Things To Consider

If you are going to house bugs with your geckos you need to prepare your cage a certain way to keep the bugs successfully. For these three species I recommend using a drainage layer of feather lite or something similar. Then, I usually lay down a layer of window screen to keep soil from seeping through. Finally I use a mixture of coco bedding and cypress mulch. On top of the soil I usually lay down dried organic leaf litter. This holds humidity and gives bugs a place to hide.

All of these concepts are the basic building blocks of terrariums. If you need a starter course in terrarium design consider reading How to Build a Naturalistic Terrarium.

Remember that all insects should be captive bred. Do research before considering harvesting wild insects. Many of these may carry pesticides, fertilizers, and other contaminants they encounter in the wild, in addition to possible parasites. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but know what you’re getting into. Starter generations of all of these insects were wild at some time.

Millipedes

Before 2008 we commonly saw giant African millepedes on the market for $10-$15 each. These massive arthropods were recommended as a cage cleaning companion for many Rhacodactylus species. They never bothered the gecko, and even ate leftover crested gecko meal replacement when given the chance.

Now that African millepedes are banned from importation, due to a mite they carried that threatened cotton crops, there are a few alternatives. It is pretty easy to find millipedes native to the United States for sale on the reptile market. I house Florida Ivory Millipedes (Chicobolus spinigerus) with my Rhacodactylus.

The only downside to keeping these with your gecko is they will dig and disrupt smaller features of a terrarium. They dig, burrow, leave tunnels, lay poop “balls”, and are the largest insect species I am recommending you keep with your gecko.

Isopods

There are many different isopods on the market. Many people culture these small calciu- rich insects for the amphibian hobby. I was originally introduced to them when I started keeping poison dart frogs.

I currently keep orange isopods as well as dwarf gray isopods. My cat geckos love to snack on these when they are out and about, so for geckos that eat these you may need to replenish the supply inside the tank from time to time.

All isopods require humidity to breath through their gill-like structures. Without humidity these won’t make it very far.

My isopod colonies also house temperate springtails. These consist of a plastic shoe box with coco bedding and damp cardboard covering the surface layer. They are fed leftover crested gecko diet and vegetable matter. Culturing these guys has been pretty enjoyable!

Springtails

There are two varieties of springtails I am familiar with, also through the dart frog hobby. I keep tropical springtails and temperate springtails.

If you’re looking for a good place to learn the basics I highly recommend Josh’s Frog care sheet MICROFAUNA, PART I.

These are the only insects I’ve had an issue with. Sometimes in humid terrariums they “bloom”, or produce in large numbers. Unlike millipedes you cannot remove them by hand, and unlike isopods, most geckos don’t pay attention to them. They may be eaten by micro geckos, if you keep any that require a temperate environment.

I imagine over time as food becomes more scarce you’ll see springtails die off. There is no harm in this. To remove some to start a new culture you may place a piece of fruit in the cage and collect them around and on the fruit.

General Maintenance

For cages where I do not feed crested gecko diet I often drop in a piece of vegetable matter every two weeks or so. This provides the insect life something to eat besides decaying leaf matter and gecko poop.

Otherwise most of these are species you “set and forget”. That’s the beauty of them. Be careful though, I’ve gained as much interest in my insect colonies as some of my geckos. We live in a hobby fueled by addiction; insects can often become part of that mix.

What insects do you keep with your geckos to help make your job easier?

 Question 1:

I am uncertain about caring for Cresteds and Gargoyle babies after they just hatch. I have heard not to feed them for a week?? Then I heard that for baby gargoyles you have to hand feed them? I am confused. I just had a gargoyle hatch and I am nervous as how to take care of it.

Paul Morlock responds: The best advice I can give is to be patient. It may take a week or so before for newly hatched babies are ready to be fed. Any yolk reserves and the skin from their first shed will easily sustain them during that time.
 I begin leaving food in the enclosure right after their first shed. They will usually eat on their own a day or so later. In the beginning babies sometimes eat such small amounts it can be difficult to tell if they’re eating at all, so watch for poop. Keep food available at all times changing it out every two or three days. Oh, and be patient.
 Temperature and humidity are the keys to a speedy acclimation and good feeding behavior. I recommend keeping babies warm, temperatures of 75-80°F and consistent humidity levels around 70%. Hide spots are very important too: they should be places that are small and dark, ideally something that the gecko can crawl into or under. Handling should also be kept to a minimum for the first few weeks or until the gecko is feeding regularly.

Question 2:
 
I’d like to know if leos are imported anymore and if there are people looking out for the hot new morph like is the case with Ball pythons.

