[Gecko] Hyper Leopard

[JohnCebula]

I'm wondering if any of you have had an experience with Leopard Geckos like the one I am currently having. If you have, I'd appreciate your advice.

About four months ago, I bought a female Leopard that was allegedly imported from a breeder in England. I would guess that she was three or four months at the time.

I quarantined her for about a month. She ate and didn't seem to have any parasites. However, she was VERY secretive, and I seldom saw her unless I moved her hide box. At these times, she would screech, curl her tail over her head, and generally behave like a hatchling. On one occasion when I was replacing her water dish, she actually leapt at my finger and nipped me.

After about a month, I placed her in a 10 gal. cage with two slightly smaller females that I held back from my own hatchlings. These two had been doing very well for me. The cage has undertank heat, two hide boxes, and a water dish as cage furniture; the substrate is newspaper. This is the way I maintain all my Leopards. The Leopards were given mealworms and dusted crickets daily.

About four weeks ago, I realized that all three Leopards were very thin, especially the two from my colony. I also realized that all three seemed especially skittish and stayed hidden. While crickets would disappear from the cage, I never saw any of the three actually eating. This weekend I decided to remove the gecko I bought and place her in a cage by herself. When I went into my animal room a few minutes ago, she screeched and ran into her hidebox. So far I have no indication that any of the three have eaten.

Have any of you encountered such a tempermental Leopard? Do you think it is possible for her nervourness to "infect" her cagemates to the extent that they fail to thrive? Any other thoughts or advice?