[answerme]

Hello everybody!

Very likely, I will be getting a pictus gecko (other names they are called are panther gecko, ocelet gecko, fat tailed gecko).
I have been searching a lot of facts about the gecko spcies, how to care for them, what they do. But after so much searching, I have several questions i am very confused about. Also, I'm on a pretty tight budget, my mom really hates pets/animals, so I really have to show her that I can do this, and not spend too much money. When the gecko was discounted in the store for like, 9 dollars (truly a steal) I thought I could probably get all the things i ABSOLUTELY need at about 50 dollars or so. apparently, that was still too expensive for her. I have/will come across some more money in the next few days/weeks.
Sorry for such a long intro, but please read my questions, and if you can, answer as many as possible. I want to offer the most love and care for my pet!

1. My mom pretty much refuses to buy a ventilation screen for the tank, but we have some screens such as window screens (I'm not sure what else). I think that would work, but would it? I hear pictus geckos are not the climbing type, but they are very curious. Could the gecko possibly get out? We'd clip it to the tank or put something heavy on it, but I want to be 100% sure.

2. I've read into the diseases and things that pets can give you. I like to be sanitary and of course, i would NOT like to get some wierd disease from my pet. I have heard of crytosproidiousis, and read into it. A terrible disease. How do I make SURE I could not get it and my pet could not get it either? Are there any tricks to see when buying the gecko if they have the idease or not? When cleaning the tank, are there techniques to keep from getting something like that? Does soap and water really prevent those diseases if bleach and alchohol does not?

3. I've been looking at the food for geckos. I don't love the idea of having to feed them insects, but I will do it. I'm not terribly terrified of crickets and worms. But, are the crickets in Can O' Crikets alive or dead? I understand if they are alive, some of them will be dead, but I heard a few people say they were dead? Also, where can you buy mealworms that are not freeze-dried? I tried looking on a few of the pet store websites.

4. Food and Water. Does the gecko just drink tap water? About "dusting" the food with calcium. Do you HAVE to do this, or is this just a suggestion?

5. Temperature. I'm confused about this. I tolf my mom about this red heat bulb, but she said "why would i spend money on this bulb? Just use the ones we already have! They're cheaper!" I explained how the bulb just generates heat, and does not disrupt the reptile with its light. Would a regular buld work?


if I have more questions, I will ask. Thank you for answering my questions to all who do! Also, if there is anything else really important that I should know about pictus geckos and their care, please, do tell. I want to be a wonderful gecko owner!!

[MauricesExoticPets]

I pretty much gather from your post that you are still living under your parents care and rules. You need to respect the rules they have in place first and formost.

Convincing them to allow you to keep a reptile may not be easy and you should be ready for them to not allow it at all.

I would suggest that you take on some extra chores that show your parents that you are able to take on extra responsibility, if you get an allowance for doing chores you should save for your new pets enclosure and other equipment. I would not suggest asking for additional allowance I'm in no position to know if that would be acceptable or not in your parents home.

As for the research you have done so far, you seem to be on the right track in gathering information. But you have not looked too closely at every detail; for example there are many ways to provide heat and just as many ways to regulate that heat so that your gecko has the proper temperatures in its enclosure.

Go about your research with a fine toothed comb, research every detail and keep copious notes. It's something like doing a report on a different country, in this case Southern Madagascar. The more you know about where they live in the wild the better you will be able to care for them and provide them with a proper environment. This will also help you determine which caresheets are worthless and which ones know what they are talking about and might be of use to you.

When looking at designing an enclosure you should do just as much research on what works well and what does not. There are good and bad qualities to many products out there, and most topics are widely talked about on internet forums. Everything from providing heat, to methods that control that heat, light timers that allow you to properly set-up a day and night schedule for the gecko (see circadian rhythm), the list of things you could research is nearly endless.

The very basics though are:
Heat (may include a slight seasonal change)
Day hot
Day cold
Night hot
Night cold
Day/Night schedule (may include a slight seasonal change)
General Humidity (may include a slight seasonal change)
Hide Humidity
Minimum enclosure area needs
Substrate needs
Diet
Supplements

Lets look at the red bulb vs. normal light bulb issue you talked about; both are incandescent lights and are pretty much the same thing with the exception of the red bulb has a red glass globe or a red coating. There is zero difference between the ones sold as reptile lights and the ones sold as party lights, except the price. As for the heat they produce, heat is heat, and this depends on several other factors such as how the bulb is designed, mainly the filament. A red bulb is not your only option, for example under tank heaters (UTH), these are very much designed like heating pads with the exception that they are much thinner and some come with a sticky side to attach to the enclosure. UTHs do not produce light of any kind, do not need a fixture like a bulb does, and do not burn out like a bulb will or break when they are dropped or bumped into, they also are often much more efficient which means less electricity use. Overall UTHs cost less in the long run.

The main disadvantage of the regular light is that it produces light that is visible to the gecko, which is a nocturnal species. You want to create a correct day and night cycle as well as provide the proper temperatures, white light is not going to work if that is to be your only source of heat. It would be fine if your night heat was provided by a second source of heat, but that obviously adds to the complexity and cost of keeping the gecko.

