Dear Fisher,
Hi. My name is Zilla, and I am guessing I am a descendant of Godzilla. That’s what I think anyway. That must be how I got my name. I sleep in a cool coconut shell my folks bought at the pet store. My problem is that my people just freak me out sometimes. I know it’s because they love me and think I am really cute, but their schedules and mine are totally out of synch. From early morning to late afternoon, I am in my serious sleep mode and then I can become suddenly airborne. What the heck is that about? I let them alone when they are sleeping! And then I shed. It’s normal, but they think I must be sick. I don’t even want to discuss the possibility of pet insurance over this, but I do want them to know how I feel without offending them. Thank you for listening.
Zilla
Dear Zilla,
I cannot think of any critter who would react favorably to going from sound sleep to airborne in a matter of nanoseconds. It would freak out most of us. In your case the explanation is simple. It is a predatory action for an enemy to approach a Leopard Gecko from above. It is important for your people to try to approach you from the front and at the same level in order for you not to perceive them as a predator. The fact that you are happily sleeping just makes the situation more difficult.
It will be good if your humans learn to place their hand in your enclosure and just let you walk into it on your own. They can also speak softly to you and offer a treat with their other hand. This might be an ideal situation, but it can be done. It is, of course, important for them to realize that if the soft voice and the treat incentive are ignored, you are sleeping and they might want to try again when your natural rhythm dictates you to be awake and alert, which is usually during the early stages of the night. However, now that you are in captivity (and I mean that in a most positive vein), you may loose some of your normal nocturnal instincts. Sometimes the over eager willingness for them to care for you results in a slight bit of irritation on your part. Give it time and patience.
The fact that they bought you a special coconut shell to sleep in indicates you can count on living well in their home. For instance, your tendencies to portray some sort of prehistoric creature, although much smaller, are very endearing. As you lumber along, ever so slowly, with each leg taking a slow turn to propel you along your path, they see you as some sort of pre-historic mini-dinosaur, and are truly in awe of your uniqueness. Just imagine how proud they are to have you as a pet. You are conjuring up things from their own long lost ancestry that they may not even be aware of.
And then you go into your shedding mode. What is a person to do when their beloved pet is turning white all over. During this time you probably quit eating. Humans do not always understand the process is natural and it can be disturbing to them. As you all get to know and understand each other, this will go away. You may have to put up with some “oh no, what is wrong with Zilla?”, but in the long run, they will learn that is what you do. Just as you will learn that they think you are so cute when you are sleeping, they have to pick you up and hence, there you are, airborne again.
There is some very good information and tips for your people at Leopard Gecko. If you can, print it out and post it on the refrigerator door and then act very innocent. I won’t tell.
Your friend,
Fisher
published in tbt* Tampa Bay
