Fargo also had another shed while I was away this weekend. She did pretty well on her own. She only had a little piece left on the tip of one of her toes which I removed. Looks like Fargo is doing really well and I couldn't be happier!!!
Showing posts with label leo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label leo. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Fargo playing with her food
So today i figured out that Fargo does indeed like to eat meal worms she just doesn't seem to like to or know how to eat them out of the dish. I placed a couple of meal worms in front of her and she went for them so I kept them coming and she kept on eating. I love watching her eat. Here is a video of her messing with one of the meal worms before deciding she was no longer hungry and walked away.
Fargo also had another shed while I was away this weekend. She did pretty well on her own. She only had a little piece left on the tip of one of her toes which I removed. Looks like Fargo is doing really well and I couldn't be happier!!!
Fargo also had another shed while I was away this weekend. She did pretty well on her own. She only had a little piece left on the tip of one of her toes which I removed. Looks like Fargo is doing really well and I couldn't be happier!!!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Fargo, our new leopard gecko
Here is a video I published today on youtube showing Fargo's tank. Check it out!
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Day 3
Here is my cutie girl Fargo peeking out to say hello this morning. Or maybe she's just telling me to go away. I do find her in the two different hides so at lease I know she is roaming around. Still haven't seen her eat or drink but she could be doing so at night while I'm asleep since she is nocturnal. Hopefully she comes around soon and will become more social!
Here is a photo of Fargo's tank set up. The left side is the cool side and the ride side the hot. I have the digital thermometers below both her cool and hot hide to make sure the temps stay at what's most comfortable for her.
In the back right corner is her humid hide. Haven't seen her in that one but I read somewhere online that some really only use it when they are ready for shedding so I am not to worried about that. She does move from her cool hide to her hot hide which is great.
I have her mealworm bowl, calcium bowl and water bowl in the front. I was debating on whether or not I should place them in the back of the tank where she may be more comfortable.
Currently I have her blue daylight heat lamp turned on. I have been keeping this on from 6am to 6pm. Since I do not currently have a thermostat I just keep a close eye to make sure that it does not get to warm with the lamp and UTH.
Right now the temp is at 92.7F on the hot side and 75F on the cool side. I usually allow a little bit of a drop at night but still like the hot side to be well over 80F for her.
Fargo is shy and is currently hiding in the hide on the cool side (upper left corner) she will probably spend most of her day sleeping.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Welcome Fargo!!!!
Yesterday my sister and I picked up the newest member to our family, a precious leopard gecko named Fargo. She is still to young to determine gender but we keep on referring her to a she in hopes that she is female.
The reason we are hoping she is female is because we hope to get another in the future. Male leopard geckos should not be housed with other male leopard geckos! You can house a male with a female but then you are at risk of becoming a grandparent. Since Fargo is our first herp we are not ready for the responsibility of breeding and caring for babies. Females are able to live with other females. Of course this is a case by case since some leos may not want a companion.
Fargo is in her new home. She's been mostly hiding. It is important to remember that leopard geckos are nocturnal, therefore is it normal for them to sleep all day in their hides. Fargo has been hiding out at night too but according to some google searches this is normal when you bring home a new leo. It can take up to two weeks for them to become comfortable and acquainted in their new habitats.
Fargo also hasn't been eating. We have placed live vitamin sprinkled crickets in her home but she has taken no interest to them. We have also provided a bowls with water, gut loaded mealworms and her calcium in her home and no interest there either. Again we turned to google with our concern, this is also normal when bringing home a new gecko. I will continue to try to feed her with feeding tongs and hopefully in a few days she will give in.
I took her out of her tank today because I could not resist her cuteness and wanted to hold her. Leo's are very docile creatures and with proper taming can be handled, however it is not the smartest idea to handle a new gecko. Fargo is already stressed about being in her new home, by taking her out of it just caused more stress. I will resist my temptations and leave her to herself until she becomes more comfortable in her environment and starts eating.
