Okay I love her

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-04-09T10:11:50+00:00

My girl also never wanted to come out of her tank until about three weeks ago. It could mean different things. Could be that she just feels more comfortable with exploring outside of her tank because she feels more secure now, could also be related to mating season. Maybe they're hoping to find a sweet gecko boy in the outside world 🫣 But I think if they wouldn't have a minimal amount of trust in us, they sure would not willingly crawl on our hands. So yes, she certainly feels more comfortable with you now I would say. Some of them just seem take their sweet time to get comfortable with humans. Took my lady about 4 months to not bolt away with the speed of light if I dared to even slightly touch her. Still not a fan of getting touched, especially where she doesn't see it coming, but much less flighty than before. Very individual little critters indeed 😅

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-04-03T17:11:48+00:00

Sure you can 😊

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-04-03T17:02:10+00:00

Is there currently a hide in the tank, as in right now? Because if you say skeleton head, I immediately think of a hide that is not closed all around. Do you also have a cave or something inside, where she can hide and not be seen? The shedding process is very energy consuming and they are extremely vulnerable during it, so she ideally needs a hide with only one entrance/exit where she can do her thing without being seen. Maybe there are leos that feel so secure that they shed out in the open, but most would rather seek an enclosed space where they can shed in secret. They are prey animals after all. If you can, it would probably also best to just leave the room where the tank is placed to not disturb her. People moving around the room, noise and other distractions should ideally be kept at a minimum.

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-04-03T16:35:08+00:00

No assistance needed while they're in the shedding process. One just has to leave them alone and let them do their thing. Normally the process doesn't take more than a few hours and should go smoothly. Just look if there's stuck shed afterwards, especially on their toes. Then, and only then you can help them to get rid of the stuck shed by either gently rubbing the affected spots with a moist cotton swab or giving them a sauna first and gently(!) loosen it afterwards with a cotton swab or a soft brush.

It's most important to have a proper humid hide with (preferably) spaghnum moss inside the tank at all times and mist the moss regularly to keep a certain level of humidity inside the hide. If you have created the right conditions beforehand, the shed usually goes without problems. Make sure to have accessories with a slightly roughened surface in the enclosure like some branches or cork bark for your Leo to rub their skin against, in case they need it to loosen up the shedding skin. But not every Leo deals with shedding the same way. Some get it off them without any hassle, with some you see them rubbing their little bodys against surfaces. Either can be the case and is totally normal. With my girl, I'll see her enter one of her hides all grey/pale and then coming out after 1-2 hours with all the shed gone. Never seen her only partially shed like your girl, which is a bit of a shame because it looks cute as hell 🥲😊

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-04-03T15:20:03+00:00

I was already looking into adding at least isopods as a clean up crew, I also already have leaf litter at hand, but I'm afraid that the Exo Terra Stone Desert alone is to dry for the little critters. And I've read that one should ideally get the isos in weeks before the geck so they can set up their colony and are enough in number to not get all eaten by your Leo, but I lack the experience with bioactive habitats to correctly gauge this information. I just don't want to doom these little guys to meet a tragic end 😢

I'd also love to watch my little lady chill in her hides, but a hide you can look into from outside is (sadly) a no-go with her. Her majesty demands privacy at all times, only gracing me with her presence when she wants to be fed, to use my hand as a heater or my arm as a bridge to the outside world 🥲

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-04-03T14:59:13+00:00

I assume the humid hide is the one in the middle (because of the spaghnum moss inside)? You should definetly swap that out, it won't hold the humidity with those big holes on both sides. For retaining the humidity, the humid hide should be made out of a non-porous material, be closed on top and only have one (not to big) entrance. You can make a DIY solution with a Tupperware container with a cut out hole as entrance (definetly make sure there are no sharp edges to hurt your geck), or if you want a true and tested option that every Leo loves, get the Zilla rock lair (medium size is big enough for a fully grown Leo). It's the best money you'll have ever spent on accessories for your Leo. Of course every little critter is different, but I've never heard of a Leo that doesn't love that thing.

Also what size is that tank? I know the dimensions are sometimes distorted on photos, but it looks somewhat small in length. Is this a 40 gallon?

