Introducing a Gecko

[ginock]

I am hoping to purchase a Leo tomorrow or at the very least in the next few weeks. One thing I want to be sure of is that when I bring him/her home that he/she is comfortable, happy and feels safe in my home and not afraid. What is the best way to introduce a gecko to a home? Is it best to keep one in a small room so it does not freak out with its surroundings? I live alone so would be the only person it would see on a regular basis, I work monday to friday during the day so what is the best way to make sure it does not get depressed or bored? Should I allow it to walk around on the floor or is that a bad idea? When I wish to pick it up and pet it what is the best way to approach it?

I would appreciate any help I can be given.

Kind regards,
ginock

 

[Wheels47130]

I wouldn't start off letting it walk the floor. It also depends though if it is a baby or adult? Babbies can be real quick. What type of caging are you using? Some of them like handling more then others. They do have their own personality. So patience is the key to having a great new friend for many years.

 

[Geckologist.tj]

It will be stressed somewhat when you first get it. Put it wherever you want it provided it's not right by a window. It will get used to its surroundings.

If you don't want it to get bored, get it plenty of cage decorations to explore; just nothing it climb higher than about 6 inches on, as it could fall and get hurt. Leopard geckos are solitary animals and do not require any form of companionship, so your working will not cause depression or boredom. A dull cage may cause boredom though.

Pease do yourself and your leopard gecko a favor by researching the proper set-up and not relying on a pet store to know what is best. Get it's home set-up and make sure all the temperatures are correct before buying the leo. By doing this, you reduce the risk of having to keep making changes to its home that would cause further stress.

As far as handling, some would say that handling stresses leopard geckos out and you should only do it when you absolutely have to. I believe that most leopard geckos will grow to be indifferent about being handled and you can take them out for short periods every once in a while if you wish. After you get your leo, you'll want to give it about two weeks to adjust to the move. Then, you can begin to place your hand in its enclosure and let it approach you. After it becomes comfortable with your hand, you may try letting it walk into your hand and lift it a couple inches off the floor of the enclosure. Do that a few times until it gets comfortable, and then you can begin taking it out of the enclosure. Just be sure to keep it close to the ground so that if it gets spooked it can't fall very far. Some leopard geckos grow to tolerate handling quite quickly while others never really do.

Let me warn you about some common misconceptions about leopard gecko husbandry.
1) A ten gallon aquarium is not sufficient for a leopard gecko. A 20 long will be the smallest acceptable enclosure.
2) Red lights are not a good option for heating leos. You'll need an under tank heater 1/3 the tank size with a thermostat, and possibly a ceramic heat emitter or a moonlight light bulb.
3) Anaolg thermometers are not very reliable. You will need a digital thermometer with a probe to measure ground temperatures. Also, you may use an infrared temperature gun.
4) It will need at least three hides. 1 warm dry hide. 1 humid hide 1 cool hide
5) Sand is not a good substrate for leopard geckos.(Some people use sand with success, but it can cause impaction) Textured slate tile is a better option, and plain old paper towel works well for young leopard geckos.

I'm just trying to save you some trouble down the road. Good luck!

 

[ChiTea]

It will definitely take your gecko a few weeks (at least) to get used to his new surroundings. I would suggest holding off from handling him during that time. After he starts to warm up to you, you can start to handle him a little bit. I usually put my hand inside the tank and if my gecko wants some interaction, he'll walk towards me. If not, he'll go into one of his hides. Don't try to force handling if the gecko doesn't seem receptive.

If you do take him out and put him on the floor, make sure the area is closed off - they are quicker than you think... I rarely take my gecko out of his tank completely - I usually just handle him inside the tank. I feel that way of handling makes it more likely that he'll interact with me, and keeps him more comfortable

Also, geckos are mostly active at night, so don't be concerned if your gecko stays inside his hide all day - it's totally normal.