Jeff Galewood Jr. responds: leopard geckos are illegal to import into the US because they closed down importation of animals from Pakistan. However people in Germany are able to get wild caughts from time to time but usually invest in new species or subspecies. I believe they are smuggled over from there because they are limited on how many wild caught they get. The wild caught leopard geckos are in rough shape when they catch them and I know of one Country that can get wild caught leopard geckos shipped in and the quality is supposed to be similar to wild caught fat tail geckos which is very poor. They don’t have anybody looking for new morphs. I actually looked into this two years ago and was discouraged and disappointed by what I found out.

Pat Kline responds:Importing is a multi million dollar business in the reptile industry in the current day, but leopard geckos are not a major part of the importing/exporting industry.  Leopard geckos have not be directly imported to the United States, legally, for a very long time.  A lot of the animals we have today are from a small source of leopard geckos which were once imported to the states many years ago.  But there are other ways around this lack of “new blood” problem.

Subspecies can be imported to the United States from overseas’ captive bred programs.  Many of the subspecies can now be purchased through breeders here in the United States; these breeder acquired the animals from overseas.   There are very few breeders in the states that have ‘pure’ subspecies, which can be a bit pricey.  The pure blood from these animals is very important to strengthening blood lines or working on new morphs.  Using subspecies can unlock a whole new world of crosses and possibly new mutations.

So why are the subspecies expensive, but appear to be a normal looking leopard gecko?  Well the work has all been done for you before you made your purchase.  First the original breeders have to be lucky enough to acquire the animals, and then they have to be dewormed and vet checked for multiple other medical related issues.  Now this is not to say you should not quarantine your animals when they arrive, but the risk of a new devastating disease is minimal compared to the risk to the original breeder.

I also think the need for importing/exporting Leopard Geckos is not very high.   Exporting wild caught animals can decimate the wild population and has to managed very closely.  With the subspecies now available, the need to get wild caught geckos will only hurt the wild population.

Question 3:

My vet told me that crested (and gargoyle) geckos are lactose intolerant. Is this true?  Why?

Dr. Ivan Alfonso responds: Your vet is likely correct in the statement of lactose intolerance mainly because reptiles do not consume milk or milk products in the wild. An animal that is not exposed to a particular food item, likely will not develop the needed enzymes to digest such an item. Geckos are insect eaters and nectar/fruit eaters so it is
unlikely they will be able to digest yogurt properly. I am not sure if it would be lethal but I would expect some diarrhea and other intestinal issues associated with the consumption of dairy products. With the widely available gecko diets and good variety of feeder insects, I would not be looking at dairy products to supplement my gecko’s diet. Hope this helps explain your question a bit.

Aliza Arzt responds:  I agree entirely with Dr. Alfonso’s response.  I do want to point out, though, that some people advocate adding small amounts of yogurt or other dairy products to fruit nectar when feeding day geckos to aid in calcium supplementation.  I also see no need to provide dairy products to Rhacodactylus geckos.

Question 4: 

I’d like to know what Phelsuma standingi’s natural environment is like, as there isn’t much information available online about the actual natural habitat.

Leann Christenson responds: The day gecko known as the Standings Day Gecko, Phelsuma standingi, is from  Southern Western Madagascar’s dry thorn forest area known for its odd thorny succulent plants and massive boabob trees.  The climate is characterized as  sub-arid  where temperatures rarely drop below 68º at night and days are known for intense sunlight, high heat and low humidity.  During the short “wet” season, humidity can rise to over 90%.

Our Experts:

Dr. Ivan Alfonso received his Veterinary Degree at the Tuskegee School of Veterinary Medicine in 2000.  He provides veterinary care in the Orlando area with his new mobile service.  He also does Reptile Health seminars as well as offering limited consultations at many Florida Repticon shows.  Dr Alfonso has traveled and filmed with the Python Hunters for NatGeo Wild.  His hobbies include freshwater and saltwater fish, reptile keeping and breeding, video games and just relaxing while watching his animals. He and his wife are owners of a pet pug, tortoiseshell cat, Eclectus parrot, and various reptiles and fishes.

Leann Christenson specializes in Phelsuma species of geckos, co-authored
Day Geckos In Captivity, and writes the popular Frankie Tortoise Tails,
www.frankietortoisetails.com .  Her website is www.daygecko.com

Jeff Galewood Jr. is one of the owners of JMG Reptiles (www.jmgreptiles.com) primarily producing high quality leopard and African fat tail geckos.

