Hello budo! I have recently been given a leo who could no longer be taken care of. The previous owner never took her out of her tank to hang out (only taken out for tank cleaning). I would like to take her out and make her feel safe and loved!! Is this a good idea? Do you have any tips?
Hi! Is this the Budo you’re referring to? I sure hope so: he’s awesome!
In all seriousness though, your new gecko sounds a lot like Stannis when we rescued him; he was from a similar situation. The number one thing you need to focus on is getting you gecko accustomed to you and your smell. She needs to understand that you are nothing to be feared. I’ve seen recommendations of putting a worn piece of clothing (something small, like a sock) in the tank so the gecko becomes used to your smell and views it as ‘normal’. You’ll want to make sure that she actually wants to come out and be with you - don’t just scoop her up and throw her on your lap, that will just freak her the freak out.
Instead, put your hand in the enclosure laying flat - knuckles on the floor of thank with your open palm making a platform for your geck. Keep your hand there for 10 minutes (it’s killer, I know) - until she comes over and starts licking on/around your hand. You want her to climb on you when she feels comfortable enough to do so. Patience will be the biggest key here - progress will not come overnight; it may take weeks before she puts her hand on yours.
Once the little goober is comfortable enough to walk right onto your palm, you may start slowly lifting your hand out of the tank. If she freaks and jumps off your hand, you just need to start over and have her climb back on herself. Once she’s out, you may hold her and sit her on you and then sit back and admire her. Don’t try to pet her or make any sudden movements that will scare her (at least at first). Keep her out for 10-15 minutes every other day or so. After a few weeks, you’ll find that she’ll (hopefully) come right up to the front of the tank when you walk in the room. I’ve said it before (because its true) - patience is the most important virtue to have when dealing with this kind of situation. Keep cool and calm and she’ll come around to you.