Like any animal, the leopard gecko has a way of expressing happiness or unhappiness. As a gecko owner, it’s your responsibility to know the signs of an unhappy leopard gecko so you can deal with any problems that arise.
Unfortunately, if you’ve never owned a leopard gecko before, it can be a little difficult to tell if your leopard gecko is happy or not. That’s why I decided to write this article. Read on to learn five signs to look out for to determine if your leopard gecko is happy.
What Are The Signs Of A Happy Leopard Gecko?
Reptiles don’t have the same ability to be happy as we do. Apart from that, the leopard gecko’s well-being mainly depends on its health. When a leopard gecko gets sick, it’s bad luck. In contrast, healthy geckos are happy.
Therefore, to determine if your leopard gecko is happy, you should watch for signs of illness or disease. Let’s take a look at the most common signs that your leopard gecko is healthy and happy.
- He is active
The first sign that a leopard gecko is happy is to be active. If your leopard gecko explores his tank, roaming between warm and cold areas, and approaches the glass when he’s hungry or sees you, he’s probably very happy. If it looks bright and agile, that’s an even better sign. In contrast, the unfortunate leopard gecko is truly lethargic and sluggish. Maybe he often sleeps or sits with his eyes closed and probably doesn’t move around in the tank.
- He responds to movement and touch.
Another sign of a happy leopard gecko is that it responds to movement and touch. If the gecko reacts every time you pass by the tank, it’s alert and happy. He reacts especially when he is hungry. These are all important signs that your leopard gecko is happy. The unfortunate leopard gecko is silent and doesn’t show much awareness of his surroundings. Despite this appearance, geckos notice these things. he just doesn’t want to move. This is an alarming sign that your gecko is unhappy.
- His movements are smooth.
But happy geckos don’t just move. Instead, the happy leopard gecko moves pretty smoothly. Calm movements indicate that the leopard gecko is relaxed and free of anxiety. A peaceful gecko is happy.
If your leopard gecko is doing a lot of jerky movements, it’s probably frightening and unhappy. This is especially true when its tail is wagging. When a gecko wags its tail, it’s basically telling you to stay away from anxiety and stress.
- He eats a lot
Happy gecko loves to eat. If your gecko looks forward to food and tells you when it’s hungry, you can be sure it’s a happy, healthy pup. To continue his healthy diet and happy demeanor, continue to feed him as you normally do. If you notice that your leopard gecko has lost its appetite and is unresponsive to food, it may be unhappy and sick. If your leopard gecko loses its appetite, take it to the vet immediately.
- He has a healthy sleep schedule.
After all, the final sign of a healthy gecko is having a healthy sleep cycle. Happy geckos tend to sleep a lot. So if geckos seem to sleep more than other animals in your home, don’t worry. At the same time, a gecko needs to have active periods throughout the day.
Note that a sleeping gecko is not the same as a lethargic gecko. Again, if your leopard gecko is constantly lethargic and suddenly sleeps more than usual, it is unhappy or sick.
What Are The Signs Of An Unhappy Leopard Gecko?
- Eyes often closed even when awake
This sign is often associated with sluggishness and can have similar causes. However, there are additional options to consider. Check if the light is too bright and adjust if necessary.
- Fast and jerky movements
Fast, jerky movements signal fear, and fear causes stress. If your gecko shows these signs outside the tank, it’s time to reset it.
- Wagging tail
Wagging its tail is basically a “leave it to me” signal. If the leopard gecko makes waves when you want to deal with it, it’s better to heed his advice and actually leave it alone. These are all signs related to stress and health. Therefore, they overlap with symptoms that indicate the gecko may be stressed or sick.
- Sleep with a leopard gecko
You may notice that your leopard gecko sleeps a lot and wonder if this equates to lethargy. Here’s the good news:
It is not. Leopard geckos are crepuscular animals that are active for only a short amount of time during the day, so they tend to sleep a lot.
What To Do With An Unhappy Leopard Gecko?
As previously mentioned, unfortunate leopard geckos are unhealthy. When you notice that your leopard gecko is showing signs of discontent, you need to take action. Here’s what to do if your leopard gecko seems unhappy.
- Please take him to the vet.
First and foremost, make sure you take your unlucky leopard gecko to the vet. Health problems are most likely the cause of the gecko’s unhappiness, especially if the gecko shows signs of lethargy or anorexia. An exotic veterinarian can identify the cause and provide recommendations for gecko treatment.
- Leave him in peace
If your leopard gecko wags its tail every time you pick it up, it probably doesn’t want to be touched. If you don’t see any other signs of dissatisfaction, you probably don’t have a health problem. Place the leopard gecko on the bottom and set it aside to cool.
- Change his enclosure.
Geckos can often become unhappy due to stressful environments and situations.If this is the case for your gecko, change the enclosure to make the environment less stressful. You may need to do this if the tank is too close to noisy or active parts of the house. Placing the tank in a low-stress location will minimize stress for the leopard gecko.
Conclusion
Any creature can get stressed, but the most important thing is to understand the signs and solve them in time. With some reading and a little research, anyone can easily tell if a leopard gecko is happy or not. Both stress and well-being signs are easy to spot and can be remedied with a little effort. Providing your gecko with a comfortable living environment and a balanced diet is important for a stress-free and happy leopard gecko.
