A crestie for Kelly?

[kellymack515]

So we've got a crested gecko at the PetSmart where I work and my manager has decided that, even though we've only had it a few weeks, it'll never sell and he's offered it to me for cost. He's got to clear it with the pet care manager though I don't think she'll have a problem with it. I just have a few questions. I'd like to keep her on Repticarpet or something similar because of her size. Any suggestions there? She'll be in a 18"x12"x12" ExoTerra. I need to get some GOOD CGD. I have the Repashy that they sell at PetCo but I'd like something better, mainly because this little one doesn't like it. How often should I feed the CGD? And are crickets and worms ok too? What's the best temperature and humidity for a crestie? Do they need UV? Also, how do you tell male from female? I appreciate any and all info and personal experiences. And any pics of your setups would be awesome too!

[BlackLava]

yes!! a crestie for kelly!! those guys are soooo cute!! how old is this little guy, he looks so teeny

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[kellymack515]

It's WAY young. Like I said, we've only had it a few weeks. I'm not sure how old it was when we got it as I'm not too familiar with cresties yet.

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[Special K]

Kelly,
It looks like this little one is too small for sexing.. but you can look up some things on the internet that can give you a pore count - and what to look for regarding that. Here's a link for the food I give Gizmo - try the two-part diet; the base texture is much different than what you're giving him/her, and you can choose what kind of fruit nectar to add to it (Crested Gecko Products). I also purchased the shelf they offer on their site along with some plastic cups that fit in it for food and water - it's not necessary, but I found that my crestie would always kick soil around in his food/water or dump it over. It also offers the comfort of dining off the ground, where s/he might feel vulnerable. I wouldn't go for repti-carpet personally.. I use Jungle Bed or Eco-earth on the bottom of my cages, which I mist twice a day lightly. A little sphagnum mixed in works well, my crestie always loves to bury in it and sleep with his head sticking out! The exo-terra will work great, just be sure to add plants and a ramp/log for him/her to get to wherever s/he wants to go without always jumping. I think I covered everything.. oh, here's a great care sheet! Pangea Reptile Crested Gecko Care

Beautiful little one, by the way!
Hope I could help!

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[kellymack515]

Thanks Karley! I knew you'd have some good advice!

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[BlackLava]

why would they think that a cute little thing like that wouldnt sell? i know people always ask me if we have cresties....LOL

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[Special K]

Originally Posted by kellymack515

Thanks Karley! I knew you'd have some good advice!

Of course! You're getting quite the zoo now.

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[kellymack515]

Originally Posted by BlackLava

why would they think that a cute little thing like that wouldnt sell? i know people always ask me if we have cresties....LOL

There has been ZERO interest in this little one. And people who DO ask about it get upset when I tell them that they have to go elsewhere for CGD because we don't sell it. I was so angry when we got this guy in because I don't think it's fair to sell an animal to someone and then tell then that we don't carry the proper supplies to care for that animal.

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[kellymack515]

Originally Posted by KarleyandBrad

Of course! You're getting quite the zoo now.

I know right? People thought I had a zoo BEFORE the snakes and beardie. What will they think of me now? Hehe.

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[BlackLava]

hehe, having a zoo is the best LOL

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[Special K]

We had a zoo, then we downsized. We're happy with our little collection now.

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[kellymack515]

I love my mini zoo. I need a sign for my place that says "Kelly's Herpetarium" hehe.

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[BlackLava]

haha, yea, having a zoo is great, but it needs to stay small enough so that its a joy maintaining it, and not a chore

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[kellymack515]

Originally Posted by BlackLava

haha, yea, having a zoo is great, but it needs to stay small enough so that its a joy maintaining it, and not a chore

AGREED. But it really only gets to be a chore if you have too many of one thing, at least for me. That's why I like having a bunch of different types of reptiles. They all require something a little bit different so it doesn't get too tiresome.

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[Icicle]

Stunning

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[BlackLava]

yea, you just gotta keep stuff that you love for me, i love my boas more than anything else, i wish i had more of them LOL. but, i also want them to look different, so thats why we have diff morphs and stuff its pretty fun to be able to do different "themes" and rearrange their cages when you clean them too, LOL. its pretty fun changing things up a little as long as they have everything they need of course

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	Morph A morph is a color or pattern variation that is proven to be genetic. Common morphs include albino, anerythristic, gentically striped, Hypomelanistic, and many others. Morphs also include combinations of simple traits such as "Sunglow" which is Albino and Hypomelanistic. These traits may be recessive traits, co-dominant traits, dominant traits, or created through selective breeding (ie Pastel).

[kellymack515]

Karley, would you recommend using Jungle Bed even though it's so tiny? I'm just worried about it ingesting substrate when going after crickets.

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[EmilyK]

A paper towel substrate works really well for the little guys. I use it for all of my crested geckos. It's easy to clean and there aren't any little pieces for them to accidentally eat. I'd use a critter keeper instead of the big tank until she's a little bigger so she has an easier time finding her food...she's teensy!
I don't know if it's been addressed yet or not, but it doesn't need uv.

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[Special K]

Originally Posted by kellymack515

Karley, would you recommend using Jungle Bed even though it's so tiny? I'm just worried about it ingesting substrate when going after crickets.

Honestly, I'd still recommend the Jungle Bed because of the humidity it holds - since s/he'll be shedding more often than an adult would since s/he's still growing. Whenever I feed bugs, I put Gizmo in a seperate container (like I do my snakes) so none of the bugs wander off into hides or under the substrate and get lost.. It's important that you know just how many crickets the little one will eat in a sitting, and if s/he's in a tupperware or something it's much easier to judge that.

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[kellymack515]

How often do you feed crickets? If I manage to get this little one, I'll be doing the 2 part Repashy diet too.

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