Geckos - Pet Advice

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Geckos - Pet Advice

Do You Really Want to Breed Leopard Geckos?

July 6th 2009 16:15

There are so many people out there who purchase leopard geckos from a pet store, get home, wait a few months, and then have the genius idea to breed them. Well, it's not always the best idea to do so. Yes, leopard geckos can get addicting, and that's why there are so many leopard gecko breeders out there. But, that doesn't mean that all leopard geckos should be bred, nor does it mean that all people with leopard geckos should breed.

I've heard it over and over again from 10-13 year old kids who want to breed their pets, but what they don't realize is that it is very costly. You have to purchase an incubator, housing for all reptiles, and food. It's also very time consuming. You also have to think about how you will find homes for them all, as even bred one time, you can have up to 10 or more hatchlings in one year.

A lot of work goes into breeding leopard geckos, even on a small scale breeding project, and because you're dealing with animals, breeding is not something that should be taken lightly, as you can be greatly risking the health and life of the animals involved.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Geckos

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My Leopard Gecko Hides all Day

February 20th 2009 19:01

Don't worry if your leopard gecko hides all day... It's perfectly normal... Trust me... This is a reptile that is nocturnal, meaning that it sleeps during the day and is active at night.

I have spoken with many concerned people about their new leopard gecko that just hides and sleeps all day. Yes, there is an adjustment period where the gecko will be a little bit more skiddish than normal, but it is perfectly normal for the gecko- young or old- to hide and sleep all day long.

Just make sure that you have the hot side of the enclosure at or right around 90F. You want to make sure that you do have a hide on the hot and the cold side, as well as a humid hide right around the middle of the tank.

As long as your enclosure is habitable for the gecko, it should acclimate just fine, and you should be able to handle it in a matter of days. But, this won't affect the fact that the gecko will still sleep during the day while you are awake.

Although, I have heard of a few cases where leopard geckos will be a little active during the day, but for the most part, they want to sleep and rest while the sun is out and the lights are on.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Geckos

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Choosing a Pet Gecko

January 13th 2009 17:33

When you are looking at purchasing a pet gecko, you want to make sure that you pick out a gecko that is healthy. The last thing that you want to do is pick a gecko to find out that it is sick, which at that point you may or may not be able to return or exchange. And, even if you do, who's to say that the other geckos that may have been housed with yours isn't sick as well.

Well, there are many signs to look for when trying to avoid the sick geckos and picking a healthy one. You just want to be very selective. If you have to, don't rush into picking a gecko. Go to a different pet store, or even wait it out longer so that you know that you've positively made the right choice.

By getting a pet gecko because you think that you're saving it and rescuing it from the pet store's typically inaccurate housing, you're really causing yourself more money and heartache for having to bring the gecko back to health. So, although you may be thinking that you're doing the right thing, you really should carefully think out your decision before picking a pet gecko.

First off, make sure to consider the gecko of your choice, making sure that it matches your experience level. For instance, leopard geckos, crested geckos, and African fat tail geckos are great beginner reptiles, and most pet stores sell them. (But again, I really prefer purchasing from a breeder, as 1) you'll have a larger selection, 2) it's typically going to be much cheaper for the quality that you're getting, and 3) they're generally much healthier.)

Generally, healthy geckos will be alert, plump, and active (of course active once you've disturbed them from sleep, as most are nocturnal).

You want to avoid geckos that are thin, have dried skin left from a previous shed, and seem lame when the hides are removed.

Also, you want to check for any poo, as you want to make sure that it doesn't look liquidy, or dried liquidy. You want to make sure that it appears solid and free of debris.

How to Choose a Leopard Gecko

How to Choose a Crested Gecko

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Geckos

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Crested Gecko Enclosure

December 16th 2008 12:41

Crested geckos are one of my favorite gecko species. The require no excess heat unless the temps fall below say 75F, and they don't require adeded lighting. These guys are pretty docile and just make good beginner reptile pets.

