Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I spent yesterday morning out and about shopping....had to go to Petsmart to see if they had the light hood i wanted (has two fixtures in it) and they did. While there one of the staff started feeding the lizards and it was a leo that caught my attention cause it darted out of the hide and ate up the crickets like mad. They staff guy and i started talking and he said that he really had to get rid of the two crested geckos they have (had them a long time and they are huge). I said i had one and then he offered both to me for an amazing price.

It was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO tempting. but i said i couldnt take them. I'm switching between very happy that i resisited the temptation but on the other hand i'm all upset cause lord knows whats going to happen to them. The setup for these guys is one of the few that are actually RIGHT for the geckos. I'm rather impressed that they are kept in such a great condition.

I did the correct thing though right?!? I do feel bad that i left them there...

On a happier note, i spent over $100.00 getting new hides, lights, logs etc. for the 40 gal and i'll be setting it up for the girls this week (inbetween working like crazy.....the one week i need time to do stuff is the week they schedule me in and then decide to have a site meeting.....Grrrrrrrrr LOL).

Red
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Crested Gecko Zeek:1.0
LEOS: Boo: 1.0 normal , Bronx & Nala: 1.1 blizzard,
Lily: 0.1 patternless, Abby: 0.1 albino, Zoe: 0.1 reduced pattern, Dot: 0.1 hypo
Chip: 1.0 papillion (small dog)

I thought you wanted a Crested. And he shoots you a good deal?

What did they look like? What sort of price?

Man - they are very fun to keep. They are rapidly becoming my favorite . . .
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Monte Meyer
Powergeckos
Email

No Fru-Fru morphs in the herp room

np

What I mean is, the pet store can't be all bad if they've kept them alive and healthy for so long. They must be trying and have done something right.

I'd say go back and get them if you want them...if they've had them a long time, give them a proper set up, and they look good...they're mostly likely healthy. It may be a PETsMART...but just because it is doesn't mean that it's bad by default.

I'd say, if you question the care provided to the animals kept in the store (which it sounds like you do), then you did the right thing and should be proud that you resisted.

Now you've all made me want them moreso hehehehehe. I don't think their setup was bad EXCEPT for the size of the tank. Its the same size i have my crested Zeek in but he's still small compared to the two they have so yes i'd have to get them a HUGE tank which is fine cause they had their large Chaemalean (sp?) tank on sale and it has doors on each side.

He offered the two for $200 which is half price cause each are $199 and i paid $170 for my guy.

I know NOT all Petsmarts are bad, i like this one alot, they seem to do well with some exceptions, i'm just terrified of bringing any sort of illness into my geckos. That was the main reason i didn't get them. But yes they are huge and look healthy and i have a reptile vet close by that i could take them to.

I'll call and see if they will hold them until my next pay (Feb6th) with the same offer. If they will then i'll get them.

Honestly, and this is totally horrible, but when he said he needed to get rid of them, my first thought was that they might stick them out in the snow..... I know i know, no one in their right mind would do such a horrible thing but for some reason i got this very bad feeling. Forgive such a bad thought.

Thanks for all your input. I do appreciate it

Red
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Crested Gecko Zeek:1.0
LEOS: Boo: 1.0 normal , Bronx & Nala: 1.1 blizzard,
Lily: 0.1 patternless, Abby: 0.1 albino, Zoe: 0.1 reduced pattern, Dot: 0.1 hypo
Chip: 1.0 papillion (small dog)

maybe they realize that the tank is too small and want to get them to a new home as soon as possible? I can't imagine they'd want to get rid of them just because they haven't sold them yet... it'd be a huge loss for them to "throw them out in the snow" or dispose of them in any similar way to that... Also, just be sure to get them to the vet right away to have them checked out, and then be sure to quarantine them, and you should be good

I called and spoke to the manager. He is going to hold them until Feb 6th without advertizing the 2 for 1 deal. He said they have had them for nearly a year and that they are a higher end lizard that they usually wouldn't bring into the store cause they do not sell (it was the old manager who brought them in). He stressed that both are healthy and that he is not selling to get rid of them because of health issues.

I will set up my 25 gal tank, quarentine them and yes i'll take them both to my vet as soon as i get them. Do i need to keep the two separate or because they are coming together its ok to keep them together for the quarentine period right?

He also said that he feels it isn't fair to the geckos to stay in the store for such a long time, not getting the attention they would get from an owner. He seemed sincerely concerned for them.