Patrick Kline: Luxurious Leopard was started in 2001 with a small colony of leopard geckos, and is still breeding today with dozens of high quality morphs.  Pat Kline, Owner/operator, has built the business around great customer service and high quality animals.  The business also works with ball pythons and bearded dragons.  Stop by and see us, we are dedicated to breeding excellence!

 Paul Morlock has had a life long love of reptiles. He has been keeping and breeding various geckos, lizards and snakes for over twenty years. He first became interested in Rhacodactylus in 2003 and it wasn’t long before he became hooked on the gargoyles and has concentrating on selective breeding them since 2008.  His website RhacHouse.com will be coming soon.

If you have reptiles, you realize the importance of cleaning your cages to help keep your reptiles in good health.  As herpers, we have all had to deal with the annoying scents that some terrariums pick up after some use, so disinfectant and odor removers are one of the necessary cleaning products in your reptile room. Zoomed Wipeout is a somewhat new product on the market, and my personal favourite.

The Product

Wipeout, which is made mainly of alkyl and ammonium chloride, comes in a small bottle sprayer form. You can purchase 3 different sized bottles:  4.25 oz, 8.75 oz, and 32 oz. I bought a 32 oz bottle about a year ago and it’s still good.  Realistically I’d purchase what will last you about a year. Don’t be surprised if you use it fairly often; it removes just about all annoying stains, odors, and many other things that plague your terrariums. A big plus is that Wipeout not only works on terrarium stains & odors but other household stains and odors as well. I tested it on my door after my cat urinated on it, and it worked wonders. Generally I’d stick with the terrariums, though.

The Test

When I received a bottle of Wipeout to try, I decided to make it easier to do the review and got a smaller piece of glass to to test it on. I placed the piece of glass in one of my crested gecko cages for a month to let him dirty it up. He did a good job of it, too good as I was to find out. I was not able to get the stains out right away, but they came out after a minute of scrubbing. To prepare for the clean-up, I followed the directions and let the Wipeout sit on the glass for 5 minutes. The company’s description of Wipeout says it deodorizes your terrarium. Clean is definitely the word that popped into my head when I smelled it. The scent is not very strong at all; I could only detect it when I was close to where I’d sprayed.

The first mess to take care of was the fecal mess. I removed as much of the solid waste as I could, sprayed the stained areas and began dabbing with a paper towel. I did have to scrub a little, but in a few minutes all the fecal stains were gone. Next I went after the food stains. This is where my gecko went a bit overboard. I did the spray and dab several times on one half of the glass and there was a noticeable difference in the stain. I repeated this over the next few hours and continued to notice the stain was lessening. I still needed to work on it to get all the stain out, one reason why it’s important to attack a mess as soon as possible. The amount of food also made it take longer for the old CGD smell to disappear. I sprayed it over a period of several hours but it did the trick. A week after the last spray, I can’t smell any food, or anything for that matter: the glass looked and smelled good as new. My cat seemed to confirm that when I turned around to see him sleeping on it.

Review Wrap-up

+ Very Pet Friendly. It didn’t leave any potentially harmful residues on the glass.
+ Long lasting. It remained active for about a year once mixed up, though I do recommend purchasing a newer bottle for difficult stains.
+Works! I did have to repeat, but my crested gecko had made a real mess. I was glad that it continued to work with the repeat uses and that the stain & odor didn’t set after one use and not come out. With the size of the mess, I would expect to have to do the repeating I had to do with any stain & odor remover.
+Light Scent. It doesn’t have an overpowering chemical scent. In fact, I couldn’t detect any scent unless I sniffed the glass.
+ Cost. The cost with shipping is comparable to similar products on the market.
– I found it hard to find any negatives to this product. I’m not going to give it a negative just a small suggestion. If this product came in a small tablet or powder that you mix in with water, it would be the perfect product.

Review by
Daniel Ruberto
Crazy Cresties
www.CrazyCresties.ca (under renovation)

If you think that your family might be interested in welcoming a gecko as a pet, here are a few things to consider for choosing a gecko when you have children:

Start With the Right Species

Not all geckos have the same temperament or style. Some are more high-energy. Some are more social. Others are more aggressive. Others are delicate and require a lot of special care. Research the different species thoroughly to understand how each one might fit in with your family — or not.

Many breeders recommend the Leopard Gecko because they are easy to care for and have a gentle disposition, ideal for overly enthusiastic youngsters who might provoke a more aggressive type.

Choose an Older Gecko

Many young geckos will be high energy and hard to hold. While looking at a stately or colorful gecko perched on a piece of driftwood might be interesting for about a minute, most kids will soon start bursting with excitement to hold or touch or play with their pet.