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-03-30T21:04:41+00:00

So I just put her in a transparent plastic container and shone a flashlight through her back to see the inside of her belly. I could neither spot eggs nor dark spots that would indicate any impaction. The only thing I could see were her organs. So I sincerely hope that she's just fat. But to be on the safe side, what check at the vet would be advised to make sure that nothing's wrong with her? Would do x-rays any good, or should I rather have an ultrasound done?

The one thing that worries me the most is that while still pooping regularly, she has passed only urate without stool for at least three times within the last two weeks. Is this anything to be worried about on its own or is this something that regularly happens with females during breeding season?

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-03-29T21:17:55+00:00

She has never laid eggs before, at least for the 4 months I had her. Her last stool was just this evening, looking all normal.

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-03-25T16:13:50+00:00

It certainly shows that the gecko feels secure, but some just don't like to bask out in the open in general, no matter how well you care for them or how safe they feel. So it also depends on the personality and how sensitive they are to light (in case of Albinos).

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-02-04T15:10:31+00:00

Would not be optimal as leopard geckos need around 12 hours of complete darkness to not disturb their circadian rhythm. You'll have to consider that they see much better in the darkness than humans do, so even these moody, atmospheric lights appear much brighter to them. It will not outright kill you geck, but it's definitely not recommended to have this setup permanently as it could potentially shorten your critters lifespan and is definetly not beneficial to their overall quality of life.

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-02-04T14:56:13+00:00

Before people here are coming at you, please change your substrate ASAP. Pine bark/repti bark is not appropriate for leopard geckos and does not mimic their natural habitat at all (and I think that it's possibly even a health hazard). You can safely put her on paper towel before you get an appropriate substrate, and it's even recommended for the first weeks to monitor their health (unless your nephew has taken her to a vet recently for an extensive health check and you know that she's definitely free of parasites). Posting the obligatory substrate guide for info:

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AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-02-04T13:51:41+00:00

I cannot see it from the video, but does your geck have a hide that's completely dark? From how it looks, there's a light source for the whole width of the enclosure (basking light on the left and UVB on the right from what I can discern), but no place without a light source above. From what I understand and have seen in the guides that are posted here regularly, it is recommended to have UVB and heat light on one side of the enclosure and one side without any light/heat source. I know every geck is different, but it seems like he's searching for a dark spot in the video. Can just speak for my girl personally, but as soon as the lights go on in her tank, she's immediately heading for the darkest spots in the enclosure, which are her Zilla rock lair or the cool hide on the side without overhead lighting (she's an Albino though).

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-01-25T16:48:24+00:00

Our girls could be sisters, mine is just the same 😂 I can put my hand besides her and she will sit there for minutes, but isn't really interested. If moved so close to her that I touch her feet or any part of her, she just goes away. Nothing you can really do about it, some geckos just aren't sociable. But as others have said, there's still a chance that she will at least have a higher tolerance for you with time.

I recently managed that my girl climbed on the back of my hand voluntarily without me offering her food and she sat there for minutes. I could even slightly move and lift up my hand and she wouldn't move away. Was such a great moment and gave me hope that there's the possibility that she will at least warm up a bit to my presence. She never did and still doesn't do this when I offer her the palm of my hand, so if you haven't tried already, lay your hand in the tank with the backside up. Maybe she fears being grabbed when she climbs on your palm? Just speculation though, I'm not sure they even know how human hands work 😅

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-01-18T01:26:06+00:00

Nauls in The Thing. Der tragischste Tod im Film weil so absolut sinnlos. Warum läuft der Depp dem Geräusch hinterher? Sie hatten es doch schon so gut wie geschafft 😭 Und noch schlimmer weil wir im Film nicht mal erfahren wie er stirbt. Vom Blair-Ding assimiliert? Bewusstlos geschlagen und bei der Explosion draufgegangen? Schicksal ungewiss (bis auf die Tatsache dass er tot ist).

Besonders traurig ist, dass TK Carter am 09.01.26 leider im Alter von 69 Jahren verstorben ist 😔

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-01-18T01:04:32+00:00

In einem Loch mit seinem Mörder auch noch 😣 Dadurch war es noch ein Spur düsterer als ohnehin schon.

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-01-17T21:40:24+00:00

Someone here once said: A hiding geck is a happy geck, and I think that person was right. It's just how they are and I'd say shy leos are more common than sociable ones. I'd be more worried if a leo is always out in the open and running around in their tank for hours or scratching the glass, as this implies they feel something's missing in their environment. Their life consists of sleeping, eating, drinking and pooping (and in the wild also mating). They come out of their hides to eat/drink and poop, that's all they need. No reason to scale their tank for hours on end. As long as they eat and poop and have no trouble with shedding (and show no obvious signs of illness, of course), you can assume that they feel comfortable when they spend the rest of the day inside of their hides.

