Leopard gecko

[alexialawrence]

So I have a couple questions for you guys. I have two leopard geckos. One I got over a month ago and they are getting along just great now the other morning I woke up and my new one lost his tail! I looked in the cage for it but it was nowhere to be found. So #1. Is it possible my other gecko mistaked it as a cricket, attacked and ate it? #2. How long will it take to grow back? #3. I separated him from the other gecko because of the sand, was that a good idea to prevent the sand from causing infection? #4. How long should I keep him out of the sand in case of infection?

 

[Amanda1]

#1: While it's possible your gecko mistook his (her?) roommate's tail for a worm, I think it is more likely that his attack was motivated by him being territorial. Leopard geckos usually aren't social and don't enjoy sharing their space. If they are both males, they WILL fight and should be separated permanently. Males and females may get along, but you should be prepared for babies (and breeding takes a toll on females, so be careful). Most people have the best luck with groups of females, but they need separate hides (on both cool and hot sides) because, like I said, sometimes they just don't want to share. And if you continue to keep them together you need to monitor their weight closely because sometimes one will bully the other into not eating. The signs aren't always obvious, so it may look like they're getting along when in reality they are not.
#2: Not sure how long it will take, but I'm pretty sure it's a slow process. #3, 4: I wouldn't keep either of them on sand at all. I don't know if it will cause infection, but it is much more likely to cause impaction, which could be deadly. Try slate tile; it looks natural and is great at holding in heat for their bellies, which they love.

 

[lisa127]

I'm in total agreement with everything said above. Is there a size difference in these lizards? Do you know the genders of them?

 

[alexialawrence]

My 7 month old is a female and my new 4 month old is a male. I've had them for almost two months and they usually sleep together and they've never had a tif. They even sleep on top of each other. (See picture below)

 

[compassrose26]

I'm of sure about the other things, but I would definitely get rid of the sand ASAP

 

[lisa127]

They aren't going to be able to be housed together anyway, unless you get a larger tank and at least a couple more females. Once mature, he will pester her to death if it's just her in there with him. So separate them now and yes, get them off the sand. Both of them.

 

[Kameo37]

I agree with everyone else. The size difference is probably what did it. Separate them asap. I would keep the tail - less guy on paper towels until it heals. You can treat it with betadine. I would use slate or other textured tile for the new substrate. It's easy to keep clean and holds the warmth well.
I'm not certain, but usually sleeping on top of one another is a dominance thing.

 

[alexialawrence]

Thanks for all your responses guys! It's a great deal of help! I do have my tail-less guy on paper towels and I spray his cage with water

 

[Kameo37]

Why are you spraying the cage with water?

 

[alexialawrence]

Cuz he wasn't eating so I made a hot box by spraying the cage with water and puting a light on him and covering the cage with a blanket and it worked!

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My little tail-less guy :/

 

[Randi]

My male Stubbz lost his tail as a baby at a pet store. His was squished under a hide. You need to keep the wound clean. A nice warm bath with water no higher then their elbows will help debride it a little. I kept mine on newspaper until the tip started showing. It's easy to change daily to ensure his wound stays clean until it heals. Soon you will soon see a tip poke out and gradually it will lengthen. It will never look the same as it did. As long as there is no bleeding or discharge, it will heal up fine.
take a Tupper ware container, cut a hole so they can walk in, fill it with papertowel and you've got hides! Put it on top of a heating pad.
Pictures of him through his process:

 

[Randi]

*paper towel was used, not newspaper. I'm sure newspaper would work.