Does this tail make my gecko look fat?

[tgrrdr]

I just got the gecko pictured below and it's my first gecko. I read online that they store fat in their tails and you don't want them to be too big.

Hopefully there's an experienced gecko owner on teh BARF who can tell me if this one looks ok or is too big (tail is to the right in this picture).

Thanks
Bill

 

[GPzPop]

What a handsome lizard!!!

 

[two wheel tramp]

Neat!

I have no answer for you but that's a purty fellow you have there.

 

[carries an axe]

Pretty sure that strigoi is the lizard dude

 

[tgrrdr]

It's pretty cool watching it munch crickets too (maybe not for the crickets but I think it's cool).

 

[Entoptic]

Looks ok to me tho I've never heard of a fat tail being a problem. Is that a fat tailed African gecko?

 

[teg916]

Those are cool. I used to have one but I am probably not the best person to give you advice. Mine died when he was two uears old

 

[m_asim]

Can you keep them on a leash? We have cricket infestation and don't want to use chemicals inside the house so a gecko or two on leash that roam the house would be awesome.

 

[Abacinator]

That there is a leopard gecko. Tail looks fine to me. Source: I live with Strigoi.

 

[Hooli]

How much money did you save? :laughing

 

[Snapping Twig]

It's not fat, it's just got big bones.

 

[OldBlade]

How much money did you save? :laughing

15% :teeth

 

[Strigoi]

Yep, I have a Leopard now (my other one died recently) and am probably getting another one tonight.

First of all, get it off the sand ASAP. Sand can become impacted and cause health issues or kill them (edit: even the reptile sand that is supposedly safe is a no no). I use paper towels for the floors of my tanks. They're cheap and easy to switch out when they shit all over them. BTW, never, never, never feed them wax worms. They're too fatty and can cause health issues as well. Mine that died had a fatty liver and large fat deposits from eating them.

It does look healthy and the tail looks to be ok. They're pretty hardy little lizards overall. It's also a good idea to keep a little bowl of powdered calcium in the tank for them to lick. I do it because I only feed meal worms (I truly hate crickets) and don't powder them with calcium when feeding. If it quits eating, don't worry about it at first. Assholemouth recently quit eating for about 5 months. He'd eat maybe 5-10 meal worms a month during that time. He lost a bunch of weight but now he's eating again and has put some back on.

If you think of any questions feel free to shoot me a PM.

This is Assholemouth. He's a Murphy's Patternless Leopard.

 

[deav]

What are the two markings on its back? Is that a survival adaptation to look like eyes so it's not snatched from above? Like some moths and butterflies have.

 

[tgrrdr]

First of all, get it off the sand ASAP. Sand can become impacted and cause health issues or kill them (edit: even the reptile sand that is supposedly safe is a no no).

I read online that the sand wasn't recommended but the previous owners used it for the last seven years and that's how it came when I picked it up. I looked at special terrarium liner stuff when I was buying crickets the other day but didn't buy any. May switch it out this weekend if I can just use paper towels. :thumbup

What are the two markings on its back? Is that a survival adaptation to look like eyes so it's not snatched from above? Like some moths and butterflies have.

I noticed them in the pictures I took and think they look like some kind of injury, but need to take a closer look later.

 

[Mr. White]

I've had a few leopard geckos over the years. Cool little critters. I had a male that lived probably 6-7 years. He got really tame as he got older. I would have him out of his tank for hours, just hanging out.

The tail on yours looks good to me. When one of my geckos was starting to die, they would always lose weight in their tail first. I have no idea if this is right, but I think a nice fat tail is a sign of a healthy lizard.

Edit: just found these pics on my HD. Taken in 2006!

 

[budgie45]

http://www.leopardgecko.com/leopard-gecko-care

I use to breed snakes and bearded dragons..
Don't give it any veggies

 

[Strigoi]

Got my new one today. My g/f said it was a normal (it belonged to her co-worker), but the colors seem more vibrant to me. I just got him home, so I'm going to leave him alone for a couple of days so he can adjust. I'll get pics then.

 

[tgrrdr]

Don't give it any veggies

thanks for the link. It's used to pretty much a straight cricket diet, but I have the crickets loading up on fruits/veggies before I feed them (except for the first batch, it was hungry so I brought the crickets home and fed them right away.

 

[Strigoi]

Gut loading the crickets is a good idea. I give my meal worms potatoes and carrots and keep them in bran which they also eat.

Crickets are also self cleaners, so if you just toss in a bunch with calcium on them they will clean it off. My g/f does that with her Tokay gecko, but that thing just devours them.

If you do get sick of crickets, check out these guys for meal worms. I usually buy 5,000-10,000 at a time, keep a bunch and give the rest to her chickens.

www.rainbowmealworms.net.

Geckos also love horn worms. They get huge fast though when it's warm out.