Where did you guys get hooked on leos?

[BettaDragon]

I got hooked when I was really really tiny watching The Nature Nut on Animal Planet (forget PBS, Animal Planet was my all day entertainment) and saw the episode where he had his leos on. I gave up on reptiles for a while as my mother despised them. She later got her heart warmed to them when I rescued an anole that hitched a ride on my grandmother's plant from Florida. That year they got me my first leo for my birthday. I was then fully hooked. What about you guys?

 

[mrcsk8ter44445]

I lived in Puerto Rico when I was young(Dad was Navy) and used to catch all sorts of lizards but really liked catching iguanas, and came home with a handful a day. Ever since then I just loved them and got my first reptile wich was an iguana in third grade, saved every penny for it. And after alot of convincing (like 4 years) got a cornsnake for my 6th grade birthday.

 

[gaparicio]

Ever since I was young I was always into reptiles and amphibians. When I was younger I was that ignorant kid who's parents would buy him iguanas, skinks, ameivas, anoles, monitors and chameleons without knowing much info on them. The pet store people would give me inadequate information so my pets wouldn't last. Once I got older and started googling for a pet that was easy to handle and care and very prolific breeders I jumped on the leos. I love their personalities and their easy going nature. I haven't turned back since.

 

[mmsi1002]

Well at the time i had a bearded dragon & that was it. Then i heard about a reptile show in white plains NY & thought it would be cool to go. I walked around looking at all the cool animals (i had only had my beardie about 3 months & was new to reptiles). I noticed all the leos & was amazed by them, next thing i know i'm talking to a breeder for an hour about them. I had just moved my beardie from his 20 long to his new 90 gallon & figured since all i needed to buy was a uth & hides i would get a leo & see how they were. Here i am 6 months later with 5 leos & am totally obsessed with them. Not to name names but that breeder who enabled me into the leo addiction was FRANK'S GECKOS. Thanks Frank...............i think. lol

 

[Greyscale_Geckos]

I got hooked on leos by being a teacher's assistant in my middle school years for an animal lover. She had three 15 year old high-yellow leopard geckos, and when she retired in my 7th grade year she gave two of them to me. Those old girls all lived comfortable lives and passed away right when I entered high school a few years ago. That was the beginning of it all...

 

[BettaDragon]

Ever since I was young I was always into reptiles and amphibians. When I was younger I was that ignorant kid who's parents would buy him iguanas, skinks, ameivas, anoles, monitors and chameleons without knowing much info on them. The pet store people would give me inadequate information so my pets wouldn't last. Once I got older and started googling for a pet that was easy to handle and care and very prolific breeders I jumped on the leos. I love their personalities and their easy going nature. I haven't turned back since.

Yeah that was me when I first got into reptiles. Once I started googling things I realized how lucky I was that the worst thing that happened to my pets was a dropped tail.

 

[Ccrashca069]

I saw my very first leopard geckos about 8 years ago. I thought they were cool but the land lord didn't allow any kind of pet. I got married to my my wife Jeannie and she used to have a couple leopard geckos and a frog-eyed gecko. Those died a few years back before I met her but she mentioned if we ever got the money she would love a couple leopards again. So last year my best friend Joe and I went to this Reptile shop and I bought 2 leopards ( J and Zee). Once I bought those 2 cute leopards geckos I got bit good and hard. My wife thinks she created a monster since she got me into leopard geckos. I jumped into leopard geckos both feet and have not stopped. I love geckos but I love leopard geckos more.

 

[Kimjorg]

Christine and Phillip from GKO Reptiles got us hooked a few years ago

 

[malt_geckos]

Last summer Matt and I went to Petco and he seemed to like the leopard geckos there. He started getting info off line on them and did research. He found the August issue of Reptiles and there was an add about the Daytona Breeder's Expo. He really wanted to go so he drug me from an orchid show that day to go with him to Daytona. Little did we know...lol.

We came home from there with a high yellow female we named Pheona...well, since August of last year we now have 27 geckos not including our U. milii and our other reptile, Octavius the Panther Chameleon. lol....We plan on branching out into the chameleons and milii and possibly knob-tails in the future. So...we are now in love with this hobby. I don't think we are addicted to it because we can say no to certain things and we know when to stop buying things. We just really love the joy these animals have brought to us and how much closer they have made our relationship.

 

[StangWolf]

I've caught the little native green anoles all my life, my mom has pictures of me when I was three holding one on my hand and petting him with one finger. Evidentally I'd caught him so many times that he wasn't afraid of me anymore.

I'd always caught little toads (those that make our dogs gag when they smell them, I have NO idea what they are but they're all over the place here), we even caught some baby red-eared sliders a few years back and raised them up from around the size of a quarter to where they were around 3 inches across and hissing. Turned them back loose in the lake at that point since they were quickly outgrowing our tank.

Aside from that, all animals have had my interest since I was little. From dogs and cats, to fish and reptiles. All except spiders, I can't do those >.<

What got me interested in the little leos was when I was talking to a friend over on deviantART about an anole I had, and he said that he prefered leopard geckos and suggested I check them out (he had three at the time, one has sadly passed since then) and well I've been hooked ever since and I don't even have my first two yet lol

 

[acpart]

I had the usual variety of pets when I was a kid and then took a long break (except for cats) till the kids got a bit older. I collected a whole bunch of care sheets from Petco and eliminated all the ones that required big tanks or special equipment. There was only one left and when I asked to see the leopard geckos I was hooked. Now I laugh about that as I adjust temperatures and mist cages every day.

