Is my gecko vision impaired?

[lbanta]

I am a new Leopard gecko owner. We were given a 6 inch approx 6 month old gecko. I made it a nice home. My tank sits on the table so I couldn't put the warming pad underneath so I put it on the side. She spends a lot of time curled up close to the heat pad. Sometimes on the top of the rock hide and lately I added a ziplock container with a wet paper towel inside and she is in there most of the time. I didn't like putting crickets in there cause they hid and she didn't seem to find them very well. So I have this little aquarium about 1.5 gallon that I have decided to use as a feeding place. She does pretty well getting enough to eat if I put crickets in there with her. But it seems like they have to walk right up to her for her to get them. She does the little tail wiggle and pounce but usually is an inch or so short of where her prey is. She does this over and over and does finally get enough to eat. But I wonder why she is not very accurate in her pouncing skills. The tank they gave me her in was a small tank with the one little wood hide in it. I think she was only fed meal worms so perhaps cricket hunting is new to her. I have given her meal worms too, but she misses them too in the pounce. She will eat them if she can get them. We have had her now for about three weeks she has shed twice. I am trying to hold her about fifteen minutes each day to try to tame her and make friends. I also have a red light on top for heat and to be able to see her at night. I don't have a thermometer. I have been misting the tank occasionally with water. Any suggestions. Is she normal to have pouncing issues?

 

[Aimless]

that's pretty gecko, with a nice healthy build.

can you take a close picture of her eyes? can you also please post a photo of your setup?

and it's my understanding that if you have an appropriate humid hide you should never need to mist a leo.

I'm also wondering if she's defecating properly? sometimes leos need belly heat for proper digestion, and with the heat on the side for a terrestrial gecko it might not be ideal.

 

[lbanta]

Here is the current tank. She hangs out most of the time in the moist hide. She does potty every day in the same spot. So I do think she is eating and digesting okay. I am concerned about the heat not being under her hide. I don't think I can put it there since the tank sits on the table. Should I leave food in there all the time. I have been feeding her in a different tank every day at 5:30 in the evening. Also I have a Rzilla miniature red bulb over her tank for heat along with the heat pad on the side. I leave the heat bulb on all the time cause they told me the Leo's don't see red.

 

[lbanta]

 

[lbanta]

This is actually the current tank, I uploaded the wrong photo above.

 

[lbanta]

It is hard with my camera to get close ups on eyes. This is the best I could do.

 

[RBJersey]

I know you've asked a completely different question and don't want to blow holes through your set up, but in seeing the picture the heat pad on the side will eventually become a bigger problem. As others have said, they need belly heat to digest properly. Just cuddling up to the "warm zone" of the tank will not help digestion. Yes, you need a warm and cool temperature gradient but underside heat is critical. That can't be stressed enough. Also, was that a sand substrate? If so I'd recommend getting rid of that. Sand can also cause a plethora of problems such as impaction ect so combined with no underside heating this could be a recipe for disaster..sorry.
To address your question on vision, my leo has the same issue. Very clumsy hunter. I've question the vision a number of times but I just think some are less adept at hunting than others. good luck

 

[Aimless]

she's pretty chunky. maybe offer her a bit less? perhaps she's just not really hungry.

 

[pixiepurls]

She is so cute, have you tried feeder her with tweezers like some people do? My girl misses sometimes, I honestly think everything they see is motion and then add in smell. I think they see anything that moves before they see actual shapes so when the crickets don't move my girl will literally walk away if they are still for too long. She misses a bit but not so much that I worry.

 

[majahawt]

I think it depends a little on age as well. Donut was quite clumsy in the beginning, and he'd have to go back several times to get his prey and sometimes he'd just give up. Now he's a fierce little hunting machine!

 

[PowayRock]

i too was very concerned with my females vision. Over the course of a year she has gotten better. I think you need to get the proper ground temps to assure proper digestion, and yes sand substrate is not good. Hoping since you feed you gecko in separate tank that there has been no ingestion of sand. My female got stronger and a little more aggressive once I started feeding dubia roaches in a dish. Much easier for her to eat vs hunting crickets. Thats when I noticed the liveliness of my female increase.