Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Sadly, My parents won't get one from a breeder so which should I get my baby leo from? petco or pets mart??

Uhhh....they both are on the same level I would guess. I don't know how the petco or petsmart is around you but ONLY BUY YOUR LEO IF IT IS HEALTHY AND THE OTHER ANIMALS IN THE CAGE ARE HEALTHY. Don't feel pressured to get a leo just at the moment if you cannot seem to find a nice place to buy from. Wait for a show to come by (you can check out if any shows are coming to your area by going to the Kingsnake home page and clicking on This Weeks Reptile Events). At a show you will be able to buy from a breeder for cheaper prices but still get a nice gecko. You might also want to ask your local herpetological society if there are any reptile specialty shops near you. Good luck in your search!!!

Cleo
1:1 leos (6 eggs cooking)

If your parents won't let you get one from a breeder, then please don't get one at all. Did they give a reason why they won't let you? Maybe it's a problem you can work around, or see if there's a reptile expo near you where you could purchase one (see the events page at kingsnake).

>>Sadly, My parents won't get one from a breeder so which should I get my baby leo from? petco or pets mart??
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*Erin*

If your parents can understand why you should not buy from a store like petco petsmart than it is proably best you not get one at all.

it certinaly can not be a cost factor because there are numerous post on the classified board for geckos as cheap or cheaper including shipping than what you can buy at petco as well as after you spend you 40 bucks at petco you will most likely spend the next 50 ot 60 at the vet trying to fgure out why you lizzard is sick and wont eat.

if your parents can't figure out why it is bad to propagate the sale of unhealthy, imporperly cared for animals than you shouldn't keep a leo or any animal for that matter.

responsably ownership is a key to keeping of any creature mamalian or reptilian. if you can't show responsable ownership by right off the bat by aquiring the most healthy species with in your means than you should thrawt your desire and indulge it when you have the means.

we have proably 99% on this board bought animals via breeders and had them shiped. we all can recomend EXTEMLY reptuable breeders who will make it very easy for you to aquire a healthy well cared for animal.

even if it is an extra 15 bucks you will save that in greif and vet bills trust me.

If possible, try to look around for a GOOD reptile vet and a clean looking Petco or Petsmart before hurrying into a decision.

I got my 2nd girl from a Petco. She's my healthiest and most active female. She's laid some pretty good clutches and her babies are adorable.

A friend of mine got two little tangs from a PetCo about 2 months ago and they're getting big! They're little pigs and have some gorgeous colors. Not as beautiful as some of the high end morphs we see now, but well worth the $25 and very sweet personalities.

When I got my female she was in a cage with maybe 4 other babies and there were some healthy adults next door to her. They were all eating and were being taken care of well. She even had a free vet visit included when I bought her. She was $19.99 at the time. The vet wasn't the best- which is why I had a fecal done with an actual reptile specialist. But she knew to look for signs of impaction, crustiness at the vent, a healthy, chubby tail and an alert demeanor. She also knew not to lift her up by the tail. ^_^;;
She ended up passing her vet checks with flying colors.

Don't be afraid to ask questions about the leos at the store. If you play dumb and act like you don't know anything you can get a good idea on if these are the right people to buy from.
Ask questions on what they eat. How they act. How to cage them. How to keep them warm. Anything you could think of that you've read in a care sheet or in a leopard gecko care book.
If possible, see if the leos will eat for you. Look out for signs of unsteady walking or problems with their eyes.
If the people there seem knowlegeable and the leos seem healthy things might work out fine.

All in all though... considering that a good number of Petcos and Petsmarts are still lacking in a good reptile care staff, I would agre that a breeder is a good thing to look into. Just remember not all breeders are that great also. Problematic leos can still come from anywhere. Recently someone had told me that the two little albinos they purchased from a private breeder were sick and the 3rd they had gotten was already dead.

There's my rant and advice on this matter

Heh, here on Long Island, New York I never see Petco charging less than $90 for any leopard gecko, regardless of condition, sex, age, morph, etc. 25 bucks... maybe the Petco "risk" is worthwile where you are if you see some good lookin lil guys. Are supplies cheap at ur petco too? Mine seems overpriced on everything...
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-|.... -Kris ....|-

..........You know you're sick..........
....................When your Leo collection..........
.............................Is worth more than your car..........

...... Kris' Crosses will be Kings .....

R.I.P. Mike

Odd! Here in California, the regular price for baby leos is 29.99 but they go on sale rather often, making them 25 with a Pals card.

In fact, I just bought a little albino...and I DO mean little. That's part of the reason why I took it home with me! I didn't think it would survive if I left it. It's half the size of my three-four week old leo from Bill DiFabio (that lavender spotted one he posted a pic here of--I fell in love and had to have him! LOL! Thanks again Bill!!).

This albino was my 3rd leo purchased from Petco. The first one ended up with MBD shortly after I got it and the second one suddenly quit eating and died on me. I had never had trouble with leos before and blamed myself for this for a long time...until I started reading the comments here about PetCo's leos being bad from the start. Anyway, I'm hoping that with what I know now, I wont have any trouble with this teeny tiny albino.

I'm in Califonia. It depends on the area I suppose.
Usually the supplies are all about the same tho. Best price I ever remember seeing was $6.99 on a 10 gallon tank tho =3

However...when I got my girl for $19 was when they were going to be getting a new group in and wanted to keep from overcrowding. The usual price is around $25 but sometimes, after the breeding season the prices will go up a bit.

Things may vary a bit from store to store in pricing, but the care and husbandry is what varies the most. Maybe I'm just a bit luckier with the Petco near me.

Haha funny you should mention asking a lot of obvious questions at the store. I always do that, i want to see if the people selling me the animal know what they are doing. If they do not, they clearly havent been taking care of the animal right and i wouldnt buy it. Interesting how being dumb is also so smart!

How old are you MacArther? Do you have a set-up all ready; enclosure, dishes, hides, something for warmth, etc.? Do you have steady allowance or a job that will allow you to buy insects regularly (3-5 dollars a week), and 5 bucks on a bottle of calcium/vitamin suppliments as needed? How bad do you want one?

If you've thought this out well and appear to be responsible, someone here might just give you one...I'm sure most of us would rather help you than see you get one from a pet store and be disappointed when it has problems.

Sybella I'm 12 and yes I can pay for food OH GOOD LORD! I went to petsmart and held a sapossidly 6 month old albino, it was skinny as pencil, and had unshed skin on its eyes and body. also, it was 3 inches long. and the tag said juvinile, but then In a cage all alone I seen a normal one that was well fed and healthy so on saturday or sunday, I'll probably get the healthy one. Would it be okay for it tio ride in the car for about 40-45 minutes??

MacArthur

Yes, a 40 minute car ride should be fine, provided it doesn't get too terribly hot. If it's going to be over very hot, go leo purchasing in the morning when the temperature is under 80 for the car ride.