goReptiles

2012 Breeding Season

2012-01-13T17:20:00.000-08:00

I feel like I'm slacking. I haven't introduced any of my breeding crested geckos together. It's mid-January, and I'm late, but it will all work out because by the time I start seeing eggs, classes for this semester will be completed.

This year, I've reduced my breeding groups down to two groups instead of the three I had last year. I will be working with yellows and oranges again, as well as my harlies and pinstripes.

I'm, also, hoping for a few chahoua gecko babies, but we will see what happens. This is the only pairing that I've made so far, and I haven't seen much from them. Chahouas are not the easiest to breed, so I'm not sure if I will get anything my first year trying to breed the species.

I have a few babies from 2011 left available, so if anyone is interested, shoot me an email. Otherwise, it will be a late start for the 2012 breeding season. Please bare with me as I get started this year.

New Sand Boas

2011-12-18T14:41:00.000-08:00

I made a purchase with Jason at Jason's Jungle. He is great to deal with.

Anery male, het anery femal, and normal female

Stripe anery female and stripe het anery female

There are two more females somewhere in my house- 1 normal and 1 anery. They escape their original housing, to which I'm still not sure how. These guys are all tiny, so they could be anywhere. I actually had three escape, but by pure luck found one.

If anyone has any tips on finding snakes about the size of a pencil but shorter, please feel free to advise. I've checked under the fridge, under racks, between things, etc. They're somewhere, but I have no clue where.

November Dixie Reptile Show

2011-11-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

If you're going to be in the Birmingham area, November 19th, make sure to stop by the Dixie reptile show.

I'll be there with a few ball python babies, gargoyle gecko juveniles, and maybe a crested gecko or two. Most of my table will be filled with Repashy CGD, Large and XL kritter keepers, fake plants, and other supplies.

I will also bring some of my jewelry, such as earrings and bracelets.

Bring cash or credit card, I accept both.

If you want more information, check out dixiereptileshow.com

Yellow Crested Gecko Picture

2011-10-31T16:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of bright yellow and orange crested geckos. I've had a few babies this year that I've held back, and plan on waiting till next year to decide what I'm going to do with them.

I've recently purchased a new yellow crested gecko female that I hope will be a nice addition to my yellow group.This girl has a few spots, brindle patterns, and a gorgeous golden yellow color. She'll go great with my male, which is a partial pinstripe with spotting.

As you can see I'm not only a fan of yellow, but I'm a fan of yellow crested geckos with pattern.

Dwane Nimmer is awesome!

New P.I. Chahoua Geckos

2011-10-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

After playing around with a few new geckos and a random light bulb that I found in the reptile room, I snapped a few shots. These aren't the best, but it's not that easy to keep a light bulb with a gecko on it still. Neither of these two chahoua geckos have names yet, so I'm up for suggestions; when giving suggestions for gecko names, please keep in mind that I currently have Tag, Nimz, Skittles, Veyron, and Sahara. I don't generally pick reptile names based on themes.

Gecko 1 - Dervish (Name to Change. Name that was used on the breeder's website)

Gecko 2 - Honeyduke (Name to Change. Name that was used on the breeder's website)

Both geckos were purchased from Erica at Crown Jewel Reptiles.

After uploading the pictures, I'm considering renaming Honeyduke to Pixel, as every picture that I took of him, his markings looked like bad pixels. Time will tell if the name sticks.

Langley the New Leachianus Gecko

2011-10-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

Here's my newest leachianus baby. He's a temp-sexed male, but it will be a few months, at least, for me to be able to attempt to sex him. Currently, Langley is about 3 weeks old and teeny tiny.

Both Quinby and Milo were small when I got them, but Langley is crazy small.

This leachianus gecko baby is a GT Type B, which is why I'm really hoping for a male. I have had trouble finding GT Type B leachies that I like, much less males or possible males.

I have Quinby, who was supposed to be a male, but was easily sexed as a female when she arrived in her UPS box last year.

Anyway, I was having fun with geckos and light bulbs, so I thought I'd show off Langley.

Your Trash Causes Turtle Deformities

2011-10-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

It's very important that you reduce waste, utilize recycling benefits, toss trash that can't be recycled into a trash can or garbage bin, and rethink how you dispose your waste.

When you throw out your old McDonald's cup and burger wrapper, you really can't comprehend what you're doing to the environment and the animals within it. You're not giving prisoners something to do. You are creating deformed animals, sick animals, dead animals, and a bad environment for everyone.

Before you discard your trash, make sure that you consider the animals and environment around you. When you toss out 6 pack rings and any other type of ring, make sure that you cut them so that they no longer create an enclosed area.

When a small turtle swims or climbs through the ring, get stuck, which will inhibit proper growth as their exoskeletons grow around the ring. Fish, mammals, and birds ingest these plastic rings, causing digestion blocks and death.

Milk jug ring surrounds the shell of this female snapping turtle

Your pollution harms sea and all water life.

Corkbark for Sale

2011-10-13T15:27:00.000-07:00

I have this extra-large piece of cork bark available for sale. It was much larger than I had intended, and I don't feel like cutting it into smaller pieces.

The piece measures about 4.5" at the shortest point and 8" at the tallest point. The inner core is about 7", excluding the actual bark.

I'm asking $15 for this piece. Shipping is additional.

Used Reptile Clamp Light Fixtures for Sale

2011-10-11T13:40:00.000-07:00

I'm cleaning out some of my supplies that I no longer use. I haven't gotten very far in my search, but I'm starting with these used clamp light fixtures. Both work and are in good conditions. I didn't use them for very long. You'll get great usage from either fixture.

I've used the stock images below, so that you can see what exactly I have available.

Each fixture is $5 plus shipping. I will be vending at the Dixie Birgminham show in November, for free pickup.

Zilla Clamp Lamp holds up to 150V bulbs
Retails about $21

Exo Terra Clamp Lamp holds up to 120V bulbs
Retails about $20

Repashy Seller

2011-10-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to remind everyone how great the Repashy Superfoods line of products is for Rhacs and other animals.

Recently, there have been additions to the line, to include Bug Burger and Hydro-Load, which are both great products when rearing your own feeder insects.

Also, keep in mind that more chameleon and day gecko breeders are starting to introduce Repashy meal replacement into the diet of their animals.

There are new flavors to include peach, mango, fig, and banana. If you're not sure how your rhacodactylus will like these flavors, the original, strawberry-banana, is still offered.

I try to keep stock in original CGD, but I also try to keep a few flavors, such as strawberry, mango, and peach. I'm going to start keeping stock in the Repashy Super Hatch, as well as the calcium and vitamin supplements.

I try to keep competitive prices for all prices.

Red For Tortoises for Sale

2011-10-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

I am having to downsize my collection a little. I have two tortoises that I'm willing to sell to a good home. One is a northern red foot, and the other is a Brazilian cherryhead red foot tortoise.

I'm not too happy about having to downsize my tortoise collection, but I'm trying to downsize all of my reptile collection. I've recently sold one of my leachianus geckos to a good home in Birmingham, Alabama. I will soon begin selling a chahoua or two, as well as a few breeding crested geckos. I am holding back most of what 2010 and 2011 crested geckos I have left.

First is Queenie, the temp-sexed female red foot tortoise. She hatched 1/22/11.

$100

The Brazilian is un-named. It is not temp-sexed for any particular gender; hatched on 2/15/11. I will get a better picture upon request. The tortoise would not come out of its shell, but you can see the red coloring of the legs and head.

$150

I prefer a local pick-up, but I will drive half-way, up to 2 hours for a confirmed sale. I would rather not ship tortoises.

September 17 Dixie Reptile Show

2011-09-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

It's that time again. The original Birmingham show is back this month, and I'll be attending. I didn't think that I was going to make it, but it turns out I will be in town.

If you'll be in Birmingham, Alabama this weekend, make sure to stop by and visit the monthly reptile show that Terry Heurig prepares.

If you're not sure where the show is located, check the official website: Dixie Reptile Show

Leopard Gecko Stuck Shed

2011-09-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

Leopard geckos are pretty hardy animals. When given proper housing and diet, they tend to live long lives, but there are times when you may have concerns about the health of your leopard gecko.

Generally, they will shed completely and will eat all, or most, of their old skin. When your leopard gecko leaves some of their skin, you may find that the gecko could either 1) be ill or 2) have improper housing.

It's always best to include a humid hide when your leopard gecko is in shed, so to aid in the process.

If your leopard gecko doesn't normally have problems shedding, I wouldn't worry about one or two mishaps, but if it becomes a constant problem with stuck shed or the bulk of the shed lying about the enclosure, you may need to consider what could be going on with your leopard gecko's health.

My Gecko Didn't Shed Properly - Leopard Gecko Problems Shedding

Tortoise Tattoo

2011-09-06T09:30:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post a picture of my tortoise tattoo. It was a birthday present to myself back in July. The picture was taken right after completion, so I need a new picture to update with, but this is all I have right now.

The center of the tortoise shell includes the South Korean flag, as my grandmother is from Seoul, South Korea.

Pictures of Red Foot Tortoises

2011-09-03T12:48:00.000-07:00

I took the babies out today, as it wasn't overly hot. I took them out in shifts, as I always tend to misplace one or two when all 10 red foots go outside. Even still, I managed to misplace Yertle, but I did find him on the second shift of babies.

