...Yes, I went and took the leap once again. Last Sunday I went to the New York Metro Reptile Expo. While there, I helped to man the Long Island Herpetological Society (LIHS) table and give out info about reptiles and amphibians to folks who needed help with their pets; and I also got rid of a few of my excess herps. After getting rid of a pair of Bearded Dragons, a California Kingsnake, and a Hermann's Tortoise, I sort of figured I just had to buy something.
Since my male Crested Gecko (Rhacodactylus ciliatus) has been a loner for a few months now, I decided to get him a mate. He thinks she is gorgeous, or at least I hope that he does. I am hopeful that she will be laying fertile eggs before too long; meaning that he found her attractive and did his part. I am pretty sure he will oblige, then all I can hope for is that she is productive.
I don't know about you, but I enjoy keeping these little critters, that is along with my fish, frog, turtles, tortoise, snakes, dwarf hamsters mice, and dogs. Yes we have a small zoo, that changes in size, and in some of its occupants, on a recurring basis. In my opinion, herps (reptiles and amphibians) are great animals to keep as a pet hobbyist. While none are truly responsive like a dog or a cat, some of them make great pets in the more classic sense of pet keeping, and while others are less than cuddly, all are in my opinion fascinating and rewarding to keep nonetheless.
I took several pictures of this gal, but am none to good at focusing the digital camera (or I should say its auto focus is none too good), and this one came out the best. I wish though I could show you a close up of the head, absolutely weird and sort of dragon like in appearance. As it is though you can click on the pic for an enlargement.
In case you are interested, here are a couple of care sheets that I found by doing a web search. They are seemingly well written and detailed, and can be found at:
http://www.thegeckospot.com/crestedcareindex.html (lots of great pictures too, including a great head shot)
http://www.pangeareptile.com/id52.htm
These are fascinating creatures that can easily be kept in the home, including a small apartment. I keep my crested geckos, at room temperature, in a vertically oriented tank, with a few nice potted house plants and a piece of cork bark inside of it for aesthetics and as hiding places for the lizards. Crested geckos are a good choice for older children, about 12 and up in my estimation, who will get help from mom and dad. Always bear in mind that any pet you get for your children is also your responsibility as a parent in the event the kids don't care for it properly or lose interest. If you get one or more of these for your kids, and in the event your kids lose interest, this particular type of gecko could get you, as mom or dad, hooked for life on herps. Of course, if you keep at it with your children, they will probably regain any lost interest, or maybe never lose all interest in the first place. Thus they too could become hooked for life on these wonderful creatures, and maybe gain an interest in science and nature along the way. In addition think of the time you would be spending with your children enjoying your new hobby as opposed to them just hanging out, or watching TV, all of the time. Now that would be a good thing, wouldn't it!
All the best,
Glenn B
I don't know about you, but I enjoy keeping these little critters, that is along with my fish, frog, turtles, tortoise, snakes, dwarf hamsters mice, and dogs. Yes we have a small zoo, that changes in size, and in some of its occupants, on a recurring basis. In my opinion, herps (reptiles and amphibians) are great animals to keep as a pet hobbyist. While none are truly responsive like a dog or a cat, some of them make great pets in the more classic sense of pet keeping, and while others are less than cuddly, all are in my opinion fascinating and rewarding to keep nonetheless.
I took several pictures of this gal, but am none to good at focusing the digital camera (or I should say its auto focus is none too good), and this one came out the best. I wish though I could show you a close up of the head, absolutely weird and sort of dragon like in appearance. As it is though you can click on the pic for an enlargement.
In case you are interested, here are a couple of care sheets that I found by doing a web search. They are seemingly well written and detailed, and can be found at:
http://www.thegeckospot.com/crestedcareindex.html (lots of great pictures too, including a great head shot)
http://www.pangeareptile.com/id52.htm
These are fascinating creatures that can easily be kept in the home, including a small apartment. I keep my crested geckos, at room temperature, in a vertically oriented tank, with a few nice potted house plants and a piece of cork bark inside of it for aesthetics and as hiding places for the lizards. Crested geckos are a good choice for older children, about 12 and up in my estimation, who will get help from mom and dad. Always bear in mind that any pet you get for your children is also your responsibility as a parent in the event the kids don't care for it properly or lose interest. If you get one or more of these for your kids, and in the event your kids lose interest, this particular type of gecko could get you, as mom or dad, hooked for life on herps. Of course, if you keep at it with your children, they will probably regain any lost interest, or maybe never lose all interest in the first place. Thus they too could become hooked for life on these wonderful creatures, and maybe gain an interest in science and nature along the way. In addition think of the time you would be spending with your children enjoying your new hobby as opposed to them just hanging out, or watching TV, all of the time. Now that would be a good thing, wouldn't it!
All the best,
Glenn B
