Bite

Question
QUESTION: I have 2 leopard geckos and I have now had them for about 3 weeks. When I was watching them eat, one of them accidently bit my other lizards tail. They never fight, and they always cuddle with each other. I'm thinking that she/he might of thought that the other lizards tail was a cricket since it was dark and it was moving.

ANSWER: That's possible, but keep an eye on them for potential dominance issues.  If they are both juveniles, you should have a second cage available, in case they both grow up and turn out to be male.

If the tail has a wound, use a bit of antibiotic ointment on it--make sure it's the kind that doesn't contain painkillers or ingredients other than the antibiotic.  

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QUESTION: My leopard gecko has started shedding this morning so I watched it take off the shedding skin and it was done! IS it good that it only took a few hours for he/she to take off the shedding? Since I have 2, I want to make sure, how long does it take for a leopard gecko to finish shedding?

ANSWER: Provided they have a proper humid hide, it can happen over the course of about a half hour.  Check the toes and tail tip to make sure that all the shed was removed.  Stuck shed on the digits can dry and shrink, creating a tourniquet, and causing the loss of the digits.

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QUESTION: My lizard just bit me when I was holding him/her and I dont know why?

Answer
Lizards often will bite if they are frightened or restrained.  If you were holding the lizard too tightly, or it felt cornered, it may bite in self defense.

Taming reptiles takes time.  They have a relatively low intelligence, and are not social animals, so they need to get used to handling as a normal part of their environment and routine.  It will never be something they look forward to, but it will become 'normal' to them, and thus cause them less stress.

Scoop up your leopard gecko slowly but deliberately, and let it walk from hand to hand.  Grasping the gecko to restrain it will make it feel as if a predator has caught it.

If the gecko is very frightened, and flees your hands, try starting by offering it food using tweezers.  Once it will eat from tweezers, use the food to lure it onto your hand.