Leopard gecko is a small sized lizard that belongs to the reptile species and is quite friendly in nature that is why it is easy to pet the leopard gecko. The leopard gecko generally prefers a dry climate and they are nocturnal in nature.
The leopard geckos can be put inside the terrarium when you get them home as this will give them the perfect space to dwell in a new area and stay a healthy and stress free life.
Can leopard gecko bite? Yes, A leopard gecko can sometimes bite you due to various reasons and you need to understand why they are doing this and how you can prevent them from not biting you.
We will discuss about the leopard gecko’s biting and how to stop them from biting you in this article.
The leopard gecko can get aggressive sometimes and they can bite the owner you do not need to lose your calm just be patient and handle this situation nicely as you need to understand your leopard gecko first and then take some action.
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Reasons Why is leopard gecko biting me?
There could be many reasons that why the leopard gecko is biting you or why is it behaving so aggressively. You just have to be calm and know the reason for this aggressive behaviour. Some of the reasons why your leopard gecko is biting you are given as below.
When they are unfamiliar
Whenever a leopard gecko is brought home and is introduced to the new environment and also they are not used to you and is completely unfamiliar to you. This is one of the major reason that the leopard gecko will start biting you as they are unfamiliar to you and they are not used to your presence or your touch. They need time to get used to their owner.
It takes time to build a bond between the owner and the leopard gecko, it just do not happen immediately. So do not rush them or force them into anything, it will take time to build a relationship with your leopard gecko.
The temperature change
As we know that the leopard gecko is from hot and dry region which means that they need similar conditions in their tank or terrarium too. So you have to be very careful with their temperature changes inside the tank. If the temperature inside the tank is not what they wanted they can become aggressive and as a result they can bite you or hurt you.
The change in temperature plays with their mind and health and that is clearly visible in their behaviour. They are not happy or satisfied in such conditions.
They need hot temperature at day time and cold temperature at night as they are naturally used to such temperature so they want similar temperature conditions inside their tank too and you do not be careless while regulating their temperature as this is an important factor for the leopard gecko.
Tip: Get a good lights for leopard geckos
Leopard gecko is hungry
When the leopard gecko is hungry they are excited when they see food or something similar approaches near them. If you will try to handle or hold the leopard gecko when they are hungry they will see your finger as food and will bite it and hurt you.
They do not bite you intentionally but they see your finger as food because they are quite hungry and in excitement they behave in this particular manner.
So be careful when you notice your leopard gecko is feeling hungry. Feed them with food carefully and do not feed them directly from your hand, place the food in their food bowl because chances are that they can pounce on you in excitement caused due to the hunger.
Tip: Read in-depth feeding guide
Territorial nature
The male geckos can be territorial when kept with other leopard geckos. They become aggressive and also fight and hurt each other.
When you will pick up a leopard gecko then the scent of that leopard gecko will be left on your skin and when you will try to pick up the another leopard gecko it will bite you because the smell of the previous leopard gecko will still be lingering on to your skin and they will not be pleased by this scent and they will bite you.
This is because of the territorial nature especially in the male leopard geckos that they will become more aggressive and will attack if they will sense some other leopard gecko.
So it is recommended to wash hands whenever you will handle more than one leopard gecko and then move on to the other one as the scent of the leopard gecko lingers on to the skin and the leopard gecko has strong smelling power.
Over-aggressive leopard geckos
There are chances but quite rare that the leopard gecko is over aggressive and they will bite you for no reason. They are just aggressive and that is their normal behaviour. Whenever you will try to handle them they will bite or hurt you and you will not be able to train them as they are created in such a manner that you cannot do anything.
Just keep them for display purpose and not handle them much and keep them away from the children because such leopard geckos can be very harmful and can hurt or bite anyone who will try to handle them. They are not at all friendly in nature they are over-aggressive and there is no way you can handle such leopard geckos, you can just leave them alone and let them be and do not interact with them much. Such leopard geckos are very rare but still they exist and you have to deal with them that also patiently.
These are some of the reasons why the leopard gecko is biting you and you have to keep in mind these various reasons and handle them accordingly. You do not behave aggressive if the leopard gecko is behaving in an aggressive manner. You be patient with them and try to figure out why they are biting or hurting you and take some steps that they do not behave in this particular manner.
How to stop a leopard gecko from biting me?
As you know the reasons why a leopard gecko is biting you, the next step is to prevent it from biting you. There are chances that the leopard gecko will bite you and the baby leopard gecko will bite you more as compared to the adult one.
So you need find a solution how to stop or prevent them from biting you. You have to follow the steps given below in order to prevent the leopard gecko from biting you:-
Do not scare them
You never scare the leopard gecko as they will bite you due to the sudden approach of yours and this is a defence mechanism for them. Approach to their tank slowly and talk to them in a soft voice so that they are able to sense your presence and do not think of you as threat to them.
Try not to handle a new leopard gecko
Whenever you bring a new leopard gecko to your home it is natural they will be scared of you as they are not used to you. So there are chances that will bite you whenever you will try to handle them.
So go soft on them and first try to create a bond with them and do not handle them much in the beginning as they will bite you. First let them be comfortable with you and then will stop biting you when you will try to handle them.
Feed carefully
Whenever you are feeding a leopard gecko be careful as they can see your finger as food and can bite you. So in order to prevent this you can use tongs to put feed the leopard gecko or put the food inside the bowl and then let them eat from there. This will save you from the bites of the leopard gecko.
Careful when shedding
When the leopard gecko is shedding they can think your finger as their skin and can bite it as they become quite moody at the time of shedding. So it is recommended not to reach to your leopard gecko when they are shedding its skin and let them be for that time period. Learn how to help leopard gecko shed.
Summary
The leopard gecko is an amazing pet but yes sometimes it can also get aggressive and may hurt its owner. So you should not lose your calm and try to understand the reason behind this behaviour and then take some measures in order to prevent the leopard gecko from biting you.
We should be quite patient with any pet as it takes time to build the relation with your pet and to understand them properly. But at the end everything is sorted and you can deal with your leopard gecko by understanding their behaviour.
