Enigma Syndrome in Leopard Geckos | Everything You Need to Know

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

If you'd like to support what I do, please check us out on Patreon! patreon.com/JessicasAnimalFriends

[@Trynedge]

Done! ^_^

[@helianthe3457]

Imagine sentencing the pets you breed to a life of incomfort and hurt just for the aesthetic the owners want. It's criminal and I'm glad some expos ban that morph. Here in France I believe there is not a lot of awareness about them. I try to talk about it around me. Thank you for your videos on the subject.

[@chocolatenomnom23]

I'm autistic and I have the same reaction to overstimulation; I either flail, go catatonic, or flail and then go catatonic lmaooo. I relate to enigmas so much. I also hate bright lights, flashing lights, loud noises, and being touched.

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

I’ve thought that at times too, I’m glad you can relate to them. I hope they bring you comfort ❤️

[@redsquirrel6131]

I have low support needs ASD and ADHD, certain textures will send me into a full on stim binge where I can't stop. If I really like the feeling of something I will hold it for days and keep touching it over and over. If it's a gross texture (ie fabric that sticks to the dry patches on my hands 🤢 etc.) Certain food textures get me too. Bananas make me feel physically ill.

[@pechi6801]

you a man

[@starbyray7828]

I always admire your dedication to your less able Geckos. They truly are lucky to have been adopted by such a caring focused animal-centric person. Such an excellent video too packed with so much useful information AND examples. It makes all the difference that you are able to show examples of what you are discussing. I do not have or intend to have any Enigmas but if I did see one in need of a home I feel confident that I would be able to cope based on all your shared expertise.

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Thank you so much as always for your lovely comments! Your support means so much ❤️

[@starbyray7828]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends You are most welcome. :0)

[@xhemillelopa4024]

Another enigma video! I feel like this issue just cannot be stressed enough. Breeding any animals that you know can have issues that impact their quality of life is nothing but pure animal cruelty. Thank you for spreading awareness!❤️

[@SquishyRogue]

I'm here as a disabled person wanting to just say... these disabled babies are so very relatable. Thank you for being so excellent to them! (and yes I came here from Snake Discovery)

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Awww hi!! So glad to have you here ❤️

[@ms_minna]

Thank you Jessica! ❤️ Someone who is disabled (pet OR human), doesn’t mean they’re not living the best life they’ve been given. And this is coming from a disabled person due to having debilitating nerve pain.

[@Trynedge]

Best source of Leopard Gecko info on the internet, hands down. Thank you for raising awareness - I only learned about this issue by watching your vids once I decided I wanted to get a Leo and started doing research on their diets and overall care. Thanks to you, my future rescued Leo can live his/her best life.

[@KatieSTaylorWrites]

I don’t know if I enjoyed this as it was incredibly painful and heartbreaking to watch, but I think that’s a great and you presented the information wonderfully. I just bought my first Leo baby through morph market (he won’t be ready to ship for a few weeks) and was watching more care videos and ran across your care video, which led me down the rabbit hole and I discovered this through you. It’s disgusting what humans will do. 😢. I immediately had to go check to see if the baby I got had any enigma because Leo morphs I don’t know. Thankfully, no. But thank you for sharing this and why doesn’t it have more views?! You need a million more subscribers. The love and care your provide these animals is amazing. You’re an angel. ❤

[@felixadriensfavoritecousin]

You're underrated

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Thank you ❤️

[@daniellesanchez2599]

Such sweet babies you have! ❤️ Thank you so much for putting this video together. I just adopted a leo with moderate-severe ES and this video was very helpful!

[@jotalbot2719]

I'm not even 4 minutes in and this is already heartbreaking.

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

It is tough for sure. :(

[@nomminghaem]

Idk if you'll see this, but as a disabled person, I have special spot in my heart for disabled animals, I would love to get an enigma and give them the best life they could possibly have.

[@EclecticallyEccentric]

Hopefully you mean adopt instead of buy an enigma. If that's the case, I'd agree and hope it goes well.