I've included just a few pictures of my red foot tortoises. You may be able to spot the Brazilian cherryhead tortoises over the normal Northern red foots.

Split Scutes

2011-08-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Both turtles and tortoise may be born with split scutes. There is nothing wrong with a turtle with split scutes, and this does not hinder the health in any manner.

I have three tortoises with split scutes, and these guys eat, sleep, and explore just like the rest.

Split scutes may come in a variety of appearances, from a zipper-back appearance, one or two extra scutes, many extra scutes, etc. As you can see to the right, Scuttle, one of my red foot tortoises, has many extra scutes; instead of the average of 13 scutes.

There is no defined reason as to why split scutes arise. Some believe it has to do with high incubation temperatures, whereas others believe it may have to do with genetics.

In most cases, a split scute will take up the same space as one regular sized/shaped scute. In other cases, it may reach into the area of two scutes.

News in Personal Life

2011-08-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

I'm extremely sad to say that my boyfriend of 2.5 years has broken up with me. Given that I'm having some issues processing and comprehending what's going on with my life, and of course he's of no help as to why this relationship ended so quickly and out of the blue.

But anyway, with the added stress in my life, I have decided to sell some of my reptiles. I'll be releasing pictures of at least one leachianus gecko, chahoua, a breeding trio of crested geckos, and three proven female gargoyle geckos.

goReptiles Joins Etsy

2011-08-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

It's been some time coming, but I've finally started up my store on Etsy. It's pretty simple, but I should be adding more to it, so that it is more appeasing to the eye.

Check it out : goReptiles Etsy

I will be updating with more products this weekend.

On a regular basis, you will find keychains, collegiate keychains, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and various supplies.

Tonga the Sulcata

2011-07-13T08:27:00.000-07:00

Tonga is my new tortoise. I have wanted a sulcata for some time, and even had my doubts and reservations. When it came down to it, I knew I just wouldn't be happy with a leopard tortoise or another larger tortoise species.

I found this 12-13 month old tortoise, and got her/him. The gender is still unknown, but what is known is that this is a nice looking tortoise. The scutes are a little raised, but nothing too terrible. There is an extra scute in the back, but again, nothing to stress. (I have two red foot tortoises with extra scutes).

I will defintely post better and more pictures when I have my camera. For now all I have is the one shot with my cell phone.

sulcata update

2011-07-09T13:54:00.001-07:00

So, the husband of Tortles sold all three of their sulcata babies. Oh well. The wife wanted me to get one, but she wasn't at the table when he sold them. I guess it wasn't meant to be. Still time to prepare and find the perfect one.

Maybe an ivory will fall in my lap. Ha.

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selling not buying at a reptile show

2011-07-09T12:50:00.001-07:00

I'm supposed to be selling. I've sold one gecko and donated one to the usark auction.

I may come home with most of my animals plus a sulcata tortoise and a Mexican red leg tarantula.

Looks like Dixie here I come. Next week I will be in Birmingham at the Dixie reptile show.

There has been loads of traffic at the Atlanta Repticon, but that's been about it. The vendors around me haven't sold much either. Same with a vendor down the way that I know from the pangea reptile forum. Just appears more walk throughs than buyers. Here's for hoping for a better day tomorrow, selling more products and jewelry and at least a few animals.

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Attending a Reptile Show

2011-07-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

If you've never been to a reptile show, you'll want to make sure that you know what to do, how to act, and proper etiquette.

First off, vendors are there not just to make money, but to ensure that their animals and hard work is going to be taken care of in a good home. They expect you to know a little or at least to inquire about care. Many vendors will actually have care sheets available, so if you're considering buying something, it doesn't hurt to ask for a care sheet in case one is available.

Ask questions if you aren't sure.

Personally, I'm not a fan of seeing customers dressed poorly. Now, I'm not saying wear your best Sunday clothes, but dirty, holey, and stained clothes tells me that you do not care about your appearance, and may not care about properly for the animals. That may sound snobby, but I'm sorry. Tee shirt and jeans, I'm all for it, but stained and dirty clothes is a turn off. Luckily, I haven't seen too many people dress this way.

Haggling is ok, but never try to undercut drastically. All vendors price their animals to what they feel is appropriate and what they think the animals are worth, minus a little competitive pricing. If an animal is priced fairly at $25, it may not be the best idea to offer $10 unless you're buying multiples. (By fairly priced, I mean around average for that species and morph.)

I don't mind bargaining and coming up with a price that is fair for both me and you, but I don't want to be taken advantage of.

I don't recommend talking poorly about a vendor's animals in front of the vendor. If you believe that the animals are sick or not taken care of properly, find someone in charge of the event. If you tell the vendor, it may create a scene, depending on the vendor and his/her defensiveness over the animals.

For the most part, be polite and patient. Sometimes there are a lot of people at one table, so you may have to wait your turn to speak with someone. Treat the vendors and other customers as you want to be treated.

Atlanta Repticon July 2011

2011-06-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

I will have not one but two tables at the July Repticon in Atlanta. I am super excited. I'm really hoping that I can make up my costs for the tables.

In January, my table felt cramped, and the past few Dixie shows have been cramped with one table. I've added a few things since January, so I figured, I'd go big with two tables.

Expect to see 2010 and 2011 unsexed crested geckos, unsexed 2011 gargoyle geckos, sub-adult gargoyle geckos, and possibly adult crested geckos. I will, also, have my jewelry, which will include choker necklaces and earrings, as well as lampwork necklace and earring sets. I will have toys for kids, a few decal cups, hopefully decal beer mugs, various books, and whatever else I can come up with.

More than likely, the stuff will make my sales worth the trip, but I'm hoping to find homes for some animals too. I won't be able to bring too many 2011 babies because most of my cresteds are just now hatching. I have an incubator full, and many of what has hatched has been more recent. Depending on their sizes right before the show, will depend on who and how many 2011's actually make the trip.

Anyway! Come see me in Atlanta. I'll have goodies for all!

Kenyan Sand Boa Bite

2011-06-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

I was feeding the snakes last night, and apparently one of my Kenyans was so hungry, he grabbed my finger before even seeing I had a fuzzy mouse.

It didn't feel all that great, but as always, I had to take a picture or two.

All snakes can and will bite, so when picking out a pet snake for you or your child, all you can do is do the research for a good beginner snake.

Kenyan sand boas are great beginner snakes, as they are a slower and smaller snake, but as you can see, they do bite. Younger snakes tend to be more nippy, and this guy is about a year old. He's never bitten or tried to bite before, but never say never.

Always keep in mind that no mater what snake you bring home and no matter what size the snake is, you always want to supervise children when handling snakes.

If you your pet snake does bite you, I have found that running cold water over the snake's mouth, where it's latched onto you, will entice the snake to release. Basically, the snake must choose from breathing or drowning. The snake will release fairly quickly, and you can move back to whatever you were doing, handling, feeding, cleaning, etc.

Ball Python Babies

2011-06-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty stoked. I purchased a lot of 25 ball pythons. These are normals, but who doesn't like a normal ball python. In the day where everyone wants to create some rare and expensive, we can always fall back on a normal.

I have a friend who believes that one day, the normals will be so hard to find that their price will start to climb again.

I bought these ball pythons wholesale from Josh at Outback Reptiles. I was leery at first, but decided that the comments on Fauna BOI, were sufficient for me to take the change. I've got some of them feeding on F/T fuzzies, but the others are feeding on live.

I will probably hold back a few of them that stand out, but for the most part all of the ball python babies will be for sale. If you are interested, please contact me for prices. I have males and females, and I will guarantee the sex.

25 ball python babies. All were separated after this picture. I just needed somewhere to put them while unboxing

Baby BP in forefront, is one that is prone to strike.

A few 2011 Crested Gecko Babies

2011-06-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post a few pictures of babies I have hatched this year. Now, that I have some time, here they are.

Yellow group:

Red Group:

I knew that I was going to have nice babies from my yellow group, but I did not know what to expect. I am hoping that they will turn more yellow, and I expect that they will, as everyone in my yellow group is a solid yellow. The male is a pinstripe, and one of the females is a partial pinner. I am stoked with this project, and will be holding back all crested geckos from my yellow group. This will make my sales at shows limited, but I want to see what I get before I start selling those from this group. Selfish, but hey, I put in the work and money, I deserve it. Ha.

Getting Prepared for Repticon

2011-06-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

I know the Repticon show in Atlanta is still a month away, but I'm trying to prepare now more than ever. I bought two tables, but I still need to find hotel accommodations, which depends on whether I decide to drive up Friday night or Saturday morning.

I have purchased more Solo deli cups today to ensure that I have enough. I don't have too many from the last show. These cups are nicer to use because they are clearer. I generally ship reptiles in the Twin-Pack or Fabri-Cal cups, as they're cheaper. I, also, use these cheaper cups at the Dixie show. They do fine, but since Repticon is a bigger show, I'd rather something a little nicer, and $100 later after buying two sizes of cups and lids, as well as cup liners, I've got what I need.

