Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If you were completely new to Leopard Geckos and wanted to buy 1.2 Leos, and all you had was $250-$300, what would you get? Or better yet, what 1.2 could/should you get at that price range?

Oh boy..well cash money should not determine the pet you find adoring, that is unless you are getting into things a n00b shouldn't be getting into. Save some of that cash and buy some ones you honestly like and are healthy. Then drop the rest of that cash into living space, and diet. You will need it along with lots of literature on breeding cause I can see thats in your future, now pay my gypsy a$$ $200 of it for seeing what your future holds.

LOL...Thanks for the response.

We already have the whole set up ready to go, in fact we have a few options depending on age/size. We have a 55gln Terrarium, a 20gln long as well as some Sterilite 11qt tubs set up in racks. All are hooked up to Flexwatt and Helix thermostats which are holding a hot spot of 90F. Ambient temps are 80/82F during the day and 75F during the night. I've got the feeder and water bowls, hides, humid hides, etc, etc. I'm using slate for the 55gln and 20gln, if I find yearlings. But, will use paper towels in the tubs if I find juvis.

I'm a newbie to Leopard Geckos, but I have 70 Boas and Pythons and have kept and bred a number of snakes for over a decade. I've been reading up for the past 2-3 weeks, but have found a lot of information that varies from person to person or thread to thread, same goes for prices. I'm all set on the basic care requirements and set up, just wondering what trio is in my price range? We like the Hybinos and the Blizzards, but I'm wondering what else is out there withing the budget I have set.

To be honest, the Leos are for my 10yr old daughter and this is her project. With that said, I don't want to drop $6000 on a trio of Leos just yet...LOL.

If you're just looking to have a variety of nice-looking babies, then I'd say hets are the way to go. You could spend a little more on the male, and then get 2 het females. The sponsors on this forum have some good stuff, and there are certainly others out there. But if that's the amount of money I had to spend, I'd get a nice male that was maybe het for something else (like a blizzard het for albino) and some normal looking females that were het for blizzard and albino as well. Plus, you'd be a little more surprised at what you get.

Thanks, that's what I was thinking, but there doesn't seem to be much available at this time. I guess I'll have to wait till July/August/September for some visually sexed 07's.

My crystal ball never fails me..I woulkd like that payment sent via paypal by the way...LOL.

I figured you would have experience with breeding reps..its just once I saw the n00b part I wanted to toy around...

Good luck! I think that would be a great start but then again you never know maybe you can come up with something different thats not out there yet.

I simply want some nice display Leos 1st and foremost, if they happen to produce $20.00 babies to pay for the mealies each month, that's cool.

I'm really not into Lizards at all and would prefer she got a corn snake or you would think with 100-300 snakes being born here she would pick a snake to keep. You know how kids can be..LOL

Oh I understand your point of breeding, honestly I do.

When I used to breed, I traded at shows or gave them away to friends that I could trust for free! I was digging the whole science of the matter. I never cared about morphs and such I just bred what ever male to female and got what I got out of it. I dont know yet about how kids can be.j/k..LOL thank god mine is only 10 months old...LOL..

But I cant wait to see what she gets into when she grows up!

The whole point is to have fun and enjoy the hobby at any level. IMO anytime, anyone is introduced to the hobby in a positive light it is good for all of us, whether we keep snakes, Lizards, Torts, etc, etc. My daughter has been raised around snakes and is fascinated by them, but has always been drawn to lizards. Personally, I'd rather handle two 8ft Boas or Pythons before I enjoy handling even a 3" Lizard...LOL

To be honest, I am really amazed at everything the Leo breeders have done with these lizards, morph wise! I do tip my hat at the Leo community for all the magnificent, beautiful colors/patterns/morphs you all have produced. I admitted I am not a lizard fan, but will admit that some of these Leos are breathtaking!

I guess with popularity comes the negatives, I recall hearing the highs and lows of Leos as with Bearded Dragons, and seeing everyone and their mother breeding them early 2000's. I was at PetCo this past weekend and saw Albinos for $29, Snows $29, even a Blizzard for $49. I was going to just pick some up, but I prefer to buy direct from a breeder!

I agree with everything you said expet for snakes beeing cooler but you did state that as your opinion..LOL.

