Your Reptile and Amphibian Resource and Information Site

Back to Geckos-Crested Forum   Forums   Home   Members Area  

Geckos-Crested Forum

LizardFreak*   Guido1090   LizardFreak*   Alleycatt   LizardFreak*   LizardFreak*   Alleycatt   LizardFreak*   Alleycatt   LizardFreak*   Alleycatt   LizardFreak*  
 Member  Message

 #1724301


LizardFreak*
View Profile

 I might be getting 2!

I went to a couple of pet shops today to get some supplies and look to see what reptiles they had there. I was at PetCo and saw to beautiful and healthy creasted geckos there, a male and female. I think they might have been a brindle and tiger but I am not sure. The man I talked to was very knowledgeable and the geckos had been there for at least 1 month. I think I might get them within the next couple of weeks if my parents let me!!!
05/03/08  07:48pm

 #1724366


Guido1090
View Profile



   Message To: LizardFreak*   In reference to Message Id: 1724301


 I might be getting 2!

cresties are awesome. make sure you research alot before you actualy get them. how do you know they are male and female? normaly pet shops have young geckos. you wont be able to keep the male and female together all the time. you will need to get 2 cages for the 2 geckos.

i think thats all for now. ill post again later probably when i think of somethin else to say.
05/03/08  08:43pm

 #1724385


LizardFreak*
View Profile



   Message To: Guido1090   In reference to Message Id: 1724366


 I might be getting 2!

These were much larger and older geckos, I could see the hemipenal bulges on the male and the female didn’t have any. I have been researching quite a lot the past couple of weeks My dad and I should be building them enclosures so separating them won’t be a problem. I know not to breed them for at least several months so I know their ways and schedual and they know my ways. Thanks for the input.



05/03/08  08:57pm

 #1724423


Alleycatt
View Profile



   Message To: LizardFreak*   In reference to Message Id: 1724385


 I might be getting 2!

i would be careful. if they are at petco, and they are already adults, and the petco is anything like the one near my house, then they are already housed together which means that they most likely have already bred. so this is why i say be careful. personally if i were you, i would not buy the pair if this is the case especially since you are just starting out with them. breeding is very fun, don’t get me wrong, but it is also alot of work and costs alot of $$ to make sure that both the male and the female (especially the female) stay healthy, and to make sure that you have enough housing to keep all of the hatchlings in.

i’m not trying to be a downer, and i don’t know for sure that they are housed together, i mean if that is the case and you think that you are prepared to handle everything, then definitely go for it. i’m just saying you might want to think about it a little bit before you definitely decide to get those two because it can be a little over whelming at times!



05/03/08  09:38pm

 #1724444


LizardFreak*
View Profile



   Message To: Alleycatt   In reference to Message Id: 1724423


 I might be getting 2!

Thanks,
They are housed together at the pet store. I was wondering myself if they have already bred or not. I will ask the employees if they know. I will go back to look at them a couple of times just to make sure that they are very healthy. This PetCo seems a lot better than the ones I have heard of on these forums, almost always there reptiles look very healthy.

Thanks again
05/03/08  10:03pm

 #1724474


LizardFreak*
View Profile



   Message To: LizardFreak*   In reference to Message Id: 1724444


 I might be getting 2!

Do you guys and girls know of any really great books on crested geckos that I should read?
05/03/08  10:37pm

 #1724488


Alleycatt
View Profile



   Message To: LizardFreak*   In reference to Message Id: 1724444


 I might be getting 2!

yeah, then more likely than not they have. the one by my house is usually really good about taking care of their animals too, but they don’t think about separating the males from the females, or the adults from the juvies... it is kind of stupid on their part i think...
but anyways if you think you are ready for it i would go for it(you talked about breeding in a few months). it is definitely an amazing experience, and you wouldn’t be the first person to have done it either. lol, i just know that if i had done it without getting to know all my guys really well first i would be freaking out! (my breeding female will not let me touch her when she is really gravid, lol, she will bark at me to tell me "NOT TODAY!!!!" so they have a bit of a different personality when they are breeding, but everyone is different when they are pregnant no matter what species!)

i just know that i wouldn’t have been able to handle it when i first started out, but now that i know how they act when they are completely healthy, and not breeding i am more comfortable with it, but you can always ask questions too. (i’m not on the breeding forum hardly at all, but you can always pm me or other breeders, or even post them on here since it gets more traffic if you need to)

good luck, i hope everything turns out alright!!!!!



05/03/08  10:46pm

 #1724531


LizardFreak*
View Profile



   Message To: Alleycatt   In reference to Message Id: 1724488


 I might be getting 2!

