Gecko is eating coco bark

little_dragon_ · 10-01-04, 11:19 AM

For some reason my gravid female satanic leaf gecko is eatting bark in large mouth fulls and I have no idea why.

Has anyone experienced this before?

DragnDrop · 10-01-04, 02:52 PM

If that's your substrate, it could be accidental. Sometimes they get a chunk while diving for crickets. Uroplatus often do nose dives at crickets, and if they miss, they end up with a chunk of substrate. It could also be a form if 'pica', eating soil in an effort to get missing minerals, usually calcium. Since she's gravid, I'm inclined to think that's what she's doing. Instinct is telling her to grab a mouthful of soil, which they'll do in the wild. Since you don't have soil, she ends up with a mouthful of substrate/bark.
Check your supplementing routine and see if it should be changed to accomodate the needs of a gravid female.

Kevin McRae · 10-01-04, 03:28 PM

I would also put a small dish of calcium in her cage, she should have 2 calcium sacs near her cheeks

little_dragon_ · 10-01-04, 06:34 PM

thanks that makes sense, I have put her into small container with paper towel..I'll give her some extra calcium tonight. and minerals

Kevin McRae · 10-01-04, 06:36 PM

Sounds great!