Has demand for fat tails dropped?

warhawk

New Member
Messages
178
Location
Indiana
I have noticed something and I wonder if other see it also or am I mistaken.

I know Fat Tails have never been in huge demand and that most people keep Leopard geckos. But about ten years ago the Fat tail was growing in popularity pretty good. Lots of articles about them and breeders where starting to work with them. Now that looks like it has reversed in the last few years, it looks (to me at least) like the fat tail has slipped and fewer people are keeping these guys.

I have noticed a few breeders have stopped breeding the Fat tail all together and they are starting to get harder to find. I know you can still get them in you look around. I really like my Leo's but I have always tried to learn all I could about the fat tails also. Every year I think this is the year I'm going to buy a pair of these guys but I always talk my self out of it.

So I got to thinking is this all in my head or has there been a change? If there has been a change what is the reason behind it?

My first thought is the economy, I know with money getting tight people will start to cut back on the little extra things. But to me this doesn't fit, if it was a money thing why have other reptiles keep up?

My other thought is with the other breeds of geckos gaining popularity have they pushed the Fat tail out of the way? The fat tail and the leo are very alike where some of the others are very different, so maybe that has a draw to a lot of people.

So what do you think? Has there been a move away from the Fat tail? And if so what do you think the reason is?
 

acpart

Geck-cessories
Staff member
Messages
15,118
Location
Somerville, MA
I never have trouble selling my fat tail hatchlings. The biggest change is that more people are producing fancy morphs that are selling for lots of money. It may be that people are "bored" with the "plain" ones.

Aliza
 

geckobabies

African Fat Tails <3
Messages
867
Location
Northern, VA
I don't think the demand has decreased, I think if anything they are more popular now than ever. Wild caught imports may be down now that there are more people producing quality CBB babies but there will always be a market for cheap $20 imported fat tails as long as they are continued to be brought in.

I think for awhile most Fat Tail morphs would be considered more investment quality and the prices stayed quite high for several years. I think the majority by far, even leopard gecko breeders, shyed away from investing in morphs so expensive that they were not confident they could breed.

I also think in the beginning so many had problems successfully breeding them they were unwilling to invest that kind of money they could not get back. Now with the success of many more people than just your top breeders and the prices on morphs continuing to fall I think the sky is the limit with them.

This of course is just my opinion and they are my favorite geckos out there. Get yourself a pet or pair of CBB. You won't regret it.
 

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