An older gecko will tolerate being handled more than a  younger gecko. However, you will still need to watch younger children or high-energy children to make sure they don’t become too enthusiastic and handle the gecko roughly. Even small hands can crush small bodies in a rush of enthusiasm. And too much energy can scare off even the most malleable of geckos.

Consider Your Other Pets

Geckos don’t make suitable companions for all pets already in the home. Many other household pets, including birds, cats, and dogs, may see them as prey. Even pets that are taught not to attack a gecko may become too excitable during play and unintentionally harm a gecko. 

Be sure that you will be able to manage a peaceful co-existence among all your pets before bringing a gecko into your home.

Graduate Responsibilities

Children should be given responsibilities for caring for their gecko based on their age. Older children and teenagers who are mature for their age may be able to handle all the care that their gecko needs. However, younger children or those who struggle with responsibility may need to be given limited duties or even be supervised.

Start by giving your child very discrete tasks, such as being responsible for cleaning the glass on the cage or adding water to the bowl or bottle. Later, more responsibilities can be granted with age and maturity.

Consider Your Child’s Temperament

There are many aspects of caring for a gecko that may not be a good fit for all children. As noted, children who are high-energy may not be able to safely hold a gecko without crushing or injuring it.

Even children who can properly hold a gecko may just get bored if they aren’t able to “play” with their small pets. Children who enjoy more physical activities like chasing, wrestling, petting, and rough-housing would be better suited for a dog or even a cat in some cases.

Younger children may also have a hard time feeding their geckos. For instance, the feeding of crickets or worms may make them have questions about dying, which could be sticky if you haven’t previously discussed it, or if they are very young.

Practice Safe Hygiene

Like other reptiles, geckos can carry salmonella on their skin. If you have young children who are still constantly putting their hands in their mouths, a gecko may not be the right pet for you. Though you can ask your children to wash their hands after they handle their gecko, young children are likely to slip a fist right past you and into their mouth. Geckos are better suited as pets for older children who have moved past the urge to constantly put items in their mouth and who can practice safe hygiene by washing hands after holding their geckos.

Did you purchase a gecko as a pet for your children? Would you recommend them as pets for other families? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Including the clutch that I just found in my Mack Snow Eclipse tub I have 10 other eggs in the incubator so there will definitely be more babies. I still haven’t built a hatchling rack but with the open tub from the recently departed gecko and one soon to be open tub from a gecko I’m giving to a friend’s daughter I’ll have some time before I’m totally out of space. I should be able to split the adult tubs into two halves and have enough room for 4 full clutches of hatchlings.

Good News

Now for some good news. I was able to get a Mack Snow Tremper Albino het Eclipse male to pair with my NOVA, Mack Snow Enigma and Mack Snow het RAPTOR females. He weighed in at 36 grams so he needs a little time to put on some bulk but he should be able to breed this season. Hopefully I’ll be able to produce a Dreamsickle and some more NOVAs.

That brings me to my next bit of good news. I am proud to finally be able to announce that I have been working with Andy from LoveGeckos.com and Brittney Gougeon from PacHerp on a project called the Reptile Calculator. It is a new genetic calculator available on the Windows Phone Store and the iPhone App Store. The app allows genetic calculation for Leopard Geckos, African Fat Tail Geckos, Corn Snakes and Western Hognose Snakes with more genetic sets on the way. Anyone who purchases the app will get free updates that will include any future genetic sets. The app will help you easily plan out your breeding projects. It also includes images and information for many of the genetic combinations that are on the market.

Next month I will hopefully be reporting back with a bunch of new babies and that I have stopped being lazy and finally build the hatchling rack. One of those is much more likely than the other, I’ll leave it up to you to decide. As usual if you have any questions or comments just leave them below.

People who are new to the hobby can be somewhat intimidated by the depth and breadth of a “gecko expert’s” knowledge and wonder “how did they get to this level?”  My purpose in this article is to chart a path for anyone to take to become my ideal “gecko expert”.

Experience

The cornerstone to becoming an expert in any field, is to have as much practical experience as possible.  Obvious as it may seem, a gecko expert must actually keep geckos.  It’s important to keep enough of a variety of geckos, either one species or many, to learn about the range of behavior of these creatures and the different ways that they may be cared for. 

A new gecko keeper begins by following care sheet instructions, but gradually learns through working with the geckos which instructions are essential, which are optional and which must be modified in order to meet the needs of a specific animal.  For example, a keeper may follow the instructions of some experts who maintain that all geckos of a particular species are best kept individually but then discover that a specific gecko in his or her population does much better with a cagemate.

