Pooping in the same place - what happens in the wild?

[muffin_song]

Hi all,

For some reason lately I've been fascinated with leos in the wild, and how their behavior changes in captivity. (If anyone has any good links, I'd love to read more! I haven't been able to find a ton of information)

So leos in captivity tend to choose a pooping spot in the cage, and stick with it. However, I'm assuming that wild leos cover a lot more ground...would they also try to go back to the same area to poop? I'm assuming they do this to hide their scent, but I may be wrong.

I'm really curious if this whole phenomenon is a result of leos being kept in captivity.

 

[JessJohnson87]

From what I have read, leo's in the wild never stray too far from their burrow so not sure about them pooping in the same spot. Not much research has been done because of where they are predominantly found, most countries are at conflict with Pakistan and Afghanistan.

 

[muffin_song]

Ah, so it sounds like even in the wild they have a "territory." That makes their enclosures a little less unnatural (so I hope).

Every now and then I see posts about pet leos who are children of wild leos. I know someone recently mentioned some Pakistani-bloodline leos, but I'm assuming we could also get them from Northern India?

I also find myself sitting around and wondering things like, "How many generations ago were your ancestors wild leos in the Middle East, Scooter...?" Scooter is usually more concerned with napping

 

[JessJohnson87]

It would be lovely if people could go out and research them in the wild. I'm sure there's more research with some of the other Eublepharis species.

Not sure how people are exporting the wild types from those countries to create captive bred bloodlines.


Todd usually has great input with stuff like this, maybe he will get on at some point and shed some light. He has a leo from wild type bloodlines.

 

[amsdadtodd]

Thanks Jess, I wish I had more to offer regarding leo's pooping in the wild. I do have this article which [MENTION=4925]Hilde[/MENTION] posted as a response to me once. It's interesting, but won't answer that particular question.

Leopard Geckos (Sauria: Eublepharidae) of the World

My AC is a first generation afghanicus, meaning his parents were wild caught. Like the rest of my kids, he uses the same spot every time.

Todd

 

[JessJohnson87]

There he is.

I was more or less referring to how they are exported from Pakistan to the US or other countries not the pooping question.

 

[Hilde]

There's a pretty good summary of "scat piling" at this link.
Even though the experiments used thick-tailed geckos (Underwoodisaurus milii), you can easily see why leopard geckos would do the same thing.

The PDF link is at the end of the article.

Why do thick-tailed geckos (Underwoodisaurus milii) aggregate?
Bansi Shah - Thick-tailed Gecko

 

[Hilde]

A bit more info, not just about geckos. Interesting reading if you're wondering about this behaviour.

It's a PDF, just like the other file, and does quote the U. milii research to some extent, but there's enough different info to make it worth checking out.
http://flex.flinders.edu.au/file/74...53b97c/1/Thesis-Bellamy-2007-05Scatpiling.pdf

 

[muffin_song]

Leopard Gecko Enthusiasts: We Talk About Poop A Lot :biggrin:

Seriously, thanks for the replies everyone. Hilde, that was an interesting read - I always assumed leos used the same spot to consolidate their scent, I never considered other reasons.

I find my leo a fascinating little creature. And unlike the family dog (canines have been domesticated for millennia), a captive leo's genetics are VERY similar to geckos who roam the wild. Since the link between them is so close, I keep on coming back to "Is there a reason why my leo is doing this?" and I love reading up on it.

 

[JessJohnson87]

After reading about thick tailed geckos aggregating, if when we see someone say that their geckos are "cuddling," I wonder if they are doing the same as what the thick tailed geckos are doing to consolidate their body temperatures.

Not trying to say "Hey everyone let your geckos cuddle!" it's just out of pure curiosity. I understand that "cuddling" can be a display of dominance if one gecko is smaller than the other. But if there is no display of dominance (that you have noticed) are they doing this to help the other stay at a constant temperature?

Got a little off topic from the poop question but my curiosity got the best of me with the other article. Anyways, thanks Hilde for those articles, I to love reading up on how our reptile friends live in the wild.