leopard geco

Question
My gecko escaped about 8 months ago...we thought we lost her for ever as we have also got cat's!.
However we found her on Thursday... she looks ok....a few white spots on her head ? But she does not appear to be eating? Is there any fruit substances from crickets and worms do use have any advice on what she may need .am amazed she is back .
Thanks for any advice
Tracey

Answer
Hi Tracey,

You must have been thrilled to find her. That's great.

It is very common for lost and found reptiles to not feed immediately. I hear it all the time. Logically, you would think they would be starving and eat voraciously but they don't.

It is a form of relocation stress. We normally think of relocation stress occurring when a reptile moves from the store or breeder to its new owner. They often take a week or more to settle in and feed well or at all.

Your leo has essentially been living wild for many months so the adjustment is even more extreme. You may also find that she is a bit more nervous when handled.

If she seems otherwise fine then she likely just needs a bit of time. Try offering some waxworms which are calorie dense and usually loved by leos.

It appears my earlier response to you disappeared somehow so I apologize if this seems late.