# help leopard gecko not eating unless i feed her



## trudyd (Sep 17, 2013)

I have a female Leo about a month ago I moved her into her own 3 ft viv as she was being bullied by the male and he was eating everything.
She's about 8 months old, we have heat lamp heat mat two hides, sweat box she has mini corn substrate.
She eats if I feed her meal worms but won't eat herself, she poos tiny poos she's put on abit of weight and moves around abit but won't eat on her own any ideas?


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## Jesterone (Sep 30, 2012)

Not all Leos are good at eating from a bowl. Change her diet up and get her some locusts and she will hunt them on her own. Technically though you don't have a problem. Your leo is eating you just have to take the time to help her with it. No biggy in my book.

I'd consider changing the substrate though.


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## trudyd (Sep 17, 2013)

Hi thanks for reply I've tried her with locusts and crickets but she doesn't hunt them or catch them she almost seems scared of them.
she used to hunt and eat them but once the male started eating all of them she stopped.
What substrate which you use? Had so much different advice
Thanks


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## Artisan (Mar 27, 2011)

trudyd said:


> Hi thanks for reply I've tried her with locusts and crickets but she doesn't hunt them or catch them she almost seems scared of them.
> she used to hunt and eat them but once the male started eating all of them she stopped.
> What substrate which you use? Had so much different advice
> Thanks


 She will probably need more time and TLC to bring her back out of her shell. She has obviously been very stressed so as to stop eating much. It's good that you moved her into her own viv. I keep all mine on their own as it's so much better for them when they can be themselves and not afraid. They aren't social animals and prefer to be alone.

I would change your substrate to lino. Easy to clean/hygienic/heat transfer can get through easily/no risk of impaction.

What are you set ups like....i.e. heating source/do you have a thermostat to control temps/a digital thermometer...and what are your temps in the hot end? : victory:


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## tayrawr14 (Apr 4, 2013)

A bit of TLC will be the trick. I have one Leo that used to shy away from mealworms in a dish. I fed her a mixture of mealworms, morio worms, wax worms an locusts by hand to find what her feeding preferences were like. She has now started eating like a champ.


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