Problems Encountered

It is more difficult to have a baby leopard gecko than to purchase a Leopard Gecko that is a little older. Not only did I chose to have a baby Leo, but I chose to get two of them. I read that this would be challenging, but I consider myself very good with animals. I did have a few problems along the way including feeding, and shedding.

Shedding:
Cyra did not shed properly once and was left with a small string of skin left wrapped around the tip of her tail. She was very small and did not like to be picked up. I was afraid to mess with her tail because I did not want her to drop it. I just left the skin there and she lost half of a centimeter from her tail. The skin cut off the circulation and the tip dried up and fell off.

To prevent this in the future I make sure the moist hide stays moist. I have also learned that I can place them in a small container with some warm water if there is some shed skin that will not come off.

Cyra stopped eating!
Two and a half months ago Cyra stopped eating. Prior to this her eating habits were regular, but she did not eat much. I was only feeding mealworms at this time. I would leave mealworms for her in the cage, but this just led to Gwyn eating even more than I already fed her. Gwyn was a week older then Cyra to begin with, but she was getting a lot bigger than Cyra until eventually Cyra stopped eating altogether.

Possible reasons:

• parasites
• bullying from Gwyn
• lack of variety (sick of only mealworms)

Of course I did not know what went on at night with my Leos but from what I had seen the two seemed to get along. They each had their own hide but always chose to sleep together. I did not see any bullying but I could never be sure. The first thing I tried was giving Crya some crickets. I was happy when she flicked her tail and lunged at a few. Unfortunately they got away and she gave up. This led me to another possible factor as to why she was not eating:

• cage too large

I decided I could try and solve a few of these problems at once. I put a separator in the tank. This would keep any bullying from going on and keep the cage smaller and easier to catch crickets. If this didn't work I planned to take Cyra to the vet for a check up.

After two weeks with the change I was getting worried. Cyra's tail was getting smaller. I purchased Repta Aid. I mixed up the formula and put small drops on her nose for her to lick off. Within a the week she was licking the formula from a Q-tip dipped in it. This seemed to bring her appetite back and she started eating again! She is now eating a variety of crickets and mealworms but she loves crickets. Her tail is looking much fatter and she is catching up to Gwyn in size. Soon I am going to try and take the divider out and see how they do.

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