Gecko Got Loose. How Attract Him Back?

Discussion in 'Leopard Geckos' started by TomBrooklyn, Oct 17, 2007.

  1. TomBrooklyn

    TomBrooklyn Embryo

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    My Gecko got loose in my apartment. There are a hundred places he could be hiding. Is there any way to try to attract him?

    In the meantime, I put his cage down on the living room floor close to it's usual spot and turned it sideways, put the heat pad under it and set it up somewhat like it was with it's regular hide spots and water dish, hoping he would be attracted to them and the heat pad.

    I was wondering if there's anyway to attract him with crikets without letting the crikets loose in the house.
     
  2. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  3. jayhawkbruce

    jayhawkbruce Member

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    I don't imagine that there would be a way to keep the crickets from escaping if you just let them loose. Inside the upturned tank, put some crickets in a clear container. Your leo MAY, and I stress that it's only a possibility, be attracted to at least the movement of the crickets when out at night hunting and once inside the tank go for the warm spot and stay put. This is definately new for me, though; I am used to snakes getting loose, not leos!! A positive note for you, a buddy of mine works in the pet store that I've gotten both of my leos from and when I bought my first one my friend informed me that she had escaped and been loose in the pet store for about 6 months and she was only found just before I bought her! Best of luck!
     
  4. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  5. speckled_gecko

    speckled_gecko New Member

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    I found mine under the dryer. The dryer squeeks, so the gecko probably thought it sounded like crickets??? :) Also it's dark there. We had given up hope in finding him (a nice snow), but we had to move the dryer, because we had to have some plumbing done. We were pretty happy to find him!!

    Others here have said to put flour down on the floor so you can see footprints. But I have dogs, so didn't want to do that. I just made sure I had water, calcium powder and hides on the floor.

    Good luck!!
     
  6. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  7. TomBrooklyn

    TomBrooklyn Embryo

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    Hi jay and speckled gecko,

    It sounds it could be a long time before he turns up.

    speckled, how much time had passed when you moved the dryer? When you uncovered it, did he hold still or try to run away? My gecko was usually trying to run away from me. I only had him for about 6 weeks, and he was just starting to get used to me holding my hand in front of him.

    I'm a little wary about moving furniture around in an attempt to uncover him because I'm afraid of unwittingly crushing him under something. I figured I would anything slowly and make some tapping noises on it first to alert the possibly lurking gecko to be alert.
     
  8. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  9. jayhawkbruce

    jayhawkbruce Member

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    When mine get under the couch during quality time (it has happened more than once), I pick up the end of the couch closest to where he/she is at, straight up, and walk the couch upright and grab the little suckers. Just keep looking, unless there is a way for it to get out of the apartment, then you should find it eventually.
     
  10. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  11. speckled_gecko

    speckled_gecko New Member

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    Mine was loose for about a month. He was pretty tame and easy to catch.

    OTOH I had lost a baby gecko about 2 years ago and never found her. ;) I think she went into the heat ducts. Good luck
     
  12. TomBrooklyn

    TomBrooklyn Embryo

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    Interesting that so many got lost for such a long time. What were they eating and drinking?
     
  13. jayhawkbruce

    jayhawkbruce Member

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    Just about every house has small insects running around on it. We humans like to think that we can completely seperate ourselves from the world but we've only been building modern homes for about 300 years at most, and these little guys have been around for millions. I have to say that even our best efforts at keeping out bugs will never be completely effective! Also, leos get most of their fluid intake from the food they eat, another reason why feeding them food that hasn't been freeze dried is important.
     
  14. TomBrooklyn

    TomBrooklyn Embryo

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    Hi,
    I saw him last night! Around dusk he came walking into the living room from the direction of the adjacent kitchen. I called him (more likely a her, but not sure) which didn't do anything and tried to grab him but he ducked behind some heavy and tall furniture I can't easily move.

    She looked strong and healthy. I had been concerned because when she escaped she jumped off a table and I didn't know if she would hurt herself from the fall. There was some nearby stuff she could have jumped onto and climbed down (a bicycle and a box of books,) but it would have been a hairy jump and/or landing anyway.

