Help, my baby leopard gecko is missing

[Lizrd_boy]

So I moved my baby leopard gecko into a different sterilite tub when I moved Rex out of it into his permanent enclosure. Now he's gone. I tore apart my room looking for him, nothing. I have absalutely no idea how it happened, the lid was on his enclosure. Any ideas???

[Bogertophis]

No way we can tell you- but what I don't trust about using Sterilite or other flexible plastic containers is that there is too often some "wiggle room" between the top & the bottom. Tiny creatures can fit, & they have nothing better to do than keep trying- usually because they smell the fresh air & it's enticing, apparently?

Sorry to hear this, I hope you manage to find him. You have to remember that these plastic containers were never designed to house herps of any size- just because so many people use them, doesn't mean they're entirely safe or the best option for keeping live animals. They're made to store "things" that don't try to escape.

[Lizrd_boy]

I just searched the insides of my dressers and the closet, in the electronics part of the minifridge, everywhere I couldthink of. Nothing. Maybe I'll set of a CHE next to water and mealworms tonight and keep watch. I can't beleive I let this happen.

[mlededee]

Wait until the sun starts to set (leopard geckos are crepuscular). Leave the lights off or use something very dim so you can just barely see. Grab a flashlight and wait. Hopefully he will move around enough that you will see or hear him at that point.

I had a Eurydactylodes gecko (very small!) get out one time because I failed to fully latch the enclosure. I searched everywhere and nothing. Turned out the lights, left the room, and closed the door. Came back a few hours later. There she was in the middle of the open floor. So have hope, it may take some time but he will come out and about at some point.

[Bogertophis]

I just searched the insides of my dressers and the closet, in the electronics part of the minifridge, everywhere I couldthink of. Nothing. Maybe I'll set of a CHE next to water and mealworms tonight and keep watch. I can't beleive I let this happen.

In my early years keeping herps, I had a couple escapes too (snakes), all of which I found. Don't give up, & don't beat yourself up either, just learn from this.

[Homebody]

I can't beleive I let this happen.

Been there. My bp escaped twice. Best of luck to you.

[Lizrd_boy]

Thank you all. I guess I'll just wait till tonight since there's not much else I can do until then.

[Lizrd_boy]

What would you say the biggest threat to him is right now? dehydration?

[Bogertophis]

Even if you buy a "made for herps" enclosure, you still always have to make sure that what you're keeping in it cannot escape.

My first escape was a tiny hatchling king snake- she was kept in a "store-bought" glass terrarium with a sliding screen top, with a locking peg. The trouble was that SHE was tiny enough ( not to mention determined enough ) to slide thru the 1/4" gap in the sliding screen top; when the locking peg was inserted to lock it, there was still just enough "wiggle room" for a snake that small to go all the way around in the track using "concertina motion"- the screen part was always in place- but she figured out the gap within the track...I found her later that day, inside one of my boots in the closet. That's when I started making my own custom screen tops.

Another snake I underestimated was a young adult bull snake: it was later evening & I was very tired (having worked all day) when a friend called & kept me on the phone too long. Before the call, I had started cleaning the bull snake's tank & she was in a temporary container that I thought was perfectly secure. When I got off the phone, I was literally falling asleep, so I piled some heavy books on the top of the container that the bull snake was in, figuring it could wait until morning. Well, the tank could (wait) but she couldn't & didn't, lol. Stronger & more determined than I anticipated, she was nowhere to be found. How do you lose a 4.5'+ snake? I looked everywhere, worried & kicked myself too. It took 6 months for her to re-appear- apparently she found a gap under my kitchen cabinets that was just right for brumation (where I suspected she was but I had NO access to- I'd looked & ruled out everywhere else)- she had disappeared in November, & re-appeared on my kitchen floor one night in May- "Surprise! I'm HOME!" She was absolutely fine, just ready to eat & drink again, like nothing ever happened. Whew!

Another surprise "escape" was an early hatching out of a couple rat snakes that was apparently triggered by an earthquake while I was at work. The eggs were not due yet for another week+ & I hadn't yet put the container of eggs into a secure tank. (< I never made THAT mistake again! Hahaha!) I came home to find little trails of egg slime & bits vermiculite going in several directions- time for a game of Hide & Seek! One actually made it up to the top of my very tall book shelves & sat there hissing & vibrating her sassy little tail at me. Boy was I ever scared- NOT! It was cute- her sibling was on a lower shelf, & another wasn't a "social climber" at all. Go figure.

Don't underestimate herps... -just learn from them. We all make some mistakes.

[Bogertophis]

What would you say the biggest threat to him is right now? dehydration?

Being stepped on or sat on if he's hiding under something- or getting into things that can harm him (like the refrigerator motor/fan, etc.) Things falling on him. (What other pets do you have? Any dogs or cats around?)