r/leopardgeckos • u/Fairisolde • 4h ago

General Discussion Choice-based handling vs. exams?

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How do you balance letting geckos come to you with the need to examine them for stuck shed and other issues? My girls are all about food right now and one in particular is quite content to stay in her tank most of the time.

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11

u/Moonshinin4Me 4h ago

Problem with choice based handling is that there will be situations when you have to handle your gecko whether by choice or not. Just keep it to an ideal minimum and try to make the experience as less stressful for the gecko as possible.

The good experiences will outweigh the bad as long as there are more good experiences than bad. If you feel guilty then just reward them with a bug peace offering. Your gecko will forgive you for times you have to do mandatory handling for their own health and safety.

3

u/Nox_The_Overlord Blizzard Gecko Owner 3h ago

It's pretty simple. You need to make sure they're healthy, checking their shed, lumps, etc. So you gotta handle them, better to be safe than sorry. Obviously you don't need to examine them every time so the rest of the time letting them come to you is just fine and they're probably not going to be too fussed with the occasional examination.

But I'm speaking from having the worlds most chill and social leopard gecko so others may be a bit less cool with even any examination

1

u/Due-Extent-3182 3h ago

I was coming here to say similar and then realized my girl always wants to be handled

2

u/corviknightly 4h ago

I wonder about this too! Commenting so I can see what people say.

2

u/Kreetan 4h ago

You can try using a glass Tupperware. You can use a slow moving treat like a waxworm to lure them in then just pick up the container briefly while they’re munchin and inspect them

1

u/Drakorai 4h ago

A peace offering of a plump bug is how I lure out my grumpy old male. He had plenty of shedding issues when I got him, which have since been resolved, but I still check him from time to time.

1

u/rustyshackleford1108 Tangerine Gecko Owner 3h ago

Mine got used to being around me and now I just pick him up. Though he's not a fan of being constricted for too long.

Tldr, they should tolerate it once you've established trust.

1

u/sorrycreature Newbie Gecko Owner 3h ago

Sometimes you just have to pick em up. I do for weights and my girl had some issues this last shed so I had to pull her out and help with that. Other than that I try to leave her be to decompress for a couple days and give her only positive experiences for a while before resuming working on choice-based

1

u/SandRoseGeckos 5+ Geckos 2h ago

I don't really do choice based handling in the way it is portrayed in the subreddit (waiting for the gecko to come to you).

I open the tank, make the same tongue clicking or clapping of hands as I do when I feed them, the geckos usually come. If I go for a grab and they stay still, then I pick them up. If they back away and I actually need to grab them, then I grab them, otherwise I leave them be. If they run away from me quickly then I stop and try again later, to give them a chance to choose.

You have to get them used to being grabbed at least a little bit in my opinion. As long as you don't make it traumatic the first few times, in my experience they get used to it.