Second shed in about 2 weeks

MicheleVicchitto

MicheleVicchitto

Member
Donovan is shedding again.

He shed within the first week that I got him (brought him home on a Friday and he was shedding on Monday or Tuesday). Tomorrow will be a full 3 weeks that I've had him.

There was some discussion that he was small for his age (I was told he was around 18 months to 3 years). I've been feeding him on the 12-18 month schedule.

I know that younger geckos shed every week or two and then it's every 4-8 weeks as adults. I'm just not sure how young is younger or if there could be another reason he's shedding (stress from moving to a new home??).

I don't think there's anything wrong with him and his first shed went very well. I'm just trying to get an idea of age so that I can make sure I'm feeding him appropriately.

I don't want to disturb him to get pictures, but here are a couple photos of what he looks like from top and side (and during his first shed).

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Dragonsongbird

Dragonsongbird

New member
My youngest gecko is about 9-10 months old, and she sheds around every 3 weeks or so. He may be around 10-12 months or so? How long is he?
 
Dragonsongbird

Dragonsongbird

New member
She's about 7 inches, but since she's female she would be a bit smaller than a male her age. My guess would be somewhere between 8-12 months based off of his size.
 
MicheleVicchitto

MicheleVicchitto

Member
Dragonsongbird said:
She's about 7 inches, but since she's female she would be a bit smaller than a male her age. My guess would be somewhere between 8-12 months based off of his size.
Click to expand...

Last night, after I cleaned his enclosure and changed from ceramic tiles to slate, I persuaded him to wander a bit and I was able to get some better pictures of him.

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Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
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Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
MicheleVicchitto said:
Other than just sort of guessing based on his length, is there a way to tell how old he is? Or at least get a slightly better estimate?
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The ONLY way to tell Donnie's age is IF the breeder (or someone else) knows his hatch date.

Do you see a "line" encircling Donnie's tail that probably indicates a portion of his tail has been regenerated? Sometimes a regenerated tail isn't as long as the original tail.

Continue frequent feedings as long as he gains weight & length.
 
MicheleVicchitto

MicheleVicchitto

Member
Elizabeth Freer said:
The ONLY way to tell Donnie's age is IF the breeder (or someone else) knows his hatch date.

Do you see a "line" encircling Donnie's tail that probably indicates a portion of his tail has been regenerated? Sometimes a regenerated tail isn't as long as the original tail.

Continue frequent feedings as long as he gains weight & length.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about a line around his tail.
DSC_0115.jpg

Also based on that picture, it looks like he had a tiny piece of shed skin stuck to the tip of his toe. I didn't see it when he was out last night, but I will double check him today. He actually let me pick him up briefly last night.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
MicheleVicchitto said:
I'm not sure about a line around his tail.
View attachment 50453

Also based on that picture, it looks like he had a tiny piece of shed skin stuck to the tip of his toe. I didn't see it when he was out last night, but I will double check him today. He actually let me pick him up briefly last night.
Click to expand...

The "line"/newer tail end I see is maybe 1 inch from his tail tip. The tip seems a little rounded. The skin texture may be different there.
 
Dragonsongbird

Dragonsongbird

New member
The only ways to kinda guess leopard gecko age are length, weight, colors, and patterns. Since he no longer has his bands, he would be at least 10 months old, my guess is.
 
MicheleVicchitto

MicheleVicchitto

Member
So, just a quick update:
Donnie is doing well, although he gave me several panic attacks the past couple days.
Monday evening, fed him his dusted roaches and he essentially did a belly flop into his food dish. At bedtime, I peek in at him and he was laying in his food dish with back leg stretched out straight. Being the neurotic 1st time Leo mom that I am, I immediately assumed he'd hurt his leg. Gently picked him up out of his food dish and was given a very disparaging "WTF" look by him as he climbed out of my hand and back into his enclosure.