[@matildagromeier6119]

Love how I'm watching this as preparation for a presentation for Uni, especially because I'm studying to become an exotic vet :)

[@hadria-edgezreplika3514]

I'm in Argentina, and I don't breed enigmas, giant at best, but enigmas are a "no-no". But unfortunately one of the biggest breeders here do it and they say ""for us enigmas are funnier than regular ones because they're dumb"" and... well, let's just say they're permanently blocked from me. I don't care how cool morphs colors they get.

[@marthasimms7113]

i used to be part of All About Leopard geckos on FB, and I stg the amount of people with zero experiance with leopard geckos, saying "oh your gecko has enigma syndrome!" with literally ANY video of a leo, or everyone jumping on someone saying their gecko has enigma syndrome while knowing their gecko isnt an enigma. I ended up leaving that group but there is a ton of misinformation on enigma syndrome, and I super appreciate this video!

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

YUP! Bane of my existence lmao.

[@dvalentinph]

Hat's off to you for having the patience and kindness in keeping these Enigma Breeds.

[@Maevenish]

I just rescued an ES Leo. HIs name is Corkscrew and he's a sub-adult. My vet said he's 7/10 on the ES scale. He can move about ok, shed by himself and I've seen him drink water by himself. It's feeding that is a problem. He over-reacts so much. We are still figuring it out. I feed him Repashy Bug Grub to make sure he's getting food. And he's eaten meal worms, super worms and horn worms. I think the bigger the prey item the better he can eat. I'm going to increase the horn worms in his diet. He does have parasites or worms, and he's on his medicine. I've started using chop sticks so he doesn't hurt himself on metal tongs. It is hard, but he's a spunky guy. I got him a slightly bigger tank tonight as I think he's a bit crowded in the 10 gallon I started him off in. He should have a good life, I just need to learn to feed him better. Thank you for the video, it does help so much.

[@randikinton7018]

I just watched this video and I am in awe of you.You have several of these special needs geckos, voluntarily, and you manage them brilliantly. Love you so much!

[@EllyRussell-zw8il]

My boy Raffi (full name Captain Raphael Stumbles) has pretty severe enigma syndrome. I’ve also seen his get worse throughout the years. I rescued him in 2011 when he was 1-2 years old. At that point he was able to eat and shed on his own, but he would circle, stargaze and fall over. Now that he’s in his teen years, he does death rolls when he eats, gets seizures, and consistent falling over. His house has little decoration all low to the ground. An extremely shallow water dish (Tupperware lid) so he won’t drown if he flips when drinking. Extra plush paper towel substrate to soften the impact of his falls. I have to hold him carefully when he eats because he needs to be syringe fed. He’s broken teeth several times from grabbing the syringe and rolling, so I have to anticipate when they’ll happen and gently restrain him. I love this little guy so much, and his vets always say he’s so polite. His care is a lot but I will never stop doing whatever I can to make life easier for him and keep him healthy. People need to stop breeding these guys. So much respect to you for caring for so many!

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Sending love to you and Raffi!

[@itssassysarah]

You’re one of my fav reptile channels easily💗

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Thank you :)

[@bisexualfrenchfry1953]

I LOVE your channel. I’ve learned so much about leopard gecko disabilities. ❤️

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Thank you :)

[@nomminghaem]

As a neurodiverse person I relate to the frustration over people not doing research and saying "oh no I'm autistic bc I don't like wearing scratchy sweaters" and I hate this, do the research before you even try to diagnose. Self dx is valid but do your research before go and diagnose yourself

[@lisamccullough5150]

I can’t believe people still breed them.

