Need any info on geckos

[azcowgirl]

I am thinking about getting my son a gecko for his birthday he will be 13 years old, my co ncern is I just dont know enough about them and their behavior if anyone can help me with any info it would be greatly appreciated

 

[FutureDVM]

It really depends on what type of gecko you are thinking of. Do you have a particular species in mind? Probably the most commonly available ones are leopard geckos and crested geckos.

I have owned several types of geckos and they all have different temperaments and care requirements depending on the species.

 

[RedFeather]

Ditto, they have quite different needs. Some good herp forums around as well.

 

[azcowgirl]

the one we are looking at is a leopard gecko, our neighbor has a friend that breeds them so she is giving us alot of inof, I am just a little concern about having one in the house I am not a reptile person at all lol

 

[FutureDVM]

Leopard geckos are pretty simple to care for. The minimum tank size for one would be 10 gallons, but a 20 gallon long tank would be even better. They are mostly nocturnal and don't require special UV lighting. They like lots of places to hide, so you should have hiding places placed throughout the enclosure. Heat can be provided with something like a ceramic heat bulb or an under tank heater with a thermostat. You want to have a temperature gradient, with one side of the tank being warmest, so that the gecko can properly thermoregulate. Their diet should consist of insects (mostly crickets and a few mealworms here and there). You can dust the crickets with a reptile calcium supplement (available at most pet stores).

That should hopefully get you started. Feel free to ask any other questions you might have.

 

[EmilyS]

I would seriously not consider getting a gecko for a 13 year old boy if YOU don't want to have to deal with buying/feeding live crickets, because chances are (as many young kids are apt to do) he will not, and you will get stuck doing it. Dead-bugs is 99% of the time not an option.

Handling geckos is a bit of a gamble. You never know their temperament until you handle them yourself.
Geckos can also live to be 8 years old or more. Your son will likely be headed off to college/uni. He won't be able to take the gecko with him. So you will be stuck with it.

Also, gecko's temperaments can change when they reach sexual maturity. I've had many geckos turn to bite me when they reach about a year old. I've also had snakes and turtles to this to me too. It's not uncommon.

Typical setups for geckos cost around $200 to set up PROPERLY (if everything you buy is new) and more money for the gecko.
If you want to get a reptile, I would suggest going to your local reptile rescue and adopting an older one, that way you'll find a stable temperament and the gecko won't need to be rehomed in the future.

I would NEVER suggest a ten gallon tank for anything bigger than a hatchling. Leopard geckos don't climb. They need much more floorspace to keep healthy. 20 gallons I would recommend as a minimum.

 

[bubblelady]

When I lived in the Philippines in single room housing, (military BOQ), we all had our resident wild geckos. Didn't have to worry about feeding them...they foraged for themselves. Spent considerable time watching "my" gecko stalk flys on the ceiling. Never saw him move but he would get closer and closer to his dinner. Fascinating! One fell of the ceiling once and landed in my hair. Once they got big enough they had to stick to the walls or fall. The Philippine geckos are nocturnal and chirp like birds all night. Don't know what kind they are. I was rather fond of them...as long as they required no care from me!

 

[waterfaller1]

I kept Mr. Smiley, a leopard gecko. I kept him in a 55 gallon tank on a stand. I decorated it way cool with little bonsai and several hiding places. I taught him to poop in a vase, so there was never poop in his viv. As he outgrew it I got him a bigger one. I kept kitchen tile as a substrate, with an under the tank heater at one end. They need a dry hide, and a hide that needs to be moist so they can shed. Youngsters shed a lot. As they age this slows down. I always had to help him with his toes. I would take him in the bathroom and gently rub him with a wet washcloth until it was all removed. He never bit me, and would hang out awake in the daytime.
My biggest complaint with the people I met on forums was feeding improperly. They should have a nice fat tail. That is an indication of proper feeding and health. The crickets and/or meal worms{when they are young} Superworms when they are older, MUST be gutloaded properly, to pass the proper nutrients on to the reptile. Repashy makes a good gutload for the insects. Then you should alternate between dusting the insects with pure calcium, and vitamins. I always held Mr. Smiley's food in my fingers and he would strike and catch it. That way there were not bugs crawling or running around his viv. Large bugs can pester or even injure your gecko. They need a small water bottle or other cap of pure calcium available at all times in their viv as well.

 

[waterfaller1]

So you will be stuck with it.