Experience, and a true understanding of the range of geckos’ needs,  also enable a gecko keeper to devise creative solutions to situations unique to specific geckos.  An example of this would be a gecko who continually lays fertile eggs outside the lay box.  An experienced keeper may decide, based on the fact that the eggs are consistently fertile, to change the laybox size, location or substrate, or even to put the gravid gecko into an enclosure that functions as one large laybox.

Once a keeper has enough experience to perceive the gradations of care choices and is able to  consistently make informed decisions and modifications to the usual procedures, he or she is well on the way to becoming a gecko expert.

Read Read Read

There’s a wealth of information available in print and on the internet about all aspects of care of most gecko species.  For many of the more common geckos, there are books which could be considered to be the species specific “classics”.  This would include, for example, “The Herpetoculture of Leopard Geckos” by Ron Tremper et.al., the species-specific “manuals” published by “Advanced Vivarium Systems” (www.avsbooks.com) or “Day Geckos in Captivity” by Leann and Greg Christenson. 

There are also many popular internet forums, some devoted to a single species or genera and others more global in nature.   As with any information, especially on the internet, it’s important to read critically.  When reading information on gecko forums, try to distinguish between fact and opinion.  Determine the level of expertise of the information’s source by locating facts about the poster’s actual experience, and by paying attention to the reactions of others on the forum to the poster’s information.  It can be helpful to copy and paste information relevant to your specific interests into a single document so you have it all together in one place, rather than spread through many posts and threads. 

Ask Questions,  Answer Questions

The best way to learn is to ask.  The best kind of questions to ask are those which arise as a result of observation and research, and those which are specific in nature.  For example, asking “What do I need to know about breeding my leopard gecko?” isn’t a useful question, since there’s already ample information available about breeding leopard geckos.  A more useful question may be something like: “I introduced my male gecko to my ovulating female and observed them mating six weeks ago but there have been no eggs yet.  What may be going on?”

It’s also important to be clear about your motivations for asking.  Some people ask a question because they truly want to know how to proceed.  Others ask because they’ve already decided how to proceed, but they want validation that they’re doing the right thing.  This is fine, as long as the questioners are flexible enough to seriously consider answers that don’t meet their expectations.  Questioners who stubbornly continue a course of action, even though they are told by a variety of experts that they’re making the wrong choice, will likely become experts only in their own eyes.

A milestone on the path to becoming a gecko expert is to begin answering questions that others ask.  If you’ve had experience, or read something that directly relates to a question posed by another, go ahead and respond. If you’re a relative newcomer, it’s always a good idea to explain a little about why you feel able to answer the question, for example “this is what happened with my gecko” or “this is what I read”.

Synthesize

As you gather information and practical experience, put them together.  Reflect on what you read and see how it plays out in the actual gecko keeping;  See how your experience with the geckos fits in with the opinions expressed by others.  Although it’s a tough balancing act, it’s very important to keep an open mind about new and different ideas while holding to a standard of care at the same time.  There’s more than one way to do things sometimes.  Try to distinguish, for yourself and others, when an opinion about the way to do things is a case of parroting something that has been said by others and when it’s the result of experience and experimentation.  Here are a few examples of issues that continue to be discussed and debated by experts and which probably have more than one acceptable solution:  choice of substrate, planted vs. artificial enclosures, use of UV light vs. supplementation, racks vs. display enclosures, keeping multiple species in very large enclosures.

Be Assertive,  Be Humble

My ideal “gecko expert” is confident about the experience that has made him or her such and doesn’t hesitate to provide information backed up by documentable facts.  At the same time, he or she is willing to consider new ideas and alternatives and to accept that there is more than one way to achieve some things.  An essential “bonus”, is an expert who is able to respond to all questions with courtesy, even if it requires pointing out errors or answering the same question yet again.

Enjoy the journey from “newbie” to expert.  It’s a rewarding one that teaches a lot and also provides the perspective to be considerate of those who are following in your footsteps.

Plans for the Future

In an effort to educate the community, we have begun securing table space at  reptile shows. This will help to teach the community about our exotic pets and how to care for them, as well as information about these animals’ backgrounds. Reptile shows can also be helpful in marketing our adoptees and showing their amazing qualities!  Hopefully showing our full-grown lizards and snakes can help people to make educated decisions instead of impulse buys at a local pet store or reptile expo.

As our ambitions have been growing, and we have been becoming more immersed in this hobby-based organization, we have begun to look towards our future. We have been taking steps to become better known to the community by posting ads on-line, and creating fan pages on popular networking sites. We slowly have been taking in mistreated and uncared for reptiles and other exotic pets, putting forth a strong effort to nurse them to health and find them loving forever homes.

