HI EVERYONE!! I AM A NEWBIE LOL

[midnightgecko]

Hey everyone,
My name is Jorge and yea lol... I just got into reptiles after my dad's friends gave us a gecko. I am having trouble finding out what kind it is, or if its even a gecko. Can someone help me out? I am going to put a picture of it so someone can tell me what it is..

I am getting a leopard gecko pretty soon once I give the gecko or whatever it is away because it's very vicious. Also because I want a baby leo

Thanks,
Jorge

 

[Caleb C]

Yeah, i'm pretty sure it's a tokay gecko now, they're known to be aggressive. If you're going to give it away, make sure it goes to a good home. No matter how cute, it's best not to get a baby leopard gecko as your first one in the species. It's always best to get a juvenile or adult of a species if you're new, as they have a much smaller chance of getting sick or developing problems. Babies are most prone to problems, and they usually wont let you touch them until they grow older.

 

[Geckomaster743]

I agree looks like a Tokay, What do you feed it, When did you get it, What do you keep it in, What heat do you provide it with? There are plenty of Tokay guides around on our website!

 

[midnightgecko]

Ok Caleb thanks so much! I wanted to get a baby leo but I guess ill get one once I know more about them ill get it

 

[midnightgecko]

Darkmaster,
At the moment im feeding it live crickets. its in a tall tank not sure exactly how many gallons it is, no heat. This is why i'm giving it to my biology teacher because she owns 2 bearded dragons and she knows a lot about reptiles so its going to a good home aka my school

 

[midnightgecko]

Also I'm getting a 20 gallon long tank for my gecko; is that enough space for the little guy? I want it to be as comfortable as possible. I don't know if I should get a heat pad or buy a lamp. I wanted to get the head pad because I can just put it on the corner of the tank and that could be a place where it can relax if it needs heat or he can move to the opposite corner where its cooler. should I buy my gecko online or at a petco or petsmart. I did A LOT of research and people say to buy it from a breeder but I cant find a breeder in Chicago. I don't want to buy it from a pet store because they can be really sick with parasites and I wouldn't know what breed it is. I wouldn't want to buy It online due to the expensive shipping but these are my only two options. Sorry for all the questions but I'm just getting familiar with things

 

[Caleb C]

Also I'm getting a 20 gallon long tank for my gecko; is that enough space for the little guy? I want it to be as comfortable as possible. I don't know if I should get a heat pad or buy a lamp. I wanted to get the head pad because I can just put it on the corner of the tank and that could be a place where it can relax if it needs heat or he can move to the opposite corner where its cooler. should I buy my gecko online or at a petco or petsmart. I did A LOT of research and people say to buy it from a breeder but I cant find a breeder in Chicago. I don't want to buy it from a pet store because they can be really sick with parasites and I wouldn't know what breed it is. I wouldn't want to buy It online due to the expensive shipping but these are my only two options. Sorry for all the questions but I'm just getting familiar with things

Heat pads are better, get a heat pad and put it on the bottom of one side of the tank under the glass. 20 gallon is enough, but it's always best to get a juvenile or adult. No matter how much you read online, you don't have any real experience until you own one. Petsmart/Petco is always risky, as they don't receive good care while they're there. Look on craigslist or check to see if there are reptile shows around you. If you're getting a 20 gallon, it's best to get 3-4 hides. You will need one humid hide on the cold side as well.

 

[midnightgecko]

ok thanks so much Caleb! you are very helpful!! I will get heat pads then and I will check for shows... one more question, what should I feed the juvenile once I get it? I know I'm going to buy calcium but I don't know if I should feed it live crickets or mealworms. you mean the moss right for the humid hide out?

 

[Caleb C]

You can use roaches, crickets, or mealworms. I personally use mealworms as a staple, and feed them crickets or roaches once a week or so. Crickets tend to smell after a while, and roaches are a little more expensive. I recommend repashy calcium plus, it's the only supplement you should need. You don't have to use moss for the humid hide, I use a folded paper towel and put it in a food container similar to this, then spray it once every two days or once a day depending on how moist it is.

 

[midnightgecko]

Ok yea that's a good idea using a food container, I saw it in a video right now lol I would probably be using mealworms and crickets most of the time. Is there a feeding schedule I have to follow or do I feed them everyday?
Also, regarding buying a baby leo, I am getting a snow leo and I saw in their description that the baby leo's are 3 to 4 weeks old. Should I get it? I want to get a leo that is pretty young, their size is 3.5 - 4" can I still get that one or is it still too small?

