Reptiles - Geckos, Lizards, Snakes, and Turtles!

[Koiley]

I don't think that he'd be able to eat though..he's sort of mangled his back legs from biting them, it's really strange.

But, to prevent the other from getting sick, I'll be giving her more calcium..I'm afraid she's already got it a little because another of the symptoms was hyper extending of the limbs or something. I'd seen her sit with her legs in odd positions.

Picchu died when we took him to the vet.
RIP, buddy. <3

[Temperance.]

I'm so sorry to hear this -Kiley- </3
Its heartbreaking to lose a pet, and if something happened to Rin I'd be so sad :C

Was the vet able to confirm what was wrong with Picchu? It might be good to have a solid diagnosis, just in case it might affect your other Leo. So sorry Kiley, if there's anything I can do to help just say the word.

[Koiley]

Thanks, Ash. :)
The vet said he had internal bleeding..I could see the blood through his belly skin. His spine also seemed broken or fractured. We're not really sure what caused this..either he fell off a rock (though I've never seen him climb it..) or the other gecko attacked him.

But it doesn't seem likely..we just don't know. It was really unfortunate. :<

[Temperance.]

Thats really sad ;A;
I've actually had several geckos, all of which have died except for Rin, she's my little survivor <3

First two were sick from the start, but one of them we bought when she was already pregnant -had been kept with males too long unfortunately- and she got egg bound and died. Most traumatic thing ever, blood and stuff....ughhh don't like remembering. Thats rather odd though....especially since the two of them got along fairly well for a long time right?

They like to climb at night XD Rin won't do anything during the day...but at night she sometimes keeps me awake with her climbing, so maybe he did fall and get caught somehow? I dunno, it seems very strange.

And you're welcome <3

[Country Gall]

Hey everybody, sometimes I just pop in every once in a while... And was wondering if anybody would want to give me some advice! I might get a Leopard Gecko at the end of the Summer I wanted to kinda have a little "Poll" of which one I should get!
Sooooo..... Should I get a "baby baby" one that still has it's stripes OR one that kinda already is starting to have it's spots? Thanks!

[Temperance.]

I researched for months before acquiring my Leo, and if you look up reputable breeders and other leopard gecko sites there are many wise and experienced Leo breeders/owners who could give you the best advice.

I do happen to have a fairly decent amount of knowledge on the subject though, so I'll give you as much info as I can remember.

Young Leo's are very susceptible to illness and are picky eaters. The chance of getting them as a first time pet and succeeding are quite slim. Apart from that they have more special dietary needs and are just generally not recommended for beginner Leo owners. Commercial big pet stores are also a REALLY bad place to buy Leo's. They tend to buy them as little more than hatchlings, put them on sand, and then not feed them gutloaded and good foods. As a result of this, most petstore Leo's are undernourished, calcium deficient, and often times sand impacted, all of which lead to your first Leo dying within a couple weeks. Smaller pet stores are sometimes better, but they often don't have the proper knowledge to take care of them. If you want to do it right you need a Leo about six months or older, having already shed a couple times and built up a decent amount of body fat. If the petstore is keeping them on sand go somewhere else to buy. Contrary to popular belief sand is dangerous to Leo's, since when they hunt their food they tend to scoop up a mouthful of sand along with the cricket/mealworm and then the sand particles can't make it through their digestive system.

If they are being kept on reptile carpet, tile, or another non-loose substance, the next step is to ask how old they are. Quality let stores will have the hatch date written on the tank, so be sure they're old enough TL be a good choice for buying. If the Leo is six months -a month less is acceptable I think- then ask what they are being fed. If everything thusfar checks out, you can pick the healthiest and coolest looking Leo you can find and become a proud Leo owner.

....sorry if that turned out to be a little long, I just hate it when people buy Leo's without knowing this stuff and the Leo dies, new owner gets unhappy. If you have any other questions feel free to PM me and I'll help you to the best of my abilities.

[Koiley]

The place where I got Machu and Picchu bred them there. :>

[Temperance.]

I actually bought three from a Petsmart, and two of them died within the week.
Some petstores do breed them and do a good job....it kind of depends, and so many people think that sand is native to their habitat that no one bats an eye at it. Makes me wanna cry, Leo.s are from PAKISTAN and live in ROCKY terrain. My mission? Educate people about proper Leo care.

[Country Gall]

I know HOW to take care of a leo. it is just that this will be my first time OWNING one! I have babysit my friends for 2 weeks and she is a VERY special leo, she is a rescue and she was sorta abused... So it's not the problem that I don't know how to take care of one... It is that this wil be my first time owning one! So yeah... Sorry if you thought I was yelling in my text, I was just talking. ^-^

[Temperance.]

And my comment wasn't directed at care -though it does relate to care once you OWN the Leo- But rather at what to look for when buying one. I know you were only asking about ages but....it did make me kinda anxious, since normally thats something you can learn from research and I just wanted to make sure you knew the essentials, just in case.

So yup, if you re-read what I wrote it basically tells you all the different things to look for when buying. It usually takes a lot of shopping around, and ideally you should buy from a reputable Leopard Gecko breeder, as they will have the healthiest Leo's available.

Abused Leo's require very special and unique care indeed, what happened to the Leo? Is she skittish or is their a particular physical ailment/deformity? <---this is just out of curiousity since not many rescued Leo's do well and I'm curious to hear about the one your friend owns.

And just because I feel like showing off, here's my gorgeous girl Rin <333