Thanks so much!
I have done quite a bit of research tonight on this website and a couple of others (I also have done some research the past couple of weeks too)



05/03/08  11:45pm

 #1724616


Alleycatt
View Profile



   Message To: LizardFreak*   In reference to Message Id: 1724531


 I might be getting 2!

awesome! you can send me a message anytime if you ever need to!

and the two most important things...
let us know what happens, and get us pics when you can!!!! lol, ok so not the most important things, but they would be appreciated!
05/04/08  04:36am

 #1725934


LizardFreak*
View Profile



   Message To: Alleycatt   In reference to Message Id: 1724616


 I might be getting 2!

I have several questions for Alleycatt or anyone else really.
About how much time do you spend with you cresteds each day, that includes holding, feeding and cleaning?

What books have a lot of good information that I should read?

What decorations and hides do you like to use? Yesterday I picked up a log cork bark and I have several vine/plants and some half logs.

What substrate do you use? I’m thinking that I will use paper towels.

Thanks
05/05/08  03:08pm

 #1726582


Alleycatt
View Profile



   Message To: LizardFreak*   In reference to Message Id: 1725934


 I might be getting 2!

There are only four books that i know about/own..

by far the best one is called Rachodactylus: The Complete Guide to their Selection and Care By, Philippe de Vosjoli, Frank Fast, and Allen Repashy. but it is a little expensive and difficult to find because it is not in production any more. Pangea~Reptile.com has them (take out the ~ )

the other books are

Crested Geckos in Captivity by Robbie Hamper (red/orange crestie on front, it is pretty good)

Crested Geckos by Philippe de Vosjolie (it is ok at best, but it has alot of pictures)

Crested Geckos by Adam Black ( this one is really good as well)



For my terrariums that are not all natural i use alot of hanging vines (i use crafting wire to attach them to the lid of the cage and sort of just twist it like a twist tie) in this picture you can see the vines hanging from the top of the cage. they really like to climb up in them and just chill/sleep all day.







i also use drift wood so that they have alot of things to run around on and can jump from one item to the other.

for hides i use the hollowed out trunks... i don’t have a picture of that but i will get one if you need it. i also use the coconut shell halves that they sell for hermit crabs, but usually for the small ones. I also use the fake cave hides because they seem to keep cooler and also keep humidity inside the "cave"
this is a picture of one of the caves i use (it is the smallest one i have, lol, it was quickly replaced with a much larger one not too long after this picture was taken! lol, i didn’t realize how relatively small it was unti i saw all three of them cuddling up on it!) i also use moss in at least one corner of the cage (even with the paper towel set ups) because it holds moisture well, so it keeps the humidity up, and they like to hide in it too!



i personally do mainly all natural enclosures because they become biologically charged and break down all the waste (which cuts down on alot of maintenance). but with new guys and hatchlings, i use paper towels while they are in quarantine, and until i know that they are eating well. (it lets you see if and how much they are defecating, and as long as you see droppings you know that they are eating!) it is also really easy to clean the cage, you just take it out, throw it away, wipe down the walls, put new paper towels in and your good. i would still add a lay box to the tank just in case she is gravid, she has a place to deposit her eggs. if you need a picture of one, there is a pic of one that S. made on my post titled "I am making a website"

as far as general time spent with each gecko, that is a little difficult for me to give you an estimation because i have ten right now, so i do not handle every gecko each night... but i spend at least hour every night feeding every one and spending time with a couple of them, then the next night i get out a couple different ones, so i handle everyone about twice a week.

i spend more time with the females now though because since the weather warmed up, EVERY ONE of them are laying eggs even though only one of them has ever bred (i have three females who are laying eggs right now and it may have to do with the fact that the breeder female is still laying eggs as well as the weather). so when i thoroughly check them i would say i spend about 3-4 hours at least once a week lol "inspecting" them to see if they seem alright, and make sure that they are acting normally both inside and outside the cage, and then another hour or so taking notes of anything that may be off, (like my girl saphron decided to lay her eggs under the water dish, and scratched the top he her head a little bit, so i took a note on that, fixed it to where she couldn’t get under the water dish, weighed her, weigh her eggs, etc. and take notes on all of it with the date)

i hope this helps! let me know if there is anything else i can help you out with!
05/05/08  10:49pm

 #1727248


LizardFreak*
View Profile



   Message To: Alleycatt   In reference to Message Id: 1726582


 I might be getting 2!

Thanks for the info!
I got the crested geckos in captivity by Robbie Hamper this Sunday so it was a good thing I got it!

Now i’m not sure when I will be able to get the geckos, my parents said I can get them after we build my other lizards their enclosures and I’m going on vacation for a whole month this summer! But I really hope I can get them soon.

Thanks again.
05/06/08  05:49pm


Back to Geckos-Crested Forum   Forums   Home   Members Area