I am still working on more jewelry, as the jewelry seemed to be a big hit back in January. I even bought a few more displays for earrings and bracelets. I need to get a few decals printed for my beer mugs, and decide if I want to do more cups. I seem to be holding on to the last few that I have from January.

The toys and books are all packed up and ready to go.

Now, all I need to do is get animals ready. I know that I'll have gargoyle geckos and crested geckos there for sale, but I may also buy a group of ball pythons to bring with me, since my geckos are just now starting to hatch in larger numbers.

I'm really hoping that I make a larger profit, especially since I'll be spending more money with two tables instead of just one. But, I figure by spreading out the products and animals a little better, people can better view everything. When the products are all bunched up, it's hard to scan, which means lower sales. If people can't see anything at first glance they may be interested in, they keep walking.

feeding kenyan boas

2011-06-08T07:18:00.001-07:00

I am pretty excited. The two kenyan boas are starting to feed steadily on f/t fuzzy mice. This is quite promising, but I will probably still sell the male in order to get a nicer one.

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Buy Silkworms Online

2011-06-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

CoastalSilkworms.com

Silkworms make great feeder insects for your insect-eating reptiles. Leopard geckos, bearded dragons, chameleons, and so many other reptiles love these worms.

The problem is that they aren't readily available, so you generally have to purchase them online.

Mulberry Farms
Coastal Silkworms
Silkworm Shop

These feeder insects can grow up to 3 inches and length, which make them great for many different reptiles and amphibians.

Another great feature about feeding your pet(s) silkworms is the basic nutritional benefits. Silkworms are a great source of calcium, proteins, iron, magnesium, sodium, and vitamins B1, B2, and B3. When compared to other popular feeders, such as crickets, silkworms have less fat and phosphorus and more calcium and protein.

If you're not a fan of the prices, as yes these feeders can be priced higher than crickets and mealworms, then you may want to consider silkworms as an occassional treat. You don't always have to feed the same ole insects to your pets. Remember that variety is the key to health.

Other great benefits to feeding silkworms to your pets, include:

No additional stink.
Soft bodied for easier digestion.
Cannot move quickly, jump, fly, or get away from your pet.
Do not make noises.
Longer lifespan than other feeder insects.

Successful Kenyan Boa Feeding

2011-05-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Last night, I finally got both Kenyan Sand boas to eat F/T. I felt very accomplished. I've tried brained f/t mice, hot and dried ones, wiggling them, and nothing worked. What worked? Drying off the F/T fuzzy mouse and bouncing it on the bedding. I have heard of this technique before, but I just haven't tried it, nor have I thought about it till yesterday.

Once the female snatched hers, she drug it through the cage... And, don't worry I took her out and while she focused on "killing" it, I took the aspen off.

Here's a picture of the male Kenyan sand boa eating his mouse.

After Dixie Results

2011-05-21T13:50:00.001-07:00

The show was pretty good. I sold 7 geckos, good bit of CGD, and some other nick nacks.

I have three 2010 crested geckos left and a female gargoyle gecko.

I may not make it to next month's show. I may just wait for the July repticon show in Atlanta.

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Dixie Reptile Show

2011-05-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

I'll be traveling to Birmingham this Saturday. We're going to switch it up and get up early Saturday morning instead of leaving late Friday. I'm hoping to save money on the hotel, and make a few extra bucks in sales.

I'll only be bringing books, animals, CGD, and fake plants, to sell. I found out last month that the reptile toys and jewelry just wasn't as big of a hit in Birmingham as it is in Atlanta at Repticon.

If you're going to be in the area, stop by!

Tarantula Growth

2011-05-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

I just have a quick post showing the growth of my salmon bird eater tarantula. She was about a month old when I got her. I think she's growing so slow from what I've heard, but she eats when she's fed.

I can't wait for her to get even bigger. She's so cool. I hope to be able to upload a few pictures that I took with my good camera, and not my cell phone, but for now, this is all that I've got.

Red Foot Pictures

2011-05-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

I had the red foot tortoises outside yesterday, and while they enjoyed the sunny and good weather, I snapped a few shots.

I had a few staged ones and a few natural ones, but with the grass in need of a trim, it was hard to get good natural pictures of the tortoises.

I wanted to get pictures of all four tortoises together, showing their carapaces and colors.

Below, you can see them in order from right to left- Yertle (Brazilian red foot), Scuttle (Northern red foot), Uno (Brazilian), and Lui (Columbian).

Lui may not keep the name, but for now, that's what I'm calling him. I thought he fit the name, but now that I'm getting to see him with the others, it just isn't him... I mean, that's not saying the Yertle is a Yertle, but that name just stuck. Lui is just a gender-specific name, that I'm not sure I want to keep associated with the tortoises, since it will be a while until I will know the gender.

Here's one of the natural shots that I took. This is Yertle trying to hide in the grass.

2011 hatchlings

2011-04-20T08:39:00.001-07:00

My season has officially started with with the hatchling of one gargoyle and two crested gecko babies.

The gargoyle gecko baby is a cute banded that may end up a reticulated.

The two crested gecko babies are a nice red coloring.

Keep watch as I post these guys and others when they are big enough to ship and go to new homes.

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New Tortoise

2011-04-16T20:29:00.001-07:00

I ended up coming home with a new pet... A columbian red foot.

Vicki with The Tortoise Yard is great. She has some of the red foots that I've ever seen. I wanted one of her regular red foot babies thst had a solid neon head and near solid red legs, but I kept waiting. I should have got him the second time I looked, but did not.

She sold him by the time I got bavk the third time.

It was fine bc I told her the first time I looked that I hoped she sold it so I didnt have to buy him... But I really wanted that one. I have never seen a regular red dh oot with no Brazilian in it so red.

I ended up determined to buy one today bc I had sat at my table so long thinking of it.

I debated one getting two, but ended up with one with odd yellow scutes, wich I could not get a good picture of with my tablet. The scutes sre brown, yellow, and a neon. I know the carapace will change greatly, but that really did it for me.

He has a pumpkin colored head and a decent amount of red on the legs.

Vicki said she hopes the baby has dad's legs and mom's personality... Me too.

I can see myself buying another from Vicki.

I now have four red foots. 2 Brazilian and 2 Columbian. 2 with extra scutes (1 Columbian and 1 is Brazilian), 2 with normal scutes (1 is Columbian and 1 Brazilian).

I love my tortoises.

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Dixie Reptile Show

2011-04-16T09:33:00.001-07:00

I'm at the Dixie Reptile Show I. Birmingham, AL. The show is going so slow. The people on my left have boas mostly, and haven't sold but one or two. The people on my right have a wide assortment and have been selling great.

Me... I've sold one crested gecko, one 4 ounce bag of CGD, and two cups.

I have no where near made my table fees, much less hotel.

On top of that I will probably be coming home with a new red foot tortoise.

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Snake Calm the Soul

2011-04-13T13:40:00.001-07:00

There is something about keeping pet snakes that is calming. I find when I have a bad day, going home to my snakes makes things a little better.

When I am having a bad day,there have been times when I have found myself thinking about one of my snakes and the feel of calm that I get.

Recently, I acquired a pairof sand boas, which I had out for mental relief.

I don't know what it is.

Does anyone else get this wave of calmness when handling their snake(s)?

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Leachianus for Sale

2011-04-07T05:23:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking about selling Milo, one of my leachianus geckos. I have not made my decision 100% yet, but it is in my mind.

I just don't have the room for 5 leachianus geckos, 5 chahouas, gargoyles, and crested geckos.

I hate to do it, which is why I'm still debating.

He is a Pine Isle x Super Nuu Ana mix.

Vending at a Reptile Show

2011-04-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

Whether you're a reptile/amphibian breeder or wholesaler, reptile shows can be a great place to get your name out in the public and build your reputation.

For smaller hobby breeders, like myself, I have a few recommendations to help boost sales and to bring home the most profit.

Price your animals according to the show. For smaller shows, you'll find people want cheaper prices, and at bigger shows, there will be more odds for people willing to pay a little more for that better quality.
Have a variety of animals, or a variety of things to attract people to your table. (Take that as you wish).
Consider bringing a pet to have available for people to handle. (This isn't my favorite form of attraction, but it seems to work for others who have larger pets or who are willing to take out their animals for anyone to hold. Just be careful of people handling animals at other tables and then coming to handle yours.)
Have business cards available. If you don't have 'fancy' cards, you can always purchase business card stock paper at Office Max, Office Depot, Staples, etc. and print a homemade card with your name, number, and email address on it. Something is better than nothing.
Have care sheets available for the animals that you are selling.
Consider your attire. If you look sloppy, slutty, or gross, you'll find people will avoid your table. Wear clothes without stains, make sure to bath the night before or the morning of, and just be presentable.
Wear a smile on your face.
Keep standing when people are at your table or coming to you.
Don't stay on your cell phone constantly.
Don't eat while people are at your table. If you are with someone vending together, take turns with breaks (you eat while the other person speaks to customers, and vice versa.)

worried about tortoise

2011-04-03T18:50:00.001-07:00

Yertle one of my Brazilian red foots flipped himself over Saturday when leaving the food tile. When I got home and saw him, I immediately flipped him back over.

I just got home and checked on him, and I don't know...

I will feed and soak the all in the morning and hope to see a difference.