Gecko Rescue

Recently one of our most rewarding rescues has been a group of three geckos. One of the rescues was a Blizzard Blast morph female Leopard gecko, which is a joy to work with and handle. The other two are a male Asian House gecko and also a fairly sick Tokay gecko with Metabolic Bone Disease and respiratory issues.  These issues seem to stem from malnourishment and the home she was kept in. Many people don’t realize the effect heavy smoking has on their animals, as her entire enclosure reeked of cigarettes for days after being cleaned multiple times. This has affected her breathing substantially. All too often there are reptiles seen that suffer from adverse effects from their previous owners.
Since we have never worked with Tokays, this has been quite an experience for us. Her rehabilitation and care have been a very valuable and fulfilling experience. When we started with her, she was not eating or moving. When approached, she became completely overwhelmed, more than what is typical for the Tokays we had read about and seen.  Since being in our care over the past month her colors have become much more vibrant, she has become more active and should soon be ready to be re-homed, to a knowledgeable and caring owner who can meet her needs. 

Reptile Rescue and Public Opinion

In our view, most reptiles from the smallest gecko to the largest Green Anaconda are categorized as a threat to the general public and feared by society, because of the few “owners” that make impulse buys without prior research or experience. This can cause a multitude of problems in our communities. Take Florida’s everglades for example becoming overrun with large pythons, or Cape Coral Florida where the Nile monitor had been released into the wild by its owners and its population is now running rampant. There are ways to control these things but once the local ecosystem is being threatened it ruins things for owners all over the nation. The inability to care for these modern day dinosaurs has caused the need for rescues and humane societies to step in or form and try to help clean up the mess.  As an up and coming rescue, we have been trying to face as many issues as possible to help spread our name in the exotic pet community and gain as much knowledge of these issues as possible.
Hopefully, as we grow, promote and share our love for these beautiful and misunderstood creatures we will be able to change a few minds and make positive differences in people’s and our animals’ lives alike. The goal of any rescue should always have the animals well-being in mind but strive to make positive impacts in society and their local communities for the betterment of the community and animals. On the other hand, there is always going to be room here for our special guests to be cared for and placed with new forever homes that are responsible and knowledgeable.

Preparing for the Hatch

The eggs from Shiny’s first clutch are due to hatch any day now and I have one tub left in my rack. I’ve really been putting off building the hatchling rack that I’ve been talking about since the end of last year and it’s getting to be crunch time. I can house the two hatchlings together for a few weeks but that’s about all the time I’ve got because the second clutch will be hatching by then. I’ve tossed around the idea of doing one of the plastic racks that I’ve seen built on YouTube but I’m not totally sold on it. The alternative of building one out of plywood doesn’t really sit well with me either though and I definitely can’t afford to buy a commercial one.

New Breeder

The biggest news is the new addition. I’ve been complaining on here about not having a suitable male for my new Mack Snow, NOVA and Enigma females for a while now and I’ve finally got that problem solved. I picked up a 36 gram Mack Snow Tremper Albino het Eclipse that I’ll be breeding after he is in quarantine and makes it past 40 grams. The combinations are very exciting. Hopefully I’ll be able to hatch a Dreamsickle. I have a 12.5% chance with the NOVA pairing. 1 out of 8 isn’t terrible and the other combinations like more NOVAs and Mack Snow RAPTORs aren’t a bad consolation prize.
In the next entry I should have some pictures of the new hatchlings but if you can’t wait you can always check out that latest incubation results on LongIslandGeckos.com. Join the site with your Facebook account and you’ll get first dibs on any of the animals that I put up for sale this year. There will also be discounts offered throughout the season. The season is just starting and I have some more exciting news in the works. I love hearing back from the readers so please leave and questions or comments below. I’d especially like to hear from anyone near Long Island with a cheap rack for sale!

Project #1 : Gecko Hide

This is a good looking wooden hide for your boy or girl:

These are made from wooden bowls (which I bought from Walmart) turned upside down and holes drilled. [estimated cost $2.50 - $7.50 ]

I use a 1 1/2 ” hole saw for entry holes. If desired a 2″  hole for a feeder dish can be  added on top. 

The feeder dish is also from Walmart, in the condiment section: $.25 to .49 each.

Tools needed include a hand drill and a hole saw [sizes vary]

Don’t have them, afraid of power tools… ask your neighbor or guy at Menards or Lowes to drill it for you.

Project #2: Tunnel Hide

The tunnel hide or shedder assistant can not only supply hide comfort, but offers an effective surface inside and out for Mr. or Ms. Gecko to rub on when in shed.

