Sunday, October 7, 2012

So Finally You’ve Decided to Get a Gecko!


So, finally, you’ve decided to get a gecko as a pet! After careful deliberation, you got one and that’s great! Having geckos in the house, according to tradition, create good omen. Well, whatever favor and luck it could give, sure makes this one a good-buy. Geckos can make excellent pets, exotic as they are, these reptiles are convenient to keep, inexpensive to maintain and easy to take care compared to other pets.


Now, that you have one or are still planning to buy one, geckos are easily sold at pet shops and do not require so much space. Before anything else, it is best to know a little something about these reptilian creatures.

Millions of years ago, along with dinosaurs, all but four of the reptiles were wiped-out from the earth’s existence. Among the four that remained, the largest of which are these cold-blooded animals called lizards. They thrive in the environment and are practically dependent of heat from its habitat. Today, lizards have about 3,000 species ranging from the smallest size of a Caribbean Dwarf Gecko at 35mm to the biggest size of a Komodo dragon at 3 meters. Although it would be daunting to have a Komodo dragon as a pet, the wisest choice there is to have a gecko!

You can tuck them in anywhere with a relative small space requirement in your home and they wouldn’t require constant bathing, no feathers or hair that continually shed and best of all, they do not need to be walked and trained given hectic schedules. Essentially, geckos live on the ground given the ability to climb, but with some limitations. Geckos that are smaller are soft and delicate, so it takes proper care and correct handling while those that are bigger are much easier to handle. Life span of most geckos is up to 20 years, so that sounds a through-thick-and-thin kind of care taking. They feed on meal worms, crickets and other locusts and by the way, geckos are nocturnal creatures and are most hyped-up when almost everyone has cooled down.

Although lizards in general tend to be intimidating and threatening because of their rough scales, mysterious bright eyes, fat tails, strong legs and reptilian stance, there are still a growing number of reptile enthusiasts that keep coming back for more reptiles to keep as pets, particularly geckos. There are five popular gecko varieties that are equally great choices for beginners and these are:

1.  Giant day gecko

Giant day gecko

2. White – lined gecko

White lined gecko

3. Leopard gecko

Leopard gecko

4. Crested gecko

Crested gecko

5. Fat-tailed gecko

Fat tailed gecko

6. House gecko

House gecko

7. Tokay gecko

Tokay gecko

Pet 101 - Geckos

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