[@felixadriensfavoritecousin]

Ikr:(

[@aapelikananena9699]

i'm glad my gecko doesn't do weird stuff like this, he's just normally dumber than the insects he eats 😂

[@Kosukie]

I was tossed my two leopard geckos when going to get a tank I got on marketplace. I had no experience with geckos, but I decided to jump in the deep end and give it my best shot. To this day I'm not sure about their morphs but I'm not good with identifying morphs. Mirajane is a pale brown colour with small spots all over her body with faint striping from head to tail. She was the stick figure out of the two, who wasn't getting any food in the shared tank before I got her. Both girls have their own tanks now and are thriving, but lil Mirajane has a few odd quirks. Wobbly walking, jetting her head from side to side when trying to zone in on food and then completely missing it. She does get it after a few tries though! I help her out sometimes with shedding, especially her feets. She is quite healthy other than the quirks. ^^

[@rachelkunz611]

Your channel is so awesome!!! Thank you for all your information and time!!! Super helpful 😁👍

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Thanks :)

[@youkeika]

just got a girl given to me from a friend, was very excited as this was my first gecko and i got her for free so even better, but I'm almost 100% sure she has enigma syndrome. she looks exactly like melisandre and she's currently stargazing as i type this, I've seen her deathroll multiple times and go in circles, she also has a pretty wobbly gait, and I've only fed her a couple of times so far but once she bit her tail and kept trying to bite it, thinking it was a mealworm. I just want to know your opinion on this, do you think she has this syndrome? and if so how severe does it sound

[@suebg1]

Hey Jessica, thank you for your video. I have had my gecko for 11 years. Recently, she started looking and acting a bit odd. So naturally, I took her to the vet, and he concluded it was egg binding (she had never laid an egg before). She had a surgery, to get her ovaries removed and somewhat complicated recovery, including a half thorn tail but the vet said she had recovered. Nonetheless her behaviour got worse and worse. She stopped eating and is displaying all of the enigma signs you talked about in your video. I was wondering if you have had a similar experience with any of your geckos? When I got her I was very new to reptiles and did not really know much about morphs, but I don't believe she is a particular kind of morph, she just has the "normal" coloring. Thanks in advance. I am of course consulting with the vet but I would appreciate your opinion too❤

[@rdnkenki]

Thank you. Very in depth and I appreciate it. With the experience you have, have you considered furthering education in the Herp Field?

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

I have thought about going back to university for biology but i am still paying off my first go at school 😅

[@minikipp8549]

i saw a reel of your on insta and i think i'm about to go on gecko rabbit hole

[@fritzj8]

Thank you for the very informative video. I am 99.9% certain, based on your video, our gecko has Enigma Syndrome, which until today I had no idea what was going on with her. She was bouught in a pet store over 15 years ago in Germany and I first noticed the severe head tilting about a year or more ago. She has some trouble catching crickets, but seems to be getting enough food becuase her tail is really fat. I haven't seen any of the other symptoms you mentioned, but I will definately watch for them. Strangley enough, my gecko has never shed and never laid any eggs, so I am thinking she might actually be a he, or is it possible for a female, if not given the right environment to not lay any eggs?

[@krishendricks4633]

I love your passion for these creatures.✌🖖💚

[@friendlyhuggywuggy6936]

She's so big now I can't believe how fast she grew

[@lostfound8112]

Awesome vid..nice work!

[@j0eni]

thank you for this video !! i was worried because my gecko likes to stargaze in her cage sometimes😅 anyways i have a question.. is it normal for geckos to be active during the day? because my gecko keeps exploring her cage this morning-afternoon and she wont get inside her hiding cave !! 😅😥

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Some geckos might adjust to being a little active in the day, but they should be more active at night.

[@spearmanerica676]

Hey Jessica how are u doing? U KNO I’ve learned a ton abt geckos 🦎 watching u I was doing research on crested geckos bc I wanted one soo I remember u said do ur research for a ur or two then get ur animal. THTS wht I did I named my baby a red Harlequin Benjen Jojen Marlin Spearman lol 😂 couldn’t get all my babies names in his name but he’s special too me bc of ur boys I’m jus in love with them all❤️😘🥰😍☺️🤩

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

That’s so cute!!! ❤️

[@AbreeMae]

hey! thx for making these but I have a question I hope you can answer. so I woke up to my gecko moving his head up and down really fast with his eyes closed opening his mouth and making weird sounds, it went on for a few mins and then he started growing crazy, he wouldn't let me touch him he was very flinchy and was moving his tail a lot, after 5 mins he finally calmed down, it scared me and I want to know what it was and why he did it. could you please help me??

