Taking care of a leopard gecko does not only involve making sure that it has plenty of food, water, light and heating. Although of course, it is a fact that those things are very important and is vital for the survival of your leopard gecko. It is also important to treat your leopard gecko appropriately when you want to interact with it. For most people, handling their pet is a big part of the fun of having to own one, so it's safe to assume that leopard gecko owners would certainly want to handle their pet. So if you want to avoid stressing your leopard gecko here are basic steps on handling leopard geckos:

Start when they are still young.

All pets will certainly get more used to being handled as time goes by. But it will be more beneficial on both the pet and the owner if handling will start young. What's good about raising a leopard gecko is that there is no such thing as "too young", provided that the gecko has grown comfortably in his environment.

Think about the leopard gecko' natural habitat.

In the wild, geckos live alone. Definitely there will be no reason for you to think that they will enjoy to be touched by another living thing for whatever reasons. As a matter of fact, in the wild, geckos will consider anything larger than them as their predator. You must understand that it will not be easy for leopard geckos to take you as a harmless creature.

Do not be too excited.

The best way to handle your leopard gecko is to wait until your gecko is active before you start handling it (probably they will be active after you turn off the light in their cage). Slowly put your hand into the tank and keep it rested on the substrate. Wait until your leo climb on and walk on your fingers and hand and enjoy the warmth of your body. Leave it at that for the first few times, and then slowly progress to lifting it out of the tank. Remember that you should be very gentle in handling your leo. Don't hold them so tightly. If you have to pick it up grasp the leopard gecko gently around the mid-section of its body with as many fingers as will fit, and lift it slowly while keeping the other hand under their body. You must also never hold a gecko by its tail as this will cause the tail to fall off. Although falling off of the tail is not fatal to your leopard gecko. Tail loss is a normal occurrence among geckos as it is one of their defense mechanism strategies.

Those who do not own reptiles will always be amazed to find out just how affectionate these cold-blooded creatures can be. If you want to experience how it is to own a reptile, then you should buy one. Start early; make your leo feel as comfortable as you can, and experience a wonderful pet relationship ahead of you.