I'm really glad I checked on them before I went out of town Saturday, as he would have been upside down for two days.

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bull snake

2011-04-02T09:00:00.001-07:00

I am at a super small local show, and a vendor has a nice bull snake. She has hissed all morning.

I held her and love her and want her.

I do not have space.

The guy who has her has called me the snake whisperer bc she was so docile with me and she makes him so nervous.

Time to find space. The number is in my pocket and ready to dial when I can find room.

***

Otherwise, the show is slow. I have sold two animals and a few products. It wasn't all bad, as I made my money back from the table.

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new kenyan sand boas

2011-04-01T12:46:00.001-07:00

These are my two new sand boas. The male is in shed, but appears like he may have past shed issues. We will see. Both appear hardy. I will try feeding Monday.

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My helper

2011-03-29T17:38:00.001-07:00

Bella watched while I cleaned and fed today. Shes always been very interested in my other pets. Curious but never mean.

I do not recommend putting reptiles with other pets unless 120% positive all will be safe, and even then be extra careful.

I trust Bella with all my animals. I had more worry of Mirrah, one of my leachianus geckos than the dog.

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Sand Boa

2011-03-26T13:19:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking more and more about getting a pair of sand boas. I had three teeny ones last year, but they were ill and not a one lived. I did what I could to get them to eat, and once consistent, they stopped and died.

I found a pair of yearlings for sale that I'm thinking about getting. These would be much hardier than the 3 week old ones that I purchased last year.

I will definitely keep updated on my decision.

Approved License

2011-03-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

I meant to update yesterday after my meeting, but I completely forgot.

I was approved for my Georgia Pet Dealer's License. I'm pretty excited to finally be legal. The inspector said that he doesn't have any other reptile breeders in his territory. He brought another inspector with him, as they were going to some meeting together, and she said she didn't have any either.

Well, reptile breeding is more of a hobby than a business, so there aren't many people who do it, much less many who actually report it.

Technically, you don't have to report it unless you're selling within the state, like at animal expos or to pet stores or whatnot. If you solely sell online, technically you could get away with it.

Either way, I want to be legal, so all is well. :-)

Ready for Inspection

2011-03-22T06:27:00.000-07:00

I've cleaned about all that I can clean. I've organized about all that I can organize. I've even rearranged the reptile room.

I am as ready for my inspection as I can be. I'm excited to finally get this over with.

What stinks is that I think my grandmother is coming over when the inspector comes, per my mother's instructions. That makes me feel like I can't handle it. It also makes me feel like I look incompetent to be in control and in charge of my animals.. I know she's got her coming over in case something happens, but goodness, an older lady and small 23year old.... Anyway....

GA Pet Dealers License

2011-03-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

If you live in the state of Georgia and breed animals, whether it be a reptile, bird, mammal, dog, or cat, you are supposed to have a pet dealer license. Well, I've held back as long as I can. I'm finally getting my license.

I have a meeting with the inspector on Tuesday. He will look at my reptile room and peruse my sales. He'll probably ask a few questions, and be on his way. I've set this weekend aside to straighten up my reptile room in attempts to rid it of any excess that's in the way.

The time spent rearranging my reptile room is well needed. I tend to do a little here and a little there, but I'm really taking the time to clean up this weekend.

I'm even going to use a new paint that has anti-microbials in it to help reduce smells and whatnot. I'll only be painting the trim and door of the room, so we'll see if it does any good. I still live at home with my parents for the time being, so painting the entire room was something my father turned down. Even though I promised to remove all the wall paper myself, he still wasn't going for it. Tomorrow, I'll be removing all reptiles from the room and painting.

I will definitely update as to whether it works or not. The room really gets most of its smell from the feeder insects that are in there, so let's not get the wrong impression that my animals aren't being housed properly. And, let's not get the impression that the house smells. It's a faint smell, that is most strongest right after cleaning (the smell doesn't last long before fading).
Anyway, I thought I'd update everyone on my new adventure of my pet dealer license. I'm pretty excited about it. I'll be making it worth-while, vending at more shows in Georgia, since it's not really necessary to vend elsewhere. Although, I will be trying to get to more shows elsewhere once I really start getting the hang of vending..

New Female Chahoua

2011-03-17T09:21:00.000-07:00

Here are quick cell phone pictures of my new female P.I Chahoua. This girl is 8 months old, and so pretty. I'm hoping Tag turns into a he, as the reds on him/her would be great with this one.

She still needs a name, so I'm open to suggestions. My other chahouas are Tag, Nimz, Veyron, and Skittles.

For now, this is the last chahoua I will be getting. I need to find out the genders of the ones that I have. So far they all look female, which is a bummer. I'd like at least one or two males. I was hoping for pairs instead of larger groups, but time will tell.

As for an update on Veyron and Skittles, they are still acclimating, so I haven't gotten good pictures of them yet. They are calm and docile, but still not big eaters. They'll eat the lateralis no problem, but eating the CGD from a bowl, isn't their thing. The breeder was hand-feeding, which I don't have time for. They'll eat if I hold them and the bowl, but both need to grow out of that. I may need to put them in smaller tubs to see if that will affect their ability to find food, although I know they are traveling the tub, just not eating.

f/t mice

2011-03-14T13:44:00.001-07:00

Here is a bowl of f/t mice. I find this the easiest feeding method. These mice hang out in my freezer, and I dont have to worry about what to do if my snakes don't want to eat their meal.

There isn't any worry about feeding uneaten feeders. Plus, my snakes won't be harmed in the process.

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2010 Crested Gecko Holdbacks for Sale

2011-03-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

I am posting two of my holdbacks. I need the room, and I still have many 2010 crested geckos still available. I've decided that I don't have future projects that will suit either of these geckos, so I'm welcoming them to go to a good home.

Gecko to left ($75); Gecko to right ($100)

Selling Reptiles Online

2011-03-08T13:14:00.000-08:00

If you're getting into breeding reptiles, it is always a smart idea to research before you start. You don't want to set up several pairs of geckos, lizards, snakes, etc, and not have a means to sell the offspring.

Many people try selling locally to various pet shops or even on Craigslist.

I have had much better luck with finding good homes for my offspring via online sources.

Fauna Classifieds and Kingsnake are probably my two favorite places to post ads. Fauna is free to post, but with a purchased account, you have more options and features. Kingsnake is a purchased account no matter how you go about it. I've had luck on both, so I recommend posting on both reptile sites.

Other places to post ads include reptile forums. Geckoforums and Pangea Forum are great places to post geckos for sale, but you may consider Tortoise Forums for selling turtles and tortoises. There are many different forums thaty ou may want to try, and you'll find that if you can find more specific forums to post reptiles that you have available. Basically, it wouldn't be a good idea to post geckos on a frog forum and hope for as good of a result with posting on a gecko forum.

I have not tried, but I have heard of a few keepers using Reptile Auctions to sell their reptiles and amphibians.

Gargoyle Geckos for Sale

2011-02-21T16:28:00.000-08:00

I have five gargoyle gecko babies for sale. They are from Repashy stock and about 4 weeks old. They are all five unsexed babies.

Sold

$50

$60

$45

$55

New P.I. Chahoua Geckos

2011-02-17T17:15:00.000-08:00

I was able to get my two PI chahouas finally! Barbara with Creepy Exotics is awesome to work with, and as you can see by these two, possible females, here geckos are just as great!

Skittles

Veyron

Pictures of Gargoyle Geckos

2011-02-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

I didn't get very good pictures tonight as I put up the gars, but here are a few shots that I managed to get that weren't too,too bad. I hope by the weekend, I can get good shots. Many of them were in shed. I have high hopes for one of the female juveniles that appears to be a nice red stripe.

Here's the run down of what I ended up with.

Adults: 1 female stripe, 3 female retics of varying color and pattern, and 1 male retic.
Juvies: 1 female orange blotch, 1 female red stripe, and 1 female stipe (nice yellows)
Babies: 3 stripes, 1 blotch, and 1 retic banded

new gargs

2011-02-16T09:22:00.001-08:00

Check out these monsters!!

I got my order from repashy today, and these are awesome. I got three breeding retic, one stripe, and a blotch.

Of the juvies, I received a red stripe in shed, a yellow tinted retic, and an Orange blotch. And the babies are stripes and retics.

I will post good pictures this weekend when they have called down and relaxed.

My current and past gargoyle must have been dwarfs when compared to these adults!

I can't wait to see what the females lay, as they are supposedly already breeding and look gravid and fat.

So stoked

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Nee Geckos

2011-02-14T10:14:00.001-08:00

If all goes well with the weather this week, I should be getting several geckos in. I expected five breeding gargoyle geckos, three juvenile females, five babies. I should also get my two chahouas.

I finally cut down my enclosures just in time to drastically increase them.

Eek.

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Back into gargs

2011-02-11T17:36:00.001-08:00

I am pretty excited. I have purchased a breeding group of gargoyle geckos, as well as three juveniles and five babies.

More than likely, the babies well be put up for sale, but I havent decided whether I will keep or resell the juvies.

The breeder, Allen Repashy, is going to try and send three female juveniles, which I may group with my current male when they are breedable. Time will make my decision.

I have had my male since egg, but I have sold all other gargoyle geckos since then. I am quite hopeful and excited about my newly rekindled project.