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Sounds like choking or struggling to breathe. Any signs of respiratory infection?

[@AbreeMae]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends no signs, thanks for helping! it makes more sense :)

[@djmannik]

Thank you, didn't know about this issue.

[@AgentKJ06]

My Leo named Flitwick (just reached 9 months) has been having some issues hunting recently, he just walks away without engaging the prey, he looks almost exactly like one of your inigma geckos. (Sorry, I don’t know which one) he also Star gazes occasionally. I bought him from pet smart so I don’t know his morph, do you think I should be worried about him possibly being a enigma?

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

No. The vast majority of pet store geckos are not enigmas. Still, your gecko could have health issues causing the change in behavior

[@AgentKJ06]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends ok, thank you for the reply! I will have to monitor him!

[@lillycruz5490]

I was juat wondering if you could varify if my leopard geko really has enigma syndrome and why. So when i first for it from pet co, it appeared to be fine. But about a year later which is now its stated to star gaze, bob its head, and not earing like it used to by missing worms. Is there anything i could do to help it?

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Most likely not an enigma, you should consult a vet about vitamin deficiency

[@gildarenteria6220]

Hello Jess! Thanks for all the info and tips. I just found out that our pet leopard gecko displays some Enigma Syndrome behaviors.Should we separate him from his roommate?

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Please watch my video on cohabitation first, are you certain he’s an enigma?

[@gildarenteria6220]

I believe so. He does a lot of stargazing and tends to close his eyes a lot when doing so. Perhaps I am incorrect, but I am only going by what you’ve described and what I’ve researched so far. I came across your channel as I searched for the symptoms I see. Thanks.

[@IanOhNo]

Enigmas have really opened my eyes about autism. I have a brother and mother who are autistic and I am mildly autistic. I think that we've reached a point in human evolution where we have artificially selected so much that interbreeding has occured because humans are racist and don't like breeding with non-identical morphs. I think "Enigma syndrome" is really just lizard autism because of in-breeding to a point where they have developed autism because they have been over-specialized.

[@felixadriensfavoritecousin]

3:26 that's so heartbreaking 💔 poor sweet gecko

[@mashamariot1573]

I got my gecko for a year. Than she decided to burmate. After 2 months I decided to show her to wet because of neurological problems appeared. She had lots of parasites (maybe from previous home). This sick woke syndrome up😢 I absolutely love her and do best for her, but I miss time when she walked out and communicate with me 💔

[@mashamariot1573]

And hopefully she gets sterilization operation and don't have any problems due ovulation

[@connordoden587]

I have a Murphys patternless juvenile leopard gecko, his hunting is amazing, never misses, no death rolls even when I have to move him to clean his tank. But he does stargaze, he’s a male so ovulation won’t be an issue but should I just watch his behavior?

[@chriskrilly9021]

Do you know how young a leopard gecko can be diagnosed with enigma syndrome? Are they usually older or does it happen early on?

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Earlier on.

[@friendlyhuggywuggy6936]

I have a female leopard gecko and she's the sweetest gecko and she's my first and I got her sept 11th 2020

[@torimyers2613]

So last night I just took in a resuce leopard gecko. I had no clue until I got her that she has Enigma and its bad. Whats the best way to get fluid in her? Am I going to have to use a syringe or is there a better way?!

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Probably isn’t enigma. A lot of rescued geckos with malnourishment present spinning or toppling over due to vitamin deficiency. Contact a vet ASAP.

[@jessicahampton5958]

I love all the GOT names 😊

[@hlynns6669]

I didn't see anything about a catatonic leopard gecko with ES (yes she in an Enigma Morph) Is it the same?

