New Panther Gecko

[bcook33]

Hey everybody,

I just got a new panther gecko yesterday and I am a first time reptile owner. He is about two months old and is housed in a 10 gallon tank with reptile carpet bedding, a UVB light that is on about 10 hours a day, two hides(one with moss), a water bowl, a fake leafy plant suction cupped on to the back of the tank(he likes to hide in the leaves), and a heat pad underneath the tank. I just have a few questions...

1. I tried feeding him pinhead crickets this mornig(very small ones) and I was wondering how much and how often to feed him? Also, how do you dust the crickets in calcium?

2. So far he has seemed to avoid the heat pad, but my tank stays around 80 degrees where he usually hangs out. I was wondering if its bad that he doesn't spend a lot of time overthe heat pad?

3. He is very skiddish and shy, so I am trying not to touch him or tamper with his enclosure too much to let him get used to it. I was wondering how long I should wait to handle him?

Thanks everyone

 

[Fenix]

Hey congrats on the panther, they can be a lot of fun!

1) leave a few crickets and check the next day to see if any are left, if you don't see any try feeding him more, if a few are running around still maybe feed him less. And try feeding them in the evening before sunset not in the morning, I find them to be more active then.

I dust my crickets by putting some calcium and multivitamin in a Tupperware container throw some crickets in then shake and bake.

2) 80 degrees is good for him, it's not bad that he doesn't spend time over his uth, as long as you have a little bit of heat gradient and plenty of hides he'll figure out where he likes to be.

3) Panthers are not really ones that are up for handling, everyonce in a while some will tolerate it, and sounds like you have only had him a couple of days, give him time to acclimate to his new surroundings.

Next time you have a question about your panther try posting in the correct forum section and you will more like get more and faster responses. (Paroedura pictus in case you didn't know)

Hope I was some help, and don't forget we like to see pictures!

 

[bcook33]

Thank you very much, I didn't even see the Paroedura pictus forum. I will be sure to post pics with my next post

 

[Harshhuntr]

You should feed him 3 times a week with small or medium crickets, they should come in a bag. You can put some calcium powder in the bag and shake it. It's good your gecko isn't spending all of its time on the hot side of the tank, that would mean it's too cold. 80 is were these guys should stay. Give your panther gecko an acclimation period of 1-2 weeks, when he basks and hunts regularly he should be good for handing. Panther geckos are great for handling just like leopard geckos, if it bites than it is not for handling, panther geckos rarely or never bite.