What is great is that the breeding group is already laying, which means I should have baby gargoyle geckos for sale this year.

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Tips for Frog Keepers

2011-02-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

Although, I currently do not have any frogs, I have had pacman frogs before, and let me tell you that they are not the most entertaining pet in the world. Frogs are very interesting, and depending on the amount of time you have to devote, they can be great pets. I mean, I have seen gorgeous firebelly toad enclosures, that not only create a naturalistic enclosure for the toads, but creates great entertainment to watch and it's nice to look at.

But, if you don't have much time, a simple pacman frog enclosure isn't going to be much fun, and the frog just won't enteract with you like a gecko may. Either way, for those people who are interested in keeping pet frogs, I'd definitely want to keep in mind the following tips and suggestions before you eitehr dehydrate or fry your pet frog to death.

1. Frogs have very sensitive skin, so you want to be very careful of what you clean the enclosure with; do not use household cleaners. You also want to be careful of what contaminants are on your hands before and after handling a frog.

2. Do not mix species, and before housing more than one from in an enclosure, make sure that you know the species that you're caring for and understand that some frogs will eat other frogs, such as with Pacman frogs.

3. Before getting your first frog, make sure that you do the research from the beginning. You don't want to pick out a frog that will croak all night long, keeping you awake, and if you want an active frog, you don't want to purchase a slug, like the Pacman that just sits and eats.

When choosing a pet frog, you want to make sure that you do your research. Consider firebelly toads, Whites' tree frogs, green tree frogs, and pacman frogs are good beginner frog species to get you started.

Stereotype Reptile People

2011-02-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

So many people stereotype reptile keepers that the assumption is that those people who keep reptiles have tattoos and piercings and are essentially of a goth or emo type person.

Well, I've never thought that, but my conclusions were definitely set when I vended at the Atlanta Repticon show January 29th and 30th.

I saw loads of goths and emo kids and adults, as well as preps and moms who really don't like reptiles. I met many people who wore jeans and a tee, but I also saw those in leopard and snakeskin prints. I met not only white people, but black, Hispanic, and Asian. I saw and met many men, women, children, and older people.

There were teachers, mechanics, retired people, stay at home moms, and everything in-between.

Reptile people are diverse. There is no stereotype for a reptile person except for their love and fascination of reptiles and amphibians.

I mean, taking myself into consideration. I do have tattoos and piercings, but I'm not a goth or emo. I have a normal desk job. I write, work on craft projects, and diligently complete school work. I love my jeans with a t-shirt or my leggings with a dress. I'm the girl next door... Sort of.

And, my boyfriend who also attended the show and is getting more and more into reptiles and the overall scene... He is a country boy who likes hunting, watching college football, and is known for his Polo brand shirts. He isn't even the most animal-loving person in the world, although he does like animals.

You just can't stereotype and group reptile keepers into one group of people. we are diverse!

post repticon experience

2011-01-30T15:46:00.001-08:00

Saturday was ok with four geckos sold, one being donated to USArk; Sunday, I sold more geckos.

Overall, I found out that pink reptile cups are not as popular as the other three colors-lime green, blue, and black. I also found out that snake earrings are popular and favored.

I may try to make it to the July Repticon, but it all depends on animal inventory.

Overall, a great first experience for my second ever show vending at

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repticon after the show auction

2011-01-29T14:24:00.001-08:00

We have decided to stay for the usark auction after the show. Just a support deal, but my boyfriend intends to buy

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first eggs of the season

2011-01-25T15:53:00.001-08:00

I found my first crested gecko egg for 2011. I have it in the incubator although I do not think it is fertile.

other news... Atlanta repticon is this upcoming weekend. I am slowly getting ready, amongst my other normal weekly duties.

I'm also trying to get some jewelry ready, as well.

It is a busy week with a coworker out at work, a take home midterm to work on, a paper tow start, and regular homework and reptile duties.

The show couldn't have come ay a worse time, but I hope u am preparing and getting everything as well as I can.

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Album for show is done

2011-01-21T16:58:00.001-08:00

The album is not perfect, but I have a nice assortment of pictures to offer people to view.

I may set up a digital photo frame, but I am undecided on that right now.

I am now wishing I had bought an album with the note area per picture, but I figure I will buy a few and start working on species albums.

That, or maybe I will work on scrap books. I have been wanting to get back into those as well as the jewelry.

Soon, I will try to upload a few pictures from the album.

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New Chahoua Geckos

2011-01-19T06:25:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, I do not have these guys in my home just yet, but as soon as the weather warms, I will have them. Until then, they are safe and growing with their breeder- Barbara Gebert, with Creepy Exotics.

I am stoked about these little guys, who I purchased before the new year, hence their holiday picture above. Barbara gave me permission to post the pictures that she sent to me. This one is probably my favorite that shows both geckos in the same picture. It's the clearest of the pictures showing both geckos.

But, anyway, these are two of my three new chahoua geckos. They are Pine Isle chahouas.

Neither of these have names, yet, but I've been working it since payment back in December. If you have any ideas, please feel free to share.

number 5

2011-01-13T19:35:00.001-08:00

I was not looking for more geckos, but I happened upon a little guy that is perfect!! I emailed and PM-ed on the spot. I have to have that gecko.

I am super stoked. I am getting that gecko.

This gecko is a P.I from Tremper lines. The breeder is Dan with Krypyic Rhacs. He has been super nice and his animals look great. He seems to be very willing to answer any questions, take pictures, and hold for better weather.

I will see if he will let me post one of his pictures of the gecko.

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Crazy Leachies

2011-01-13T05:43:00.000-08:00

All of my leachianus geckos have their own temperaments and personalities. While cleaning cages the other day, I spent a little more time with my youngest two- Quinby and Milo.

Milo (to the left) is a Super Nuu Ana x Isle of Pine mix. Quinby (bottom right) is a Type B GT.

Between teh two, Milo is my potential male and Quinby my potential female. Now, these will not be a pair, but that's just how my youngest two happen to be sexed.

My pairs are hopefully going to be:
* Motley (Nuu Ana x Isle E) and Leenah (Nuu Ana)
* Milo (Super Nuu Ana x Isle of Pine) and Mirrach (high white Isle of Pine)
* Kaiser (Type B GT to come) and Quinby (Type B GT)

I am hoping all my potential pairs will be well, as leachies can get quite aggressive and even refuse the mate you chose for them. These guys don't always get along and can vicsiously fight the mate you have chosen, if they so choose not to like you pick.

But, anyway... The point of this post was that all of my geckos are different, and when handling Milo and Quinby, I have found that the two youngsters are more varied in personality and temperament than my older three. Milo would rather be on a stick, branch, or just in his cage, whereas Quinby quickly finds a finger (generally the thumb) and hangs on until you have to pry her off.

I have always heard so many keepers saying that their crested geckos all have different personalities, but with my gargoyles, leopard geckos, and even crested geckos, I have never really seen anything different among them. But, with my leachianus geckos and chahouas, I see personalities.

I don't know if I see what I want to see, or if there is truly something there to see, but I like it either way.

I enjoy having reptiles, and what is awesome is that some of them do seem to behave differently.

OH I do have one crested gecko that will sit and just hang out on your shoulder for hours, but the rest don't want anything to do with you. But, since Tripod has been placed in a more natural enclosure (for me means not egg cartons and cardboard cup holders), he's been more secluded and more of a recluse. Either way, he's still more friendly and docile than the rest.

But anyway, the point is leachianus geckos seem to have a good bit of personality differeneces, at least between Milo and Quiby I see something different in the geckos.

reptile bracelets

2011-01-10T18:37:00.001-08:00

not sure how these turned out according to other people's standards, but I don't think they turned out too bad.

Three have frog dangle charms, one had turtle beads, and one lacks animal charms.

I hope my snake and gecko charms come in so I can add more variety besides just frogs.

If you have any advice for these and future European bracelets, I'm all ears.

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new beads

2011-01-08T08:31:00.001-08:00

I found these super cute beads today. I may to back and buy a fee more. I cant wait to make jewelry with them.

I will probably be updating a few pictures later, as I plan on making a few pieces today.

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Gargoyle Gecko Pictures

2011-01-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

I found these pictures on my laptop. These are some gargoyle geckos that I used to have in my collection.

The first three were red stripes when fired up. These pictures aren't the best by any means.

Thesse were my first two gargoyle geckos. I bought both of these at the Repticon Atlanta show. They both were female. These were the first pictures that I ever took of them.

Throughout my times, I have had these five gargoyle geckos plus an orange blotch female and a reticulated male.

Out of my trio of adults, I only had one egg to hatch. I could not sell the gecko as an unsexed baby, but the rest of the group were all sold (stripes and all). To this day, I still have the baby. He is now about 3 years old. I keep wanting to find his exact hatch date, but I can't ever remember when I'm on my desktop. Anyway, I just thougtht I would share these pictures. I will try to get more up of the other gargoyle geckos that I've had. These are just the only ones on my laptop.

Light Box Pictures of Adult Crested Geckos

2010-12-30T12:01:00.000-08:00

I took several pictures of some of my rhacs. I'll be featuring many of the pictures in an album at my table in January at Repticon in Atlanta. These are just a few of the pictures that I took.