Get some PVC plastic pipe obtained at any Lowes, Home Depot, Menards, Lumber or Plumbing Stores. They will cut it in half and to the length of  your choosing, not a problem.

Prices vary per size, but sometime free scrap is available, just ask.

You can paint if you wish. Use primer, top coat, sealer and a color of your choice. You can ask the paint department  for materials to use that will work with PVC. Another idea, as shown in the photo…..material glued to exterior of tunnel may be attractive. Spray adhesive can also be used, with your choice of cloth material from a fabric store. Once again scrap material may be available.

Project #3 : Hi-ways,sky-ways,geck-ways, you name it.

Here is a useful but no-effort item. Purchase these at the Lowes, Menards, Walmart,etc. 

They can be found in the tile section and come in many designs to choose from. These are counter-top or wall tile strips. They’re held together by a nylon or other material fabrication.

For the best deals, I look for stock that has been discontinued and I get the remaining sample pieces for a low price or for free. These tile strips flex, bend, etc. so they are ready to work for you as you wish.

Project #4: Outhouse

Take salsa bowl (as pictured, which can be purchased from Walmart or any other similar store) turn upside down and drill a 2″ hole for entry. Put 4×4 tile on the floor of the tank. Set the salsa bowl now as a hide (or outhouse) on top of tile. The gecko will enter and poop.
I find many prefer doing the  job inside this way. Poop done in this way is hidden so the tank always looks cleaned out.

Project #5: “Rocks of Ages”

Here is a real easy one and sometimes “no cost.” Do you know where there is a landscaping company? Or maybe a lawn and garden shop? A little stream? Be careful on this one…A neighbor’s yard?

Landscaping your habitat is easy and plenty of fun for everyone, including the gecko. Just pick up rocks and stack them. (Be sure the rocks are safely stacked so they won’t fall over and harm the gecko.) Some really nice stuff may cost a couple of bucks.

The photos below will give you some ideas as to what I’ve picked up, including  items from the neighbor’s yard.

Project #6: Stone Hide

This project  may require some help from someone with a high pressure washer (otherwise known as a power washer that uses a high pressure jet of water to strip or clean a surface).

Nicely shaped fieldstone can usually obtained from a landscaper or the landscaper’s supplier, a sand and gravel business.

They normally have plenty of great shapes to choose from.

Use a power washer to hollow out the underside and you can make the most interesting natural looking hides and decorations for your geckos.
 
This is an easy project  if you have access to the machine which may be  for rent at places. 
The photos show both sides of each hide.

Project #7: Gecko dining room

This is kind of a fun project.  I call it the “gecko’s dining room.” I’m going to describe the easy way to construct it as I did:

Find a Hobby Lobby or similar type crafting store. In the wooden project area where they keep wooden type boxes you should be able to find  an item like the one pictured below,  complete with glass sides and a hinged top (approximately 7 1/2″ x 6″ x 5″ ).

I took the box apart and replaced the glass sides with the same sized piece of plexiglass. The plexiglass was drilled with a 2″ hole saw. The hole is drilled high enough to keep bugs in but low enough for the gecko to peek or crawl into the box.

It’s possible to cut the original glass with a glass-cutter, but I preferred to go the plexiglass route.

Below is  a video of one of my geckos dining in. It makes a fun watch. It was his first time to use it, so his careful, curiosity, approach was a part of the enjoyment of his meal of “Crickets Under Glass.”

Project #8: Cage Upholstery

Want to put a little color in your habitat?  Want to help your critter keep from “hanging up” in the floor covering carpet? Notice I said “help”, not “stop”.

There are fewer loops in cloth upholstering material and more colors to choose from. My friend retiring from the auto upholstering business caused me to look into this. That’s right, he gave me lots of his fabric. I find it not only makes habitats more attractive but geckos have less hang-up time with their claws or teeth, as compared to repti-carpet.

You will need:

• Sissors
• Yardstick/measure
• Selection of to-be floor coverings from a fabric shop (be sure to get heavier material that doesn’t slip and slide)

Measure your project item, mark cloth, and cut. Here are a couple of mine that I like:

Project #9: “You are in Deep Water”

Water dishes make me think of two things:  hydration and safety for the drinker.  I try to keep a endless supply of water so I tend to use fairly large bowls. I put pebbles in them to keep mainly  the youngsters from getting stuck head first. The pebbles will save the life of many a prey food as well. Since I am using larger bowls, I make a built-up ledge from slate, flat stone, or tile.  This allows the gecko to crawl up and rest at the water level.