Thanks all Looks like i'm going to be adding to my gecko family hehe

Red
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Crested Gecko Zeek:1.0
LEOS: Boo: 1.0 normal , Bronx & Nala: 1.1 blizzard,
Lily: 0.1 patternless, Abby: 0.1 albino, Zoe: 0.1 reduced pattern, Dot: 0.1 hypo
Chip: 1.0 papillion (small dog)

Now you know why the cage was too small, they outgrew it. At this point they should be sexable. You don't want to put males together because they'll end up fighting, especially if they're around a female. Just a thought.
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"The serpent crams itself with animal life that is often warm and vibrant, to prolong an existence in which we detect no joy and no emotion. It reveals the depth to which evolution can sink when it takes the downward path and strips animals to the irreducible minimum able to perpetuate a predatory life in its naked horror."
Alexander Skutch

The manager said that he personally didn't know how to sex them, but that his staff believed one was male, the other female. Since they've had them almost a year and they do look to be adults with no eggs having shown up i'm assuming they are both female but i'll see when i go back. I've got a huge tank just sitting here that i was going to transfer Zeek into but i'd like to get him into a tank with front sliding doors so for now he can stay where he is and they other two will have the other tank.

Red

>>Now you know why the cage was too small, they outgrew it. At this point they should be sexable. You don't want to put males together because they'll end up fighting, especially if they're around a female. Just a thought.
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Crested Gecko Zeek:1.0
LEOS: Boo: 1.0 normal , Bronx & Nala: 1.1 blizzard,
Lily: 0.1 patternless, Abby: 0.1 albino, Zoe: 0.1 reduced pattern, Dot: 0.1 hypo
Chip: 1.0 papillion (small dog)

Hi

Don't feel bad for having those thoughts. I had this guy I know tell be that he had just quit his job at a privately owned petstore because of it's new owner, whom I believe he said had been a former employee.

If there was an animal that had been in the petstore for too long, or an animal came in that he didn't like, that this very sick individual would put that animal in something (alive) and throw it in the dumpster.

This guy I know discovered it one day when he was working at the store. He had gone up to some cages in the store to clean them and two of the hamsters where missing out of this cage that had been there when he came in that morning, so he asked one of the other employees about it and she told him that they were just simply gone. The guy I know started looking around when the owner was out and found them in the dumpster and saved them and took them home with him. The guy quit his job that same day and told me that he was planing on calling the humane society or some other animal rights organization and reporting him.

When he told me the storie, my heart almost fell out. I will never understand people like that.

TLB

If i was in the finacial position i'd open up a shelter.

Red
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Crested Gecko Zeek:1.0
LEOS: Boo: 1.0 normal , Bronx & Nala: 1.1 blizzard,
Lily: 0.1 patternless, Abby: 0.1 albino, Zoe: 0.1 reduced pattern, Dot: 0.1 hypo
Chip: 1.0 papillion (small dog)

I think not taking in a healthy gecko for the lone reason of boycotting an evil corporation is nonsence. (i'm not saying thats why you were thinking of not getting them) But alot of people want to boycott shops so that they will go out of business. If all the petsmarts are like the one in my area, there is no way we could ever hurt them. They are too big, so a boycott is rediculous in my opinion. No offense to anybody. I completely understand not wanting to support a place that doesnt take care of their animals.

I understand what your saying and i didnt' mean to imply that all petstores are bad but i've had first had experience. My first two leos came from a petstore.....i don't have them now, they both died and i'm still not sure why. Even my vet was beside herself about Leo....we tried everything. Then again Boo came from an Exotic store specializing in reptiles and he's fine. The rest of my group came straight from a breeder.

Red

>>I think not taking in a healthy gecko for the lone reason of boycotting an evil corporation is nonsence. (i'm not saying thats why you were thinking of not getting them) But alot of people want to boycott shops so that they will go out of business. If all the petsmarts are like the one in my area, there is no way we could ever hurt them. They are too big, so a boycott is rediculous in my opinion. No offense to anybody. I completely understand not wanting to support a place that doesnt take care of their animals.
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Crested Gecko Zeek:1.0
LEOS: Boo: 1.0 normal , Bronx & Nala: 1.1 blizzard,
Lily: 0.1 patternless, Abby: 0.1 albino, Zoe: 0.1 reduced pattern, Dot: 0.1 hypo
Chip: 1.0 papillion (small dog)