Aliza

 

[BettaDragon]

I've caught the little native green anoles all my life, my mom has pictures of me when I was three holding one on my hand and petting him with one finger. Evidentally I'd caught him so many times that he wasn't afraid of me anymore.

I'd always caught little toads (those that make our dogs gag when they smell them, I have NO idea what they are but they're all over the place here), we even caught some baby red-eared sliders a few years back and raised them up from around the size of a quarter to where they were around 3 inches across and hissing. Turned them back loose in the lake at that point since they were quickly outgrowing our tank.

Aside from that, all animals have had my interest since I was little. From dogs and cats, to fish and reptiles. All except spiders, I can't do those >.<

What got me interested in the little leos was when I was talking to a friend over on deviantART about an anole I had, and he said that he prefered leopard geckos and suggested I check them out (he had three at the time, one has sadly passed since then) and well I've been hooked ever since and I don't even have my first two yet lol

Ever since my last anole died I've lost interest in them. They aren't hands on enough for me and they lack the personality leopard geckos have. I still loved mine when I had them but they were just a pretty, look don't touch, reptile. The ones I've seen in the pet storres lately look like they're on steroids. They're huge. Mine always were pretty small but I always had females because I liked the stripe down the back.

 

[GeckoStud]

I have been into reptiles ever since I was little, however my mother had never allowed me to get them because they all carried salmonella and were slimy... chuckle... But after many years of "persuading" I managed to convince her to allow me to buy a leopard gecko from a local petstore. I'll never forget when she was talking to the employee and asking if it was "poisonous" hahaha. But that one leo turned into 2 then 3 then 15 at one point. And that then turned into a crested gecko and a gargoyle gecko and most recently a rosy boa. My mother of course wasn't happy and said I wasn't allowed snakes... but I kinda just... yeah...

Sadly however I am faced with the dilemma of college on the horizon and I must sell most of my reptiles... Luckily my parents have come to love some of my little friend and promised to care for them, on the condition that I downsized the collection a bit... But I suppose that is for my own good anyway lol.

 

[malt_geckos]

We are in college and we are breeding leos. Lol. As long as you have an apartment that allows leos, I don't see why you can't bring some with you.

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I got 'hooked' on leos the moment I laid eyes on my very first hatchlings! (OK, maybe it was before that...)

 

[StangWolf]

Ever since my last anole died I've lost interest in them. They aren't hands on enough for me and they lack the personality leopard geckos have. I still loved mine when I had them but they were just a pretty, look don't touch, reptile. The ones I've seen in the pet storres lately look like they're on steroids. They're huge. Mine always were pretty small but I always had females because I liked the stripe down the back.

yeah they are kind of a "look don't touch" reptile, however, they are adorable! But, I guess that's why I'm all excited about leopard geckos now, from the pictures and videos and what not I've seen of them so far, they're loaded with personality! Definitely a ton more than the little anoles, which I guess are kinda like the "fish" of the reptile world since that's all you really can do with them is watch them. That and from what I can gather, leos are MUCH easier to keep than anoles. I had serious issues trying to keep the humidity levels up for mine.

we have anoles all over the place here where I live though, and even more in Louisiana where I grew up. So they'll probably always have a special place in my heart ^^

the ones we have wild here can get pretty big O.O

 

[eric]

We started with green anoles, but my wife wanted something to hold, so in 1999, I came home with our first leo, Domino. Reptiles have ruled our home, from veils, beardies, cornsnakes, fire belly toads, pixie frog, whites tree frogs, and now primarily leos, 16 strong and still growing. Domino is still with us, and has traveled from KS to OR including a visit in UT (parents had to meet the "other" grandchild). Domino was almost left behind in KS. She was the last one to go into the truck; after loading up our children, 4 at the time, we had started heading out until my wife realized, "Someone was MISSING!!" and there was Domino, on the countertop in her little travel tote just waiting! Leos have and I'm sure, will always be, part of our life.

 

[paulnj]

I think I may have gotten the first normal in the world at the Hamburg PA show back when Cable had 36 channels and Ball pythons has 4 morphs...... lol

But I became hooked when I was at the whiteplains show and seen a SHTCTB while buying a henkeli leaftailed geckos. The rest is history.

 

[MSMD]

I was one of those kids that was always bringing snakes and frogs home in my pants pockets.....good thing my Mom wasn't afraid of them! :main_rolleyes: I was quite the little tom boy. I've had Iguanas, Curlytails, Emerald Swifts, Green Anoles, Bahaman Anoles, House Geckos, Firebelly Toads, Green Treefrogs, etc. Then I started a job at Petsmart and brought everything that wasn't in 100% perfect condition home to rehab before going to homes. A lot of Leos and a couple AFTs. I really liked their personalities. I just recently got back into Leos when I picked up a little tailless cutie at a Petco when we were out of town for a dog show. There are so many awesome morphs now! I have officially caught the bug.......there's no stopping me! lol I went from my one little girl this past October to 10 with eggs in the 'bator now!

 

[AndNothingHvrt]

I work (2 and a half years..almost 3 now) at a big pet store. We had an old nasty reptile habitat that had a fake rock exterior. We kept losing reptiles because it was so easy for them to escape. Well, one day we ripped that fake rock thing off the habitat and low and behold....about 5 or so leopard geckos (not to mention some other kinds of reptiles).

At that point we only carried baby leopards...when we found these leopards they were MANY months old and FULLY grown.

And that's how I got my first leopard!