Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am going to buy a Leopard Gecko soon and i was wondering if the gecko i am going to buy is ok. It is a female and she is a little over 6 months. But the petstore doesnt have a humidity box in the cage and i dont think that they feed them dusted crickets because every time i go there, there isnt a dusted cricket in their tank just a orginary one. So would it be ok to get the gecko or not?
Thank You in advanced.

It's always a bit of a gamble when you get a gecko from a pet store. Many stores are lax on their husbandry and frequently this allows for parasites and diseases to spread between species.

That said, look carefully at the gecko you are thinking of purchasing and evaluate its health, that of its cagemates and that of the other animals in the store. If it is housed with other leos that don't look so good, or if there are a lot of sick looking herps in the store, that is probably not the best place to get a gecko.

If it appears healthy and you decide to purchase it make sure you quarentine. Sometimes when a healthy leo is exposed to a disease at the store or at the supplier it can take a month or more to manifest itself.

-Alice

Theres a few things you should probablyl answer first.

-What is the heat source in the enclosure?
-Is the tank clean?
-Does the petstore have a good reputation?
-Is her tail fat and healthy?
-Are theyre any visable signs of sickness?
-Is she active?

Hope I helped!

I would like to say something please.I know the above author who posted the question and i have been to the pet store he is talking about.The leopard gecko is very healthy it has a fat tail and his store is kept at high temperatures and the humidity level is also high.The owner of the store also uses uvb lights on the geckos so there is no need for calcium dust and the cage also has slanted cork bark for the geckos to hide behind.

Just wanted to clear that up

I always thought it helped with d3 uptake or something, but didn't know it had anything to do with calcium.
Got any more info on using uvb on nocturnal reptiles? It might be something to look into if it helps them.
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The following sentence is true.
The above sentence is false.

4.4 Leopard Geckos
1.0 Marbled Gecko
1.1 Red Eared Sliders
0.2 Siamese Mice

In diurnal / daylight active herps UV light is necessary for the synthesis of vitamin D3 which is necessary for proper metabolism of calcium. Nocturnal reptiles are able to get vitamin D3 from their diet.

UV lights are not a subsitute for calcium.

-Alice

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The following sentence is true.
The above sentence is false.

4.4 Leopard Geckos
1.0 Marbled Gecko
1.1 Red Eared Sliders
0.2 Siamese Mice

UVB != calcium.
UVB = D3.

High humidity != good
High humidity = respiatory infection
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1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (Zeo)
0.2.0 Leopard Geckos (Vienna, Chomps)
1.0.0 Golden Retriever (Rocky, 11 y.o.)

No you misunderstood.The humidity level isn't high enough for a respiratory infection but is enough that the geckos dont have trouble shedding.I actually witnessed a gecko shedding there and it had no trouble at all.

The lack of a humid hide should not have any long term effects that I know of. However lack of calcium can have long term effects, e.g. MBD. A UVB light is most certainly NOT a substitute for calcium, but it can be a substitute for D3 which is needed in order to process calcium in animals that don't get natural sunlight (or UVB rays).

Lack of calcium can cause MBD. Even if it is not visible, that gecko may have the beginnings of MBD. But if you buy it and start supplementing you should be able to stop any progression of the disease, perhaps even stregthen bones a bit. If you examine the gecko carefully, it's legs and jaw don't look misshapen, it is probably okay to buy it but I would start supplementing with calcium immediately.
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Sarah Stettler aka Starling
Sarah@stargecko.com
StarGecko.Com COMING SOON! Star Quality Leopard Geckos
Specializing in Hypotangerine Tremper Albinos