 

[midnightgecko]

Another question..
What do you recommend using as floor. I know I wont be using sand since If they eat it they can die so can I use like carpet? or what do you recommend?

 

[Caleb C]

I highly suggest getting one that's 4+ months old, I wanted a baby as my first as well, but it's too much of a risk. You'd rather get a juvenile first than have a baby that dies or becomes sick. I feed 4-5 mealworms a day, with the mealworm being no bigger than the width of the head. I use reptile carpet, you can also use paper towels and slate.

 

[midnightgecko]

Ok definitely getting a juvenile then, don't want to risk anything.. do you recommend mini or small mealworms? also how many crickets would you feed it a day? if your not only feeding it mealworms. I think ill be getting the reptile carpet instead. It would be much easier to clean and I'm not going to keep wasting towels you know, lets make it environment friendly and recycle

 

[Josh2]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[midnightgecko]

Thanks Josh!!!

 

[Caleb C]

Ok definitely getting a juvenile then, don't want to risk anything.. do you recommend mini or small mealworms? also how many crickets would you feed it a day? if your not only feeding it mealworms. I think ill be getting the reptile carpet instead. It would be much easier to clean and I'm not going to keep wasting towels you know, lets make it environment friendly and recycle

I'd say small, 4 crickets per day is fine as well.

 

[midnightgecko]

ok thanks so much!!

 

[Geckomaster743]

Hahaha, Well Caleb has informed you of a ton. But Im just going to summarize every thing you need to know FOR ALL GECKOS.

- Heat, Is always a must. With out it gecko's get very cold and can stop eating. This is very important for Leopard geckos. I recommend a Heat Pad, Light's often need bulbs very two months and the cost does add up, They can also damage you're leopard gecko's eyes though while it's rare it can happen through drying them out or slightly blinding their vision.

- Humidity/Shed, Some geckos require more Humid climate ( Mainly Jungle,Amazon based lizards ) so to do that you would need a Mister or Fogger. Leopard geckos will shed every 2 - 4 Weeks depending on there age. They tend to shed more when they are younger. You will notice over time shed may get stuck and when shed gets wet it's super easy to pull off. Make sure to make it humid with a Mister so it's easier for the gecko but not TOO much that the entire cage is soaking wet. Having a Humid climate for too long can cause Respiratory problems with you're gecko.

- Food, Leopard geckos will eat Crickets, Meal worms, Calci - Worms, Etc. Wax-worm's should be an occasional treat but they will stop eating all other food if you over feed wax worms. Consider Wax-worms too be like Cheesecake. It should not be eaten every day and in such large quantity. 3 - 5 Mealworms, and Cricket's are a good amount too feed per day. Never feed more then 6 - 8 In a feeding. They will throw up.

Supplementing/Vitamins/Calcium, THIS IS A MUST. I can't even stress how important it is. I used to go easy with the dusting and rarely did it but I've had so many health related problems because of not supplementing. Such as Serious cases of MBD, Foggy Eye, Loss of movement and apatite, Decreased eating abilities, etc.

- Foggy Eye: The clouding of the eye caused by extended period's of Shed left on the eye, or caused by lack of Vitamin A.

Signs of Foggy eye: Cloudy white gunk, Watery looking eye.

Treatment: Antibotics, Syringe feeding Vitamin Powder containing Vitamin A 1 - 3 Days after finding the eye in that form.

- MBD ( Metabolic Bone Disease ) - Loss of ability to move Legs, and Arms, or having bent arms, oddly felixble movements,
Tripping, Dragging of the legs, Having trouble eating the worm/cricket.

Signs of MBD: Dragging of the legs, Sitting in the water bowl for extended periods of time, Lying akwardly, Having problems eating.

- Treatment, I prefer you go see a Vet when they start dragging legs, Having problems eating just means you need to dust more often, Put calcium in a syringe with water and give it too the lizard.

Hope all this helped DD

 

[midnightgecko]

THANKS SOOO MUCH DARKMASTER

 

[midnightgecko]

I got a good deal from this guys, Im trading my exo terra for his 20 gallon long tank! so now I have a little more money to spend on supplies