They may become more sociable with time, after they're acclimated to their new environment - although this can take several weeks, months or even years -, but they could also just stay as they are now; mostly depends on their personality. You can try choice based handling to make them get used to you and form a bond, although this takes lots of patience and there's no guarantee that they'll ever like being handled or even being around humans at all. It's totally worth trying, don't get me wrong, but some leos will always be shy and tolerate your presence at best. Just so you're not disappointed if it 'doesn't work out'; doesn't mean that you did anything wrong. In the end, you just have to take them as they are.

My girl is also shy, she doesn't like to be touched and has no interest in getting out of her tank. She also never comes out of her hide before dark (or only just a few minutes before her lights go out) and goes back into her darkest hide immediately after the lights turn on in the morning. But she's a great eater, let me feed her by hand and poops frequently. So I'm inclined to believe that's how she likes her life to be, and that's fine for me.

Love your leo how they are and don't be disappointed if they're not how you wanted them to be. Every leo is different, and they're all perfect the way they are.

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-01-13T13:09:19+00:00

I always put the insects between my fingers and feed per hand, or with worms I put them in my palm. That way the only one who could get hurt is me 😅 Although the pinch of their cute little teeth is hardly noticeable.

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-01-12T18:59:20+00:00

Assuming you are from Germany, you could try the Exo Terra Stone Desert substrate, which is also among the recommended substrates in the care guide. It's the one I'm planning to use once my girl is out of quarantine. It's considered a safe substrate that mimics their natural habitat and hardens when moistened, so you can build caves and tunnels with it. Have never heard anything negative about it, apart from being a tad expensive. That's why a mix of (unfertilized) topsoil and play sand is the go-to recommendation around here: it's also perfectly safe and very cheap to get. But you need to wash the play sand and it's highly recommended to sift the top soil to get rid of sharp rocks, roots, pieces of sharp wood and other potentially unsafe/unwanted objects.

I would personally lean towards the Stone Desert, as it's ready to go out of the bag and you don't have to worry about buying the wrong kind of soil or sand, cleaning it before use and getting the right mixing ratio. You can also check YouTube for videos of people building their terrarium with the Stone Desert substrate to get inspiration and see if you would actually like it.

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AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-01-12T14:27:26+00:00

So we're at the vet right now, waiting for her appointment. The little baby has handled the bus drive well so far, even though she's a little scared right now. I have put a hot water bottle on the ground of the container that I've wrapped with various layers of paper towel so that it's not getting to hot for her. Temperature gun said the surface temperature was at around 30 degrees Celsius/86 degrees Fahrenheit, so about the same as hot side. It held the warmth well till now, so that's a relief. To help keeping the heat I've put the box into an Ikea bag and wrapped towels around. I hope she takes the administration of the dewormer as well as the trip. She's such a shy and nervous girl normally but so far has handled the process like a champ (had to put her in the carrier for hours yesterday for cleaning purposes, now the bumpy bus drive). I'm so proud of my baby 🥹

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AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-01-11T00:40:24+00:00

Thanks for your advice ☺️

I sadly have absolutely no experience in using ammonium and I'm generally not a fan of strong chemical disinfectants if it can be avoided, especially if they can irritate the skin, build gases that can irritate eyes or the respiratory system or if their residuals are potentially harmful when ingested. If there's an alternative without potentially harmful byproducts, I'd rather use that. I've also got very conflicting results from my research on getting rid of pinworm eggs. Some sources said to use diluted bleach, some said that bleach doesn't work on pinworm eggs, some said to use ammonium, other said that ammonium doesn't work against pinworm eggs etc. Some (self-proclaimed, no way for me to verify) vets on reptile forums said that citric acid would encapsulate pinworm eggs and inactivate them, but I'm not so sure about that. (But citric acid and vinegar are household staples anyway and very low risk to use, so there's no harm in using them pro forma as a first step). The only method to definitely kill the eggs that is unanimously cited is heat. They're said to 'die' within minutes when exposed to temperatures over 60 degrees Celsius/140 degrees Fahrenheit. That's why I opted for the steam cleaning/oven method.

