Hey all, my name is Lindsey and I am interested in owning a gecko or two again, but I'm a bit hesitant. My previous gecko experience was a sad one and I felt like perhaps I wasn't cut out for geckos, but since then I've been reading and researching and window-shopping and I'm just not able to give up on these little guys! I'm not looking to start a collection or breed geckos, just a family pet.
A quick background: I've always had pets, mostly furry ones, and my first job was at an animal hospital/kennel. As an adult, with my hubby, I've owned a couple cats, several fish mostly SA cichlids, a frog, and my leo. Two cats are still with us as are two of the fish, and we have several empty tanks sitting in our basement just calling my name.
My question: what type of gecko would be a good fit for us?? I have a 55 gallon aquarium sitting empty right now, and I'm considering setting it up as a gecko tank. I want something active and arboreal to really utilize the large tank, and something that has nice coloring so that my young daughter can enjoy watching it too. Something that can be handled occasionally would be great, but it's not really necessary. My current top contender is the Madagascar giant day gecko (phelsuma grandis) for its size and beautiful coloring, but I would be interested in any other medium/large species that fits my criteria. It also has to be something that I can actually find, I'm willing to order online or from a breeder (I've shipped fish so I'm not a stranger to the process) but I don't want to have to trade a small fortune or my first-born child for a couple lizards - I'm not looking for a designer or rare animal, or the price tag that comes with it. I just want an interesting family pet, something to enjoy, but also something that I am reasonably able to care for.
If you mention a species could you please also provide your recommendation for where to purchase the animal? I've tried "googling" it but a lot of the sites that come up look questionable to me....THANKS MUCH!
A quick background: I've always had pets, mostly furry ones, and my first job was at an animal hospital/kennel. As an adult, with my hubby, I've owned a couple cats, several fish mostly SA cichlids, a frog, and my leo. Two cats are still with us as are two of the fish, and we have several empty tanks sitting in our basement just calling my name.
My question: what type of gecko would be a good fit for us?? I have a 55 gallon aquarium sitting empty right now, and I'm considering setting it up as a gecko tank. I want something active and arboreal to really utilize the large tank, and something that has nice coloring so that my young daughter can enjoy watching it too. Something that can be handled occasionally would be great, but it's not really necessary. My current top contender is the Madagascar giant day gecko (phelsuma grandis) for its size and beautiful coloring, but I would be interested in any other medium/large species that fits my criteria. It also has to be something that I can actually find, I'm willing to order online or from a breeder (I've shipped fish so I'm not a stranger to the process) but I don't want to have to trade a small fortune or my first-born child for a couple lizards - I'm not looking for a designer or rare animal, or the price tag that comes with it. I just want an interesting family pet, something to enjoy, but also something that I am reasonably able to care for.
If you mention a species could you please also provide your recommendation for where to purchase the animal? I've tried "googling" it but a lot of the sites that come up look questionable to me....THANKS MUCH!
