Help with a Leo...

[SoCaliSon]

My roommate has had what was sold to him as a pair of Leos. He has had them for about a year now. I took a look at his "female" and she did not seem to be doing good. He had them together in about a 40 gal glass tank, with heat from above via red lamp and a 5.0 UV tube. The male seems to be flourishing, but she is scaring me a bit. Her tail is very skinny, and she seems to sleep all day. I removed her from the tank with the male, and got her set up on her own with some belly heat, and a laying cave made from a little plastic container. I figured this would be a great way to learn a bit more, and try to help my buddies lizard. I want to post some pics of her... and how I got her setup now. I poured some crix in there and she seems to be eating them. I also found a small poop the other day, with a very small, but white urate. I will post some pics and would appreciate any info or advice you could offer me to help this girl. Also.... Any ideas on the morph? And is the sex correct?

Here are some pics of how I set her up... Only gecko on a chameleon rack.lol

Thanks in advance!
~Joe

 

[PantherVeileD]

I think thats a male. Probably two males fighting. Leo sleeps during the day..

 

[SoCaliSon]

Thanks! Yeah I just looked into it a bit more... it's def a male.

I am offering supers and waxies now to see if I can get him fattened back up.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

That is a male.
Looks like you have it setup perfectly now.

No need for UVB but it won't hurt if you use it.


He will fatten up nicely. Feed him lots of worms and put a cup with cal w/d3 in the cage. He will just walk up and eat it. No need to dust with these guys if you do that. Although I dust too.

Looks like a cross between a blizzard or some type of snow? not sure.

 

[SoCaliSon]

I had no idea these guys were nocturnal... Crazy. I will move him out of the UV then and that will free up one more spot on my rack !!!

 

[PantherVeileD]

give them a moist and dry place to hang out.

For calcium .,.. I thought D3 can kill them. I only leave a layer of calcium without D3 for them to lick.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

give them a moist and dry place to hang out.

For calcium .,.. I thought D3 can kill them. I only leave a layer of calcium without D3 for them to lick.

Nothing can kill a leopard gecko. Do you supplement with D3 at all? It still has its need especially with breeding females (or in this case a under nourished gecko). I have never had a problem using it.

I use Miner-all-I - and prefer not to use repcal w/d3 because of the difference in levels of D3. Much lower in Miner-all but I see d3 as a must.

 

[PantherVeileD]

No I just use calcium without D3. I don't think they need D3 do they?? They don't need UVB and UVB is what process the D3?


Yeah those Leos are tough to kill tho.. I even try putting it in a microwave for 2 mins.

 

[panthercrazy]

give them a moist and dry place to hang out.

For calcium .,.. I thought D3 can kill them. I only leave a layer of calcium without D3 for them to lick.

They require some D3 - and will eat from a dish when they require it. (Rep-Cal Ultra fine works great for them no being so course) I don't bother dusting any feeders for the leo.

That is a male.
Looks like you have it setup perfectly now.

No need for UVB but it won't hurt if you use it.

I've seen a leo burned by 5.0 UVB lighting so I'm not sure I'd agree that it won't hurt a leo? I know they sleep during the day, unless a younger leo and looking for food. Because of seeing this situation I have always kept UVB away from them.

He will fatten up nicely. Feed him lots of worms and put a cup with cal w/d3 in the cage. He will just walk up and eat it. No need to dust with these guys if you do that. Although I dust too.

Looks like a cross between a blizzard or some type of snow? not sure.

A word of caution in regards to wax worms with Leopards (I speak from personal experience). I've found the leo the worst to become 'addicted' and refuse to eat anything but. Excellent way to put weight on just ensure to offer other feeders in between.

 

[jojackson]

Nothing can kill a leopard gecko

Except another male!

Two males, they wont co-habitate well mate, stress will kill one, you need to house them seperately, then I think youll find the condition will improve dramatically.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Except another male!

Two males, they wont co-habitate well mate, stress will kill one, you need to house them seperately, then I think youll find the condition will improve dramatically.

Good point!

 

[PantherVeileD]

ALright I'm browsing around looking for answers about D3... No luck.. just calcium and vitamins..

I was kidding about the microwave thing.

Alright I guess I'll give them some D3 calcium but I always thought its a threat to give D3 to your reptiles. As they can overdose on D3..

 

[jojackson]

Dude they are nocturnal, wont be getting alot of natural D3 from sunlight, so it falls to diet. Dust once a month with D3 cal and otherwise cal without as often as you think right. Keep the diet healthy and they are virtually bulletproof!
Ive never seen a leo with MBD.

P.s many geckoheads keep a small flat dish of cal/vitamin powder (D3 too) in the cage at all times, gex will lick it!

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

They don't need UVB and UVB is what process the D3?

D3 is produced through exposure to UVB and aids in the "processing" of calcium into the system.

 

[dondeb562]

aww poor guy. Lots of different worms as suggested will help him. Mine LOVE pheonix worms as well. As long as he does not have a gut full of parasites he should recover nicely.

 

[jojackson]

Main issue here is to house him seperately, trust me!

 

[dondeb562]

agreed since they are clearly both males (at least the thin one that you posted is)

 

[PantherVeileD]

D3 is produced through exposure to UVB and aids in the "processing" of calcium into the system.

thats sorta what I meant. Thanks for clarifying it...

I will start giving them some calcium with D3 and vitamins which I haven't been doing.

Yeah juvinile/adult males should not be housed together.

JoJack I know these guys are nocturnal but I was a little confuse on the calcuim part because of the information I gathered up awhile back never mentioned anything about D3.

 

[SoCaliSon]

Yeah I checked the other one and it definately 2 males... I will try to post a pic of that guy soon... I believe he is a tangerine but he is awesome looking.

 

[dondeb562]

Yah that would most likely be the reason why he is in such bad shape. Males just can not be kept together. He should improve now that he is by himself