# Other Animals > Other Pets >  How to earn crested gecko's trust?

## bargaviking

Hi everyone,
So, where to start? I got my crested gecko a little less than a month ago. I did lots of research beforehand and garnered that most of them tend to warm up to handling after a while. I held mine a little bit in the store, it was fairly curious, active, not aggressive, not jumpy of squirmish (not to mention gorgeous - a blushing flame morph with a full tail. Adult, maybe 2 years old or so). I took all these as excellent signs that it would be comfortable around people in no time.
For the first few days, especially when people asked to see him (I know, I know, but they just don't understand), I'd take him out for a little bit and let him handwalk. He wasn't fond of the actual process of getting fished out of the tank right off the bat, but once I actually managed to get him on my hands, he seemed perfectly calm. I also took care to handle him extra gently as I dreaded him dropping his tail. Anyway, everything seemed fine.

But the thing is, nothing's changed. It's been more than 3 weeks, and he doesn't seem to trust me any more than he ever did, maybe even less. He doesn't exactly run away from my hand when I put it in his tank, but he just kind of slowly walks in another direction, as if to say "no thank you". If I do manage to get him out, though, he usually stays put, doesn't tend to panic. It's just the being picked up part that he doesn't like, and he won't even lick food off my fingers. If I want to handle him at all, I have to trap him in a corner somehow and then lift him out, which he evidently doesn't enjoy so I have just been leaving him alone more and more lately. I am wondering if this will lead to him regressing and becoming even less comfortable with handling than he already was.

Basically, I'd like to know if it looks like he'll ever warm up to being handled. He sees me all the time - the tank is on my desk - and I can't think of a time when I have ever terrified him or done anything sudden, and still, he is very reluctant to be held. 
If it turns out that some geckos just aren't the friendly type, I'm perfectly content to leave him alone and just observe him, clean and feed. The reward in owning a reptile, after all, isn't the love and cuddles type, but playing caretaker to a fascinating and beautiful creature. I just want to know whether I should keep trying, and how, or let him be. Thank you in advance!

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## Lija

none of them like or want being handled, but will tolerate if you do. of course he hates when you take him out, that will never change- imagine, you are sleeping in your own cosy bed and some giant is waking you and picking you up. If you say he is calm once on a hand and not panicking - that is all you should hope to get from him or any other crestie and probably any other reptile  :Smile:

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## Don

As they get older they do calm down.  Mine still wets in my hand every time taken out and when hand walks for some time before calming down.  he is about 2 years old now.  They need to be handled daily. 

To slow him down when capturing or if you place on a table, place a hand like motioning to stop in front of him.  Blocking his path.  As he tries to go other directions, just slowly keep the hand in front of him.  This will stop him from bolting across the table when you want him to just chill or around the tank when your grabbing him.

My granddaughter and wife place ours on their stomachs when sitting on the couch now and he stays as long as a hand is resting over him.  Only once did he leap forward and grab my granddaughters nose :-)

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