Gecko too slow to catch prey

[Trevy the Gret]

Hey everyone,

I got a Leo around six months ago, who I'm having some problems with. For the first couple of months he seemed alright, perfectly chipper, okay with being handled, curious, inquisitive, and most importantly healthy. He was fine with catching his food, he got a couple crickets a day and chased them all over the place, or sometimes a dish of wriggling mealworms that he would lap up.
About a month ago he started having some shedding problems - some of the skin on his feet got caught there and hampered his movement. I didn't notice it until his food started escaping, and after a nice bath and a trip between his toes with the tweezers undid the problem. He seemed to be getting better for a couple weeks but lately he's been in trouble, as he can't seem to be able to catch his food. When I got him he didn't seem to be a clumsy fellow, but now he can't catch crickets no matter how hard he tries (when he pounces on them he is always a little bit too short), and when they hide he loses interest too quickly to find them. I'm a little worried, because he's only been eating about a cricket ever two days or so and even that is a challenge, because I end up having to pursue the cricket around the cage until he notices it and gives chase, and when it does stop moving I have to get it going again. It usually takes a straight hour or two and dozens of attempts to catch a single cricket and even them I am inclined to believe that that is because the cricket itself is done running. He won't even eat mealworms, which he used to love. Even when I put them right in front of him, wriggling and squirming away all he does is bend over and lick them, not trying to eat them. Even when I leave (sometimes he won't eat when I'm there, just stare at me suspiciously), he just lies down and goes to sleep and doesn't even try to go after his food.

Does anyone know what seems to be the problem with him? Has anyone else had similar problems? Any help would be greatly appreciated, because I'm worried about this little guy.

 

[gothra]

I notice the geckos are less accurate when they aren't hungry. What are your temps? Is he a juvenille or adult? Adults may eat less as they're done growing.

 

[Keitone]

I notice the geckos are less accurate when they aren't hungry.

+1
I can tell how hungry mine are by how far they are willing to chase their food.

 

[roger]

Try pinching of a couple of legs of the cricket.

 

[StatikStepz]

Try pinching of a couple of legs of the cricket.

I was just going to say that! :main_thumbsup:

Tear off one of the rear legs and they won't be able to hop anymore.

 

[Trevy the Gret]

The gecko is around six-months old, I don't know if that's juvie or adult at this point (being fairly new to geckos myself). The enclosure is around 78-80º F during the day, and may drop a little at night. He's got a little house that sits outside of the heating lamp and is about 5º cooler than the outside.

I have been pinching the legs off of the crickets, after which they move rather slowly and can't hop, but the gecko still can't catch them.

 

[GeckoGathering]

TEMPS

The gecko is around six-months old, I don't know if that's juvie or adult at this point (being fairly new to geckos myself). The enclosure is around 78-80º F during the day, and may drop a little at night. He's got a little house that sits outside of the heating lamp and is about 5º cooler than the outside.

I have been pinching the legs off of the crickets, after which they move rather slowly and can't hop, but the gecko still can't catch them.

That temp. is OK for the cool side.....But you need a hot side of
90's --- 100 and a UTH.
He can't process food well enough, so why chase it.
Take care. HJ

 

[Shera]

I find mine aren't accurate when they aren't hungry too. Once DH brought home some crickets and he had to leave them in the car for a short while while he ran in somewhere (sub zero temps), and when he got home I thought they were dead, but they were just too cold and appeared dead. As they warmed up they slowly came to life, but that life was cut short because they were easy targets for my leos. Maybe you could put a few crickets in the freezer for a few min to slow them down? I have never tried it, so I don't know how long you would want to do it for, but I think it would probably work.

 

[Shera]

The gecko is around six-months old, I don't know if that's juvie or adult at this point (being fairly new to geckos myself). The enclosure is around 78-80º F during the day, and may drop a little at night. He's got a little house that sits outside of the heating lamp and is about 5º cooler than the outside.

I have been pinching the legs off of the crickets, after which they move rather slowly and can't hop, but the gecko still can't catch them.

Oh I just read this. This is your problem. You need a warm side that gives them belly heat (by using an under tank heater on the one side), and the temperature of the ground on that side needs to be around 95F. The air temperature on that side can be cooler, but they need that belly heat in order to digest their food.

 

[Trevy the Gret]

Okay, that must be it then. Thanks a lot.

 

[STUTFL]

And just as your standard disclaimer, don't use a UV lamp in the tank. Leos sleep in the daytime, adding extra light will only make them hide more.

 

[Trevy the Gret]

I don't use a UV lamp, I use a lightless one.

 

[yeah]

Hi.
I have the same problem with my male. He never seems to be able to catch cricket as they are faster or he doesn't reach them. So i started to feed him wax worms more often to compensate the starvation period and every time i feed him the worms i give him crickets with tongs and simulate their movement so he jumps to eat them. It works sometimes but try also removing the long legs of the crickets or give him other slow moving insects like the Dubias.

 

[acpart]

I have a number of geckos that seem to be hunting impaired. One has been ever since I got her nearly 6 years ago as a 2 year old. The other one seems to have gotten "lazy". I dip a cricket in supplement and then hold it in front of the gecko I'm feeding by one leg. The cricket hops around and the gecko can catch it because it's not going anywhere.

Aliza

 

[STUTFL]

Mine simply got bored of crickets and wouldn't hunt them at all, though he'll happily chase down a mealworm or superworm he sees on the other side of the tank. I would absolutely get the temps up and consistent in this case, though.

 

[Trevy the Gret]

So I got a bottom heater a while ago and installed it, and for a short time my Leo seemed to perk up and chase crickets around (he caught one or two), but this week he seems to be going back to his lethargic self again. The temperature in the tank is consistently 85-90º F during the day but all he does is sleep in the corner. He shows interest is crickets from time to time, but nothing more than a look and the occasional half-hearted lunge.
He hasn't eaten anything all week (as far as I know... one mealworm disappeared but it could just have easily have escaped), so I'm getting a little worried again. Am I doing anything wrong?

 

[StatikStepz]

...If he is too slow to catch crix, then why not change his food to mealworms or superworms...? Put the superworms in a feeder dish, so that way they can stay put, lol, and he doesn't have to chase anymore. All he'll need to do is just stand over it and eat away!

 

[bjleemkuil]

...If he is too slow to catch crix, then why not change his food to mealworms or superworms...? Put the superworms in a feeder dish, so that way they can stay put, lol, and he doesn't have to chase anymore. All he'll need to do is just stand over it and eat away!

+1

 

[TheRed]

...If he is too slow to catch crix, then why not change his food to mealworms or superworms...? Put the superworms in a feeder dish, so that way they can stay put, lol, and he doesn't have to chase anymore. All he'll need to do is just stand over it and eat away!

None of my geckos have figured the dish out yet. They're clear and the geckos can see them in there but never eat out of it.

 

[Trevy the Gret]

My leo used to eat right out of the dish, but he doesn't anymore. Even if I put the squirmy little things right in front of him, he usually just looks at it for a little while before losing interest and going back to sleep.