I adoooore leopard geckos. A few friends have them, I've handled, fed and geckosat, and I've wanted one for years.
Now that my house is finally getting all sorted out, I have the space for one!
I have a few questions for the gecko-savvy amongst you.
- Any good forums I should look into? I try to find at least one good forum community for each of the types of pet that I have.
- If I'm looking at specific breeders, what are good things to look for? Things to avoid? I found a few breeders on my own already, which I can share if you like.
- Crickets or mealworms? Benefits/drawbacks to each?
- Anything else a n00b should know, keeping in mind I've cared for a gecko short-term before?
Thanks folks!
geckoforums.net is where I go.
hm...with breeders...the questions I asked was:
What is the weight?
What does the gecko eat?
HOW well does the gecko eat???
Age? (they usually have a hatch date listed, though)
Lineage?-you'll want to know this if you ever decide to breed, so you might know what kind of geckos you'll get or at least what they'll be het for.
I would want to feed a worm AND an insect to my geckos. And I do.
Find out what the breeder has been feeding the gecko. Feed that until that gecko is settled in at your house and is comfortable with you (mine are STILL getting adjusted to being here and aren't eating as much as I'd like them to).
Find out how MUCH they were eating with the breeder. Find out if the breeder fed mealies in a dish (most do) or if the gecko was pickier and needed to have them tossed directly in front of it.
Crickets suck. I've just got to let that be known. I HATE THEM. Yes, they are good for them. But I hate the little bastids.
DO NOT leave them in your gecko's cage for longer than 24 hours, if you do, toss in some gut-load in a dish for them, or they WILL bite/nip at your gecko.
I have two females (new ones) that won't eat the feeder roaches I feed. So I HAVE TO feed crickets for now.
gut-load any mealies, crickets, or roaches before you feed them for at least 24 hours.
You know to dust all insects (I don't dust worms, though) with calcium before feeding, right?
Supplement with calcium with D3 once a week or month.
Leave a gatorade cap of calcium in a dish in the cage for your gecko. He/she will lick it when they need it.
The only thing I would avoid with a breeder is...price.
DO NOT pay $500 for a SHTCTB. I mean, I wouldn't.
Some leo breeders jack their prices way up and it's ridiculous.
Have fun picking one out!
I know an EXCELLENT leo breeder where I got Joplin and Crackity Jones from.
I can ask him what he has available right now, if you'd like.
Are there any specific morphs you are looking for?