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#2262042 Dante2010 View Profile	Fancy Leopard Gecko Has anyone ever heard of Fancy Leopard Geckos? If so do you know what they are a combination of? I’ve recently come across one that I believe is an albino crossed with a banded. I believe he is blind because he can’t see his food unless you put it DIRECTLY in front of his face; even then he still misses it. Also when he walks he waits until his nose has hit something before he turns. If you can give me any pointers on how to take care of this little one it would be greatly appreciated! I already have a Leo in a 20L this one will be in a seperate 20L. If you want the specs on the habitat feel free to ask!
04/08/12  09:33pm
#2262056 Lani123 View Profile	Message To: Dante2010   In reference to Message Id: 2262042  Fancy Leopard Gecko Do not house your new gecko with an old one. It is advised to leave the new gecko in a separate air space (different room and wash hands before after, etc) for 6 months minimum and a vet visit. Also, all geckos do the licking thing. They like to get a feel for where they are and what to do with the substance. Eat it? Hide in it? Lay over it? Etc... I’m pretty darn sure a ’fancy leopard gecko’ is just a pet store marketing name for assorted color and morph. If you wanna check out this site, Link. It’s great, because you can learn the genetics along with finding out what morph you’ve got on your hands. Leopard geckos usually do not enjoy handling, until they get to know you. It is very important, that when you first buy a gecko, they stay in there cage for at least 1 week without being touched. If they are handled right away they can develop a fear of people, or become very stressed. Signs of new stress would usually be lots of hissing and screaming. They need alone time in there cage to get used to there new surroundings, and new home. Your leopard gecko should have a balanced diet of different insects, such as superworms, mealworms, waxworms, crickets, locusts, roaches, grasshoppers, and many many more. You do not have to feed all of the food items listed above, I myself have had 6 leopard geckos and have never used many listed above… The goal is keep it simple for yourself and the gecko, there should not be many diet changes, a few of these are not good staples for your geckos weekly diet plan, and should only be used as treats. Waxworms and superworms should only be offered as treats once or twice a week, waxworms are very fatty, although a candy or cake to leopard geckos, they are low in nutrition, can lead to obesity if overfed and if waxworms become part of your leopard geckos weekly diet they can and will get addicted, and sometimes they will get so hooked they will stop eating all other foods… I use UTH (Under Tank Heating), as a secondary heat source for my leopard geckos to help them digest food with belly heat. With the use of UTH, you must also use a low wattage heat lamp (40-70w). Heat pads are great, low wattage secondary heat, although buying them can sometimes be pricey. I found a cheap one on Amazon: Link. Depending on tank size, buy Small, Medium, or Large heat pad. Do not rely on UTH as an only heat source, they do not emit high enough gradients of heat for a leopard gecko to rely on completely. As stated above, use them with a low wattage heat lamp. Please follow instructions on package to lower risk of fire, or your terrarium floor cracking and possibly injuring your animal. Slate tile is a great substrate to use with UTH, because it absorbs heat well. I very much recommend buying a heat pad for a leopard gecko. It can help a lot. Especially (if they ever) when develop(ing) impaction. UTH is great because their cheap to use, and they benefit the gecko very much. Only mist your leopard geckos cage when s/he is shedding. To high humidity will result in bacteria growing in your leopard geckos cage or giving your leopard gecko a respiratory infection. Humidity can be solved easily, make a humid hide! To make one, save a margarine container or use a soft plastic Tupperware, wet a paper towel, peat moss, or coconut shavings and add it to your leos cage, mist it daily and your ready to go! These are just a few tips, for the real deal, Link
04/08/12  11:18pm
#2262071 Dante2010 View Profile	Message To: Lani123   In reference to Message Id: 2262056  Fancy Leopard Gecko I mentioned in my first post that the new leo is going to be in a seperate 20L tank. I use reptile carpet because I know sand/moss etc can cause impaction. I have a cool, warm, and moist hides in the tank. I only feed crickets and mealworms which were recommended by my vet. My entire set up was built by recommendations from people on this site as well as my vet. For heat I use an UTH. The licking thing as you mentioned is very normal, my leos that i currently have all do it.The difference between my geckos and the one im considering getting is that he doesnt lick anything. He literally bumps into things with his nose and then turns around plus he cant see his food unless you put it directly in front of his face which is why I think he is blind. Do blind leos need any special hides or a different type of setup? How do you feed a blind leo? (I’m assuming by hand) I have never owned a leo with a handicap which is why I am trying to do ALOT of research before I decide to get him.
