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Scdgoofy Scdgoofy Scdgoofy KrazyKelli KrazyKelli Scdgoofy KrazyKelli Lovetheleo Scdgoofy KrazyKelli Scdgoofy MissSkyTheGecko KrazyKelli Smurfzilla |
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Scdgoofy View Profile |
What am I? Dune Gecko?
The store told us he was a baby Dune Gecko, but in researching them online, I haven’t seen anything else like him. Is he a Dune Gecko? The store also gave us a other info that doesn’t seem right... - they said he won’t climb... wrong... he’s been spotted several times up high on the decorative log in the tank - they said he’d need a special heating light and that he’d lay out under it... wrong... we’ve got the light, but he tends to stay well away from that side of the enclosure A couple other things -- he likes to lay in his tiny water bowl. Normal? Do I need to put a bigger (but shallow) dish in for swimming? I’ve been feeding him pinhead crickets dusted w/ calcium, but I’ve never seem him eat one. Do they tend to ’hunt’ at night, or are my crickets getting out? I also haven’t seen any Gecko poo, but have no idea what I’m looking for. Will it be obvious? Lastly, I’m not sure I’ve even seen him open his eyes. I see all these cool pictures of Gecko eyes, but this guy just has little black slits. He’s got a good setup. We have a 20 gal aquarium for him, with a 75 watt heating and UVA (?) light for him at one end. The other end has a curved log to hide under and his water dish. Any thoughts or comments on his identification or general care would be helpful! Thanks! -Clueless Gecko Dad http://www.flickr.com/photos/27771923@N08/2583885555/ |
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| 06/16/08 01:05pm |
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Scdgoofy View Profile |
Message To: Scdgoofy In reference to Message Id: 1762687 What am I? Dune Gecko?
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| 06/16/08 01:10pm |
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Scdgoofy View Profile |
Message To: Scdgoofy In reference to Message Id: 1762693 What am I? Dune Gecko?
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| 06/16/08 01:19pm |
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KrazyKelli View Profile |
Message To: Scdgoofy In reference to Message Id: 1762699 What am I? Dune Gecko?
Look up leopard gecko caresheets. |
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| 06/16/08 03:10pm |
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KrazyKelli View Profile |
Message To: KrazyKelli In reference to Message Id: 1762793 What am I? Dune Gecko?
To prevent impaction, keep it off loose substrates that it can fit in its mouth. Most owners prefer solid stuff. I already mentioned papertowel and repticarpet, but you can also use slate, rough tile, and non-adhesive shelf liner. To cure impaction, get out a tubbermaid container. Line it with papertowels. Water down the papertowels with warm, but not freeping hot, water. Put the leo in there for 10 to 20 minutes, twice a day, until the leo has defecated. You should have the leo lick up no more than three drops of olive oil or one drop of mineral oil - as this will help aid it along. Once it craps it should start eating again. If the leo is seriously impacted, see a vet for further assistance. Lastly, I know the calcisand bag says digestible. It isn’t. We’ve had so many deaths on the forum from that garbage due to the critter eating it, getting plugged up, and starving. 20 gallons is good, get a digital thermometer. The temps should be 92F on the warm side. You should have two normal hiding places (one on the warm side, one on the cool one) and one moist one (to aid shedding). To make a moist hiding place, line a container with moist papertowel or moist spagnum moss. The moist hide should be on the warm side. |
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| 06/16/08 03:18pm |
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Scdgoofy View Profile |
Message To: KrazyKelli In reference to Message Id: 1762800 What am I? Dune Gecko?
On that note, anybody want to buy 25 lbs of Calsisand? Paid $40 and it is only slightly used! (HA HA j/k.) |
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| 06/16/08 07:43pm |
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KrazyKelli View Profile |
Message To: Scdgoofy In reference to Message Id: 1763114 What am I? Dune Gecko?
Here’s one of my leos, Meep:
Over the year, provided your leo doesn’t have impaction - or if it does it gets through it fine and well with treatment - you’ll see the stripes on your gecko slowly become spotty, then disappear into spots completely. Some leopard geckos loose the spots entirely. I like Leos over all because they’re very easy to take care of, live forever (20 some years), and you can hand-train them. Great shoulder geckos. Though be warned that the young ones may hiss or bite, and even old ones get this moment of inspiration and can jump free. Even so, leopard geckos are very tolerant and can still be held. |
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| 06/16/08 08:47pm |
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Lovetheleo View Profile |
Message To: KrazyKelli In reference to Message Id: 1763220 What am I? Dune Gecko?
petsmart returns anything no matter what people bring in cloth dog toys to return b/c their dog chewed it!!! what the heck do they think dogs are upposed to do with dog toys? anyway just take your recipt in and tell them you dont want it if it is a different store call and ask their return policy and especially demand they return it b/c they gave you incorrect information good luck |
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| 06/16/08 09:11pm |
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Scdgoofy View Profile |
Message To: Lovetheleo In reference to Message Id: 1763261 What am I? Dune Gecko?
