My gecko has a black spot and isn't eating. Is she carrying eggs?

The color change may be due to stress or low temps. The dot could be liver or gall bladder. If he is behaving, eating and defecating normally, there is likely no cause for concern. Check enclosure temperatures and adjust if necessary. Monitor the spot for any change and monitor his demeanor. See your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet for an exam if necessary.

Double check the temperature. Low temps can affect appetite in reptiles. If temps are within range, it is likely her appetite is being affected by her condition. This can happen and is usually no case for concern. Once she lays her clutch, you should see her appetite pick up.

Thanks for reaching out about Zoey and including a photo. The nest area should also be warm, and a little moist. Try to encourage her to enter the area. If she ever becomes lethargic, a veterinary visit to induce egg laying, might be in order. Monitor food intake but also defecation. Good luck.

An egg bound gecko will be lethargic, won't eat and may continue to strain in an effort to lay eggs. The key to prevention is to minimize stress, provide proper environmental parameters and diet and provide a lay box or area for her to deposit her eggs when she is ready. You can read more about egg binding at the link below. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1796&aid=3010

This could be his organs or an impaction/constipation. Without an exam, it is difficult to determine which it is. Soak Macko in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 20-30 minutes. Massage his abdomen, front to back, during the soak to stimulate defecation. Do this every other day. In between, confirm proper environmental parameters in the enclosure. Low temps will affect appetite and digestion in reptiles. Offer appropriately sized prey, no bigger than the space between the eyes. You can feed a mic of crickets, mealworms, dubia roaches and phoenix worms. Gut load all prey for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. This can be done by feeding them high protein baby cereal, tropical fish flaked and fresh greens. Dust with a multivitamin and a calcium/D3 supplement. Pick up some Fluker's Repta Boost from the local Petco. Look in the reptiles section. You can use this to get some nutrition and calories into Macko. If he doesn't begin putting on weight though, you will need to have him examined by your veterinarian. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. You can review leopard gecko care at this link: http://www.anapsid.org/leopardgek.html

February to August is prime mating season for leopard geckos. A gravid (pregnant) female may become lethargic and spend more time on the warm side of the enclosure. Her midsection may begin to swell. Eggs are laid 2-5 weeks after mating. A female does not need a male to lay eggs, she will lay infertile eggs. Eggs should be visible through the thin skin. You can readily see them between her midsection and hind legs as she nears the time to lay. Neither female appears to be gravid but it may be too early to tell. It isn't mating season either but they can retain sperm for months after mating.

If Big Momma is pregnant, she will need a warmed hiding space with moss inside to lay her eggs. If she doesn't have a suitable space, she will try to rearrange her home until she makes one, which could be stressful for her. Geckos are commonly nocturnal, so being more tired during the day and active at night is not entirely unusual. Be sure she gets crickets every other day that are properly gut-loaded for 24 hours before offering them to her while she's pregnant. She will likely lay 1-2 eggs about 16-20 days after she mated, and she might lay more eggs every 16-20 days for 4-5 months. Good luck, and I hope Big Momma does well!