Gecko...i Think!

[debbie888]

OK if anyone wants to read the story behind how I came to have this gecko go to the tropical emergency section, and read the post OMG....have been told this is a gecko, and am wanting to find a home for it, I am willing to keep hold of it for now, but would prefer it to go to a new home rather than back to the pet shop...I am only willing to keep it for a few days so if anyone would like it...free to good home, then please contact me ASAP!

Debbie

 

[pike01]

can't you take it back to the shop the rock came from?

 

[debbie888]

can't you take it back to the shop the rock came from?

Well I can yes, but thought someone might beable to offer a home, no harm in asking is there?

 

[three-fingers]

I'd take it back to the shop.

Loads of people are sure to take up a free leopard gecko (as they arent as cheap as fish), but not everyone is suited to keeping lizards.

They need a heated terrarium with a UV tube and generally need to be fed live crickets that have to be dusted in calcium and vitamin powder every now and then.

I've seen too many lizards returned to stores in bad horrible condition (and from the pics in your thread, yours looks a bit skinny) because the owners never looked after them properly. So unless you know anyone who actually already keeps lizards, just return it to the store.

If your going to 'keep hold of it' for now, you will need to buy at the very least a small heat mat and some live crickets for the poor thing.
If your keeping it any longer than about a month then you will need the UV lamp and dusting supplements too.

Keeping a lizard isnt the same as keeping a hamster or rat, its not terribly hard, but does require more knowledge, understanding and equipment.

 

[pipatic]

its a leopard gecko and doesnt require uv,

 

[three-fingers]

The small amount of UVB put out by the florescent UV tubes is always a good idea because people frequently miss dusting vitamins.
Without the UVB tube to synthesise their own vitamin D, missing dustings every now and then could build up to a problem.

Also, remember UV lamps arent just for UVB, reptiles tend to be able to see different parts of the spectrum to from us, including UVA (which is the most useful function of the UV tubes IMO, as they dont provide vast amounts of UVB anyway in most cases). Not having a UV tube could be likened to removing the colour pink or blue from our vision, it affects an animals behaviour... Ever notice leopard geckos basking under UV light and wonder why?

 

[pipatic]

yup your right for lizzards in gen,
but leos are noturnal

missing dusting is down to the owner,fault, and wasnt what we were talking about,

 

[debbie888]

I will get what it needs....like I said in my other post, that is if we do decide to keep it, would be useful for someone to give me a list, at least then I know what it is going to cost me, I am new to this, but am a responsible person, have kept a range of animals over the years, but am new to reptiles, I am hoping I can buy a vivarium set up from the place I got the ornament today!

 

[three-fingers]

yup your right for lizzards in gen,
but leos are noturnal

missing dusting is down to the owner,fault, and wasnt what we were talking about,

They come out at dusk and bask, have you never seen 'nocturnal' lizard species basking? At dusk they get less UV than lizards do during the day, but they also have thinner skin to compensate.

My point about missing dusting is that if your only referring to UVB and not just the UVA that also benefits them, you could skip the UV tubes for loads of reptiles like beardies and just give them the vitamin supplements. Same as how you could avoid filters in fish tanks and just do water changes. But it's not what's best for the reptile. Just like with fish, the best way to keep reptiles is generally to aim for recreating the conditions they receive in nature as close as possible.

Ever wondered why leopard gecko kept in a tank with a UVB tube dont get MBD nearly as much?

Aside from all that, there's the UVA.
Keeping leopard geckos without UV just doesn't make sense.

 

[pipatic]

Debbie offered ya a home for it,up to you