Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, i've found a nice baby healthy leo in wi. at petsmart. thanks for all the help I will post name,morph and pic I don't know how.

Good luck if you get it *just pray it isn't incubating a disease*. If you don't mind my asking, why couldn't you get one from a breeder or a show??? Actually, a breeder at a show would have sold you an animal for a cheaper price than a petstore and it would most likely be alot healthier too. Petco charges 20 bucks for a normal phase hatchling while at a show, breeders often sell off their normal het for whatever babies for less than that!!!

Cleo
1:1 leos (7 eggs cooking)

Well for one thing no reptile shows are ever nearby, and two my mom and dad say "Anything could happen in shipping" but I held the one and it was very alert and almost backed off my hand

np
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-Bryan

hey mac im new to leopard geckos to but before i got my geckos i bought the manual read it a couple of times, Bought a movie And watched it a few to many times LOL. Then i got on the net and searched for any info i could find during that whole time i was becomeing god frends with the reptile guy at my local petshop wich has a BIG reptile section and somebody who cares about them very much. But after all that i went looking for a gecko. I found a deal and now have 1.2 group Somebody shipped tyhem and notihg was wrong with them. Just goes to show kids can be smart about this. I am only thirteen and know alot about Leopard geckos.

Here is a checklist (print it if need be, and take it to the store when you look over the leo again)

1. It should have bright, active eyes, and react when someone opens the tank.
2. It should have a nice, chunky tail
3. It should have all of its appendages (all fingers and toes!)
4. It should have no shed skin on it (check its feet, snout, and tail especially)
5. Its nostrils should be clear
6. There should be no weezing or rasping.
7. Its belly should be white and plump looking. DENTING, BLACK SPOTS, OR RED BLOTCHES IN THE BELLY SIGNIFY DISEASE.

Ask the employee to feed the animal. It should AT LEAST express interest in the food.
If the leo checks out, then you can probably get it. Make a vet appointment for the leo for the following week to have a physical exam and a fecal done. This will show you if the animal has any hidden problems.

IF THE LEO DOES NOT MAKE THE LIST, THEN DO NOT BUY IT. DO NOT FEEL PRESSURED TO GET A LEO NOW...

GOOD LUCK!!!

Cleo
1:1 leos (7 eggs cooking)

I suggest 2 things

1) Buy "The Leopard Gecko Manual" ... I consider it as essential as a humid hide in terms of leo ownership. It's good that you've been asking questions, but nothing will answer your questions nearly as well as the Manual

Buy it here: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1882770447/qid=1057860885/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/103-9711097-1184602?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 - Amazon.com

2) Once you've read it several times, before going back to petsmart, look for breeders in your area.

Start here: market.kingsnake.com/index.php?cat=10 ... this is the Kingsnake Leo Classifieds...

Please buy the manual ... for the sake of your animals. You are clearly interested and dedicated, but also clearly uninformed. These forums are good, but they are all opinion, based on (often too short) experience. The Manual is written by professional breeders, vets and scholars.

Joel
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3.6 Leopard Geckos (1.4 Albino)
~~20 Leo eggs cookin'~~
1.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 African Fat Tail Gecko
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Blair's Phase Gray Banded Kingsnake

I've got the manual

That's what I wanted to hear ...

Read it over and over and it won't be long before you feel fully comfortable.

Good for you.

Joel
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3.6 Leopard Geckos (1.4 Albino)
~~20 Leo eggs cookin'~~
1.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 African Fat Tail Gecko
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Blair's Phase Gray Banded Kingsnake

Oh also ...

About breeders shipping animals. Your folks are right that theoretically anything can happen during shipping, but these breeders are professionals ... this is what they do for a living, this is their livelihood. They have shipping these animals down to an art. I wouldn't worry at all about incidents with shipping so long as you pick a reputable breeder and are there when the animal arrives.

Joel
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3.6 Leopard Geckos (1.4 Albino)
~~20 Leo eggs cookin'~~
1.1 Ball Pythons
1.0 African Fat Tail Gecko
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Blair's Phase Gray Banded Kingsnake

that looks healthy yeat is loaded with intestinal parasites,

whatever? why come and ask a page full of questions if your not going to follow the advice given by exper. people

hope you leo is truly healthy

anthor propagation of petstore animal sales

hey, take it easy on him. He is only 12. Its not him that is saying "NO buy I am going to buy it at petco". Its his parents. I can remember at age 12, that no matter what I said it was wrong. Must of us have been there too. So all we can do is help him when he ask a ? just like everyone else. We can also pray that it isnt sick.

I got my male from petco and he is fine. I guess 1/3 that arent sick is a bad ratio. But sometimes people get lucky.

Alicia

My parents would barely even let me order waxworms online because they thought that their credit card number would be stolen. Eventually they gave in and gave me the number because I threw a fit (my sister had used the number that day to buy a bag online!). Actually, I think they were afraid I was gonna use the number to buy some animal online and have it shipped to our door, lol. But kids can't help it if parents put restrictions on them, its just the way things are until they move out and they have their own money to spend. Although, I would wait to get a leo from another place...isn't Garrick located in Wis.???

Cleo
1:1 leos (7 eggs cooking)

yea, but just cause he is doesnt mean he is close to him. Like i leave in central cali. But yet to get some some places in cali for me, it might take 12 hours to get there. Everything works out at the end, maybe not for the best but it works out. We will just wait and hope it is healthy.

Man, Im 20 and my parents still tell me what to do lol, its not just young kids that get told what to do either lol. I fell their pain lol

I went through the trouble o calling him(costing me money) and asking him where he was located and everything and still the kid goes to petco after i told him garrick could make arrangments to meet him...
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-Bryan

Bryan...I'm sure he appreciates everything you have done for him but it wasn't up to him. He had to go along with his parents. However, now that you have helped him like this, I'm sure he will contact Garrick and buy more later. I mean, who can stop with just one leo?!? LOL!

Since you are going to buy one from petsmart heres a list of what a healthy leo should look and act like :-]

1. clear, bright eyes
2. all limbs and toes
3. no left over shed skin on his/heer body
4. clear nostils with no wetness or bubbling
4. clear breathing, no rasping or weezing or difficulty breathing
5. fat, chunky tail, one thing to keep in mind is that many leos from petstores with have regenerated tails, this wont hurt it as long as its healed and fat
6. no redness, swollen or caked feces around its vent
7. its should be active or show interest when you touch it or open the tank.
8. also ask to feed th leo, she should at least show interest in the cricket

Also you show have a fecal done by your local reptile vet, to check for any parasites and get medicine if needed.

Good luck! and feel free to ask any other questions :-]