Vitamin A and Reptiles

 Let’s start with how it happens. Vitamin A has been deemed lethal and dangerous for a long time in reptile keeping. The reason? It was being used excessively, especially in tortoises, and was leading to very bad issues when it was overdosed. Skin sloughing was commonly seen in tortoises that were given Vitamin A injections. When those horrible side effects were seen, it was immediately assumed that vitamin A was toxic, dangerous and lethal and was basically deemed useless in reptile supplements. The trend became then to use beta carotene as the source for vitamin A because being a precursor, it couldn’t be easily overdosed and the reptiles would be able to transform the beta carotene into vitamin A. The idea had some logic behind it, except that not all reptiles are created equal, and insectivorous reptiles can’t transform beta carotene into vitamin A no matter how much beta carotene you give them.

Ivan Alfonso, DVM

The Problem for Leopard Geckos

 Leopard geckos are insectivores and as such, they depend on their insect prey to provide every single bit of nutrition they need. Once you think of it that way, you realize just how important is to provide well-nourished insects to our geckos as they are completely dependent on those crickets, superworms, roaches, silkworms and others. In the chronic absence of vitamin A in their diets, leopard geckos can develop certain conditions and issues that are relatively common yet not many people know they are caused, partially or completely, by hypovitaminosis A. Let’s discuss a few of these issues:

Hyperkeratosis of the eyes: Leopard geckos with this condition present with both eyes “closed shut”, but in reality it is an accumulation of dead skin and secretion that causes the eyes to develop a type of eye plug or eye cap that pushed the eye back into the socket and gives the gecko the appearance of being blind or with dried out eyes. If left unattended, this condition can cause the corneas to fuse with the plug and damage the eyes permanently. With the proper expertise you can wet the area thoroughly, without drowning the gecko, and with some water and a cotton swab, slowly work the plug out of the eye. Employing your Veterinarian to do this at least once will be invaluable for any future instances as it is very hard to know what you’re doing on your first try.

Improper shedding: Leopard geckos can sometimes have issues shedding and many times it can be attributed to the lack of moisture. But in some cases, despite proper hide boxes and wet boxes, you still have a gecko that sheds improperly and needs a lot of help with the shed. This can be a result of vitamin A deficiency.

Impacted hemipenis: Although not super common, this issue is seen rather regularly in leopard geckos. Hypovitaminosis A isn’t always the cause but it can be a culprit as it causes improper shedding which can lead to skin plugs left behind that impede the hemipenis from expelling the sperm plugs.

Low fertility and breeding activity: Male leopard geckos with vitamin A deficiencies are sometimes described as sluggish and lazy when it comes to breeding. Females on the other hand are receptive but produce poor clutches or weak babies when they hatch.

Overall lethargy: Some leopard geckos especially baby ones, just never seem to get going and keep getting weaker and weaker. Once they are force fed with baby food or some of the better meal replacements (i.e. Emeraid) the gecko seems much better. After being fed again its normal diet, the gecko goes slowly back to being lethargic and dull. The reason this happens is because the vitamin A deficiency was slightly corrected when alternate foods were given but quickly removed when the normal diet was resumed.

Vitamin A Solutions

How do you know if your leopard gecko is at risk? If you are feeding the same feeder insect all the time (crickets only or superworms only, etc) you are at risk of causing hypovitaminosis A. Different insects metabolize food in different ways so variety is the key. Feed as many insect varieties as you can and make sure to feed those insects properly and with a great variety of food. Using only a head of cabbage or lettuce to feed your crickets is a terrible idea. You want to provide a proper blend of grains, veggies and fruits to make sure as many vitamins and minerals can be passed to your gecko. Using a high quality fish flake food once weekly to feed your crickets will ensure you have good levels of Vitamin A in their diet so they can pass that along to your leopard gecko.

Your leopard geckos can also be at risk if you dust their insects with a vitamin supplement product that does not use vitamin A in their ingredients. As discussed above, beta carotene is not used by most reptiles as a source of vitamin A. There are several products out there that use vitamin A in its active form as part of their vitamin mix and those would be the ones to use every 10-14 days to provide vitamin A to your geckos. In my reptile collection I only dust every 10-14 days and when I do, I always use a product that contains Vitamin A.
     
Treatment of vitamin A deficiencies is similar to the prevention discussed above but in severe cases it can involve specialized feeding, high doses of vitamin A supplementation for different intervals, and manual aid with skin and eye issues. When it comes to actually having to treat a hypovitaminosis A case, it is best to allow a Veterinarian to do it while you learn from him or her. Despite my efforts here to call attention to vitamin A deficiencies it is still a lot easier to overdose than underdose, so please be careful and use good judgement when using vitamin A. It is a very important and necessary vitamin with the potential of causing severe side effects if overdosed.