04/09/12  07:29am
#2262079 Rexxaroo View Profile	Message To: Dante2010   In reference to Message Id: 2262071  Fancy Leopard Gecko For a blind leo youre right about handfeeding. You can try feeding him mealies and crix that have been in the fridge for a little while to see if that helps since it slows em down. I think the normal set up should be ok for a blind leo, just have more open space so he doesnt bump into so many things. (branches, fake plants etc. probably dont need to be used here.) Good for you for taking on this little guy, im sure youll take great care of him. :) Good luck Rexx
04/09/12  09:29am
#2262097 KrazyKelli View Profile	Message To: Rexxaroo   In reference to Message Id: 2262079  Fancy Leopard Gecko I saw the quoted ’fancy leopard gecko’ name at Petsmart the other day. It was just a jungle morph leo, which is a type of normal. Not very fancy when you think about it like that. Though who knows? You may end up with a mack snow or something else as well. So I’m sure ’fancy’ is just a blanket statement for ’doesn’t look like the other normal ones’ Some leos, like those with solid-colored eyes, and some others such as albinos, will have photophobia. Which is basically an aversion to light. If you’re using a lamp, change it to a red or blue bulb, or switch to a UTH. Feel the gecko more at night. Have the tank away from the window (not that any tanks should be near a window). See if that doesn’t help your cause. Otherwise leave a bowl of mealworms in the tank - a bowl with slick sides that the mealies can’t get out of - and count if any are left in the morning. If that doesn’t work, there’s always the tong feeding that Rexx brought up.
04/09/12  12:43pm
#2262107 Lani123 View Profile	Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 2262097  Fancy Leopard Gecko Yep, my blind Leo can eat out of a food bowl better than the ones that can see, lol.
04/09/12  02:03pm
#2262114 Dante2010 View Profile	Message To: Lani123   In reference to Message Id: 2262107  Fancy Leopard Gecko Thank you guys so much! I do not actually have him yet. I do work at a PetSmart I’m the "Reptile Guru" at my store and he was brought to my attention. He was taken to the vet saturday morning (before I got to work) because he was only walking in circles. Once I clocked in the Pet Care associate told me about him so I went to see for myself and thats when I realized he could very possibly be blind. At that point he had not eaten for 3 days. The vet got him to eat two small crickets but only if you put them directly in front of his face. So now the vet is trying to contact another exotics vet to see if the leo has a neuro issue. If thats the case, they will do whatever is in his best interest. If they decide that that avenue is not what needs to be taken then he will go up for adoption. Then he will be mine. lol He does have a SEVERE case of photophobia: closing his eyes, hissing and screaming if he is put under a light. When/if I get him does he need to be in a dark room or covered up? None of the leos I have are put near/ in front of a window. My male does need a UVB light for 30 mins a day(per my Vet). He was with me in Joplin when the tornado hit so now when storms are coming he gets very stressed, refuses to eat, and needs to be on me (he turns snow white, glass dances, and beats the cage with his tail until I get him out.) Its weird I know, that last time it happened I recorded it and took it to the vet to show him just how bad he gets. I was told that if you leave mealies out of the fridge for a long period of time then they will turn into beetles that are too hard for leos to digest true or false? Ive also read that if you leave insects in the cage and the reptile doesn’t eat them, they will in turn munch on the reptile while he is trying to sleep. I have actually seen several cases in which this has happened but with crickets. Is it the same for mealies? How many do I put in the bowl for him? Hes about 3-4 inches long. Thank you soooo much for helping me!
04/09/12  03:10pm
#2262137 Rexxaroo View Profile	Message To: Dante2010   In reference to Message Id: 2262114  Fancy Leopard Gecko I would keep him in a darker area, not necessarily covered, but if he doesn’t respond well to being kept in a darker area you can try covering him. Now, mealies left out of the fridge WILL turn into beetles, but it takes a while. They are not too hard for leos to digest, they should be fine. I’ve fed them to mine with no issues. Crix and mealies will most definitely eat on your Leo if left overnight if they are not contained. Using a bowl with slick sides, such as a small ceramic dog bowl, this will keep them from climbing out. Rexx
04/09/12  05:56pm
#2262140 KrazyKelli View Profile	Message To: Dante2010   In reference to Message Id: 2262114  Fancy Leopard Gecko If the leo is going in circles, it may be more than just the photophobia and, yes, may be a neurological issue, an ear issue, or something wrong in the brain. Sometimes animals (including cats and dogs) will do that after a stroke. This sort of behavior can also happen if something heavy landed on the leo’s head, it fell from a decent height, or it ran too quickly head-first into something. A head concussion can cause both walking in circles and photophobia. He may recover from this over time, or may not. Crickets can bite the lizard if left in the tank indefinitely to roam around. Mealworms, if you get the right dish, will stay in the dish. Otherwise they’ll escape, hide somewhere, pupate, and turn into beetles. The whole mealie to pupa thing isn’t immediate, it does sometimes take a week or two before the mealworm decides to wink out. Mealworms can’t be in the fridge 24/7, they do need to be taken out to eat once in a while. A gutloaded (well fed) mealie is a good mealie. If they’re in the fridge, they go into a sort of hibernation mode. If they’re out of the fridge, nature will eventually take its course and the mealie will turn into a pupa. I’ve fed pupa off all the time and my leo’s have yet to experience a problem. Beetles can be moved to another container to breed. Then you’ll have a never-ending mealworm supply. =P But I’ve also fed off beetles to my adults with little issue, outside of maybe the beetle getting away. I’d just keep the leo, if you get him, in a bedroom. Tape cardboard or a cut up grocery bag over three outer walls of the tank and either use a UTH or dark bulb to help with the eye issue. On another note, UVB doesn’t do much for leopard geckos - since they’re nocturnal and all. It’s mostly used for diurnal lizards. It’s best to, instead, dust the insects you feed the lizard once every week with a d3 calcium supplement to avoid things like metabolic bone disease and poor growth. The d3 will help the leo use the calcium you give it, just like UVB would yet more direct. All reptiles need calcium.
