# Leopard gecko changing colors?



## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

For awhile now, my leopard gecko is a nasty brown color, but then after i take her out for alittle while, she starts to turn her bright yellowish color again.

why is this happening? her temps r correct, shes eating just fine, and she shed plently of times already after this started to happen so its not because shes shedding because she does this everyday. shes has been doing this for a couple months now. maybe earlier and i just didnt notice it because any earlier then a few months ago, i nvr used to take her out. and another thing, when i first started to handle her, she nvr did this at all.

Any ideas?


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## trw (Mar 2, 2009)

how is she heated and how are the room temps?
if shes heated by a mat, then even if this is on the correct temps, then the air temps may be a bit cold for her.


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## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

she is heated by an heat lamp


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

does she have uv?

if so have you changed the bulb/tube recently or increased the uv? 

Liam : victory:


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## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

ive had the same bulb for almost a year now, it hasnt died o.o
it still heats her tank too like brand new. and i dont think its a UV.


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

How long are you taking her out for?

Is there any chance shes recieving uv when you take her out. 

I read in prk mag that leo's can absorb high amounts of uv in short amounts of time. They can Absorb 14 more times uvb than a bearded dragon... If this is the case I read on this forum that leo's tend to get more brighter and colourful once there exposed to uv 


this is just an idea : victory:


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## reptilelover96 (Feb 17, 2010)

Spencer95 said:


> How long are you taking her out for?
> 
> Is there any chance shes recieving uv when you take her out.
> 
> ...


 hi yes i read the same thing:2thumb:


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## JPP (Jun 8, 2009)

it will look a different shade of colours under a tube light compared to out of the viv


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## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

uhh about 10-15 min? sometimes more if she is having fun exploring or sometimes less if she is finding somewhere to hide and just go back to sleep, in that case, id put her back.


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## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

JPP said:


> it will look a different shade of colours under a tube light compared to out of the viv


she is brown when i take her out, its not the light or anything. then like 5-10min l8r she will get brighter.


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

Is outside the viv (room) brighter than the viv?


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## JPP (Jun 8, 2009)

Ph0eNiX195 said:


> she is brown when i take her out, its not the light or anything. then like 5-10min l8r she will get brighter.


never noticed that with any of mine :hmm:


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## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

Spencer95 said:


> Is outside the viv (room) brighter than the viv?


Nope, same light. she does spend most of her time inside her hide. even at night :\
she'll come out to eat, walk around for a couple min, poop, then go back in its hide and sleep.


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

Is there any pictures?


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## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

of her? or her viv?


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## hayleyb24 (Dec 18, 2009)

leos arnt ment to have heat lamps are they? ours just have a heat mat


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## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

u can use either of em.


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## hayleyb24 (Dec 18, 2009)

oh ok :blush:


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## Doozle (Apr 3, 2010)

They can survive with heat lamps but heat mats are MUCH better, simply due to the fact that heat on their underside helps with digestion and it's easier to maintain a heat gradient.


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## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

yea im trying to get 1 for her but the heat lamp isnt doing bad for her.


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## SleepyD (Feb 13, 2008)

Ph0eNiX195 said:


> For awhile now, my leopard gecko is a nasty brown color, but then after i take her out for alittle while, she starts to turn her bright yellowish color again.
> 
> why is this happening? her temps r correct, shes eating just fine, and she shed plently of times already after this started to happen so its not because shes shedding because she does this everyday. shes has been doing this for a couple months now. maybe earlier and i just didnt notice it because any earlier then a few months ago, i nvr used to take her out. and another thing, when i first started to handle her, she nvr did this at all.


leos can 'change colour'/darken if stressed, cold or unwell .... I'd double-check everything, viv/tank conditions, temps etc to see what has changed plus have her feacal checked for any problems.


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## quadrapop (Sep 20, 2008)

aswell as what people have said, something which would help, is it a blizzard?

Blizzards are much more likely to change colours due to mood, heat etc and it can be quite a big change, blueish grey, lilac, white, yellow or brown.


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## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

she is a normal leo and nothing has changed at all. her poop got bigger tho lol


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

I'd say take her to a good vet who knows alot about reptiles just incase


does she seemed stressed, really lazy/hardly active, feeding well?


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## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

yea shes perfectly fine its just the color thing. eating well, active, perfectly fine....


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

Have you got any pictures of the actual colour change (i.e her in the viv then you handling her?)


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## Ph0eNiX195 (Apr 16, 2010)

I tryed, but i guess the camera messes it up? cause i compared the 2 pics, and they look the same. so the camera kinda defers it :\
just picture a normal leo, light brownish instead of a bright yellow color


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## Spencer95 (Feb 20, 2010)

I'd say you could take her to the vet, just for a check.

but by the sounds of it, it doesn't sound to bad just take it to the vet just incase


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## pinacalada (Jul 21, 2009)

ONe of my geckos last year did this. I read up that it was due to lack of light so moved her vIv to a lighter room and she went back to normal.


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## SteveCourty (Oct 4, 2009)

if the uv is a year old its probably useless now


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## dragonbeardo (Apr 20, 2010)

just an observation........... few ppl mentioned getting heat mat, change uv and add pictures here so they can help you more............ i dont see any pics or these changes, not having a go at you but there is obviously something wrong if its changing colour and from what i have read i would go with the heat too :whistling2::whistling2:


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