Geko's

PSL75

Son has got it in his head that he'd like a Geko. Not knowing much about these things we went to our local Pets At Home and the lizard specialist in there said that Leopard Gekos are a pretty simple lizard to own. Are there any owners on here with advice please? I held the one in the pet shop and he seemed a very placid, friendly chap. The lizard that is, not the lad who worked in there. I didn't touch him.

Fosterdog

You would be better off finding a dedicated reptile forum to find out exactly what their needs are. Please don't just take the advice of someone in Pets at Home, while some of their staff do have a genuine love, interest and knowledge of the animals many more are just there because it's a job. As with most animals do not buy from a pet shop, they source their "stock" from whoever will mass produce the most for the least amount of money which is fine for some things but not for a living creature.

You should find a reptile specialist, they will give you all the help advice and support you need.

jrtfan

Another place you could try for advice on how to keep reptiles might be a local zoo/animal park, if there's one close to you? Head Keepers know an awful lot about the animals in their care and will have been working with them for a very long time.

PSL75

Thank you both. Good advice.

jrtfan

Good luck and enjoy your Gekko, if/when you get it x

tealady

Hi
I would look at a specialist reptile rescue (such as Proteus Rescue in the Midlands, they have Leopard Geckos on their site ready for rehoming). Rescues often have rescue animals for adoption and would, I am sure, be more than happy to talk you through whether the animal would be a suitable pet.
Please DO NOT buy from a pet shop, it could encourage irresponsible breeding.

Feral_Moon

I wouldn't buy any animal from Pets at Home but especially not a reptile. All their animals are supplied by the equivalent of puppy farms. And their staff have no specialist reptile knowledge other than what is printed on the care sheets they give out which in themselves are woefully inadequate.

There used to be an excellent reptile forum called RFUK but I haven't been a member for several years now. I'm sure if you do a search for it you'll find invaluable advice.

Geckos are not particularly difficult to keep as long as you get the environment correct. This usually involves setting up and running the viv to test temperature and humidity levels for a few weeks before introducing live animals to it. You also need to be prepared to treat their live food (crickets/mealworms) with just as much care and attention

ripplyuk

Have you looked at the crested gecko? They also seem to be recommended for beginners. I've been interested in them recently as they can eat pre-packaged food. It's a sort of pureed fruit I think. I couldn't cope with live bugs! I believe they are nocturnal though, which might not suit. Having said that, almost all reptiles I've seen are always hiding away, apart from the bearded dragons.

Fosterdog

ripplyuk wrote: »

Have you looked at the crested gecko? They also seem to be recommended for beginners. I've been interested in them recently as they can eat pre-packaged food. It's a sort of pureed fruit I think. I couldn't cope with live bugs! I believe they are nocturnal though, which might not suit. Having said that, almost all reptiles I've seen are always hiding away, apart from the bearded dragons.

I hate to tell you but crested geckos still need to eat insects, they thrive well on specialist food 4-5 times a week and on crickets or other insects the other 2-3 days.

A lot of places will tell you they can live off just the mix but it's really not a complete diet for them to be fed every day.