For new leo pet owners like myself please note that it is important to keep a dish with water and calcium (I use reptcal) in their tanks at all times. Water should be replaced with new water everyday. I have been using bottle water since I am not sure how tap water may effect her,
Hides are also very important to leos. Leos hide from the sun all day and should have proper hide. I have three in my tank for Fargo. There is a hide on the cooler side of the tank, a hide on the hotter side of her tank and also a humid hide on the warmer side.
A humid hide is essential! This hide will help Fargo shed her skin when shedding time arrives. I keep a damp paper towel in the humid hide and peat moss. I mist the moss daily to make sure it stays humid in the hide.
Fargo has reptile carpet as her substrate. While sand is aesthetically pleasing I have read from many different sources not to use sand since the leo can ingest it and it can cause them to become ill. Some owners and breeders do debate this issue and use sand but since I am a new herp owner I decided to go the safe route. The reptile carpet actually looks nice. We have a tan/brown colored carpet so we can pretend it's sand haha.
I have also read that paper towels work just as well. I personally think the reptile carpet looks better but that is just my preference.
Another major thing new leo owners need to worry about is keeping the correct temperatures. These are desert animals after all and it is important to imitate their natural habitat as much as possible in order to keep them healthy and alive. I have been trying my best to create the temperature gradient that is important for leos. According to the research I found that most leo experts say during the day the "hot spot" of the habitat should be between 90-95F and 70-75F on the cooler side. In the middle the temp usually stays in the 80's. Even though these reptiles are desert animals I personally would not recommend the temperature to exceed 95F as it could burn or make your leo too hot.
At night time I have been letting the temperature to drop to the 80's on the warmer side and the 70's on the cooler side. The temp on the cooler side should not be cooler than 65F.
For heating I use an under the tank heater. My research told me that leo's actually retain their heat from their bellies as opposed to some other reptiles who take heat from the sun/ overhead heat. I keep the UTH in the corner of the hot side of the tank and have Fargo's dry hide over it. If using an UTH please do your research and follow the instructions correctly. The pad goes under the tank not in the tank. I also made sure to levitate the tank with these furniture pads that are made to prevent your furniture from scratching the floor. I stacked two together to get the desired height and stuck them to the bottom of the tank. Please do not place anything near the actual pad as it may be a fire hazard. It is important to have that gap between the pad and the surface you have the tank on so that the heat can flow. Again do your research. I am not an expert. I am new to this and all of this information has come from my personal research.
I would also highly recommend getting a thermostat for your UTH. This will prevent the UTH from getting too hot and burning your pet. You can control the temperatures with the thermostat so that it will maintain the desired temperature.
I also purchased electric thermometers for Fargo. i personally believe these will keep more accurate readings than the ones that stick on to the tank. The stick on thermometers will measure the temp in the air, but remember leo's get their heat from their bellies so you want to make sure to take the temp on the floor of the tank. This is why the electronic thermometers are great. They come with a wire that has a sensor on the bottom. I stuck one of the sensors in the hide over the UTH and the sensor from my second thermometer under the hide on the cooler side. Simple and easy to read!
I also use overhead lamps although many people will say you do not need them. Since I have not purchased a thermostat for my UTH yet I use a mix of the UTH and heat lamps to keep the habitat at the right temps. I use a daytime 60W blue daytime reptile bulb and a 40W red nighttime bulb. I suggest to play around with the wattages of your bulbs to see which keep it at the desired temps, However I would not go over a 75W bulb as it may make the tank too hot and can burn your tank. Especially if you are using a UTH.
The reason I use the bulbs is so that I can better control the temps until I can purchase a thermostat for my UTH. If I see that the tank is getting too hot I will try turning off the heat lamp or UTH to bring down the temp.
Fargo also does not require any UVB lighting however it is important to keep a 12 hour day and 12 hour night cycle for your gecko. Since my room doesn't provide much natural lighting during the day I use a blue daytime reptile light. At night it should be dark for Fargo but since I like to look at her I use a red nighttime reptile bulb which I read was okay to use for leo's at night.
