Starving Leapord gecko. Help plz.

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

I have 2 of them a male and a female. I dropped about 8 fat crickets in the tank yesterday and the female ate 1 and that was it. The male at about 5 and was done but the female wasnt interested in eating at all. She is really really skinny. To the point where you can see her bones and her tail has virtually no fat.

I thought about removing her or the male and feeding them separatly. She isn't old. She is about 4 or 5 I suppose and about 6 or 7 inches.

Any advice?

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I'd seperate them long-term or permanently, she COULD be stressed due to cagemage bullying or the male harassing her to breed too often. If that's not it, then she could have something contagious and you should seperate them anyway.

 

[arachnocat]

Good luck with her. Separating them might help. You could try other foods too. Wax worms would be good to help fatten her up if she'll eat them.

 

[LittleCricket]

Good luck with her. Separating them might help. You could try other foods too. Wax worms would be good to help fatten her up if she'll eat them.

Yea great idea Arachnocat!! That is what i feed my females after laying eggs to give them a nice boost. I hold the worms with plastic tweezers and let the worm crawl a little on the ground to tease the gecko. Hope they get eating soon.

 

[Elapid]

i would recommend keeping a dish of mealworms or in the cage at all times!
that and a dish of calcuim dust/vitamins.

they have reptile apetite stimulants also that are mostly vitamin B. i'd mix some according to the directions or dose the animal directly. make sure there's a bowl of fresh, clean water available at all times and at least one hiding spot for each animal.

good luck.

 

[arachnocat]

I had a box turtle that wouldn't eat. I tried one of those appitite stimulants and it worked great! He ate anything I put it on. It was called Jump Start.

 

[JeffX]

What size tank do you have and what are the temps in the cage?

 

[Kris-wIth-a-K]

hmm

It is a 50 gallon tank "really big I know" for 2. Plenty of hides 2 water bowls in each corner and the Temps are around 82-85. I tried the worms and all but she still hasnt eaten. Whats next..?

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Did you seperate them yet? For the previously mentioned reasons, you really really need to.

 

[Elapid]

in such a large enclosure, maybe they are having a hard time finding the food, or, since they were probably raised in typical fashion in shoe boxes and sweater boxes, they may be scared to be in the wide open like that. put them in separate cages until the female gets some weight on.
try the slurry recipe; it could work out for you.
http://www.geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=19356