In either case, light or UTH, you will need to regulate the temperature. You do not want the temperature to get too cold, or get too hot. The very best way to do this is with a thermostat because it will do the adjusting for you. Thermostats also save electricity because they adjust the amount used by your heat source as needed to maintain the set temperature. There are a number of other ways that have their own advantages and drawbacks, you'll have to evaluate them though. Remember that if the system you use requires you to be there you must be there. If you are away and the system fails for any reason it could kill the gecko. There are a number of thermostats designed for reptiles, use one that has a good reputation and it helps if it also comes with the ability to lower night temperatures automatically.

It is best to have an accurate thermometer to set the temperatures inside the enclosure. The little dial ones are a waste of money plain and simple, a digital one that also reads humidity is great. Again, you don't need one that says for reptiles there is often an added cost that comes with that.

On the subject of light, you will want a timer to automatically turn on and off the lights at the proper times. There are several types to look at, just make sure the one you use is rated for the amount of power the lights use. Try to find one that has a battery backup, this will help if your power goes out for any amount of time.

I know you asked a zillion other questions, and I didn't answer them, I did this to help you collect the information you need and give you an idea of what you are looking at in terms of collecting information to convince your parents that you'll be a good gecko parent. The last thing a parent wants is to care for something they have no interest in that you aren't caring for any more.

So do more around the house, regularly, without being asked. Gather as much information as you can, get it checked here, memorize the information, type it out in an orderly manner, then go to your parents with a solid plan to convince them you are both ready and able to care for the gecko. All they can say is yes or no. If they say no, continue with the extra chores you picked up, this shows them you are mature and have accepted their decision. Continue looking into and refining your plan based on the reasons your parents gave you for saying no.

There are a huge number of factors that go into a parents decision making process when it comes to allowing our children to have pets, they range from how are your grades to do you do what you are told when you are told to do things and how well you do those things. We as parents tend to watch you a lot more closely than you might think.

Their final answer may be no, and if it is you need to respect that. Very often though the decision is based on how responsable and mature they think you are, its a trust thing. You have to earn their trust and respect, its not exactly something they just give you because you are their child. The more solid that trust and respect the better your chances are at being allowed to have the gecko.

Pay closer attention to what your parents are saying, it may be that money is pretty tight right now for them (not wanting to buy you a screen cover for the aquarium kind of leads me to think this way), or they are trying to teach you how to manage money by buying only what is required and nothing more, maybe your parents are scared that the reptile will make you sick, I don't know the exact reasoning but if you listen closely you will learn exactly what the issues are and be able to research how to reduce or eliminate these problems.

You do need to realize that keeping reptiles in general is an expensive hobby at times, more so when you are adding a new animal and doing things correctly, and for the sake of the reptile if you are not ready to be its caretaker in every way including being able to pay for all its needs it may not be the right thing for you at this time.

Best of luck to you,
Maurice Pudlo

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Actually I'm pretty sure that i have convinced them, and i didnt mean getting an allowance raise from them, I meant that my grandparents generously said that they had some money to give me (I don't see them often).

1. Yeah, I'll try to look into those. I also did not think of researching Madagascar and how they live there.
2. Day cold, night cold, day warm, night warm. I've heard people say to have a warm side and a cold side. Would that be like putting a bulb or something that heats the tank on one side and not in say, the middle? If so, then based on some basic knowledge I'd say a buld on one side which could be day warm, the other side they could move to to be day cold, for night cold could i turn off the light (or would that be too cold) and day warm...well...so far I'm not sure.
3. Hmm. I never read paid much attentiont to the UTH talk. I always thought sticking to the normal things I know how to do (using a lightbulb) was the way to go. I'll look into it!
4. about temperature, i was considering just using a regular thermometer. You know, a long round stick with a bulb at the end. I wasn't sure if that would work.
5. yeah, I know that they probably wouldn't like to care for the gecko if i didn't want it anymore. However, I think it's just the gecko they don't like! My mom doeesn't really like lizards, geckos (I think they remind her of snakes...?), but she said if i kept it in my room she'd probably allow it. I don't think my dad minds. When i first told him he actually said it would be cool. For example, my sister used to have a pet turtle and I also used to have fish (which was not much fun because you can't exactly interact with them and they were just 2 fish in a small tank).
6. My mom has brought up the fact that it could make me sick (give me a wierd disease), so that's why I researched the diseases they could get, what they could give to humans, etc. Which is why i asked a question about cryptosporidiosis. I've written down what i could do to prevent myself from getting that when cleaning a tank. Also, normally I do just accept no. I'm not sure why not this time, I guess it's just because it's something I really want to do. To be able to care for something that isn't too big.
7. I'm pretty sure money is not too tight. My parents have always just been big money-savers. I do understand how it's to teach me not to spend money on useless things, but I'm wondering if not having a real screen would jeopardize the life of the gecko (him/her escaping).

Overall, I think my parents are veyr different from other parents (in America at least) in their ways. Thank you for your concern and helping me see what I could possibly do now!