I purchased a timed power source outlet for the lamps but still haven't figured out how to work it haha so I've just been manually turning them on and off for her as needed.
I will post some photos of her tank setup at another time since it is night time and don't want to turn on bright lights.
For food as I had mentioned we have tried crickets and mealworms but she hasn't been eating either or yet. I am trying not to worry since it is only Day 2 of her being home and she could just be adjusting. I was hoping to keep her on a mealworm diet. Some breeders/experts say this is perfectly fine others argue you should use crickets are her primary diet. For new owners, do your research and see what works best for you and your gecko. Since she is still a juvenile we decided to try both and then if we later decide to stick with one or the other we can do so. It is important that whatever type of insect you use that they are gut loaded. I will post later on how I gut load Fargo's food.
If you are planning on getting your first herp please please please do your own research. Again, I am NOT by any means an expert. This is my first herp and all of the information I have provided has been from the research I have done. Google, look on reptile sites, go on you tube or purchase a book on your herp. Please do not just go by a pet stores care sheet.
If you have any comments or suggestions please leave them below. I am very open on how to keep the best care of Fargo!
The reason we are hoping she is female is because we hope to get another in the future. Male leopard geckos should not be housed with other male leopard geckos! You can house a male with a female but then you are at risk of becoming a grandparent. Since Fargo is our first herp we are not ready for the responsibility of breeding and caring for babies. Females are able to live with other females. Of course this is a case by case since some leos may not want a companion.
Fargo is in her new home. She's been mostly hiding. It is important to remember that leopard geckos are nocturnal, therefore is it normal for them to sleep all day in their hides. Fargo has been hiding out at night too but according to some google searches this is normal when you bring home a new leo. It can take up to two weeks for them to become comfortable and acquainted in their new habitats.
Fargo also hasn't been eating. We have placed live vitamin sprinkled crickets in her home but she has taken no interest to them. We have also provided a bowls with water, gut loaded mealworms and her calcium in her home and no interest there either. Again we turned to google with our concern, this is also normal when bringing home a new gecko. I will continue to try to feed her with feeding tongs and hopefully in a few days she will give in.
I took her out of her tank today because I could not resist her cuteness and wanted to hold her. Leo's are very docile creatures and with proper taming can be handled, however it is not the smartest idea to handle a new gecko. Fargo is already stressed about being in her new home, by taking her out of it just caused more stress. I will resist my temptations and leave her to herself until she becomes more comfortable in her environment and starts eating.
For new leo pet owners like myself please note that it is important to keep a dish with water and calcium (I use reptcal) in their tanks at all times. Water should be replaced with new water everyday. I have been using bottle water since I am not sure how tap water may effect her,
Hides are also very important to leos. Leos hide from the sun all day and should have proper hide. I have three in my tank for Fargo. There is a hide on the cooler side of the tank, a hide on the hotter side of her tank and also a humid hide on the warmer side.
A humid hide is essential! This hide will help Fargo shed her skin when shedding time arrives. I keep a damp paper towel in the humid hide and peat moss. I mist the moss daily to make sure it stays humid in the hide.
Fargo has reptile carpet as her substrate. While sand is aesthetically pleasing I have read from many different sources not to use sand since the leo can ingest it and it can cause them to become ill. Some owners and breeders do debate this issue and use sand but since I am a new herp owner I decided to go the safe route. The reptile carpet actually looks nice. We have a tan/brown colored carpet so we can pretend it's sand haha.
I have also read that paper towels work just as well. I personally think the reptile carpet looks better but that is just my preference.
