What should my 7 year old and I know?

[TripleB]

My 7 year old son is getting ready to obtain his very first pet (other than fish) and has narrowed it down to a few possibilities: Leopard Gecko, Bearded Dragon, or Parakeet.

I've tried to read a lot about Leopard Geckos as well as watch a few videos to see what the requirements are for housing and caring for a Leopard Gecko (as well as the pros and cons of owning one).

I'm thinking about purchasing a book as well (any advice on which one to get?).

I'd like to hear from you what you feel are the most important things my son and I should know about leopard geckos and caring for a leopard gecko?

Along with the items that have been discussed here, what are some things that you didn't realize until you actually got your leopard gecko home and started caring for him/her.

I guess the area I'd have the most concern is feeding...what to feed, how to gut load the crickets, how much live food/dead food to give, how/what to dust food with, etc

Any help you can provide...from terrariums to substrate to hides to food to heat to anything else...would be greatly appreciated!

TripleB

 

[acpart]

The long answer to your question is too long for a thread. The short version:
belly heat (under tank heater with a thermostat)
don't use sand
don't freak out if the gecko doesn't eat every day (or even for a week or more when you first get it)
don't get it from a big chain pet store

The book: The Leopard Gecko Advisor by Ray Roehner. Here's a review of the book that I wrote for Gecko Time:
Book Review: The Leopard Gecko Advisor - Gecko Time - Gecko Time

Aliza

 

[zakdat]

Coming from a parent perspective, the leo is an awesome pet. We've had ours since September and here's the pros...
- sleeps during the day, comes out to be handled after school/homework
- quiet
- only poops every couple of days and is easily cleaned
- adult only eats every couple of days
- can have a lot of fun building hides and learning about their habitat

And here's the cons...
- can be a bit skittish, I've found that less is more when it comes to handling/fussing; on one hand it's been great for our son because it's teaching him to be patient and to put the animal's needs before his own, on the other sometimes I think he'd like to interact with Dash more. That being said, I make sure that I'm around when Dash is out so I can assess how he's handling being out to keep it a positive experience. We're at the point that in the evenings, my son will put his hand in the tank, and Dash immediately climbs up his arm to come out. He's only out a short time, but it's always exciting when he comes out.
- crickets - we live in Canada and therefore can't feed roaches. Crickets are... icky. I have no problems handling bugs, but the crickets are honestly kind of gross. We feed a combo of superworms, mealworms and crickets and Dash seems to like the crickets the best. I was a bit surprised at how much more I would have to look after Dash's food than Dash himself. Dash would not be interested in dead food - he likes to hunt.

I've never owned a beardie, but have had birds now for over 15 years (including my first bird, a budgie). Here's the bird pro/con list in comparison with a leo.

Pros
- very active and entertaining during the day; always playing/moving
- can become very tame and affectionate - will play with hair when on shoulder, snuggle into neck
- fun to watch (especially if getting fruit as snacks)
- good company

Cons
- requires a lot more attention, toys etc to keep tame and well behaved
- much more to keep clean; poop gets everywhere - not only on the bars/perches/grate/toys of cage, but on the walls, floor and surrounding furniture as well.
- seeds will be sprayed everywhere
- much noisier than anticipated; budgies don't shriek like the bigger birds, but will do a pretty constant chatter. It's not that noisy, but it can be a steady background noise. My budgie made the most constant albeit quiet noise of all the birds I've owned (finches, canary, lovebird and indian ringneck)
- can be nippy if not handled regularly
- will require more assistance from parent to take care of

I hope that helps!! I have found the leo to be less maintenance and birds more interactive. That being said, my six year old thinks every kid needs a leo.

 

[TripleB]

The book: The Leopard Gecko Advisor by Ray Roehner. Here's a review of the book that I wrote for Gecko Time:
Book Review: The Leopard Gecko Advisor - Gecko Time - Gecko Time

Aliza

I appreciate the information and the link to the book...I'll definitely check it out!

I hope that helps!! I have found the leo to be less maintenance and birds more interactive. That being said, my six year old thinks every kid needs a leo.

I appreciate you taking the time to give me the pros and cos of each as well as a comparison of the two pets. I think my 7 year old would love a leopard gecko...now it's just a matter of convincing my wife who thinks we don't need any pets in our home :main_no:

TripleB