[MauricesExoticPets]

Disease transmission between reptiles and humans is no different than between humans and anything else you ever come into contact with.

Wash your hands prior to and after interaction with your pet gecko, or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer. This keeps both you and the gecko safe from catching whatever the two of you have or have come into contact with.

Salmonella is the big disease people talk about when refering to reptiles, if you look into salmonella even just a bit you will notice just about every living critter on this earth has it or can carry it. Just refrain from kissing your pet and keep up with cleaning and hand washing. Its not exactly very common.

Yes a light on one end of the enclosure will heat that end more than the other. You are making what is refered to as a thermal gradient. Its kind of hard to get a good thermal gradient in a small enclosure but it can be done, it can take some trial and error.

Depending on the temperature in your room you may be able to simply turn off the light. More often than not though it will be too cold. You also lose the thermal gradient which the gecko needs to properly maintain ideal body temperature.

That type of thermometer should work just fine so long as it reads correctly.

As for the screen lid, they are as much to keep your pet in as they are to keep other things out. And yes they are required if you are using a standard fishtank as an enclosure.

As for interacting with the pictus gecko, you will get differing opinions on that, some might be all for it others not at all. That is a matter of opinion. I would say no for example as I consider them a bit small and too flighty for that sort of thing. I do interact with my larger reptiles but for much different reasons than you may imagine, some of my larger reptiles my monitors for example would be unmanageable without regular interaction and could be a very serious threat if not tamed to some extent. Otherwise I enjoy my reptiles natural behavior and tend to just observe them much the way fish people like to watch their fish.

Feeding, breeding, and raising young is where many of us derive pleasure and pride in a job well done regarding our reptiles. Your goals my well be different and I respect that. I do think another gecko might prove better suited to your desire for interaction though. Which one is something I will leave you to decide. If pictus is your final choice, great I surly wouldn't know how to direct you in that regard as mine know me as a source of food and as a big face watching them every so often. Otherwise our contact is limited to tracking their weight once a week when I do major cleaning in their enclosures.

As for you mother and father, parents are parents, I have been to a number of countries and we are all pretty much the same. Sure we all have different values and priorities but we try as best we can to pass them on to our kids.

Maurice Pudlo

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1. Ok. so i guess those are the best things you can do to prevent a disease.
2. I believe my home could be pretty chilly in the winter (even though my family is very sensitive to cold), but I feel like keeping the bulb on during night may be too warm (and also I've heard that some of the bulbs get very hot, very fast). Anyway to control that without using a thermostat or buying anything too expensive?
3. Yes, i am using a regular 10-gallon fish tank. I KNEW I had to have a screen lid (for ventilation and to keep the lizard in the tank). I was just making sure if a non-store-bought hand made screen lid would work as well.
4. Well, on the website, most people reviewed that they seemed to like this gecko, and that it was loving. But, i think 1 or 2 did say this gecko could move quickly? But, I do not have my mind completely set on this type of gecko. Of course, I have done the most research on this type and the leopard gecko, but I'm willing to do more. By interact, I just mean like touching it a little bit, holding it a little (possibly). If the geckos don't even prefer that, do you know of any small geckos/lizards that do?

Well thank you SO much for answering these question, this was a big help, and you also showed me to other directions I may not have thought of or considered which now i will.

[MauricesExoticPets]

A screen lid is better in most cases than one you might make at hom from some other material other than steel and steel wire mesh. One can be made of aluminium screen window parts but that often costs more than one made for the aquarium.

Reptiles do not love humans, they tolerate us, they can learn that we mean them no harm, they sometimes like the fact that we are warm enough to get their body temp up a bit. Some of the very smartest reptiles are monitors, some can count, some play, most know their caretaker as do most reptiles. But to say any are loving is a stretch.

Cats are loving, angry, happy, and show this in ways we can identify. A loving cat rubbs you and flopps down, an angry cat will let you know with its ears ****ed back and more. Happy cats purr. All pretty simple stuff, but not exactly. Cats are pretty smart critters, they know when you are sad and often try to calm you. They identify what you are mad at and join in the anger and properly direct it.

This is all pretty high on the scale of things, reptiles just aren't there quite yet. There very well might be an exception out there, there always seems to be one, but I think its pretty safe to say reptiles do not love.

As for other pet suggestions, I'm just not sure what to suggest sorry.

Maurice Pudlo

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Yeah, I guess i don't mean love. I guess it'd just be more like the lizard is curious about you and crawls on your hand. xD
But I'm not just in it for that, I guess it's just going to be a new experience for me. For me, just seeing the gecko eat an insect for the first time would be exciting. That may make me seem like I'm not ready and I'm inexperienced, but when it comes to a completely new thing is there really any way to be ready and experienced at it? (Other than researching).

But, about what you said, I doubt I'd be getting a moniter lizard. They'd be WAY too big! I think I'll just stick with the pictus gecko, and even if I won't be handle it much, it'll still be cool to observe and possibly understand reptile a little better. Just seeing shows about animals on TV just isn't much help. I'm a more hands-on experience person.