Maybe she would enjoy keeping him. I first thought the crickets were yucky, but after handling superworms I decided crickets were definitely the way to go. Crickets can be grasped from behind where they cannot get you. Superworms can bend and grab you..I didn't like them at all...creepy. If you set up the crickets in a large enough properly kept enclosure{they stink so read up on how to keep them right} you can breed your own. Saves for having to make trips to buy them. Adult size do not live very long...a week or two.

 

[waterfaller1]

Make sure you read up on MBD. It is devastating and what can happen if their insects/feeders are not gutloaded properly and dusted properly.
Leopard Gecko Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)

here is a great gecko forum
GeckoForums.net

 

[EmilyS]

Maybe she would enjoy keeping him. I first thought the crickets were yucky, but after handling superworms I decided crickets were definitely the way to go. Crickets can be grasped from behind where they cannot get you. Superworms can bend and grab you..I didn't like them at all...creepy. If you set up the crickets in a large enough properly kept enclosure{they stink so read up on how to keep them right} you can breed your own. Saves for having to make trips to buy them. Adult size do not live very long...a week or two.

I'm just trying to illustrate that many parents don't appreciate being left with their kids pets. I shouldn't have put it in a negative light, you're right. I've worked with reptiles for a very long time and I see many kids go off to school and leave their reptiles with their parents, and the parents have NO idea what they are doing and as a result the animal suffers and is given up for adoption. So my personal belief is that parents should look at the animal, regardless of species, as a family pet, and plan for its care accordingly. Geckos CAN live beyond 8 years, some up to 12! The record breaking leopard gecko lived to be 39 (according to legend) but this was an anomaly.

Everyone here understands that long-lived species should only go to a home that really understands how long the animal will live for and prepare for it. So maybe I should rephrase: unless the whole family is willing to take part in caring for the animal when the kid goes away to school, I would reconsider. Or get an older gecko that needs a new home.

 

[RedFeather]

Nice to see some in-depth info on here. People assume a little gecko is no big deal but proper care is as important for them as it is for birds. Pet store folks and many breeders are not good sources for info. Most reptile breeders are of the backyard/mill variety and we know what that is like for dogs and birds...
As with any other pets, do your research, join a forum or 2 and ask lots of questions.

 

[EmilyS]

Here is one way of keeping a gecko. This is how I do it, there is no one right way.

I give them an ambient temp that varies day/night. But often its about 70 at night and 75 during the day. They have a basking spot that reaches 85 degrees.
Some people don't do basking spots and keep the temperature of the tank at about 75 all the time. They also have a cooler side that reaches 60 at its lowest. My tank is 60 gallons so I am able to accommodate a few different temperatures.
A good way to give your gecko a medium is to place a basking lamp at one end, and allow the heat to distribute from there, one end will be warm and the heat will disperse from there, giving them a wider range of temperature to feel comfortable in. Some people use UTH's (under tank heaters). Those are fine. Avoid basking-rocks as much as possible.

I spray them with water twice a week, as the ones I deal with are young. Some people spray more or less. It depends on your climate's humidity.

I use printless newspaper as a substrate, its easy to clean and much more sanitary. The tiles were a great idea too! So is paper towel, repti-carpet etc. I would never use sand or cocoa fibre because it can cause impaction if ingested (impaction is when sand is NOT passed through the digestive track and blocks the rectum, making it impossible to poop, so the animal eventually dies if not treated).

Some people have differing opinions on this; I have a large shallow bin of water in the terrarium with rocks along the bottom for them to grip and a ladder leading out. The water is deep enough to fully submerse up to their necks. They can swim in it. I've seen it happen. But I find that it keeps the humidity just above too-dry (I live in a very dry climate). There is also a smaller shallow bowl for them. No it is not too deep for them to drown in. I find that the rocks and the warm water help keep their skin looking good, and the rocks help when they have sheds stuck to their toes so I don't have to stress them out by helping them.

Calcium supplement and UV lighting are a must! Must! Must!! Geckos without this will develop bone-morphing, calcium deficiencies, and eventually they will collapse.

Gut-loading crickets or worms is easy. Crushed dog/cat food has a high protein value, and many other good nutrients which the cricket will eat and pass on to your gecko. Using a calcium powder just before you feed them, once or twice a week is recommended.
Lettuce or a fruit should be fed to keep the crickets/worms hydrated. Water will drown them.

Anything I forgot?