clean mist that I spray into her terrarium. Any advice and should I be worried? I'm fretting over her like a new mother.

Just as an add-on, does her food provide moisture that I'm just not seeing? She has an alternate diet of crickets and mealworms, with waxworms as a treat.

 

[acpart]

Welcome to GU. Many of us never (or hardly ever) see our leopard geckos drinking. If you're seeing white urates in the poop, your gecko is drinking and doing fine. Remember that leopard geckos are desert species. While they do need a humid hide (to simulate the humid micro climates they probably encounter in their natural habitats), the overall humidity is supposed to be low. Misting several times a day isn't appropriate for leopard geckos and in some cases can lead to a respiratory infection.

Aliza

 

[Mortalvis]

Thanks much for the welcome and reply!

I figured I shouldn't be misting her so much, if at all. I constructed a nice little humid hide for her out of a tupperware container and lined it with damp paper towel, though she doesn't seem interested in it. I'm sure that's normal, however. I hope I haven't caused her any damage with the misting I've done; she seems fine, so I really can only wish that she'll grow big and strong at this point as long as I give her everything she needs and I avoid the things that she doesn't need.

 

[dbott67]

I don't ever recall seeing my leo drinking during her first year with us, but when she stopped eating a couple of months ago I installed a web cam to monitor what she was doing at night and when we were at work.

The camera is motion-sensitive and when she triggers it, it captures her actions on video and sends me snapshots to email:

Since installing the webcam, I have also got to watch her shed and take a drink:

Mushu Sheds Her Skin - YouTube

Leopard gecko has a drink at night - YouTube

Some additional videos and pictures in this thread:

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/gecko-videos/69625-videos-female-leopard-gecko-mushu.html

 

[Mortalvis]

Aw, Mushu is adorable. I wonder if maybe Sunshine doesn't know how to use her water dish yet since she's just a baby. Her urate was very white this morning when I checked her cage, so I'm happy that she seems to be fine on that front. I've just heard a lot of bad stories about these animals getting dehydrated, especially when they're not used to their new environment. I wanted to make absolutely sure she's alright; being a new reptile owner means there's a lot to learn, I suppose!

 

[cricket4u]

Aw, Mushu is adorable. I wonder if maybe Sunshine doesn't know how to use her water dish yet since she's just a baby. Her urate was very white this morning when I checked her cage, so I'm happy that she seems to be fine on that front. I've just heard a lot of bad stories about these animals getting dehydrated, especially when they're not used to their new environment. I wanted to make absolutely sure she's alright; being a new reptile owner means there's a lot to learn, I suppose!

Many rarely drink out of a dish. Not that they never will, but they rely mainly in their prey for water. Make sure all the insects offered are well hydrated. Of course you should always have a dish of fresh water available at all times.

 

[XoVictoryXo]

what I do is a make sure i have clean hands, and i dip my fingertip in water and place it in front of their face and they automatically lick it off, you can also use an eyedropper. it is rare i catch them drinking as well.

 

[Minka]

Since you only got her Thursday, it may be stressing her out to be in her enclosure so much. Changing the water once a day should be more than enough.