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Leopard geckos with ES can go catatonic, especially after death rolling or exhibiting heightened symptoms

[@adannimpa]

I got my gecko 2 weeks ago I didn't know about enigma, today I ask the breeder about it they say it might have it does the gecko hard to take care of? edit: I have done some research on it genetics yes it does contain enigma in it but still not showing any symptoms

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Not all geckos that are enigmas will display ES straight away or ever. If it’s a male, you’re going to have an easier time. Females often have an onset of symptoms or a worsening of symptoms when they ovulate or lay eggs.

[@adannimpa]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends mine is a female thx for all the information you put inside the video it really help me a lot on understanding and what to do and to expect when it gonna happen

[@adannimpa]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends so my gecko is not an enigma(or at least it doesn't show any symptoms) I hope she will not have it at all

[@feliciaborg7517]

i got my first leopard gecko athena a month ago, from a petstore here in finland. They free fed her calcium and said that that worked, she didnt eat to much or to little of it. In the beggining she didnt eat and i was very worried cuz she was underweight from beginning. I quickly realized that she just didnt like the food and now when i have switched shes eating normally and gaining weight. The thing is... she is walking very wonky, aka she has no balance. When shes walking in the enclosure or on me she often looses the balance and falls over. She is very bad at catching food, it always takes her 3-4tries even tho the food is right in front of her. She is also circling sometimes. It sound a lot like she has ES but she is from a petstore and she has beatiful big patterns on her back.. i domt think its mbd either... anyone with the same syptoms who might know what it is? Greatful for answers🥰🙏🏼🦎

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Sounds like MBD, unless you’re dusting the insects she eats with calcium plus D3. Watch my leo care guide to learn how to fix this issue.

[@tashal8367]

Could you tell me if mine is an enigma?

[@thebellamays]

I adopted a leopard gecko with enigma syndrome from my local pet store because they weren’t properly caring for it.

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

How do you know it was an enigma

[@thebellamays]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends The owner had the original paper he came with.

[@veronikapop8161]

I don't understand the whole enigma thing. Why is this morph more expensive than the healthy ones?

[@fuzzymelon1261]

mine is wild-type who is just a derpy hunter and loves to try to walk off ledges and fall 3-4 feet. he has never succeeded tho. I swear he's like ADD tho bc he acts like me (I have ADHD).

[@kathrynweaver2490]

Can you recommend where to start for someone who wants to know if their gecko has an enigma or if it related to health issues.

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Unless the breeder told you your gecko was an enigma, it’s going to be most likely related to health issues

[@kathrynweaver2490]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends I wish we knew! My brother called after he bought him off of marketplace! Our vet has seen her many of times but she’s very honest with not understanding didnt morphs of geckos. But your videos have been beyond helpful with getting her back to health and being happy

[@D_R11]

So I’ve never owned reptiles of any kind so this might be a dumb question but if ovulation can worsen enigma syndrome how come there isn’t some form of spaying available for them?

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

It’s a risky surgery and could even make their ES worse, or their ES could complicate the healing process

[@D_R11]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends Does that apply even if they haven't had symptoms yet? Like could you potentially do it before the develop the syndrome? Or would that just cause it to happen sooner?

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

The stress of the procedure could be the onset of symptoms. Sometimes it’s as simple as being dropped or shipped that can cause the onset or progression of symptoms

[@webbotubes]

I didn't realise my gecko is an enigma by genetics- they have the spots in 2 places- little on head, patch on back, and full tail, bought from a young breeder. Quite possible very slight ES- still young though

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Did the breeder say the gecko is an enigma

[@webbotubes]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends nope the breeder i would assume is a new home breeder. Literally a teenage boy!! I had no idea when i bought. As bought local and online. May not be the case, but by your description genetically not the syndrome appears to fit. Hopefully not but i am not worried either way - and have no intention to breed myself anyways so it makes no difference to me :)

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

@@webbotubes I mentioned this in the video, but when it comes to buying geckos from breeders they should tell you the morph. Also, enigmas are more costly than normal or common morphs, so my guess is no, you don't have an enigma.

