No matter how much you love your pet, having your pet poop on you is never a pleasant experience.
And whether you are a beginner in having a crested gecko as a pet, or you have had a pet crested gecko for quite some time now.
One question that confuses the new and experienced pet crested gecko owners is: why did my crested gecko just poop on me?
There is no point in being mad at your pet crested gecko for this – unlike human beings, a crested gecko does not really have the concept of “controlling” its poop because it may be socially inappropriate.
So, the best way to deal with this and to reduce the occurrence of such events in the future is to understand why, in the first place, your pet crested gecko poop on your hand – and what can be done by you to prevent the root reason from happening again.
Why Does My Crested Gecko Poop On Me?
Any pet crested gecko owner needs to figure out the reason why their pet may have pooped on their hand – or anywhere else where they must have been placed. And there are 3 major reasons why your crested gecko may have done so:
- Your pet may be feeling stressed.
- Your pet may have found the warmth of your hand way too relaxing.
- Your pet may have learned over time that if it poops on you, you will keep it back in its cage.
Let us take a deeper look into what these 3 reasons mean so that you can figure out how to not let this happen again.
Pooping Due To Stress
It is not an unknown fact that a crested gecko is a very solitary animal. It does not prefer a lot of socializing or interactions with either its humans or other crested geckos. So, it is only natural for your crested gecko to not enjoy being handled a lot.
Now, whether your crested gecko is a new pet that has just been brought home, or if it has spent enough time at home but just is not that much of an extroverted pet animal – either way, being handled can be a stressful event for your crested gecko.
In such a case, if it gets too stressed out, it may accidentally poop on your hands.
This is much more common and likely to happen if someone with whom the crested gecko is less familiar tries to handle it without first giving the crested gecko enough time to get used to the presence of a new human being.
Pooping Due To Being Way Too Relaxed
On the completely opposite end of the spectrum of reasons, your crested gecko may, on a very rare occasion, be so relaxed by the warmth of your hand that it defecates on your hand.
This is a very rare occasion – usually, this extremely solitary creature that prefers its solitude and personal space does not really get so relaxed when being handled.
Pooping As A Learned Habit
Now, this is one of the more likely reasons why your pet crested gecko may be pooping on you. This fact is clear as day that your pet crested gecko is not a fan of being handled by you.
It simply tolerates being around you because it has become used to your presence and has established that you are not a threat – and your pet crested gecko associates you with a source of food and treats.
So, now while it is tiny and cannot physically stop you from handling it, this could be one of its learned ways to get you to put it back in its tank – your pet crested gecko must have learned over time that as soon as it poops on your hand, you put it back in its tank.
So, when you pick it up and handle it for quite some time, if it wants to be kept back in its home, it may just poop on you.
Why Do They Poop When You Handle Them?
A crested gecko is a very solitary animal. In fact, even in the wild, a crested gecko will not mingle with another one of its own species unless they accidentally cross paths or they have to mate during the breeding season.
So, it goes without saying, that your pet crested gecko values its personal space very much.
Moreover, if you have just brought your new pet crested gecko home, then it will be needing its own sweet time to be able to get used to the new surroundings and to your presence.
Your pet crested gecko needs time to believe that you are not a threat, and to associate you with food and shelter, in order to get used to your presence.
Keeping these things in mind, it becomes easier to understand why your pet crested gecko does not enjoy being handled or picked up frequently and for a long stretch of time.
And to express its dissatisfaction with being handled, your pet has several bodily and verbal signals.
Sometimes it may make a barking or squeaking sound, other times it may seem very skittish as you try to pick it up – and yes, some odd times, it may even poop on your hand when you try to handle it.
What To Do When You Crested Gecko Poops On You?
The first and foremost thing to do when your crested gecko poops on you is to take it back in its tank.
Let it be in the enclosure and enjoy its personal space – it is healthier to allow your crested gecko to come onto your hand when it feels comfortable in doing so.
When your crested gecko does not want to be handled, then let it be at peace in its enclosure.
And the obvious next step after keeping your crested gecko back in its tank is to wash your hands thoroughly with an anti-bacterial soap. It is very important to have an anti-bacterial soap at your home at all times, especially if you are housing a pet crested gecko.
Crested geckos are known carriers of salmonella and not maintaining proper personal hygiene after handling your pet crested gecko can lead to some unwanted health-related consequences for you and the other members of your house.
How To Prevent It From Pooping On You?
The best way to prevent your crested gecko from pooping on you is to respect its personal boundaries and not pick it up or handle it too frequently.
A safe bet while trying to handle your crested gecko is to simply rest your palm inside the tank and see if your pet comes and climbs on it of its own accord.
Do not directly pick your crested gecko up if it is not absolutely necessary. And let your pet crested gecko enjoy its personal space as much as it wants to.
Build your rapport with your pet reptile slowly and steadily. Do not rush the process of bonding with your pet crested gecko.
Conclusion
As awkward and gross as it is to have your pet crested gecko poop on you, it is not very unusual or abnormal.
It is an expected response to the stress experienced by your pet when it is forced to come out of its comfort zone and extend its personal space for anyone.
However, with some mindfulness during the process of bonding with your crested gecko, you can avoid such instances from happening in the future.