It is very important, though, that they're enclosure be set up properly.

There are two different ways that you can set up a crested gecko enclosure. The first being a naturalistic setup, and the other being a simplistic set up.

The natural setup typically involves real plants and a dirty substrate. These enclosures look really nice when you spend the time to develope them and design them properly, but they sure take a good bit of extra time cleaning them.

Sometimes people will actually create an enclosure with live plants, kept in pots, and paper towel substrate under the potted plants; these are still considered natural enclosures even though the plant isn't growing from the enclosure but the pot it's sitting in.

The simplistic setup is much easier to clean, but it is definitely an eye-sore. Many people, myself included, use cardboard egg cartons and the cardboard cup trays. All you have to do is throw out the old and replace with new. I also like to use fake plants to offer more climbing and hiding space.

So, what you do with your enclosure is up to you, but just know whatever you do you need to offer plenty of climbing space, and you need to take into account cleaning.

Simple Enclosure

Natural Enclosure

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Geckos

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Leopard Gecko Dropped Tail

November 16th 2008 02:02

Leopard geckos are one of the better beginner reptiles that you can have as a pet. These guys are relatively small and docile, which means they are managable and handlable. Although, I wouldn't recommend giving your 5 year old a leopard gecko and leaving the 5 year old all responsibility of caring for the gecko, this reptile species is the better one that you would want to consider for hte 5 year old... All with adult supervision...

Well, the one thing that you want to consider when caring for leopard geckos as pets is that they can drop their tails when frightened or stressed.

For the most part, reptiles can and will drop their tails as a defense mechanism in the wild. When a predator tries to scoop them up, they can drop their tail to confuse the predator while the reptile runs off, leaving the tail behind to wiggle around.

Well, although the biggest concern and predator in captivity is going to be a cat who can sneak his way into the enclosure or maybe a dog who runs after the gecko as you're trying to get it out of its enclsure, that doesn't mean that they have stopped the ability to drop their tails.

You'll find that younger leopard geckos will drop their tails more often than an adult leopard gecko. You will also find that sick leopard geckos will drop their tails more frequently than a healthy leopard gecko.

If your leopard gecko drops its tail there are a few things that you want to do. The first being remove any loose substrate that can infect the open wound, and then make sure to separate the gecko from any other geckos that you may have housed with the gecko who has lost its tail.

The tail will grow back, but it will not grow back as pretty as the original tail.

Leopard gecko on the left has a regrown tail, and the gecko on the right has its original tail.

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Geckos

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African Fat Tail Geckos

June 23rd 2008 13:47

Also, commonly referred to as just AFT. African fat tails are probbably one of the more docile pet reptiles that you can find on the pet trade, even more calm than leopard geckos.

These guys are just a tad smaller, in length, than leopard geckos, and a tad bulkier

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Geckos

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Tips for Caring for Crested Geckos

June 19th 2008 14:28

Crested geckos are one of my favorite geckos to keep as pets. They come in a variety of patterns and colors, many of which are still being perfected, as the species is still pretty new to captivity. But, even though crested geckos are newer than other species kept as pets, their care is pretty much set and simple.

When you care for a crested gecko, you need to have at least a 15 gallon tall aquarium. Babies and juveniles can be housed in various sized kritter keepers, but adults need at bare minimum a 15 gallon tall tank, which measures about 18"W x 18"D x 18"T

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Posted By: Whitney - Category: Geckos

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Leopard Geckos Make Great Beginner Pet Reptiles

May 19th 2008 15:26

Leopard geckos make wonderful pets for any reptile enthusiast- beginner to more advanced. My first reptile was a standard morph, female leopard gecko. I recieved Banon on my 16th birthday, and I've had her ever since. Now, since then, I've added various other morphs and my tallies are up to 25 plus hatchlings, so as you can see these guys are very simple to care for.