.JPG) |
| "Mommy, leave me alone and let me adjust!" -Fargo |
Another major thing new leo owners need to worry about is keeping the correct temperatures. These are desert animals after all and it is important to imitate their natural habitat as much as possible in order to keep them healthy and alive. I have been trying my best to create the temperature gradient that is important for leos. According to the research I found that most leo experts say during the day the "hot spot" of the habitat should be between 90-95F and 70-75F on the cooler side. In the middle the temp usually stays in the 80's. Even though these reptiles are desert animals I personally would not recommend the temperature to exceed 95F as it could burn or make your leo too hot.
At night time I have been letting the temperature to drop to the 80's on the warmer side and the 70's on the cooler side. The temp on the cooler side should not be cooler than 65F.
For heating I use an under the tank heater. My research told me that leo's actually retain their heat from their bellies as opposed to some other reptiles who take heat from the sun/ overhead heat. I keep the UTH in the corner of the hot side of the tank and have Fargo's dry hide over it. If using an UTH please do your research and follow the instructions correctly. The pad goes under the tank not in the tank. I also made sure to levitate the tank with these furniture pads that are made to prevent your furniture from scratching the floor. I stacked two together to get the desired height and stuck them to the bottom of the tank. Please do not place anything near the actual pad as it may be a fire hazard. It is important to have that gap between the pad and the surface you have the tank on so that the heat can flow. Again do your research. I am not an expert. I am new to this and all of this information has come from my personal research.
I would also highly recommend getting a thermostat for your UTH. This will prevent the UTH from getting too hot and burning your pet. You can control the temperatures with the thermostat so that it will maintain the desired temperature.
I also purchased electric thermometers for Fargo. i personally believe these will keep more accurate readings than the ones that stick on to the tank. The stick on thermometers will measure the temp in the air, but remember leo's get their heat from their bellies so you want to make sure to take the temp on the floor of the tank. This is why the electronic thermometers are great. They come with a wire that has a sensor on the bottom. I stuck one of the sensors in the hide over the UTH and the sensor from my second thermometer under the hide on the cooler side. Simple and easy to read!
I also use overhead lamps although many people will say you do not need them. Since I have not purchased a thermostat for my UTH yet I use a mix of the UTH and heat lamps to keep the habitat at the right temps. I use a daytime 60W blue daytime reptile bulb and a 40W red nighttime bulb. I suggest to play around with the wattages of your bulbs to see which keep it at the desired temps, However I would not go over a 75W bulb as it may make the tank too hot and can burn your tank. Especially if you are using a UTH.
The reason I use the bulbs is so that I can better control the temps until I can purchase a thermostat for my UTH. If I see that the tank is getting too hot I will try turning off the heat lamp or UTH to bring down the temp.
Fargo also does not require any UVB lighting however it is important to keep a 12 hour day and 12 hour night cycle for your gecko. Since my room doesn't provide much natural lighting during the day I use a blue daytime reptile light. At night it should be dark for Fargo but since I like to look at her I use a red nighttime reptile bulb which I read was okay to use for leo's at night.
I purchased a timed power source outlet for the lamps but still haven't figured out how to work it haha so I've just been manually turning them on and off for her as needed.
I will post some photos of her tank setup at another time since it is night time and don't want to turn on bright lights.
For food as I had mentioned we have tried crickets and mealworms but she hasn't been eating either or yet. I am trying not to worry since it is only Day 2 of her being home and she could just be adjusting. I was hoping to keep her on a mealworm diet. Some breeders/experts say this is perfectly fine others argue you should use crickets are her primary diet. For new owners, do your research and see what works best for you and your gecko. Since she is still a juvenile we decided to try both and then if we later decide to stick with one or the other we can do so. It is important that whatever type of insect you use that they are gut loaded. I will post later on how I gut load Fargo's food.
If you are planning on getting your first herp please please please do your own research. Again, I am NOT by any means an expert. This is my first herp and all of the information I have provided has been from the research I have done. Google, look on reptile sites, go on you tube or purchase a book on your herp. Please do not just go by a pet stores care sheet.
 |
| Fargo doesn't want to play just yet. |
If you have any comments or suggestions please leave them below. I am very open on how to keep the best care of Fargo!
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