Last night, I was feeding him his roaches, and he kept trying to figure out how to get to the roaches through the side of the food dish and staring forlornly at the top of it. Again, new mom panic kicks in and I think maybe he DID hurt or scare himself on Monday and now he's afraid to climb in and grab his food. Put some of the roaches in a glass dish, which he tried to eat the roaches through, so then I tipped it so he could grab them. HE grabbed one and chowed down (in the meantime, 2 escaped in his enclosure and will undoubtedly give me a heart attack when I'm cleaning). But he refused any more. So I put them back in his regular dish and checked him frequently waiting to see if/when he wanted more. Wander back to check on him and he's in his food dish grabbing food and then climbing out with no problem whatsoever.

So the little smart aleck is messing with me.

Good to know.

Also, since the fluffy feline known as Miss MooMoo refuses to give up her gecko watching habit, he is moving to a new (freestanding) rack in my bedroom. She actually doesn't try to get in his enclosure and he doesn't seem bothered by her, but she keeps knocking everything off my desk in her creative attempts to get on the desk. I used the cat deterrent mats that they sell on Amazon and she sat right on them. Her stubborn outweighs her common sense by a vast amount.
 
Elizabeth Freer

Elizabeth Freer

Well-known member
Also, since the fluffy feline known as Miss MooMoo refuses to give up her gecko watching habit, he is moving to a new (freestanding) rack in my bedroom. She actually doesn't try to get in his enclosure and he doesn't seem bothered by her, but she keeps knocking everything off my desk in her creative attempts to get on the desk. I used the cat deterrent mats that they sell on Amazon and she sat right on them. Her stubborn outweighs her common sense by a vast amount.
Click to expand...

/\ WOW, Michele! Shaking my head back & forth. Is Miss MooMoo a bit hefty?

Thanks for your update! Donnie is doing extremely well adjusting to his new home. i hope he likes the bedroom. At least there are no chirping geckos there.
 
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MicheleVicchitto

MicheleVicchitto

Member
Elizabeth Freer said:
/\ WOW, Michele! Shaking my head back & forth. Is Miss MooMoo a bit hefty?

Thanks for your update! Donnie is doing extremely well adjusting to his new home. i hope he likes the bedroom. At least there are no chirping geckos there,
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Yeah....Miss MooMoo has a bit of "junk in the trunk". She's also one of the most stubborn cats I've ever met. We got her from friends of ours because she kept getting outside on them. She has a small bald patch on her bum from getting outside and tangling with a black bear. We only overcame her determination to get outside by getting a pet stroller and taking her for frequent walkies in a stroller.

I think Donnie will like the bedroom. And it will work out nicely since I'm having knee surgery in a couple weeks and will be spending a lot of extra time in there while recovering.
 
MicheleVicchitto

MicheleVicchitto

Member
Elizabeth Freer said:
Here's an image I borrowed from the 'net. Have you an image of Donnie's new slate platform & hide?

View attachment 50454
(click to enlarge)​
Click to expand...

I'm going to try to get pictures today. Things have been a big hectic (SCA event on Saturday, recuperating and clearing the area in my room for him since the shelf unit we ordered to put him on was smaller than we envisioned). BUt we got him moved to his new location and he handled it like a trooper. I put food in for him and he immediately climbed into the food dish and started eating.
 
MicheleVicchitto

MicheleVicchitto

Member
I haven't forgotten about pictures. Just trying to get temperatures normalized at the moment and figure what is going on. When it was on my desk, floor on warm side stayed between 90-94 and the cool side was around 70. Now the far cool side is running at 65, about 8-10 inches in from right (cool) side is about 70. Middle to about 10 inches from warm side is around 80 and the warmest area (which is also where his basking hide is located) is between 85-90.

That was last night when I was getting ready to go to bed and his lights had been off for several hours.

When I get home tonight, I will check temps after his lights have been on for several hours.

Yesterday, he spent most of his time under his hide on the warm side (not even in his humid hide which has been his favorite since I brought him home), which tells me I need to warm things up in his enclosure. Perhaps a deep heat projector instead of the halogen bulb?

Also, tried giving him a small horned worm - which he ignored, and some black soldier fly larvae which I also think he ignored (I have to double check the dish they were in - ivory colored dish, ivory-ish bugs and a lack of caffeine this morning). Are horned worms safe for him? That sharp looking spike made me very nervous.
 
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