# Please help Leopard Gecko eating moss?



## agck16 (Jan 31, 2011)

Hello, Ive had my leo since October last year and we've been getting on fine. However in the last month Ive noticed him chomping on his shedding moss and its very visible in his poo. Ive spoken to all the reptile people I know and nobody knows why hes doing it. Ive taken his moss away but I don't know what to give him instead. Or should I just bathe him or spray him? 

Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.


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## Ged (Nov 9, 2009)

agck16 said:


> Hello, Ive had my leo since October last year and we've been getting on fine. However in the last month Ive noticed him chomping on his shedding moss and its very visible in his poo. Ive spoken to all the reptile people I know and nobody knows why hes doing it. Ive taken his moss away but I don't know what to give him instead. Or should I just bathe him or spray him?
> 
> Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.


Damp kitchen roll : victory:


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## MP reptiles (Dec 30, 2010)

ye damp kitchen role is a good option


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## nads (Apr 21, 2010)

I use damp eco earth,with no probs @ all,moss may be getting caught up with his/her shed,which they eat.: victory:


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## GlasgowGecko (Feb 23, 2008)

agck16 said:


> Hello, Ive had my leo since October last year and we've been getting on fine. However in the last month Ive noticed him chomping on his shedding moss and its very visible in his poo. Ive spoken to all the reptile people I know and nobody knows why hes doing it. Ive taken his moss away but I don't know what to give him instead. Or should I just bathe him or spray him?
> 
> Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you.


Hi, and welcome to RFUK.

Firstly, you have done the right thing removing the moss if your gecko is eating it. There are plenty of alternatives, commonly used in moist hides (eg. kitchen towel), and a quick search of the forum will give you a good idea of the pros and cons of each method.

In terms of _why_ he is eating this substrate, there are two likely causes:

1) Moss (generally sphagnum sp) due to its ecology is generally high in nutrients (which have been leached from the soil), thus in some cases, eating it can represent oral supplementation if the animal is not receiving adequate nutrients from the diet. While this is technically natural behavior, it is _not_ recommended in captivity, as it tends not to pass through the animal easily. It may be worth considering your current supplementation regime, if this proves to be the answer.

2) Geckos with heavy parasite burden, often eat their substrate (there are many theories why, but I'm not really convinced with any of them). It may be worth getting a fecal test done to eliminate this option if you haven't done already.

Hope this helps,

Andy


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## SleepyD (Feb 13, 2008)

GlasgowGecko said:


> In terms of _why_ he is eating this substrate, there are two likely causes:
> 
> 1) Moss (generally sphagnum sp) due to its ecology is generally high in nutrients (which have been leached from the soil), thus in some cases, eating it can represent oral supplementation if the animal is not receiving adequate nutrients from the diet. While this is technically natural behavior, it is _not_ recommended in captivity, as it tends not to pass through the animal easily. It may be worth considering your current supplementation regime, if this proves to be the answer.
> 
> 2) Geckos with heavy parasite burden, often eat their substrate (there are many theories why, but I'm not really convinced with any of them). It may be worth getting a fecal test done to eliminate this option if you haven't done already.


ditto as Andy has said ~ I generally find (with rescues or new reps) that it's down to a parasite burden ~ either way is always worth while to have a feacal done, checking the supplementation and also the livefood gutloading : victory:


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## agck16 (Jan 31, 2011)

Thank you to everyone for all of your help. I will have a look at the alternatives to moss. 

He had a fecal test back when I got him and he was okay should I get another one done?


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## GlasgowGecko (Feb 23, 2008)

I would say it is probably worth it yes, especially considering his current behavior. Worst case scenario is that you spend £15-20 and get piece of mind...

Andy


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