Aging my gecko help

[rabidmoose]

Hi all, I got Bubba in late April from a big chain pet store (and man was the tank over crowded.) I think she's a she a she but anyway I think she was maybe a few months old when I got her, but am looking for some more expert advice on her age so here's some pictures: (have a video but it doesn't want to work)

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Geckos grow based on heat and nutrition more than time making it almost impossible to tell age. Cute little guy tho!

 

[rabidmoose]

That's a bit... "grrrr"ing haha. So would it not be possible to tell even say a 6 month mark?

 

[DrCarrotTail]

Not in my experience. Two geckos can be the same size, both healthy and months difference in age. part of being cold blooded is that their metabolism and growth are determined more by their environment unlike warm blooded animals that have a more consistent growth rate.

 

[rabidmoose]

Well thank you very much Dr!

 

[Herbiebug]

Yep, the best you can do is ballpark it based on their spots provided they are still juvies. Normal morph hatchlings have bands across their backs, which then slowly separate in to spots as they grow. Yours still has a bit of the juvi banding visible, but also well defined spots. So... older than 3 months and younger than a year... Probably.