04/09/12  06:05pm
#2262163 Dante2010 View Profile	Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 2262140  Fancy Leopard Gecko I told the vet that they dont need UVB and he agreed but theres something about it that helps them destress. If I knew how to upload pics i would send you a pic of Dante doing what seems like basking (even though these reps dont do that) under the UVB light. It’s really weird but he seems to like it. The thing I have recently encountered with Dante is that if I dust his insects he REFUSES to eat them, he bits them and spits them out and then looks at me like "WTH LADY!" and then refuses to eat any more... should I try a different brand of calcium? I have seen him randomly go to his calcium dish and sit there for 5 mins licking the calcium. As for the little one as far as I know he came in with this issue. When I went to look at him saturday he wasnt walking in circles but did scream when I brought him into the light. I work again tomorrow and I’m going to check on him first thing. Should the mealie bowl for him be low enough for him to climb into? if not how tall should it be?
04/09/12  08:52pm
#2262170 KrazyKelli View Profile	Message To: Dante2010   In reference to Message Id: 2262163  Fancy Leopard Gecko The dish should be preferably glass or ceramic, but I’ve used those cheap 35c dishes you put under flower pots, and those short see-through containers you get mealies in. *pulls out ruler* inch to an inch and a half high. It’s easier on the leo if the dish is see-though, and put next to an accessory that the leo can climb up on (like one of the hides). If you put something like 10 mealies in, the noise of them moving should be an attractant on its own. My golden gecko once hated calcium d3 for the first year I had him. I forgot what I did to get him over it, but it probably involved switching the brand of calcium, and dusting less of it on the insects. If he’s inhaling the pure (no d3) calcium you have in the tank, chances are he badly needs some D3 in his system to metabolize/use it. Otherwise the calcium is going straight through him. If things start looking dire, you can also feed the insects the d3 calcium. Just thinly slice up a potato and lightly dust it with the powder before leaving the spud in a small container with the mealies (or crix, or superworms if it’s an adult). Though it’s always best to have it directly on the bugs so you know the leo will ingest it. As for sitting under the UVB, are you sure your temps are high enough? Are you measuring the tank with a digital thermometer w/ probe or a temp gun to get the ground heat? Those dial and fishtank sticker thermometers can be upwards of 20F off and only measure air temps. Having the wrong thermometer is a common issue I see with leo keepers. What was I thinking of talking about..... Buh...... Crud, there was something else I was going to type away at, but it’s eluded me. Oh yeah! Be aware that leopard gecko hatchlings will scream for absolutely no reason sometimes. Some scream a ton, like if you touch them or even come near the tank. It’s a defense mechanism, as well as flight or bite. You could be a giant monster to this tiny leo and it may be screaming to scare you off when you move it, period. So keep that in mind.
04/09/12  10:48pm
#2262200 Dante2010 View Profile	Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 2262170  Fancy Leopard Gecko I use a digital thermometer with a probe on it... the best! I agree those other sticky fish type thermometers are crap! The only calcium I can find around me (with in 200 miles every direction) is calcium WITH D3. I recently received a message about an old post of mine concerning the calcium w/o D3 and she said that I could crush up some cuttlebones made for birds and use that. I have been to PetSmart, PetCo, Southern Agriculture, even backwoods pet shops like Pet Land and Love A Pet. Even the Reptile Expo that comes to town every other month doesn’t sell calcium w/o D3. The temps in Dante’s cage range from 72F on the cool side and the heat pad gets 95F. I don’t use light because like we’ve talked about... they don’t need them. I don’t use a heat emitter becaue my house temp never drops below 72. I have bred Dante and one of my females and they had a few babies that would scream if anyone walked into the room. But this little guy only does it when he’s put into light. If the room is dark he has no problem. Have you heard anything, good or bad, about Repashy (spelling?). They make things like Bug Burger and Calcium for reptiles. I found out the hard way that Dante can’t have superworms... their outer shell they think caused an impaction plus he started throwing them up. So now he eats giant mealies every other day and gets crickets once a week. Have you ever heard about a leopard gecko refusing to eat male crickets and will only eat females?
