Thinking About Getting a Leopard Gecko

[TattooAngel]

So before I get to the main point let me give a brief overview.

I've owned pets before, and I take good care of them. My dog is very attached to me, so are my boyfriend's mice and his cats. I've handled and fed a snake before so I have some experience with reptiles.

Recently I've gone over to my fellow pet store to look at cages, bedding, hides, lighting, and the other neccesities I would need for a little leo.

I have several questions.

I was wondering about the bedding. I know sand isn't something you should use, but they were selling reptile carpet. How long does that last?

Both my parents hate live food. My mother is against feeding live crickets because they might escape. I noticed my petstore sold dead canned crickets and mealworms. If I were to get a gecko would they eat them?

My pet store also sold something called a leopard gecko food. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=6016+18934+6454&pcatid=6454 Could I have a little explanation of what exactly that is? My pet store did not sell the vitamin supplement stuff so this got me wondering.

Also, my boyfriend uses a red light for his snake at night for a few hours. Would you recommend a red or a blue light for a few hours at night?

Lastly, I do not want to buy my leopard gecko from the petstore. I saw that there chameleon was in terrible condition and this changed my mind on buying a gecko at the petstore. Are there any breeders living around the Fort Myers Florida area where I can buy a gecko from? I'm not planning on buying anything until I get the okay from my parents, and I wouldn't be buying anything until maybe midway February 2010 if everything goes okay.

Thank you for the answers in advance,
TattooAngel

Edit: My price range for a gecko is around 20-35 dolllars or a little more. I don't want anything too expensive. I am not rich.

 

[Desdemona]

Since it will probably be your biggest challenge... you might have a hard time getting a gecko to eat without live food. Movement is what triggers them to eat. Some people tong feed, so you might be able to do that. Mealworms work for most and they won't escape unless your really careless. Mine wouldn't eat them though, I had to buy her roaches (I don't like crickets myself). Just tell your mom the gecko has to eat and she'd be happier not checking out the food

It is easy to keep the food from running away if you get non-jumping types.

 

[RAlbrecht]

Ok lets see if we can get all the answers for you...

Bedding - Tile works very well in a Tank set-up, you can cut it to the size you need it to be and it hold heat very well... personally I use paper towels but thats also because I have racks

Food - Unfortunately Leo's love live prey, they dead stuff is really a bad idea. Try to stick with meal worms since your mom doesn't like crickets and probably would be against roaches lol.. Those canned diets, are gross and smell worse then the live food.

Lighting - Usually since a Leo is nocturnal you don't need lighting for the set-up as long as your hot-spot is the correct temp (90-95). However if your room stays fairly cool it wouldn't hurt to use a Red Light, DO NOT use white light

Supplements - Rephasy's ICB + is probably one of the best supplements for Leo's on the market. You can order it online without any issues.

Breeders - There is a good chunk of breeders and shows down in Florida, I'm sure finding one won't be a problem.

Hope This Helps... and Welcome

 

[Daedric1]

If you cannot do live food, I would seriously avoid getting a leopard gecko.

You could try getting a Crested Gecko, which does not require live food. Of course they love crickets as a treat(except my male, who is scared to death of crickets, lol), but there is a special food mix made just for them available, and all you have to do is mix it with water. It has all the nutrients they need, and many breeders feed this exclusively. They're not much more difficult to take care of either, and don't require heating as long as your house is in the temp range of 70 - 82. They also tolerate handling extremely well if you start early with them. Most of mine are actually easier to handle than my leos.

 

[TattooAngel]

AWsome! Thanks for the answers so far!

When it comes to feeding, I have another question. Live mealworms and superworms should be a problem because they don't jump, but can geckos live off of just those instead of crickets? I can try the tongs and cricket idea with the canned crickets when I first get one. If that doesn't work can I switch over to just feeding them live mealworms or do they need crickets as well?

 

[Daedric1]

AWsome! Thanks for the answers so far!

When it comes to feeding, I have another question. Live mealworms and superworms should be a problem because they don't jump, but can geckos live off of just those instead of crickets? I can try the tongs and cricket idea with the canned crickets when I first get one. If that doesn't work can I switch over to just feeding them live mealworms or do they need crickets as well?

Yes, mealworms can be exclusively used. Many breeders do this. Mealworms are quite fatty and aren't as nutritious as crickets, though. One mistake a lot of people make with mealworms is that they take them straight out of the fridge and put them into their geckos' food dishes. Doing this provides almost nothing except filling up their stomachs - it has no value. To avoid this, make sure to always gutload your mealies (or any type of feeders) for 24 hours prior to feeding. Mealworms will eat almost anything, but don't feed them anything that you wouldn't eat. Apples and carrots are great, some people do oatmeal. Never do citrus fruits or grapes. These can be hard on their digestive systems. There are also gutload foods available at petstores if you want to go that way.