How to get a leopard gecko baby to eat

[SafariWinter]

Hi I have a 5 week old leopard gecko named spike I got them a week ago and he only ears is I hold him in my hand how do I convence him to hint for him self he only sleeps in on spot and likes to get really close to the glass I have 2 others but they are 31st older and have no problems but it is only spike who needs hand feed this eat my girls take it as soon as they see out please help me with spike

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Please share husbandry details for 5 wo Spike. It is possible that he's new and that's why. It's also possible that Spike has vision issues.

enclosure size
heat source
ground temps on warm end, cool end
type of thermometer
how many hides
supplement types

 

[SafariWinter]

Well I got him last week from Reptiles by Mack and when I was holding him he humped in to the floor he ddidnt break any thing and he sees the crickets but runs from them is it possible he is just a wee but scared of them

 

[JessJohnson87]

The fall has nothing to do with it him not eating. He could still be stressed from the move and new environment. If he runs from crickets, just keep a bowl of mealworms in the tank. Force feeding at this point will only cause more stress, just leave him be and let him eat on his own when he is ready.

 

[Yoshi'smom]

Is he housed by himself? Please share details of his enclosure. Have you tried mealworms?

 

[SafariWinter]

He is in a five and a half gallon tank he has 2 hides and a calcium and vitamin dish and a water bowl and a heat mat I just him daily just !like my other two who are in the same enclosure

 

[JessJohnson87]

I would try to get a bigger tank for the other 2 and move him to the 10, even for a juvenile a 5.5 gallon is too small.

 

[Yoshi'smom]

Sounds like the housing is ok except for the size like Jess said. That's really the bare minimum for a baby. I would check to make sure your temperatures are accurate and just let the little one settle in. Sometimes it takes a while for them to feel secure and eat after they've come to a new home. You've only had your little one for a week, so just let him settle down. Don't stress him out by handling. He'll come out and eat on his own once he feels secure.
You can try covering the glass on three sides of the tank so that there's less stress from things going on in the room.
Also if you're feeding crickets, please be sure to only feed as many as you think he'll eat and make sure they are of appropriate size. Also remove the crickets after a little while so that they don't stress him out even more. Crickets will get hungry and nibble at your gecko for food.

 

[SafariWinter]

Okay but I don't know if I can get mealmworms or about a mother few weeks but real quick I half to hand feed winter and safari because winter steals and fights safari over it but other than that they get along safari is about 4 months younger then winter and winter is about a year

 

[SafariWinter]

[QUOTE=Yoshi'smom;45437. I would check to make sure your temperatures are accurate
His tank gets about 86-90;degrees farenhite on the hot end and 78-82 on the cold

 

[JessJohnson87]

That sounds like the older one is showing aggression towards the younger one and I would keep them separated, even stealing food is a sign of dominance. Leopard geckos are solitary creatures and do best being alone, unless you plan on breeding.

 

[Yoshi'smom]

It was hard to understand that one post. I do hope they are housed separately.
Leopard geckos don't require company and do much better alone as they are naturally solitary animals. So many problems arise from housing leopard geckos in groups.

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

He is in a five and a half gallon tank he has 2 hides and a calcium and vitamin dish and a water bowl and a heat mat I just him daily just !like my other two who are in the same enclosure

Okay but I don't know if I can get mealmworms or about a mother few weeks but real quick I half to hand feed winter and safari because winter steals and fights safari over it but other than that they get along safari is about 4 months younger then winter and winter is about a year

Hi ~

(I'm just summarizing above.)

When Winter steals the food or hogs it all, Safari feels threatened. That's probably happening because those leos are different sizes. If you remove them from the enclosure to feed, that's also stressful.

Other signs of dominance are harder to spot. The bottom line is that the weaker leo will not do well.

It's not a good idea to house males and females together until they are about 18 months old. If they are housed together when they are younger, it is very hard on the female if she becomes gravid/pregnant.

I agree that housing them separately is the only solution.

 

[SafariWinter]

Good news I came home and have ten more crickets and he hunted them and are them

 

[Yoshi'smom]

Good news I came home and have ten more crickets and he hunted them and are them

This is indeed good news! :yahoo:
Just be sure to remove the crickets he didn't eat. Also, let him be for a while so that he can digest and settle in.

 

[SafariWinter]

Winter and safari actually mop when they are alone they just will sit one the cool side and refuse food when separate I am not separating them due to this and they still eat in the tank just out of my hand

 

[Yoshi'smom]

If you don't want to take our advice, that's fine but please keep a very close eye on them. I truly think stress is the culprit here and I would strongly advise you separate them.

 

[Zux]

Winter and safari actually mop when they are alone they just will sit one the cool side and refuse food when separate I am not separating them due to this and they still eat in the tank just out of my hand

With respect you are almost certainly misinterpreting the behavior of the Geckos in order to see what you want to see. They are not capable mentally of feeling complex emotions like we do.

They need to be housed separately for their own health and well-being, it is no coincidence that the other members here all recommend the same thing, they do it because they want you to be able to provide the best care you can for your pets.

They are your animals and of course the final decision lies with you, but it would be a mistake for us as owners to think we understand how the gecko is feeling - we don't.

- Shane

 

[SafariWinter]

I can't winter and safari they really like echother and I just can't they have been together for 4 months

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

I can't winter and safari they really like echother and I just can't they have been together for 4 months

Another idea is to get a 20 long enclosure: 30 x 12 x 12 inches. That way they can each have more space. Then you'll be able to have 3 hides: warm dry, warm moist, cool dry. You'll be able to watch their interactions better this way.

It may surely help to make each leo feel safer.