04/10/12  10:15am
#2262204 KrazyKelli View Profile	Message To: Dante2010   In reference to Message Id: 2262200  Fancy Leopard Gecko Just to be clear: You need calcium with d3. D3 helps the leo use the calcium. Calcium with d3 is dusted on the insects once a week. Calcium without d3 is left in the tank at all times, and is also completely optional. JurassiCal is a popular brand of pure calcium that you should be able to find at local pet stores. Link The d3 in calcium can be toxic if given to a leo in large quantities, because reptiles don’t have a shut off valve for absorbing the stuff directly in their system (they do have one for creating d3 through the skin with a UVB, btw). D3 toxicity has symptoms similar to MBD - where the leo gets lethargic and has twitchy limbs. If your leo has been inhaling D3 calcium from a bowl, I’d suggest removing it and going about a different way of administering, like the options I brought up last post. Bug burgers and anything short of the real squirming source are tripe. It sounds like a waste of money. Leos want living, breathing creatures to eat. As for the supers, maybe the leo is simply spitting them out? Or the bug is too big for the leo in question? I have a leo that hates supers based on the fact that the very first one she grabbed swung around and bit her back. I have another, smaller leo, that will sometimes grab a super, then drop it and ignore it. Either way, the chitin of a super is actually less than the chitin of crix and mealies combined, they are squirming soft ketchup bags. So I highly doubt a leo can get impaction from one. Only problem a super can give a leo is obesity from eating too many over a very long period of time. Now giant mealworms, on the other hand, do have a ton of chitin. They are mealworms given a hormone to last longer and grow bigger in a larval stage, and through this their ’shell’ of chitin gets rather tough (though it’s hard to see, as giant mealies aren’t all that much bigger than regular ones). I’ve had leos get constipated on them. Normal mealworms are the good, safe ones. Don’t know what to say about the cricket thing.
04/10/12  10:49am
#2262238 Dante2010 View Profile	Message To: KrazyKelli   In reference to Message Id: 2262204  Fancy Leopard Gecko Ok so on the calcium... WITH D3 is what I have and put in the tank in a bowl. he randomly goes to it and licks but I havent seen him do that in about a month so I started dusting the mealies once a week and he refuses to eat them if I do that. With OUT D3 is what I have been told that these guys also need. What I understand from your last post is that this type of calcium is optional. The Bug Burger that I was talking about is a food for insects... a gut-loading food. Supers: Dante was measured back in July (when he started throwing up the supers) and he was 10.1 inches. The vet thought the same as you mentioned "maybe the supers are too big for him" but after measuring him out he decided that wasnt the case. He was also having large amounts of liquid in his stools as in a dime to quarter size of liquid beside the poop. I thought possible parasite infestation because I do work at a pet store even though I was my hands before and after handling him. Fecal test came back negative. So then he decided possible impaction and stress. We put him under a UVB light, went to giant mealies and started to 15 minutes warm water baths a day. He HATED the baths so I stopped the after two weeks once I noticed he was eating better and the large amounts of liquid in the stool disappeared. UPDATE: Baby leo isnt even trying to eat. They now have to put the cricket in his mouth. He does open it for them but I think its more of "leave me alone or im going to bite you" kind of thing. I also think he may be incredibly stressed out where he is because now if you move the cage he’s in he screams. He still hates the light. And the vet hasnt contacted another exotics vet to get an opinion so itll be a week at least before I can get him. Where can you get a low rising clear dish that you were talking about in a previous post. All the mealie cases I have seen are white with blue, red, and green. Im incredibly OCD and want to make a perfect home for this little one and correct what im doing wrong with my current baby. Thank you for being so helpful and patient!!!!
04/10/12  05:05pm
#2262239 Rexxaroo View Profile	Message To: Dante2010   In reference to Message Id: 2262238  Fancy Leopard Gecko Those clear things they sell at home depot or lowes in the garden department, they come in a ll sizes. Even garden centers should have em. Poor little guy, hope you can get him soon Rexx
04/10/12  05:14pm

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