Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[Kaida]

Hi all,

My baby leo Echo (about 3-4 months old) is really skittish a lot of the time. I was trying to just put my hand in the viv to get her used to me and not pick her up, but she sheds badly every time despite having access to a damp hide and so I took her out to soak her feet in warm water to try and prevent her losing toes.

It's quite easy to pick her up, she hangs out in a particular corner of the viv so I just scoop my hands under her, but when on my hands she alternates standing still with lightning dashes, including backwards!

I don't know what to do. My boyfriend reckons just leave her until she gets older before trying to handle her, and too bad if she loses toes, but I feel harsh doing that. I don't know which is worse for her, stress from handling or losing tips of toes.

Kaida

[Kate]

Carry on as you are regarding shed skin on the toes - if she gets into trouble on these areas it's always worth removing it!

What might help is having a humid hide in her enclosure - a cricket tub or empty margarine tub packed with damp sphagnum moss is a good idea to help with the humidity, and therefore dampness of her shedding skin - making it easier for her to pull it off completely herself.

With her being skittish, this is something common to all baby leos and time and patience needs to be spent gaining her confidence - but she will calm down as she gets older.

Unfortunately though as I've just learnt with one of mine not all of them are destined to be the standard 'pet rocks' that we sometimes see with leos!! Though I have to say they are usually incredibly docile and great with handling, I've recently come across the most psychotic leo that I swear has ever lived - he flings himself off you like a cresty, poos everywhere, bites, squeaks like a demented squirrel and will not tolerate you!! It would be one of mine wouldn't it?!

I very much doubt this is the case with yours - but it does highlight that they're all individuals, and some may need a little longer than others to come around to the fact you're not trying to eat them!

Make sure you're sitting down with skittish leos when you handle them - this way if they do fall they haven't got far to go, and try and make sure all your movements are slow and deliberate, so as not to alarm them.

Hope this helps!