Tips for removing gecko from tank?

[Godbear999]

Hey guys! I need some advice. My gecko no longer lets me take him out of his tank with no difficulty anymore.

Now I don't bother him all the time or anything. If he doesn't crawl onto me (he usually just sniffs my hand and then leaves) I just leave him alone but sometimes I have to take him out to clean his house!! Like today. But instead of letting me scoop him up he'll bite me and latch on and shake his head like he's trying to kill my poor hand.

He used to let me do whatever but I guess he's too independent for that now :/ I don't mind not being able to hold him anymore but I hate stressing him like this every time I have to take him out.

Any advice? He only started being this aggressive in late September (before that he only rarely bit and was very docile) so maybe it's a phase but I'm not looking forwards to getting bit a ton of times before that phase ends. Anything will help! Thanks!

[Geckso]

Sounds like mating behaviour, if it was in self-defence he'd bite and then run off. Unfortunately i don't think there's much you can do, ive heard of some people spraying them with water, but i honestly don't know if that'll help

[Treebiscuit]

I don't think this sounds like mating behaviour unless it's accompanied by a mating call. Sounds like pure aggression to me.

How big is the tank? In the past, I have found that a larger cage and/or extra time out of the cage can reduce aggression.

[Godbear999]

I don't think this sounds like mating behaviour unless it's accompanied by a mating call. Sounds like pure aggression to me.

How big is the tank? In the past, I have found that a larger cage and/or extra time out of the cage can reduce aggression.

Sorry for the late reply, but he has a 18x18x24 inch zoo med.

I managed to weigh him last week and he gained a bit of weight so honestly? Maybe he's just ballsy because he thinks he's big and scary now.

[Vidja]

Puberty? They do change behavior as they mature.

[Godbear999]

Puberty? They do change behavior as they mature.

He's already like, 6 years old! Shouldn't he have gone over puberty by now ?

[TAD]

Is there a lot of foliage for him to hide in in your tank? The size is perfect. I'm thinking he is just going through a phase. If you can get him to go inside a short piece of PVC pipe rather than picking him up, maybe that would help. Also - when you reach to grab him, do you go at him from the top? Or slide your hand under him? The latter usually works better, as the first option makes them feel like prey and they will feel threatened.

[Vidja]

He's already like, 6 years old! Shouldn't he have gone over puberty by now ?

Well, yeah I should hope so! Then again some human males never mature lol
I'm assuming nothing in his cage or around it changed before the mood change happened. I personally (and by law in my country) would keep them in bigger enclosures. But if he has been in that cage for a long time without behaving this way before I doubt lack of space is the trigger. You don't happen to have something on your hands that smells? Like a fragrant soap or something that he for some reason reacts to? Animals can get angry about being touched if they are in pain or some kind of agony or distress. I don't know if this applies to reptiles too, and I sure hope that is not the case.
Guess you're just going to have to adjust the way you get him out for now, like Tad says. Hopefully he'll calm down again in time.