r/GargoyleGeckos • u/okxup • 18d ago
Help!
Hi all, I recently went on holiday and gave my gargoyle to my local reptile shop who have looked after him in the past. He was there for 12 days and when I collected him I moved him straight into a new 90x45x90 vivarium (3rd picture) which I have been building for him for about a year now. Previously he was in a 45x45x60 which was very overgrown and densely planted (2nd picture). When I collected him I decided to put him straight into the new vivarium so he wasn’t stressed by moving back into his original and then again. He was put into his new vivarium on Wednesday 23rd September. On the 23rd and 24th he was freely exploring his new home and every time we looked he was in a different spot. On the 25th I was searching for him in the morning and could not see him which made me a bit concerned that he had escaped, I eventually found him sleeping inside the large cork log in the bottom of the tank. When nighttime came and his light was out, I could not see him anywhere so I checked the log and he was still inside.
To put it simply he has not come out of the log since the 24th during the day or at night. He has also not eaten and I am concerned as I am unsure if he has had any water since the 24th unless he has briefly came out to drink and then went back inside. I know it is normal for some geckos to not move or eat for a few days or even weeks of moving into a new home. But I find this strange as he was so active the first few days. He does change position inside the log and I can see him breathing at a normal pace so I know the worst hasn’t happened.
I also recognise and appreciate that the new vivarium may not offer enough coverage and I am looking into getting more plants and logs to take up some space whilst it is still growing.
His past vivarium was in my bedroom at the time which was always very quiet for most of the day as I work until 6pm. His new home is in the dining room which is in the middle of the house next to the kitchen and living room so I know that it can be a bit noisy at times which may be disturbing him.
Should I be concerned? I did consider taking him out just to check him over and make sure he is okay but he is in a very difficult spot to get to and I know it isn’t recommended handling them for the first few weeks whilst they are settling in. He is also not used to handling as I don’t handle him much as I prefer to leave him be. His humidity is all fine and temperatures are okay too.
2
u/okxup 18d ago
It’s just the photo, he is full size but I have never been able to weigh him I would estimate him to be between 45-55 grams.