I haven't used my light box in some time, but I'd have to say these are some of the best pictures that I've gotten with my light box.

I will try to post the pictures that I took of my leachianus and chahoua geckos, but for now, here are a few crested geckos and my gargoyle gecko. I will try to get upload a few of the holdback crested geckos that I am keeping from this year.

Breeder Male - Spade Reptiles

Breeder Female

Breeder Male - goReptiles

Breeder Female

Breeder Female - One of my first crested geckos

For some reason, I don't take too many pictures of my gargoyle gecko. Armor is such a pretty red retic gargoyle. I would love to find him a female one day. I am just not sure if I really want to get into breeding gargoyles again. My first trio wasn't very prolific, laying just one egg that resulted in Armor.

Armor - Only gargoyle hatchling I got from my trio

Again, these pictures and more will be in an album at my table at the Atlanta Repticon show this upcoming January.

Light Box Pictures of Holdbacks

2010-12-29T07:54:00.000-08:00

These pictures are a little dark, but I think they're pretty good with my first shot at my light box in over a year.

These pictures are of a few of my holdbacks. I have other holdback quality geckos that I will be offering for sale at the Atlanta Repticon show in January.

Dubia Roaches as Feeders

2010-12-27T17:25:00.000-08:00

Dubia roaches make great feeder insects as long as they are appropriately sized for the gecko. These roaches can get rather big, so you wouldn't want to feed an adult dubia roach to a leopard gecko.

It takes only a few of these roaches to subside the hunger of a reptile when compared to crickets.

When breeding dubia roaches, I found that my geckos loved them. I did not.

I ended up feeding off my younger roach nymphs before they were old enough to reproduce. My dubia colony was great while it lasted, but I needed something that was easier for me. I ended up selling off and feeding off my entire collection.

For many, though, dubia roaches are the ultimate feeder. They are great for crested geckos, leopard geckos, bearded dragons, and most other insect eating reptiles.

They are a heavy body roach, but the nymphs are softer, which make them fine for younger reptiles.

These roaches are not available for all states. I am not sure of the full list,but I know that Florida has strict laws on dubia roaches and other species of insects. Before ordering your feeder roaches, make sure to check the state laws. Some insect sellers, will specify on their websites to which states they will not sell certain roach species.

When trying to find the best feeder insect for your reptiles, definitely consider dubia roaches. You may be pleasantly surprised as to how well your reptiles like them. Just remember that offering appropriate sizes to your reptiles is very important.

happy holidays

2010-12-25T20:50:00.001-08:00

We at goReptiles hope you all have had a happy holiday.

Look forward for pictures if my reptile related stuff. Cool welcome mat, necklace, and pond float.

(My mom fails to remember we dont have a pond. Guess that means I will have to make one when I buy a house, hopefully this upcoming year)

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Mealworm Pictures

2010-12-25T07:35:00.000-08:00

I took these shots a week or so ago, and just now have a minute to post them. They are pretty neat, in my opinion.

These are baby mealworms. It only takes minutes to completely skin an apple.

I've tried breeding mealworms in the past, but ended up finding a better staple diet. I have decided to try them again in order to add them to my diet as a supplement. We will see how long this lasts, but for now, breeding mealworms has not proven to be a challenge.

Crested Gecko Picture in a Deli Cup

2010-12-21T07:34:00.000-08:00

I am shipping this gorgeous red flame girl today. She's got a great home, and when getting her put in her deli cup, she decided to wave buy to me.

She was making crazy poses, but this was one precious.

She's got the crazy, evil crested eyes and a sexy pose. I don't even know how to describe it really.

Roomba Vacuums Work

2010-12-15T09:00:00.000-08:00

I was never a full believer in the Roomba vacuum, but these guys are great! I made a huge mess last night in the reptile room, cleaning snake tubs. I had bark and substrate all over the floor; the pictures below don't even show the full extint of the mess.

I figured if anything, this would be the true test for the new Roomba. It worked! It was awesome, and I didn't have to lug the regular vacuum throughout the house to push in the reptile room.

The Roomba did all the work for me.

You can see part of the mess as the Roomba vacuum cleans. Keep in mind this is reptile bark, moss, aspen, CGD powder, moss, dust, probably a few dead cricket legs, and whatever other debris that is on the floor.

Generally, I just do spot cleans and sweep the floor, but with the help of the Roomba, my floors are definitely much cleaner.

I suggest these for anyone with pets, whether that be a snake or dog. As you can see, you can still make messes on the floor with pet snakes.

Quinby Female Leachie Picture

2010-12-14T17:28:00.000-08:00

I love this one to death. Although, Motley is probably my favorite leachianus gecko, Quinby is super special. I am almost positive this one is a girl, but she's still a little young to tell for sure. Quinby is a GT Type B leachianus gecko that I expect big things from.

I hope to get her a male when I'm sure she is a she. I already have a name and everything picked out- Kaiser.

Anyway, this is my girl hugging mom's finger.

Leachianus Pictures of Milo Isle of Pine Mix

2010-12-13T17:24:00.000-08:00

I haven't had this guy long, but since I've had him, he's nearly always been a pale coloring, like many leachianus babies will be Well I found him fired up, so to speak, and grabbed this shot. He's still brown, but I have a feeling within time, he'll be a nice green color. He'll be a great match with Mirrah my pure Isle of Pine female.

Buying Beads

2010-12-12T12:19:00.000-08:00

I've made the decision to try making jewelry again. I think that I have grown a lot and will be able to better the look of my jewelry. I have always had a creative eye, but I've definitely grown from the lampwork beads and large glass beads. I'm wanting to create something a little more elegant when compared to the more dress-up/ costume jewelry look.

I have just purchased loads of Czech seed beads, silver round beads, string, clasps, glass beads, and other filler beads, and I'm bidding on several Swarovski crystal beads.

I've, also, purchased some blown glass gecko necklace/earring sets that I will be selling. I'm trying to get some nice crystal frog necklaces as well.

I want to add to my tables at expos, to include my reptile drinking glases, CGD, jewelry, and reptiles.

I am not sure what I will be able to have in January, in regards to jewelry, but I will definitely have the CGD, drinking glasses, and reptiles. I will probably have some plain decals similar to the designs on the glasses that can be purchased to place on cars, laptops, mirrors, etc.

GeckoTime - Leachianus Article

2010-12-11T11:47:00.000-08:00

I wrote another post for GeckoTime, which was published on December 7, 2010. I'm quite pleased with the article. I used a good bit from my caresheet that I posted here, but I added to the caresheet with personal experience and a little more information.

If you're interested, check out the article clicking on the link below.

Leachianus - The Big Geckos

I definitely recommend checking out the GeckoTime blog. I have an RSS feed at the bottom of every post on my hub. The blog offers plenty of information on different gecko species, care, health, and much more. You'll find commonly asked questions and scenarios answered, as well as things you've never thought about.

I try to check out the blog regularly, but on occasion miss a post and have to go back later to read it.

There are different authors who post on GeckoTime, and you'll find different experiences and opinions.

I'm Thinking Jewlery

2010-12-10T09:09:00.000-08:00

I'm really trying to go out of the box and add products to my list of available things. I used to make bead bracelets for family and friends, and they were loved. I had nice clasps and closures with lampwork beads, glass beads, and charms. I mixed up colors, patterns, and designs, as well as bead sizes and styles.

So, thinking about all of this and what I was able to produce, I'm thinking about investing in more beads, clasps, closures, crimps, and charms, so that I can start making bracelet and necklaces. I may even venture into earrings, as I dabbled with those before.

I haven't 100% decided yet, as I need to figure out how much time I'll have to devote to making jewelry, but I think that it would be something interesting and different to add to my available products.

I will keep all updated via this blog as to whether or not I've decided to begin this endeavor.

Discount Crested Gecko Food

2010-12-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to branch out a little, and since I have the geckos, I figured that I might as well sell the food. I have 1/4 pound bags, 1/2 pound, 1 pound, and 2 pound bags of Repashy Crested Gecko Diet available.

The prices are as follows:

* 1/4 lb (4 oz)- $7.00
* 1/2 lb (8 oz)- $10.00
* 1 lb (16 oz)- $17.00
* 2 lb (32 oz)- $25.00

In order to get these prices, you will need to mention this post. I am offering these discount prices to those customers who subscribe and view my blog.

You will find that these prices are cheaper than you'll find anywhere else.

In order to get the fastest response, please email me at goreptiles @gmail. com

If you do not mention my post, you'll get my regular prices, which are still going to be below most other sellers to include Pangea, Pro Geckos, LLL Reptiles, and others.

I will have the meal replacement available at the Atlanta Repticon show in January. If you want to purchase now, you can pick up your bags at the show at no cost. Just make sure to let me know that you'll be at the show, so that we can work out payment. I will do either paypal payment before the show or cash upon pick-up, whichever is easiest for you.

Pine Isle Chahoua Pictures

2010-12-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

These are probably the best pictures that I've taken of Tag, my unsexed P.I. chewie. I was finally able to semi-capture the colors.

This guy/gal was born June 19, 2010, and is just over 12 grams. Still a small gecko, but putting on the grams every weigh-in.

