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How to Tell if Your Leopard Gecko Likes You | Signs + 3 Tips
You’re probably here because you’re wondering how to tell if your leopard gecko likes you.
Many people wonder this because leopard geckos don’t express the same obvious signs of affection like a dog or cat would. Leopard geckos are generally pretty reserved creatures – especially when you consider they’re nocturnal and typically sleep during the hours we’re active.
However, there are several telltale signs that your leopard gecko likes you.
The main way of determining whether or not your leopard gecko likes you is by examining their body language when you’re in their presence. Do they run away or hiss at you? Or, do they seem curious and enjoy being handled? If they seem curious and enjoy your company, they probably like you around!
The truth is, leopard geckos are naturally afraid of people. This is because they instinctively assume that we are predators.
Therefore, if your leopard gecko doesn’t seem to like you, it’s only because they don’t trust you yet.
So, if you’re worried your leopard gecko doesn’t like you, there are several things you can do to help strengthen your relationship and build their trust.
Below are 3 crucial tips to get your leopard gecko to trust you.
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1. Handle Them Regularly
If you want your leopard gecko to like you, you need to handle them regularly.
Leopard geckos are smart creatures. They’re not going to trust something that could be a potential predator.
Therefore, you need to build their trust to prove that you are not here to eat them!
The best way to do this is by handling them on a regular basis.
Most experts recommend handling them approximately 15 minutes per day as soon as they wake up.
However, if you don’t have 15 minutes per day, try to handle them at least three times per week.
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2. Talk to Them
Yes, you read that correctly – you should talk to your leopard gecko!
Leopard geckos are creatures of association. Although they won’t be able to understand the words you’re saying – they will quickly learn your voice and associate it with you.
Whenever you walk in the room where your leopard gecko stays, say something such as “hello” followed by their name.
They will quickly learn to recognize your voice and associate it with peace and friendliness!
3. Wash Your Hands Before Handling Them
This may seem like a quirky tip, but it’s important, nonetheless! You should always wash your hands prior to handling your leopard gecko.
Just like the association they will make when they hear your voice – your scent will have a very similar effect on your leopard gecko.
Rather than your hands smelling different every time you handle them – by washing them, your hands will smell like your soap every time.
As a result, they will start to associate the smell of your soap with your presence.
So, whenever your go to reach in their enclosure, they will smell your scent and know that it is you and not a foreign creature.
Wrapping up
Determining whether your leopard gecko likes you is fairly easy.
It’s all about forming a relationship and as a result, building trust with your leopard gecko.
Leopard geckos are smart, and they know not to mess with predators.
Therefore, building trust can be a long process, especially if your leopard gecko has seldomly been handled.
However, with the help of this guide, we hope you now have the tools to build an extremely tight bond with your leopard gecko!
As always, Happy Herping!