[@webbotubes]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends yeah i did hear you say that in the video- but then listened to your characteristics of Enigma , but it was 1.30am with no sleep. So i probs got confused haha

[@faelyn_sketches]

I was on the verge of sobbing seeing Sam and Gilly trying to eat the horn worm. Thankfully my male crested gecko is perfectly healthy, tho a little stunted I believe, but that’s purely my fault as a first time owner. He refused to eat CGD when he was younger and I had no clue what to do. I’ve since started feeding him a variety of food during his week, from strawberry chunks to horn worms. Watching this also had me wondering if there’s a crested gecko version of this? I plan on breeding cresties in the future but I’m unsure after seeing this, I’d definitely have to do a LOT more research than I already have ^^”

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

I’m not sure about crested gecko genetics tbh, sorry :(

[@panq8904]

I know a good few Crested Gecko breeders and as far as I'm aware, there is no morph or specific gene that causes neurological issues being bred ATM. Likely because Crestie genetics aren't as Mendelian as Leos, so most things like base colours and morphs like HQ's are line-bred.

[@perfectgocrazy1733]

My leopard gecko stargazes but nothing else is that a problem i should worry about?

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Probably not. And it might not even be stargazing. It has to be an unnatural head tilting, usually straight up, for an extended period of time.

[@perfectgocrazy1733]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends thank you for helping me

[@rintaro0]

I am Russian ! but I do not understand English (very interesting, I have eublefar. His morph is Super Stealth, it seems to me that he is an enigma .. (I write with the help of a translator)

[@friendlyhuggywuggy6936]

I love ur Chanel

[@oliviagrace2151]

how would i know if my baby has it???

[@oliviagrace2151]

i don’t know the breed of mine

[@kingcockroach.]

Came here hoping to see that my gecko doesnt have enigma.........unfortunately i think he has it more. He has over half these symptoms and looks like these

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Could be any neuro issue if you don’t know the morph.

[@kingcockroach.]

@@JessicasAnimalFriends sadly i will never know the morph as the breeder only told me his mother was a bellsunglow. Nothing about the father, but all i can say is he looks nothing like a bell sunglow and ive had around 5 breeders tell me he looks like enigma. Im guessing there is no genealogy you can do to find morph? I would try ask the breeder but when i mentioned he was acting strange and i wanted to know if he had any enigma in him, he said not to worry and blocked me.

[@davidkelly1298]

Can other morphs have es?

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Please watch the video. I addressed this in the video. The answer is no.

[@EclecticallyEccentric]

Other morphs can have neurological issues with symptoms that look the same as many symptoms of ES(wobbling, staring off into space, circling). But the name Enigma Syndrome specifically refers to the genetic neurological condition linked to the Enigma morph.

[@teresawaas6666]

My fire skink just died and I want to get another reptile for my birthday later this year and I'm wondering what is a good reptile I should get I have a 20 gallon tank.

[@lisamccullough5150]

Should probably figure out why your skink died before you get anything else..

[@felixadriensfavoritecousin]

@@lisamccullough5150 what's the average life span for skinks

[@kendravoracek3636]

💚

[@idk-lp3uz]

This is just like how certain dog breeds shouldnt be bred because they will have a poor quality of life.

[@GaasubaMeskhenet]

bump

[@beccab2151]

Can you handle your enigmas?

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

Check the time stamps :)

[@teijaflink2226]

This sounds very bad, specially the more severe, why would anyone breed this eniga morph in their animals, makes me disgusted, so tired of people with reptile mills.

[@joakimnilsson5870]

No offence but isent it time to put these animals out.. whats the point. If my frogs acted very weird and openly suffering for a longer time its over man

[@JessicasAnimalFriends]

I addressed that in the video. I recommend watching.