    I'm wondering if I can trap him or tempt him into staying in one place where I can scoop him up when he's resting, but setting the trap back in the area I saw him. I was thinking about some kind of setup with a heat pad and a little hide box and some food. What kind of food can I use though? Is there a way to use crickets that the Leo can get to but the crickets can't get out. How about set out some meal worms in a dish? I never got meal worms before. What kind of dish can you put them in where they won't get loose?
     
  15. LittleLouie

    LittleLouie Well-Known Member

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    Favorite hides and a heat pad are a good idea. They really like their warmth, so red lights shining on hides might work too. You might try crickets in a glass jar near the hide, although I don't think your leo could get to them. The mealies might be a good idea too.

    Has the room you saw him in been blocked off so that he he hopefully won't leave it?

    Especially try to close off any heat vents on the floor that he might try to get into (because of the warmth).

    If it's just furniture, I would probably move everything small off the floor and out of the room (after checking it carefully and thoroughly; they are good hiders!) so that there is hardly anything in the open room for him to hide underneath; Then set up hides and warm areas in the room, especially near the area that you saw him yesterday. It's likely that that area is his hanging out area, although he could easily have traveled elsewhere. Then I would very carefully move all the furniture that I could safely do. Finally, check the hides you set out a few times a day, just in case that he has found one of them.
     
  16. Fiche

    Fiche GOTM Winner

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    A small ceramic dish with smooth sides works well for keeping in mealworms. Aside from that, LittleLouie gave some great advice and I hope it works out for you. It's a good sign that you saw him/her and that s/he seemed healthy enough. Keep trying and you'll catch the little bugger. :)
     
  17. Odemus

    Odemus Member

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    my friends leo got loose when it was only about 2 mths old... so after a few mths of looking they gave up and got another one... and then another... then about year and half her daughter was under her bed and moved ome board games and there was a full grown leo staring at her... it had been gone like 18 mths... so they had to swoop down to the petstore to buy a whole new setup for the leo as the other 2 were using all there tanks..LOL
     
  18. Odemus

    Odemus Member

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    BTW.. have a large fish net handy to throw over the escaped one... gives you a longer reach when there running away
     
  19. treeafodo

    treeafodo Member

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    ya if you have an infrared heat lamp, put that out so you can see him and there is heat that he'll e attracted to. i hope that it will all work out. think fast and lock up or close that room that he is in. may be you should try blocking off that piece of furniture that he is under and leave a small exit and just wait for him to come out. good luck, were all wishing for the best
     
  20. craziiikris10

    craziiikris10 Member

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    ive heard putting down a uth works well too, with liek a towel over it.
     
  21. treeafodo

    treeafodo Member

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    an other tip put a cricket in a container and put it in the freezer for about a minute and then take it out and tie it to a string, it's like a lizard's version of the cat's lazer pointer that should work
     
  22. TomBrooklyn

    TomBrooklyn Embryo

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    Gekco Recovered!

    Hi,

    I got him!

    I saw him (her?) around the same location I saw him the first time. Being a bachelor and therefore having a pair of previously discarded boxer shorts somewhere nearby, I grabbed them and tossed them over him which helped a lot in getting him. I think when they get covered their immediate reaction is to hold still rather than run, and it was easier to gently gather up the cloth rather than trying to quickly get a hand on a running squirming lizard that can see you coming.

    I actually got him almost a week ago. I thought I posted about it then, but in the excitement I guess I forgot. I was reminded when I just saw a notification about a reply to this thread.

    He actually seems a little more friendly to me and less afraid now than before. (He hadn't warmed up to me much in the 6 weeks or so I've had him.) I gave him an extra big feeding of meal worms and crickets and I think he appreciated getting back to being fed nice meals. He seemed mighty hungry as he went after the first crickets I gave him double pronto.

    Thanks for the suggestions and good wishes. Cheers. :D
     
  23. craziiikris10

    craziiikris10 Member

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    RE: Gekco Recovered!

    yay im so happy that you found him and he's okay!!!!
     
  24. anctennis01

    anctennis01 New Member

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    I am sorry to hear that your leo got out, I would probably freak out if Bindi got out, but good luck finding her, I have faith that she will come out!
     
  25. craziiikris10

    craziiikris10 Member

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    actennis, he found him it's ok lol
     

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