So now I’ve got to battle it out with the pet store. Yeah, yeah, they don’t warranty pets, but they sold me this Leopard Gecko advertised as a Dune Gecko and said Calci-sand was the best substrate they had for geckos. Oh, throw in how to deal with this with my 6 year old. Jeez... |
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| 06/17/08 01:14pm |
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KrazyKelli View Profile |
Message To: Scdgoofy In reference to Message Id: 1763868 What am I? Dune Gecko?
What pet store did you go to? Maybe we can help you find a new, more healthier leo for your son. Leopard geckos are still great pets and I say since you have everything already, you should go for it again... Just at a better store. Make this a learning experience for your son. Say that some pets are still mysterious and because of that not everyone, including some pet stores, know how to properly take care of them. Then you can encourage your son to help find more info about leopard geckos (or lizards in general) and how to properly take care of them. |
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| 06/17/08 01:54pm |
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Scdgoofy View Profile |
Message To: KrazyKelli In reference to Message Id: 1763919 What am I? Dune Gecko?
So now, we’ve got to go back with my son to pick a new Gecko that hopefully doesn’t hail from a "bad batch". Jeez... x2. Will look for one that is a bit older this time and will get some repti-carpet when the time is right. Funeral services for Lucky #1 at 7pm PST today. |
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| 06/17/08 06:12pm |
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MissSkyTheGecko View Profile |
Message To: Scdgoofy In reference to Message Id: 1764178 What am I? Dune Gecko?
But at least you learned something, right? It’s always fun learning about a new pet. I really wouldn’t get another gecko from the same pet store! Personally, I’ve never gotten a gecko from a pet store...icky. |
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| 06/17/08 06:35pm |
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KrazyKelli View Profile |
Message To: Scdgoofy In reference to Message Id: 1764178 What am I? Dune Gecko?
I still recommend you get your future leo from another petstore, but while you have seventy dollars invested in this place, it seriously would not hurt to completely deck out the tank in accessories. You could get the best type of thermometer/hydrometer, a reptile hammock or three, nice accessories, etc =] I’ll type it to you now so you aren’t left wondering in the future: Steps to Finding a Healthy Leo: When looking for a leopard gecko in your local pet store, you should take care that you end up with a healthy one. To insure this, look at the tanks in question. Is it clean? Do the leos look to be the right weight? Are there troublesome signs that the gecko may be hurt or sick? 1. The leos in question should all be roughly the same size. The one you choose should be the largest, plumpest, and most robust in that group. If the leos are pencil thin and bones are showing in the tails, then there is something wrong with them and you should avoid instant purchase. 2. Look at the leos. If you see tails and toes missing or wounds on them, nasal bubbling or discharge, shedding problems (shed stuck to the leo), bone deformities, unclear eyes, or fecal matter smeared on the backside, you should leave the lizards alone and find a better pet store. 3. Look at the tank. Has it been properly cleaned? Are there crickets running around the tank in large numbers or laying dead everywhere? Is the grounding solid (carpet) or loose (sand)? The latter, as you know, is the most important here, being that you’ve dealt with impaction. The cleanliness of the tank reflects on how often the pet shop cleans it out (which should be weekly). If it’s clear the pet shop doesn’t care about the tanks enough to scoop poop or remove uneaten bugs once in a while, then they obviously don’t care too much about what goes in them, either. The substrate thing has more to do with misinformation than the pet store trying purposefully to hurt the leos. They’re trying to sell the leos as much as they’re trying to sell the substrate products, so it only makes sense to them to put one on the other, regardless if one would hurt the other. The thing to really remember is that leopard geckos, or any terrestrial gecko, under a year old has a much larger change of ingesting what they’re on due to their new born nature of exploring everything with their best sense, their tongue. 4. Ask questions. Not to the pet store, but to people here on the internet. Try to know from many different mouths, from those who already own these pets, how to take care of them. A pet store is there to sell you products, we’re here to help. If you go to a pet store employee and ask about care, their number one option is to trick you into buying more than you need or want, and in some cases something you should not have at all. That’s their job. Information on these pets also shifts, improves, and changes over the years, so some times books may not even help you. Knowledge on the web, however, tends to keep up to date. |
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| 06/17/08 09:16pm |
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Smurfzilla View Profile |
Message To: KrazyKelli In reference to Message Id: 1764381 What am I? Dune Gecko?
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| 06/18/08 09:15am |
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