Scooby's acting weird...

GeckoFanboy

GeckoFanboy

Member
So my gecko is 1.5 years old. He's totally healthy. His poop looks completely normal. He eats great (dubia roaches, mealworms, crickets and hornworms). I gutload everything properly. Scooby is treated like royalty. I rarely ever hold him, so he's not stressed out at all. His tank temps are perfect. In fact, I just checked them. His warm hide on the left is set at 91°. I checked the temp inside his moist hide floor and it's 81°. His cool hide is at 74°.

Lately, I have noticed he's been coming out at night, and laying in his water dish, which is over on the cool side of the tank (the only place to put it). Sometimes he lays on the floor right next to it. I keep a double-dome lamp right above the cool side of the tank (I removed it to take the pics), that generates very little heat at all. It's really there for a daytime bulb (since there's no sunlight in that room), and a ceramic heat bulb for night time (so that it doesn't get too cold now during the winter). These bulbs are set on a timer for night and day. His tank temps are fine!

Anyway, I'm a bit worried because tonight when I checked on him laying in his water dish, one of his back legs is shedding and he's not ready to shed yet. He's not all dry looking at all. This concerns me. Check out my pics.

What's he doing? What's up with the water dish fetish? I don't want him getting water-logged or getting sick. Aside from this odd behavior he's healthy as a horse. What the heck, Scooby?

PS - He does not have mites or any sign of disease.

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GeckoFanboy

GeckoFanboy

Member
Okay, so I just went in to check on him again. He was still in the dish. So I'm talking to him and he's zoning out...staring at nothing. I decided to pick him up and move him out of the dish. I put on a plastic disposable glove because I am getting over the worst upper respiratory bug I've had in years...and I had pink eye in both eyes...yeah, it sucked. Anyway, before I picked him up he was waving his tail very, very, very slowly...coiling it like a snake. So I picked him up and sat him on the tile. He gave no struggle or sound at all (which he normally would). Then he started to walk, but it was like in super slow motion...really weird. He headed for his moist hide and started moving his tail around slowly again like that aggressive thing they do when scared. He turned away from the moist hide (his favorite), and went into his cool hide, turned around and has his head sticking out of it. He's acting really weird. He's never been sick ever! His eyes look fine. His nose looks fine. He ate two large mealworms tonight, and then two medium hornworms. He's been eating great lately, and pooping regularly.

It does get cool in that room. It's our storage bedroom, so we don't turn the heat on in that room, but we keep the door wide open always so heat from the hallway does go into it, and his tank is right next to the door, but it is cool in there. It's 28° outside tonight and we're getting alot of snow. The room temp is around 70°. But like I said, his tank temps are good, I just checked them.
 
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Sg612

Member
Are you sure this is a male? Belly looks a bit wide.

What are you checking the temp under the warm hide with? Make sure you’re not relying on the thermostat probe temp alone.

Humidity?
 
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GeckoFanboy

GeckoFanboy

Member
I was told he was a male when I bought him from a gecko breeder at a Repticon. He loves to eat. Lately, he's been eating every other day....actually, lastweek he ate 4 days in a row. He's a pig! He'll eat any bug I offer him, but superworms. I was thinking lastnight after I posted, that maybe he was acting weird because he was so full from his meal lastnight. He's always had a nice size belly.

He rarely goes into his warm hide. The only time he hangs out there is after he eats, which he did for awhile lastnight. Anyway, thanks so much for reminding me to check the temp on the floor of his warm hide. I checked it with an infrared thermometer right next to the probe and it read 91.6°, and yet the damn thermostat reads 88.6°. WTH? I always thought these thermostats were accurate. I'm waiting for the thermostat to go back up to 91°, which is where it's set, and then I will check the floor again. It was so cold out lastnight (we got 11" of snow here), and I suppose the thermostat tries to compensate for the drop in temp even indoors.

I just checked his belly underside and it looks fine...no sign of burns or anything. I often wondered about his wide belly, but he eats alot (unlike my last gecko of 17 years). His poop is huge and healthy...never runny...with an equal amount of brown and white. He poops regularly, so he's not impacted or anything. I take very good care of him. Seriously. He is treated very well. I spoil him.

The warm hide floor is now showing 91.5° on the thermostat, and it's reading 90.5° with the infrared gadget now. The humidity is reading 35%.
 
L

lemongeckos

New member
I'm gonna start this by saying I in no way have the knowledge of a vet or experienced owner, as I've only had my first baby for a little over a year now, but it sounds like there's a possibility he is overeating. Adult leopard geckos shouldn't eat every day by what I've learned and 4 days in a row sounds like a lot especially if he eats big portions. Obviously he sounds like he's not impacted, but maybe just kind of lethargic from the amount of food? That wouldn't explain the water bowl, but I do know I feel like crap and just want to lay around if I eat too much. I would definitely take more experienced member's advice more seriously than mine, but that's just my two cents. If it keeps up please seek out a vet. He sounds like a very lucky gecko and I hope he feels better soon.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
GeckoFanboy said:
Elizabeth, where are you when I need you???
:)
Click to expand...

The warm hide floor is now showing 91.5° on the thermostat, and it's reading 90.5° with the infrared gadget now. The humidity is reading 35%.
Click to expand...

