Hi guys,

Im new here, first post .

So i got my first Leo today, and just have a few questions.

Ive got him/her in a plastic vavarium with a heat matt on one side, i have a log for climbing and a cave for hiding, and obviously a water bowl with a little section that ive put some Nutrobal in for his/hers calcium substitute.

Im just a little concerned about what ive read about the substrate im using, Its a medium woodchip, my friend who has 2 Leo's uses it hense why i got it, and i bought it today from a reptile centre lol, so im not sure as to why parts of the web say to avoid it :s.

Again is there anyway to determine age??? as i have no idea i also need to get it sexed.

Feeding wise ive been told to drop 3 locust in per day, but obviously if he/she hasnt eaten the meal from the day before then dont top it up.

Any information for me as a beginner with this stunning reptile would be fantastic, as i dont want to make it ill or worst case scenario.....kill it .

Thanks in advance.

Griff

[Jools]

Hi, welcome. How big is this little Leo? Did the ppl you got it from not know how old it is? If you could post some pics on here then we could give you an approximate age based on its markings / build. It may not be possible to accurately sex it until it is perhaps older but if you post pics of under the vent area we will try.
The best substrate you can use for a youngster is kitchen roll. Wood chips are about the worst imo - they can be accidently eaten and cause an impaction (blockage). What size is the viv? An adult Leo needs at least 2 sq.ft of floor area. In the viv you will need 1 hide in the cool side, 1 in the warm side and 1 moist hide - minimum. A water bowl and a little dish to put pure calcium in (not Nutrobal). The temperature on the floor of the warm side should be 88-90deg F
You will probably find that the little one will be reluctant to eat for a few days. When he does start eating then feed as much as he can eat in about 15 minutes and also leave a bowl of mealworms in the viv 24/7. Dust all the food - 5 days a week with calcium and 2 days a week with Nutrobal. I will post alink to a good care sheet in a mo. here you go http://sleepydeegeckos.webs.com/care.htm

woodchips are fine my leos if they grap some when getting food just spit them out :s

[Jools]

How long have you been keeping Leos Arnie? Believe me they can, and occasionally are, accidently swallowed. When this happens it can be catastrophic.

[Olivine]

Originally Posted by Jools

Hi, welcome. How big is this little Leo? Did the ppl you got it from not know how old it is? If you could post some pics on here then we could give you an approximate age based on its markings / build. It may not be possible to accurately sex it until it is perhaps older but if you post pics of under the vent area we will try.
The best substrate you can use for a youngster is kitchen roll. Wood chips are about the worst imo - they can be accidently eaten and cause an impaction (blockage). What size is the viv? An adult Leo needs at least 2 sq.ft of floor area. In the viv you will need 1 hide in the cool side, 1 in the warm side and 1 moist hide - minimum. A water bowl and a little dish to put pure calcium in (not Nutrobal). The temperature on the floor of the warm side should be 88-90deg F
You will probably find that the little one will be reluctant to eat for a few days. When he does start eating then feed as much as he can eat in about 15 minutes and also leave a bowl of mealworms in the viv 24/7. Dust all the food - 5 days a week with calcium and 2 days a week with Nutrobal. I will post alink to a good care sheet in a mo. here you go http://sleepydeegeckos.webs.com/care.htm

Excellent advice from Jools, as ever. I really would advise against using wood chips: as Jools says, it's just about the worst substrate that can be used for geckos. I know of several owners whose leos have experienced severe problems with impaction having ingested the stuff. Anyone who tells you that they're safe to use obviously hasn't witnessed the pain and distress that can be caused to a leo (and their owner) by wood chips.

[SleepyDee]

Originally Posted by arnie

woodchips are fine

sorry but rubbish ~ woodchips are not fine at all and can be easily ingested... even big lumps!

Originally Posted by Jools

How long have you been keeping Leos Arnie? Believe me they can, and occasionally are, accidently swallowed. When this happens it can be catastrophic.

*nods* a recent thread elsewhere covered this well with a new leo owner extreemly upset when his leo started passing the following ~

the leo carried on passing lumps of woodchip for quite a while after the woodchips were removed from the viv.

[mowgli]

Ouch that looks really ****** painful.

That poor little Leo, it must of been in so much distress.

Putting a Leo on wood chip would be the like me having you round for a roast chicken dinner and lacing it with shards of glass! Imagine, some bits you might spit out (after they have ripped your mouth to shreds) then you might take a big juicy bite out of another bit and not realise you have just swallowed a 1 inch shard!


Having seen the picture that Sleepydee has just posted I would say that not only would be stupid and irresponsible to put a Leo on wood chip it would also be a horrendous act of cruelty.

Nice cheap alternatives can range from plain old kitchen role to floor tiles depending on how aesthetic you want to get. Anything that is small and lose and could be potentially ingested is really not worth the risk after all you wouldn't want to have a go at passing a wood chip would you so why run the risk with your reptiles.

[Olivine]

Originally Posted by mowgli

Ouch that looks really ****** painful.

Absolutely. And the pic that SleepyD posted is of just one of the fourteen large pieces of wood chip that the leo in question had to pass. Although its new owner moved the leo onto kitchen towel as soon as he bought it, it was still passing wood chips three and a half weeks later.

[mowgli]

14 times!

Did the poor thing survive?

Surely there must have been some internal damage done?

In a case like that is there even anything you can do to relive the pain as there trying to pass?

[SleepyDee]

Originally Posted by mowgli

14 times!

Did the poor thing survive?

Surely there must have been some internal damage done?

In a case like that is there even anything you can do to relive the pain as there trying to pass?

yes the leo survived and is (touch wood) doing well ~ as to what (if any) internal damage has been done only time will tell I'm afraid and as to any pain relief then all that can be done is gentle warm baths to encourage the bowel/internal movement and a good vet for help... there is no 'pain relief' as such.