Leopard Gecko won't go in new hide?

Question

I have recently bought my 5 year old leopard gecko a new hide as she has once again outgrown the old one. This is her third hide, when I bought the second hide, she went into it immediately. I noticed her going into it less and less as she was getting bigger, until recently she seemed uncomfortable in it. So I bought her a newer bigger hide of a similar design. I soaked it in warm water and let it air dry to get any factory smells off of it. She still sleeps in the corner of the tank, but more importantly she's digging in and around all the rock decorations in the cage, as though she's looking for a place to sleep. Any thoughts?

Answer 1

Well my leopard gecko sometimes gets in another corner of the tank to absorb heat and he gets into his hide and digs where the edges of the hide is and gets under it

Answer 2

I am a leopard gecko breedeer the female might be in heap or she is not ready to go in what you can try is to pick her up while shes sleep and put her in the cave.

Answer 3

Dont worry about it, my leo does that aswell, but she'll eventually get used to it. Some leo's just prefer sleeping in corners rather to inside hides, msotly likely because its warmer outside.

Make sure that your daytime temperatures are between 84-90 and nighttime 72-77.

Please switch to a solid substrate like repti-carpet, tile, newspaper or paper towel, cause loose substrate like calci-sand, chopped walnut and sand will cause impaction, so why risk it?

Hope I helped,

Adam

Answer 4

Maybe she feels safe without the hide now.

Answer 5

http://www.leopardgecko.com/

Answer 6

Gosh, but these types of questions seem odd to me!  My geckos are active happy lil beasties who use their entire habitat, and sleep wherever suits them; in the open, or in a moisture hide... And sometimes - in my hand!  lol

But, all levity aside... they regulate their temperature by location in their habitat.  If she's got a problem with the new hide - it might be too hot, or too cold.  Is it in the same place as the older hides had been?

Rinsing with water is not always enough.  Try scrubbing the new hide within an inch of its life with iodine free salt (will strip oil residues which cause odor), and rinse very, very well.  Permit to complete air dry, then use as you usually do.

Of startling concern was the "digging" part!  PLEASE tell me you do not have the lovely creature on sand?...

If so - please get her OFF IT ASAP!  In the wild, Leo's live on hard packed earth.  They are not designed to ingest sand.  If you've had no impaction issues yet?  You WILL!  Vet bills are expensive, and it can even result in death.

Not to metion play sand and Reptisand are spawning ground for bateria, mold, and even parasites.

Her behavior, to me, sounds like she's egg heavy, and about to lay.

You didn't mention a male, but that's not necessary for her to lay (was just pondering if the eggs will be fertile, or not, and if you need to incubate?).

Laying depletes a female.  I hope she's in excellent condition, and her dietary needs are being met (gut loading her insects), and you have a small shallow bowl of calcium powder in her habitat?

If you need further help, please feel free to contract me in email.  I'm off to bed, and good luck with her new hide.

I hope this has been of help.