Oh my goodness, GeckoFanboy! I've been at the PDX Reptile Show all weekend. Just returned home late Sunday evening. Monday was recoup day. :)

Maybe Scooby's humidity is a little low! Generally 40-60% relative humidity is what I recommend. Maybe that's why he's hanging out in his water dish.

Scooby's definitely ready for this schedule. 2, maybe 3, feedings per week will be sufficient these days. It will be beneficial for him to lose a little weight.
Weekly Schedule 126 for Leopard Geckos 18 months old +​
(without UVB)​

Crickets or dubia >> Monday - lightly dusted with Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3
Crickets or dubia >> Thursday - lightly dusted with Zoo Med ReptiVite multivitamins without D3
Mealworms >> Saturday - no dusting

Future weeks:
Continue on since all weeks are identical. . . . . .
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Sg612

Member
Due to typing difficulties, I get right to the point(questions) and so hope it doesn’t come off like I’m slapping you with a ruler.
Why do you have heat bulbs on the cool side? Any heat lamp should be on the warm end.
What color?
How many watts?
What time do they come on and off?

His water may get too warm if the bulb reaches the bottom.

Why would you remove the domes to take the picture? It’s like an episode of fixer upper on HGTV(after the staging):biggrin:

Do you have a 3rd thermometer. It’s good to know which temperature is accurate. You wrote he rarely goes to the warm hide. This is not good for digestion. Could it be too warm for his comfort? Some like it cooler than others. This is why it’s wise to provide an enclosure that is as long as possible. With more space comes the opportunity to provide more than one temperature(hot spot only), allowing him to choose. This will be more costly, however it’s called providing more than minimal conditions(optimal husbandry).

Or could the hide not be as secure as the others? The opening seems larger and if I’m not mistaken has another opening at the back? Looks similar to a hide I made the mistake of buying years ago(wasn’t used).
 
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Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
GeckoFanboy said:
Sounds good. I'll put him a diet and start misting his tank at night again.
Thanks! He's my buddy!
Click to expand...

You're welcome.

Do you notice a difference with your temp gun readings depending upon the temp gun's actual distance from the spot you're measuring?

What is the ambient temp of Scooby's room during the winter? How far below 70*F?

Have you ever confirmed Scooby's sex?

Sexing Leopard Geckos -- Leopard geckos become sexable at about 6 months old. Males can be distinguished from females by a distinct /\-shaped row of pores above the vent and by two hemipenal bulges below the vent. To see their vents, potential male pores, and hemipenal bulges gently press their bodies up against the glass. They'll squirm if you try to turn them over.
 
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GeckoFanboy

GeckoFanboy

Member
I have a Jump Start too. You can see in that pic, the probe sits square on the floor of his warm hide. The thermostat is working (shutting on and off). But since checking it with a infrared pointer thermometer, I'm getting different readings from the Jump Start and my pointer. I don't know why, and I don't know which one is off. I place the pointer about 1/4" from the floor to check it...not far away.

He only uses the warm hide after he eats. He'll sit in it for about 2-3 hours after a meal. Then he moves back to his moist hide. Obviously, he knows what he's doing, LOL. He spends his day sleeping in his moist hide. I pad the floor of it with paper towels and mist them everyday. I check the temp in it, from about 1/4" from it's floor. It's usually around 81°. He's comfy in there...he likes it. Not too warm, not too cool.

I'll experiment with the temp pointer, but like I said, I usually hold it real close to the floor. But I'm getting different readings, and am not sure which device is most accurate.

I'm not using the double dome as a heat source. It's just used to make sure the cool side doesn't get too cold. Without it, that end of the tank drops into the 60's. Not good. So that is what the ceramic heater bulb is for. It never gets hot, just slightly warm...keeps his cool end at around 73°. The daylight bulb is 25 watts. It never really gets hot either. It's set on a timer for daylight hours so he knows day from night. He always comes out at dusk when the daylight bulb goes off. Sometimes if he's really full, he won't eat for 3 days, but then he poops and he's ready to eat again. It's January now, and he's becoming alot more active in his tank...which I like. There is no light on his tank at night. It's pitch black in that room. He likes it.

Honestly, I think he ate too much the other night. I think he was sluggish...maybe on the verge of throwing it up...but he didn't. He's still not hungry now. Hasn't pooped yet, LOL.
 
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GeckoFanboy

GeckoFanboy

Member
Yes, thank you.
:)

I'll check his family jewels the next time he eats. When he's hungry, he doesn't like being picked up and kinda growls. When he's eaten, he has no problems being handled. It's funny, he's finally letting me touch him more without pulling away. I'll reach down into the tank when he's resting and very gently rub the underside of his jaw. He likes it. Doesn't like being rubbed on top of his head though.
 
M

Miyukiwynter

New member
I don't have an answer for you but I wanted to say my Jumpstart thermostat is always a little off too. I think it wasn't made to be SUPER exact. I keep a digital thermometer with a probe over it because I don't trust what it says. The temp gun is great to double check, but yeah. My experience with the Jumpstart thermostat is that it tends to fluctuate 2 or 3 degrees up and down so be sure to keep a secondary thermometer probe on the hot side to monitor it better.
 
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