IMO they are what bores me, I love lizards I like snakes as well but I would have lizards over them any time, they run jump climb and do many things snakes dont do but hey, what you like is all up to you and if its a passion no on eperson should change that Idea.

Who knows, maybe my opinion may sway a bit after actually keeping and caring for some Lizards. What do you think?

The running and jumping part is what I'm not to thrilled with! I can see myself already chasing a Leo across the room, while it goes under the sofa, behind the TV....what have I gotten myself into..LOL

Nah!! Actually they are pretty well mannered and layed back. Even if one does slip out of your hands they just look up at you and wait for you to pick them up..well usually. I think you might turn around, I doubt you will turn your back on snakes and with the experience you say you have as well as the collection I don't think you should at all.

But this will definitely broaden your horizon, wait till you get into other geckos and find out about all the Cresties available..LOL then you'll do 360's.
Just as amazing and social as Leo's.

LOL...chose lizards over snakes, never! When I wrote "sway opinion", I meant I may end up tolerating handling lizards for more than 1 minute, that's the best you'll get from me...LOL

I'll enjoy them in their enclosure or while someone else holds them!..LOL

I have a leo and my two kids adore him.. My 6 year old loves to hold him. I was wporried about him getting away at first too, but he just sits there and lets them look at him. He even tolerates my 3 year old YELLING at him to stay put. He looks up like what is your problem kid? He is actually getting better every time.
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This is courage.. to bear unflinching what heaven sends. -unknown

2.1 chocolate labs and bassett (Harley, Barker and Capone)
1.0 leopard gecko (Nacho)

Leos are no prob as far as catching them... Cresteds pose abit more of a risk there (case in point: my crested escaped in my apartment in california and went MIA... used to see him scurry up the walls when Id come in the house, but could never catch him before he made it into the air ducts. eventually my neighbor found him crawling across her sliding glass door, lol).

You wont REALLY have to worry about full out chasing a lizard til you get into the big boys. Simply put: if my Nile got outside, Id never see him again, lol. Not a chance- hed be off at ultra speed, up a tree or down a hole or into a creek or God only knows.

Im not trying to offend here or anything, but I personally think lizards have more of a personality than snakes. Less of a "mechanized" animal. After working with my buddys ball pythons and having my Nile for 2 years, Id DEF say my Nile has more personality than all his pythons combined. Could very well be wrong though...

What petco are you going to? lol

Im in pittsburgh and the only leos our pet stores have are emaciated juvies, all regular, most of which appear to be on the fast track to dying. And they cost somewhere in the range of like $30.... honestly, i dont even think people buy them- i think they all just die in the damn case, cause ive never seen one get sold and ive seen at least 5 dead ones in the cage so far that Ive told the people about.

And still they have them on the same dirty reptile carpet with a retarded "cave" hide and some fake plants... they all just huddle up in the cave-thing, piled on top of each other... when I asked to see them the first time, 2 dead ones fell out of the hide. Petco guy tells me "Oh, thats normal." ... yeah, OK buddy.

The PetCo here has a nice display case and has them on Calci-sand or Repti-sand and they have quite a few. I was shocked to see all they had and most seemed healthy, except for this one that I don't know if he was asleep or dead. But, they do have them in a nice display case, not sure if it's the safest or most convenient set up, but the kids love it! I go very little to PetCo or any pet store, but every time I have gone that area is surrounded by onlookers. Now they even have this huge set up with that new (I believe it's Zoomed) clay sand that molds and hardens. I can tell that must be a pain in the a$$ to maintain, but again, the kids OOOH and AHHH!

Most Petco's are getting a remodel, they have nice cage set ups and nice animals. The thing that sucks is the knowledge and mentality of the associates, trust me I was a leading guy at a Petco for a bit. I was ONE out of two of the best Reptile specialists they ever had at my closest store but I couldnt take the rest of the crew beeing so immature and bringing down the whole staff no matter how good some others were.

Now, Im not standing up for them but.....

Oh ps: this will probably be deleted now.

Just thought I'd update this thread since getting our 1st Leos! They are much nicer than these pics and I will admit, they are extremely likable! My daughter hasn't seen them yet since she has gotten home from school yet, but she will LOVE them!

1.0 Jungle Het Tremper, possible Het RAPTOR

0.1 Jungle Het Tremper, possible Het RAPTOR

0.1 Mack Snow Het Tremper