behavior - OnlineGeckos.com Gecko Breeder

January 26, 2023January 26, 2023

My leopard gecko won’t eat – feeding problems – behavior change

my leopard gecko won't eat extreme emerine albino not eating

One of the most commonly asked questions is “what do I do, my leopard gecko won’t eat”. Your geckos have stopped feeding on a regular schedule, you are now wondering if there’s something wrong. The very first thing you should check is your husbandry. If you have not read our leopard gecko care guide, you should take a look. It contains detailed valuable information on proper husbandry.

Leopard geckos require proper belly heating in order to digest food

If you do not provide proper belly heat, they can’t digest food properly, and could stop eating as a result. The ideal belly heat is between 88 – 93 degrees Fahrenheit. Gecko owners often make the mistake of measuring the air temperature because they purchased a leopard gecko “kit” from the pet store, as they usually come with a stick on thermometer. It’s important you measure the floor temperature where your gecko will be laying on to get the proper temperature reading for belly heat. You can easily and quickly measure your tank’s floor temperature by using a temperature gun like Etekcity’s Digital Laser Infrared Thermometer. Just point and click. Or if you prefer constant reading, a digital thermometer with a probe.

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February 7, 2018April 9, 2020

Leopard Gecko Breeding Season 2018

The 2018 leopard gecko breeding season is upon us. Every year adult female leopard geckos will start to ovulate around January through June/July. If you have an adult leopard gecko, you should start to notice some behavior and feeding changes soon.

Both male and female leopard geckos could refuse food off and on throughout the breeding season, as we outlined in “My Leopard Gecko Won’t Eat” article. Some leopard geckos will fast through the whole season. You should not be alarmed. This is all part of the normal leopard gecko breeding season cycles. Continue reading “Leopard Gecko Breeding Season 2018”

June 19, 2017March 22, 2018

Should I get a male or female leopard gecko as pets?

onlinegeckos.com should I get male or female leopard gecko as pets giant tremper sunglow

One of the topics we see popping up every now and then is the question, “should I get a male or female leopard gecko as pets?” You are new to the hobby, and you are wondering whether male or female leopard gecko make the best pets. In this article we will go over male vs female leopard gecko behavior, their differences, and what you can expect out of them. Our goal here is to help you make informed decisions so you can pick out the leopard gecko pet that works best for you.

Male or Female Leopard Gecko As Pets – Temperament

Leopard gecko temperament isn’t determined by sex. We have seen equal number of aggressive females as there are aggressive males. Leopard gecko’s temperament comes down to individual geckos. It’s worth noting that some breeders believe temperament can get passed down through breeding. The idea is to breed a pair of gentle leopard geckos for a greater chance at producing offspring that are more docile in nature. And vice versa, often when breeding a pair of aggressive geckos, their offspring tend to be more aggressive and skittish as a result. This isn’t 100% however, as temperament is still quite unpredictable.

One thing that affects temperament above all else in our opinion is leopard gecko’s sexual maturity. As we have discussed in another article, all leopard geckos go through puberty. Male leopard geckos will first hit sexual maturity at around 6-8 months old. Female leopard geckos will hit sexual maturity and ovulate for the first time at around 8-12 months old. Their temperament tend to change a bit as males get territorial for the first time. Females on the other hand will usually stop eating as they ovulate and potentially become gravid. Continue reading “Should I get a male or female leopard gecko as pets?”

August 21, 2013March 22, 2018

Leopard Gecko Tail Waving Behavior – Defensive Posture

There are different leopard gecko tail waving and rattling behaviors, understanding them will allow you to understand your leopard geckos better. I’ve been waiting for awhile to get this tail waving behavior captured on video. Today while cleaning out a leopard gecko’s enclosure, I placed this gecko in a temporary critter tote. She saw her own reflection and started to wave her tail (as seen in the video above).

This particular back & forth leopard gecko tail waving is a defensive posture

This is the gecko’s way of distracting a potential attacker. They wave their tails so the attackers would focus on their tail, rather than their body. The idea is that the attacker would strike at their tail, at which time the gecko would break off the tail and run away. So if you ever see your leopard gecko waving their tail at another gecko, it’s best to separate them right away. When a gecko is spooked, any slight movement could cause a gecko to strike out and bite. You can prevent some serious injuries by noticing these signs right away.

Leopard geckos do regenerate their tails, although they won’t look the same. See the picture below for an example of a regenerated tail tip.

This is not to be confused with tail shaking, like a rattlesnake tail rattling

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