16 Ounce Glass Cups

2010-12-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

I still have plenty of these cups available in black, blue, green, and pink. I will ship via USPS Priority or whatever method will be the cheapest for you.

If you want custom orders, I can do that as well, but the prices will vary depending on the size of the cup, colors requested, and the overall design.

These cups are priced at $5 for online orders. Expo prices may vary. If purchased online for $5, I will be at the Atlanta Repticon show January 29th and 30th, and will offer free pickup at the show.

got my bamboo

2010-12-04T13:23:00.001-08:00

Well, there wast as much bamboo as I had hoped, and it wasn't as big. But, I got plenty or at least enough to get me started.

I would have kept cutting, but my boyfriend got tired of trudging through brush and the tops of other bamboo that had been previously cut down.

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Keeping Records of Reptiles

2010-12-02T14:10:00.000-08:00

When caring for animals of any kind, it is always good to monitor the growth of the animal so that you know that the animal is growing normally.

When it comes to reptiles and measuring their growth rates, it's not always the easiest. First, you will need a good digital scale that is a small window of accuracy. It's ideal to find a digital scale that has less than 1.0 gram accuracy; this way, you have the closest and most approximate estimate of your reptile's weight.

Some reptile keepers will not only weight the reptiles regularly, but they may also take the lengths of the reptiles. This is most common with leachianus geckos, as keepers want to monitor the weight and length that the gecko grows, as these are rather large geckos.

I prefer to just stick with keeping records of my reptiles' weights.

I have several charts that I keep up with the animal, date or weigh-in, and the weight in grams. This helps me monitor the health and growth better. This is a great tool for growing younger geckos to adults, as well as monitoring breeding females.

There are many different methods to keep track of your records. I prefer an excel spreadsheet and a printout that I can just hand-write the info on until I have a minute to sit down at my computer. But, there are many keepers who prefer using record keeping software.

Metzcal is a popular herp software that allows reptile keepers to track genetics, diet and feeding schedules, weights, and much more. You can easily download the software to your computer and keep track of all the important information regarding your reptiles.

No matter how you decide to keep track of your reptiles, it is highly recommended that you monitor their growth, development, and feeding. This will help you notice any fluctuations that may be a sign of illness that you may not have otherwise caught in time.

I'm not a Girly Girl

2010-12-01T08:21:00.000-08:00

But, I am super thrilled with my new Thirty-One soft wallet. I didn't want to buy a new wallet, as I just bought my hard case wallet from Kohls a several months ago and just couldn't justify spending $20 on another wallet...

I had been holding out, but I finally bought the wallet last month, and got in in today.

I am super thrilled with my purchase, as it fits my cards, checks, and check book much better than my other wallet.

The Thirty One Gifts soft wallet is a zippered wallet that zips all the way around the wallet. It has 4 slots for checks, bills, and your checkbook inside the wallet, as well as 11 card slots, and a slot for your ID. There's also an exterior zippered pocket for lose change and dollars.

The 31 wallet comes in different patterns, but I'm a fan of the paparazzi dot, which matches my small zipper bag and coin bag that I tote in my purse.

The thirty one products are awesome; even though some of them can be a little pricey, they're still worth it.

But, I swear, I'm not a girly girl!!!

Last night, I set up 2,000 super worms from Premium Cricket, and I set up a new box for about 8,000 baby lateralis roaches that should come in this week. I even cleaned out my other two tubs of lateralis roaches.

So, see just because I buy thirty one and know a good wallet, that doesn't mean that I am a girly girl. I play with roaches! Ha

My new Thirty One soft wallet is the wallet on the bottom of each picture. The wallet on the top is the hard wallet that I bought from Kohls several months ago that has now been replaced.

Bamboo Cage Decor

2010-11-30T09:18:00.000-08:00

Bamboo makes great cage decor for reptiles, especially arboreal reptiles that like to climb around. Bamboo sticks are perfect for tree boas, rhacs, and even land snakes, as they can make great hides and shelters.

Well, I'm super stoked because while searching the classified ads posted on an internal work classifieds, I found free bamboo!

All we have to do is go chop it down and it's ours for free. The sizes range from small to extremely large.

You know you're a reptile and animal lover when you get uber excited over free bamboo. I have always done really simple caging for my crested geckos, but lately, I've been adding a little bit of corkbark here and a few fake plants there just to mix it up for them. I mean, who wants to explore through nothing but egg cartons and cardboard cup holders for ever.

Anyway, this weekend, my boyfriend and I will be going to chop down bamboo to prepare for reptile cages.

I am super excited. I told him it would be the last piece of my Christmas from him. His time is worth the free bamboo to make our gifts to each other monetarily even.

I feel like such a loser to get so excited about bamboo, but that just means that I won't have to buy more decor for a little while.

Leenah was fired up today

2010-11-28T15:54:00.001-08:00

It is hard to see in these pictures, but my Nuu Ana Leachianus gecko was fired up today. She was showing her pink blotches really good.

I took pictures with my camera, but I just don't think I was able to capture the colors with the camera or my phone.

She was a darker tan on the bottom, pink blotches all over, and a light tan near white on top.

She was just gorgeous.

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Cheap Crested Gecko Diet Online

2010-11-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

Repashy has worked for years creating his super food line, and one of the best products that is widely used by many Rhacodactylus keepers is Crested Gecko Diet (CGD).

I've recently gotten into selling the product, as I think it is such a good product that I believe anyone who keeps crested geckos and other rhac species needs to have a bag of CGD on hand. At my last reptile show that I vended at, many people asked if I had the product on hand, and unfortunately I did not. I will now have it available for sale at some of the best prices that you'll find.

I have 1/4 pound bags, 1/2 pound, 1 pound, and 2 pound bags.

The prices are as follows:

* 1/4 lb (4 oz)- $8.00
* 1/2 lb (8 oz)- $13.00
* 1 lb (16 oz)- $20.00
* 2 lb (32 oz)- $28.00

In order to get these prices, you will need to mention this post. I am offering these discount prices to those customers who subscribe and view my blog.

You will find that these prices are cheaper than you'll find anywhere else.

In order to get the fastest response, please email me at goreptiles @gmail. com

I offer competitive prices.

Bulk Crickets Online

2010-11-26T08:23:00.000-08:00

Crickets aren't one of my favorite feeders to buy and take care of, but my reptiles love them. I have some geckos that won't eat any other feeder insect other than crickets, so I have to buy them once in a while and when I do, I make sure to buy them in bulk so that I get my money's worth.

The one thing that I highly recommend when buying crickets in bulk is to watch who you buy from, as some sellers will include a few surprises in with your order. You may get spiders, beetles, and other extra insects in along with your crickets, and personally, this isn't a favorite to deal with.

I've purchased from many different online sellers, and I've had problems from some of them. For example, where Premium Crickets may be fine to buy from during cooler months, you don't want to buy from them during the summer, as your order will arrive dead. The excuse is that the hotter weather causes them to die, but immediately after my replacement order came dead, I ordered from another seller and all of my crickets arrived fine. There was no difference in shipping time frame, boxing, or packing.

Other places that I would highly recommend include Fluker's Cricket Farm, who has great prices but high shipping, which end up evening out. But, my new favorite is Cold Bloods, who has wholesale prices on crickets with any size 1000 lot of crickets only $8.50 plus shipping.

If you've used other companies to buy your crickets from, please feel free to share, as I'd be highly interested in finding the best price (including shipping costs) and the best quality.

Giving Thanks and Showing Appreciation

2010-11-25T11:24:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot to give thanks for throughout 2010, and Thanksgiving is definitely the day to do it.

We should give thanks to our families, friends, and coworkers. For those of us with jobs, we should give thanks to our employment and bosses who fought to let us keep our jobs. We should give thanks for the food on our table and the roof on top of our heads. We should give thanks to what luxuries we have.

The economy isn't as it has been, and it won't be back to the top peak tomorrow.

We need to give thanks for what we have right now. We should not feel sorry for what we may have lost or may have had if only if things were different.

Giving thanks is important today, as we spent time with our friends and families.

This past year, I have a lot to be thankful for.

I've been able to keep my day job, and further my online writing.
I was able to purchase a new 2010 Acura RDX.
I had the ability to purchase animals to better my collection.
I was able to help various organizations that my job supports, to include Toys for Tots, the Valley Rescue Mission, and the House of Mercy.

These may be simple thanks, but they are things to be thankful for.

My red foots are thankful mommy is able to buy dinner to put on the table.

This year, think about the things you have thankful for. Did you overcome cancer? Were you able to end your job search to become employed? Did you have a family member overcome an illness? Were you able to reach a personal goal?

There are so many things to be thankful, and it's time that you show appreciation for the things that you have and the things that you plan to strive for.

Domino my Red Foot Died

2010-11-24T18:00:00.001-08:00

I fought with Domino and his respiratory infection, giving him two rounds of Baytril and treating his eyes with terramycin daily.

he also got vitamin soak with baby food, and he was getting worse and better at the same time.

Some days he would show major improvement and other days not.

I found him dead tonight. I hate to say it, but I am a little relieved, as he is not suffering anymore and I know I tried everything I could.

