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Which Morph is for a Beginner

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Post by steven_tomahawk Sat Mar 03, 2012 6:57 am

Are all morphs the same personality, care level, and friendlyness wise? Are certain morphs better for starters? I guess the way I look at it is if this little guy/girl is going to live to be 20 with good care I will be 40 when it passes and wanted to know would say a Mack Snow be the same as a APTOR? I have got a 10 gallon tank, UTH, 1 hide (will get 2 more when I order my leo), repticarpet which is going in the trash for some high end linoleum and a top screen (got it off craigslist for 15 bucks). Is it also easier to get a gecko baby/juvenile or an adult. I like the idea of getting a baby and raising it to an adult. I want a gecko as a pet not a collection item as well. I would upgrade to a 36"x18" exoterra enclosure later on. Is there anything I am missing?

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Post by Mardy Sat Mar 03, 2012 7:30 am

Morphs do not determine their personality, but certain morphs do require more care. For a beginner, avoid Enigmas as they have built-in neurological disorder that affects how they see the world. Albinos are more sensitive to light, but they do tend to grow out of it as they get older. I would say anything other than Enigmas should be fine as a starter leopard gecko.

Differences between juvenile and adult are usually juveniles eat a lot more than adults, mainly because they do most of their growing during the first year. Also juveniles tend to be more skittish, and they like to do skydiving jumps off your hand if you aren't careful. But their skittish nature and hunger makes them very very fun to watch during feed time. When they get older they tend to become more docile, and they should be easier to handle. They'll eat less (usually once every other day or so).

Good luck choosing your first gecko thumbs up 2
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Post by knielsen Sat Mar 03, 2012 9:43 am

I started with a albino, mack snow and a carrot tail they were all fine! the Albino is the calmest though but i dont think morph makes much difference Smile i had them all as babies and watched them grow! if you dedicated to handling them often they will become tame, when they are young they tend to be a bit scared and hyper though so be careful Smile
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Post by steven_tomahawk Sun Mar 04, 2012 1:02 pm

I am also wondering when the best time to get a baby is (month wise). Is it better to go to a dealer like geckosect or from another breeder who does it as a hobby.

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Post by Mardy Sun Mar 04, 2012 2:04 pm

Don't buy a baby under 15g. If you are going for a lil one, make sure they are over 15g in weight. They should reach 15g in a month or two. Under 15g they are still in that iffy phase where they could make it or break it. Plus shipping them under 15g are risky anyway.

When they are 15g+ that means they are eating, their body is functioning, and they should be well on their way to feed like a growing teenager.

As for where to order them from, since you mentioned geckosetc, Steve Sykes is a very reputable breeder. Even though his operation is pretty large, I have quite a few geckos from him and they are all healthy and well. So that's one large scale breeder I'd recommend anytime. There's also nothing wrong with purchasing from a hobbyist or small scale breeder, as small scale breeders quite often spend more time with their geckos because they are like pets to them.

I would avoid chain retailers like petco/petsmart, although I can't really say they are all bad because my first 2 leopard geckos were from petco and the 2 have grown up very nicely. Key to purchasing any geckos from stores is to check out their living condition, and see how knowledgeable the staff is. When in doubt, pay a lil more and get it from a reputable breeder. You get what you pay for. Buying from a breeder that knows what they're talking about may cost you an extra $100, but you know the exact genetics of the geckos, and you know they are being taken care of professionally.

Another place to buy geckos would be tradeshows. Reptile conventions usually have several vendors that are reputable breeders, while they also have some mass scale wholesalers that don't really know the genetics of each geckos they sell. So you'll have to talk to the folks selling them to get a feel on whether they know what they are talking about or not. Also reptile shows are good because you can see the geckos you are buying.

Hope that helps, good luck Smile
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