How to Have Fun With Your Leopard Gecko

Start handling your gecko when it is young. When you first buy your leo, it will need some time to adjust to its new home. Let it sit in its tank for max a day unless it's very stressed, then give it some more time so it can explore and get comfortable. Don’t feel bad if, once it checks out its home, it doesn’t come out of its favorite hiding spot for a while. Having said that, the earlier you familiarize yourself with your gecko, the better, as geckos who are handled and played with at a young age are generally much more calm and loving when held at a later age.

• An ideal age to begin playing with your gecko is when it is five to six months old, but any age that it is comfortable with humans is good as long as it's not still a hatchling.
• Keep in mind that leopard geckos don't particularly like being held. If you get your leo used to being handled when it's young, it probably won't mind when you hold it, but it won't love it either!^[1]

Understand that your gecko might be a little creeped out by you. In the wild, anything as large as we are would be considered a threat by any lizard. So don't feel bad if your gecko takes a little while to warm up to you.

• Don’t rush your gecko. If you are antsy to begin handling and playing with your gecko, comfort yourself by learning all about your leo. When you set up its home, set up hiding places that your leo can go in without being watched. sometimes your leo just wants some alone time, and remember, they are nocturnal, so you shouldn't bother them during the daytime.
• While you are watching your gecko, familiarize yourself with your new pet. Find your gecko’s ears (The large hole-like appearances on the side of the Leo's head). Count how many toes it has on each of its feet. Count how many spots your gecko has and keep track (leopard geckos’ spots will change as they get older).

Talk to your leo. A key part of getting your gecko to feel comfortable around you is to get it comfortable with your voice. Speak to it in soothing tones. Similarly, look at your gecko from behind the glass. Is your gecko looking back at you? Speak while making eye contact with the gecko so that it knows you are what is making that noise.^[2]

Let your gecko adjust to your hand. It is very important to do this because if your gecko doesn’t adjust to your hand, it will never be comfortable being played with. Your gecko will be most active at night, generally after you get ready for night. At this time, place your hand in the cage, letting it rest on the bottom of the cage. Do not make sudden movement or you may scare your gecko. Let your gecko investigate your hand--it will probably lick your fingers, crawl on your hand, and eventually settle on a spot of your hand that is the warmest. You can encourage it do this by warming up your hand before trying to hold your leo. Do not pull your hand away if your gecko tries to lick it. Until you have created a bond between you and your leopard gecko, the gecko will see you as a predator. If you go away when it tries to lick you, it will try to lick you in order to make you go away in the future, so that it can be alone. If your gecko doesn't have human companionship, it won't want human companionship, and that will lead to an unfriendly gecko.

• Don’t be discouraged if your gecko doesn’t crawl on your hand right away. All geckos are different--some are a bit more adventurous than others. Each night, repeat this step and place your hand on the floor of the tank. Eventually your gecko will come to investigate.

Know how to properly pick your gecko up. After your gecko has gotten used to your hand and sits on it willingly, you can simply lift your gecko out of its cage. Make sure to cup your other hand under or next to the hand you are lifting the gecko up with so that you could catch your gecko if it makes a sudden move that could lead to it falling off of your hand.

• If you do need to pick your gecko up without waiting for it to crawl on your hand, do so very gently. Only pick your gecko up by its midsection and use as many fingers as possible (using all of your fingers that can fit around its midsection will give you a sturdier grasp). Hold your other hand underneath the gecko just in case it falls. Remember to never hold too hard as this is a small animal not fitted for roughhousing.

Be mindful of your gecko’s tail. Geckos can drop their tails if they think a predator has a hold of their tails, or if they become startled. Never pick your gecko up by its tail. Avoid making your gecko feel cornered or threatened. If it doesn’t feel like being handled and keep running away from your hand, take a break from trying to pick it up. Then try again later. It's fairly easy to tell when your gecko is scared or displeased as it will raise and wag it's tail as a warning if this happens try to just talk to it softly to make it calm down.

Know what kind of treats you should give your gecko. There are several different treats you can give your gecko, and most of them can be purchased at your local pet store. These include waxworms, mealworms, and crickets.

• Waxworms: These are the most common type of treat to give your gecko. Geckos love the taste of them yet they are high in phosphorus and fat. So only use these sparingly ( not more than about one every two weeks or so, especially if your leo is over a year old, as this could lead to obesity or your leo refusing to eat other insects.) Do not put calcium on the Waxworm when you do this, as the leopard gecko will eat it, then bite your finger. (powder will be left on your finger, and it will smell this.)

Know how often you should handle and play with your leo. Every gecko is different, but most people recommend for the best taming result to handle them at the least 15 minutes every day once they wake up. Though if you notice this stresses your gecko out then you should lower the times you handle and play with your leo.