Rest In Peace Domino
You will be missed

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Where to Buy Superworms Online

2010-11-24T08:12:00.000-08:00

I hate buying superworms in the small cups at the pet store with 25 super worms a cup. Where that may work for someone who has just one or two reptiles, it just isn't economical for someone with many hungry mouths.

Personally, it is still cheaper to breed your own feeders, but if you just don't have the time for that, buying them online in bulk is definitely the way to go.

And, since I just bought a new batch of superworms, I figured it would be a nice post to help those looking for places to buy bulk super worms online

Superworms make a good feeder insect for many reptiles, to include bearded dragons, skinks, various gecko species, and other various lizard species. Some birds, fish, scorpions, and other animals will also eat super worms as a tasty meal.

Super worms are not as cheap as mealworms, no matter buying in small quantities or bulk, so you want to make sure that you shop around to get the best deal.

I've used the following sellers, and have been quite pleased with them. You will find that during different times of the year, there will be different specials and deals available for super worm prices.

* Premium Live Worms - $19.00 per 1,000 super worms
* The Worm Company - $9.95 for 100; $22.95 for 500; $29.99 for 1000; $110.95 for 5000 super worms (free shipping on all worm orders)
* Armstrong Crickets - $18.00 for 500; $26.00 for 1000; $78 for 3000; $220.00 for 10,000 super worms

There are other insect sellers that you may have tried or that have better prices. Please let me know who you've been pleased with.

Healthy Herp Instant Meal

2010-11-23T01:24:00.000-08:00

The Healthy Herp Instant Meals are dehydrated foods that when hydrated with water become good as new and irresistible to reptiles. This is a great additive to any diet, but I wouldn't make it the staple diet for any reptile.

It doesn't contain any preservatives or additives, and it's completely healthy and nutritious.

All you have to do is add water, let the instant meal hydrate, and offer it to your pet. You want to remove the uneaten after 24 hours so that it doesn't grow mold and become plain nasty.

The Veggie Mix is recommended for iguanas, bearded dragons, chuckwallas, uromastyx, tortoises, box turtles, blue-tongue skins, and even as a gut load for crickets, roaches, and other feeder insects. The Healthy Herp Veggie Mix contains dandelion greens, dry calendula flower petals, red clover tops, freeze dried leek, carrots, zucchini, corn, peas, green beans, and added calcium carbonate.

Crude Protein Min. 14.5% Crude Fat Min. 3.3% Crude Fiber Max. 7.5% Moisture Max. 11.8% Calcium Min. 0.61% Phosphorus Min. 0.28% LG Cup 0.16 OZ (4.68 g) sku # 71901

The Dragon Food Mix can actually be fed to other animals besides just bearded dragons. You can feed this mix to bearded dragons, Rankin's Dragon (Lawspn's dragon), uromastyx, tortoises, box turtles, blue-tongue skins, and even as a gut load for crickets, roaches, and other feeder insects. The mix contains freeze dried grasshoppers, dried mealworms, dry dandelion greens, red clover tops, corn, carrots, green beans, leeks, zucchini, bananas, calendula petals, and added calcium carbonate.

There are other healthy herp mixes to include, fruit, box turtle, and tortoise healthy herp. I use the fruit healthy herp instant meal with my rhacs once in a while as a nice treat. I have, also, offered it to my red foot tortoises, who thought it was ok. My next adventure is trying the veggie mix with my red foots. I will definitely let you guys know how that goes. I'm actually waiting for it to come in the mail any day now.

Caring for Western Hognose Snakes

2010-11-22T06:29:00.000-08:00

I've loved the look of hognose snakes for some time, but it's taken a good year before I decided to purchase a pair of hognose snakes. And, let's just say, I love them. My male can be a little irritable at times, but the female is super sweet. (It's actually feeding day today, so I may try to get a few pictures tonight to share.)

Hognose snakes are relatively small snakes, but they're not legal pets in all states. So, make sure that you check your state laws. In some cases, you can have hognose snakes, as long as you don't have those that may be native to your state. Basically, meaning, in Georgia, you can't have Eastern hognose snakes, but Western snakes are ok.

These snakes may hiss when nervous or scared, but for the most part, they are relatively docile. The hissing may sound like the rattle of a rattlesnake, as these snakes are said to mimic the Prairie Rattlesnake in terms of aggressive behaviors (hissing and body posture).

Hognose snakes are considered nonvenomous, as it is vary rare that a person will get bitten and envenomated, but they do have a mild venom. These snakes are rear fanged, and for the most part they will only strike when severely agitated and even then they will generally strike with a closed mouth. But, there have been some cases where mild pain and swelling may occur from a bite. Just keep in mind that the snakes have mild venom, but because the fangs are set way in the back of the mouth and because the snakes are relatively small, it's hard for them to actually envenomate an arm or hand.

Size: Adults average between 1.5 to 2 feet long, but records have seen hognose snakes up to 3 feet.

Lifespan: up to 20 years

Housing: A 10 gallon tank is bare minimum for one adult hognose snake, but a 20 gallon long is much more suited for them, as it is easier to create a temperature gradient in a slightly larger tank.

The temperature on the hot side should be about 85F, which can be achieved using an under tank heater.

You don't have to have anything special in regards to decorations. Apsen, paper towels, tile, etc are effective substrates to use. Aspen shavings allow the snakes to burrow, which is a natural behavior for them; if you use aspen, you won't see your snakes often, as they will burrow. I've heard accounts of breeders using paper towels for their babies, but no matter what you use make sure that your avoid pine and cedar wood shavings.

Make sure to use a sturdy water bowl so that the snakes can soak before shedding, and to use as a drinking bowl. Don't use a super deep bowl, and make sure that the snake can get out of the bowl easily.

Feeding and Diet: Baby hognose snakes will easily feed on pinkie mice for a while. Typically, you'll find that 1 pinkie a week for the first 6 months will be efficient, and 2 pinkies a week for the next 6 months is ideal.

Some breeders will offer small snakes or geckos to help achieve faster growth, but that's not really the most ideal situation. These snakes will eat lizards, other snakes, geckos, bird eggs, amphibians, as well as mice.

You want to feed young snakes once every 4 to 6 days, and adult snakes once every 7 to 10 days. Make sure to feed appropriately sized feeders that are no larger than the widest girth of the snake. Also, keep in mind that F/T feeders are much more safe for your snake.

Male Hognose Snake Strikes

2010-11-21T13:46:00.000-08:00

I took this video when I noticed my male was acting crazy. I had initially picked him up and then put him back in the enclosure. While searching for my female in her tank, I looked over and saw him all crazy. I went to pick him back up, and he started hissing and striking.

No, I didn't stand and harass him for long, so don't think that's a regular routine.

No, he wasn't hungry as he had just eaten the day before. I don't know what got into him, but here's the video. It's not the best, as even though I knew the little snake wasn't going to seriously hurt me, instinct still says jump when a snake is striking.

Caring for Leachianus Geckos

2010-11-20T13:20:00.000-08:00

1 year old Pine Isle (still growing)

If you like big geckos and big reptiles, then you may be interested in this giant gecko. The leachianus gecko can reach up to 12 inches and weigh up to 300 grams, depending on the locale of the gecko. Leachianus geckos are big and green and laid back, but don't let their docile temperament fool you because they can get temperamental and end up leaving nasty bites on your hands.

If you think that you're up for a leachianus gecko, make sure that you do your research, as they can be quite expensive to purchase, and you don't want to have to just give up on the new pet, nor do you want to lose your pet to neglect (IE improper housing and diet).

Size: up to 12" including the tail and about 350 grams depending on the locale
Lifespan: thought to be between 20-30 years

Housing: It is best to house these geckos individually, as they can get territorial. You'll find that even breeders see serious bullying and defense wounds on adult geckos during breeding season, so it's best to just house geckos separately.

Depending on the locale and the average size of an adult, the size of the enclosure will vary. Some say that the smaller locales, like the Nuu Ana leachies can be housed in an 18" x 18" x 18" enclosure, whereas some of the larger locales, like the GT and Pine Isle leachies need much larger enclosures.

You won't need to worry about an adult enclosure for years, so you can start off a younger leachianus in a medium kritter keeper and slowly upgrade to various size storage tubs (vented accordingly) until the gecko is ready for a large enclosure.

When setting up an enclosure for a leachie gecko, you'll want plenty of cork bark, PVC, and other sturdy materials. Remember these are a heavier gecko species, so a thin vine won't do the trick.

Use paper towels for younger geckos, and if you opt to switch to a more natural substrate, coconut coir is a good option to use for adults. Otherwise, paper towels and tile make great substrates that are easy to clean.

Feeding and Diet: For younger leachianus geckos, you will want to try feeding crickets and appropriately sized insects, as this is good for protein which helps develop growing bones and muscles. Also, make sure that you offer CGD regularly, as this will supply the gecko with all of the essential nutrients.

As leachies get older many of them start to ignore crickets, so a sole diet of CGD will be fine, but again this is why it's important to offer crickets while the gecko will eat them.

Not One, But Two New Chahouas

2010-11-19T07:26:00.000-08:00

In reference to the post that I published on November 16th.... I am getting not one but two more chahouas. They are both pine isle chahouas.

Apparently, I'm a glutton for punishment, and well here we go. Luckily, the breeder is letting me do a payment plan