handling

[SnowSnake]

Hey,

My question is for people who like to handle leos and have some tips :D.

Here is my question:

When I take my leo out of her cage, what can I do with her?? lol This may look dumb but when I take her out she climbs from my hand to my head and keeps walking across my back and I don't know what to do. I would like her to stay in my hand and not move but she doesn't co-operate.

She wants to explore out of her cage and I don't know what to do with her. I would like to take her out of my room but since she moves so much i'm afraid that she will start to run or jump off me and hurt herself.

Basically once she is out of her cage what can I do with her and is there any technics or something so that she will stay in my hand or let me manipulate her?

Thanks!
SnowSnake

P.S. If I haven't been clear enough please tell me.

[Tim and Julie B]

Well, I once tried sprinkling some calcium onto my palm and my leo stayed for a while but they really do just like to wander. Although the more you handle them the less the seem to roam. Perhaps just keep taking her out and maybe she'll wander less as time goes by. Mine usually like to climb to my head too!:D

[SnowSnake]

but what can I do for her to stop moving and let me move her around?

[drewlowe]

They will always want to explore no matter how hard you try. one of my leos (domino) loves to be held andy time she sees me near the cage she sticks her head way up in the air and trys to walk on air. depending on her mood she will either sit still in one place or sleep or what to roam around and explore. When she is in roam mode i will walk her hand in hand if she attempts to go elsewhere i just stick my free hand in front of her and have her walk on it. If she is feeling frisky and wants to try and make that leep to freedom. I stop her as quick as possible and gentle but my hands over her eyes and block her from moving for a few moments until she calms down. And i do all of this very gentle even if she almost escapes a few times. I will completly let go of her when she starts to calm down. and if she continues to do this i will put her back. I believe she has started to learn that if she tries to run she gets put back and if she sits still i will hold her.
But remember i said this one loves to be held. also leos love to explore or at least all of mine do. I give them something new and they are all over it. If i get them out they just wanna walk not run all over me and everything that surrounds us. I like that it's just one of their wonderfull qualities.

[Emily-Fisher]

Well what can I say, Leos love to explore! My leo now sits on my hand quietly because I bring him on walks in my house. I made him an adjustible leash which goes around his belly and if he pulls the loop knot thing gets pulled too and so it gets tighter(but it never gets dangerously tight) and since the leash is too tight to go over his legs, since his legs are in the way, the leash stays in place and he just gets to have long, 15 minute walks every few days when its very warm out since the floors in my house usually heat up when it's warm out. try bringing him on walks around the house, thats how I tamed mine!

[ReptiZone]

I have had my leo from since it was a hatchling so I will tell you what steps I took.

First thing first you need to learn how to guide them it is easy real you use there eyes if you want them to go right put your hand rather close to there left eye and vice versa.
The best way to practice is to lay on the bed with them and guide them onto a pilow sounds easy enugh right.
I dont mean eventualy get then on the pilow I mean with in less then 10 movements of your hand they should be on the pillow.
At first it will be stressfull on you and the animal so dont handel too long after a few days of doing it for 5 min or so the gecko will get the swing of things and will lear the do's and dont's.

Now if it gets on a runing spree dont grab it cup your hands and place them over the whole animal but remember you look at that tail the wrong way it will fall of. So be gentle!

[Oh ya a point when you go in to pic it up try not to pic it up from above place your hand on the floor of the cage and guide it on your hand you see why it is good to condition them to being guided. You are probebly thinking how am I gona guied it if it is not moving a small poke it the back of the hind legs will get them on the move for ya but this will wear of in time cause you see they alwase learn every day. So one day it will be like ''poke me all you want I am not moving for your sorry @$$.'']

But when that hapens it is easy to go in and gently place all your fingers in the right place's to lift it out

Now that could take you a day a week or 2 hours but once you can guide them easaly that is when it gets fun.

Once it is on the pillow you can rotate the pillow slowly and your gecko will run across or climb up it and some times both.

For exercise I let mine run un my bed and me and my G/F would be on our knees on each side so it would not be able to jump cause at this time it stops on a dime when the hands are put in a directive maner.

after that you can lay in front of the T.V on the floor and let it relax close to your legs or on your chest area or or let it run back and forth from one hand to the other I never let my gecko out mor then 30Min a day he sleeps the rest of the day and I take him out 2 hours after sun down.

Me and my G/F went out on the grass for like 5Min with the gecko on a hot day it was a asome site we are gona take some pic's next time it is warm enugh.

[SnowSnake]

Thanks soooooo much everyone!!I asked this question because my female desperatly wants to go out (she tries to climb on the glass walls and i'm affraid that one day she will hurt herself falling so I will take her out more often) and I think she doesn't eat as much because of that.

When I go to feed her she tries to climb on my hand instead of eating.

I won't need the trick to get her on my hand! lol she is always trying to get on it.

Once again thanks a lot and I will try this tonight!!

later,
SnowSnake

[ReptiZone]

So how are thing's going these days did you get the swing of things yet.

[SnowSnake]

Chondro,

I didn't try yet because i'm sick, but if tomorrow I feel better i'll try what you said.