Start off your relationship with your new pet in the right way. Then you’ll establish a lasting bond that leads to many hours of enjoyment together.
Although it’s very hard to be patient, wait two weeks after you bring your leopard gecko home before you try to handle him. Put yourself in his place. He’s in a new environment with different sights, sounds, smells, and noises. It may take him a few days before he’s willing to eat food again.
All this time that you thought you were forced to ignore him, he’s gradually gotten used to seeing you, hearing you, and smelling you. Your scent is all over the terrarium where he lives. So now after two weeks get ready to say hello.
Put your hand in his enclosure and leave it there for him to investigate. But don’t try to pick him up. Just stay there for a few minutes each day. Let this go on for a few days as he gets used to you. He may even try to climb on your hand. But don’t pick him up the first time he does this.
Next, when you begin picking him up, keep your together time brief. Spend about five minutes holding him carefully. His tail is fragile and needs to be supported as much as his body because it could fall off. And because he might get startled, keep close to the floor in case he jumps.
For extra bonding power, offer him treats when he visits with you. The more pleasant he finds the visits, the easier it will be to handle him in the future.
If you notice that he’s moving his tail slowly and arching his back, he’s telling you to leave him alone. If he screams, he might be trying to scare you away. Chirping and squeaking are common among geckos when they’re scared or unhappy. But if he barks at you, he’s just saying “I’m hungry!”