Hey /an/ recently got a leopard gecko and I was curious about something, he crawls underneath his carpet all the time and will only stay out of it if I hold him is this normal?, as well he doesn't seem to be eating much I feed him live crickets and mealworms, is there something I'm doing wrong?
>>2127337
There should be three hides in tank; one warm side, one cool side, one moist (with damp paper towels). How are your temperatures?
Offer food as normal. As long as he's eating he's fine. Only bring out of tank to hold 2-3 times per week, 15-30 minutes per time max.
>>2127337
can you post a photo of your tank?
This is the tank
>>2127352
Uh, well i can't really see anything in there. You should get a digital thermometer. Those analog ones are inaccurate.
Anyway, plenty of hides that are nice and dark and not too large, gutload and dust your insects with calcium, make sure warm side is 90 and cool side is high 70's - 80 or so.
>>2127349
Correction - Don't take the gecko out of his tank at all until he is eating regularly for 2 weeks in a row. Standard reptile acclimation practice. A lot of new owners have a real hard time keeping their hands to themselves.
As for the carpet, a couple of hides might help (warm, cool). Moist is sort of optional. I only use them if there's shedding issues. I have a few reusable felt carpets but I stopped using them because - even with hides - my ground dwellers would still go under the carpet because it's more secure than any hide. Especially my gopher snake.
My arboreal stuff just doesn't give a shit about hides so whatever. A large leaf suits them fine.
>>2127356
>Correction - Don't take the gecko out of his tank at all until he is eating regularly for 2 weeks in a row
Definitely. I wasn't sure how long OP has had gecko.
I don't know about the habits of geckos but I'll put my two cents in.
Maybe he has a desire to burrow down into a substance that his species prefers. (Dirt, sand, etc.) Is there enough "bedding" in his tank?
Or maybe this is a temperature thing?
>>2127453
If you don't know, then don't "throw your two cents in". Sand, and really any loose substrate, is a dangerous substrate for leopard geckos.
>>2127512
>Sand, and really any loose substrate, is a dangerous substrate for leopard geckos.
*All reptiles, some worse than others. Leads to impaction. Sand granules get swallowed with food, water, or while smelling the air. Builds up. Blocks food passage. Dead pet. Gotta be very careful with that stuff. If you must use it, keep it away from the food and water.