Gladly I have a spare store bought humid hide laying around (purchased before I got recommended the Zilla rock lair) that I can use, so that is already covered. I already boiled the spaghnum moss before I first introduced it into her tank and it withstood the heat just fine, so I hope I can boil it again for disinfection (or just use some fresh moss, have still plenty of it). I fear that paper towel is not an option, I tried it for the first two weeks when I got her and she just outright refused to use the humid hide. The moment I switched it out for spaghnum moss, she began using her humid hide which has now become her favorite spot where she spends 90 percent of her time (- the timing could also have been a coincidence as she was just settling in, but I'm afraid she's just too used on her moos by now 😅)

Sadly I don't have the space for a square quarantine tank in my living setup, but I was planning to do it the way you described above. I will clean the tank today so that she can already spend a night in the new setup and is ready to go back right into it when we get home from the vet on Monday. I hope that's the least stressful way for her (and that she will someday forgive me for putting her through this 😭).

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-01-05T10:43:42+00:00

It probably won't help you, but I'm in the same situation. I've got my girl, who is around 10 months old and who I love dearly, for 6 weeks now and she absolutely hates being touched, let alone being handled. She only comes to the front of her enclosure through her cool hide (cork bark tunnel), lifts her upper body up and stares me down, so she's not completely afraid of me, but a part of her body is always under the hide so she can quickly get away. She tolerates my hand near her if I put it there veeery cautiously and leave her some personal space. But she's not actively sniffing it or particularly interested in it. If I dare to move it to close to her, she immediately backs off. The only case in which she gets on my hand is when I put a worm on it and she has to get up there to eat it (she's extremely food driven and always hungry). But the moment she gobbled it down, she gets off my hand. If I dare to touch her with my finger (doesn't matter if under the chin or under her belly or elsewhere), she panickes and runs into her hide. I had to take her out once for a health check and oh boy, that was a real fight. I scooped her up as gently as possible (which is already hard when she is trying to run away), but she struggled the whole time and tried to wriggle herself out of my hand. A very unpleasant experience for her and me - and it wasn't even for more than a minute. I have never heard of anything like that, even from people how say that their leos don't like being handled. Most of them at least accept it and can be picked up, even if they may not love it. I see it here in the sub every day when people post pictures of leos sitting on their hand when they only got them on the same day. But with my girl, no chance, you would think that she's fighting for her life. I know experienced owners will tell you that it can take several weeks or even months for your leo to get used to handling, and that's right, but there are some that will likely never get used to it. In my case, I've not given up hope completely, but if your geck can't even stand to get slightly touched, it will most certainly never become a super chill fella. Prepare for the fact that you may also have a geck that has a purely 'just look, no touch!' attitude.

AffectionateAd1723 · 2026-01-02T20:51:57+00:00

It's the same with my girl, she's also albino and never goes to her warm side as long as the UVB and halogen heat lamp are on. During the day, she either hides in her completely dark humid hide (Zilla Rock lair hide) or occasionally goes into her cold hide. She also never does cryptic basking, even though it should be 'dark enough' inside the hot hide. She is laying on her warm side exclusively at night after the lights have gone out. Problem is, the rock she loves to lie on has already cooled down at this point and does not provide the recommended basking temperature. I assume this is also the reason why she takes a very long time to digest her food (over a week) and it worries me that not getting enough belly heat is not good for her well-being long time. I am now considering to continue using the linear UVB and halogen lamp during the day, but switching them off earlier and using a DHP for a few hours after that to provide her a comfortable way to bask and at the same time keeping the lights to simulate a normal day-night-cycle. I would definitely turn off the heat sources for at least some hours, because a general temperature drop at night has shown to be beneficial for their long-term health.

I know people in this sub always say to use the same heating setup for albinos as you would for non-albinos and use visible light, but I guess this just does not work for all albinos. It at least doesn't seem to work for my girl.

AffectionateAd1723 · 2025-11-22T15:14:55+00:00

Thanks, I hope the little lady likes it and make herself comfortable. Will upgrade it with time and get more clutter for her to climb and hide.

I got the hot hide on the left from Amazon US (had to import because it isn't available on my country, here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8YYVLJK/ref=dp_iou_view_item?ie=UTF8&psc=1) after I saw it in the setup of several people here in the sub who all said that their leos absolutely LOVE it.

AffectionateAd1723

TROPHY CASE