Oedura in the U.S.

[gekkoterra]

It seems the number of people in the U.S. keeping and breeding Oedura (including the more common species), has dropped dramatically over the past 5 years. They were once very popular. What happened?

Ashton
Vivarium Essentials

 

[Elizabeth Freer]

Ashton ~

I've been breeding Oedura castelnaui since ~2003. Got my first one, a male, in September 2000. He's getting ready to pack his bags for a reptile show this weekend near Portland, Oregon to wow the crowds :biggrin:!

 

[gekkoterra]

I was breeding O. castelnaui, monilis, and tryoni between 2000 and 2005, but ended up selling my groups. They just don't have the presence in the market they did years ago.

Ashton
Vivarium Essentials

 

[oli]

Yea, it seems they were pretty popular a few years ago, but interest has kinda plummeted. They are cool geckos, I'm not really sure why? They could be one of those genus' that were once popular, and easily bred that drops of the market and then one day comes back and are pricey just because there aren't many around

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

In this hobby, species popularity comes and goes. What's popular today might not be so hot in 5 years. Plus, the economy has been crap for a couple of years. So I think that a lot of breeders are being smart and holding on to their animals until the market comes back around rather than sell them off at dirt cheap prices.

 

[gekkoterra]

Of course. The mainstream gecko market is like the fashion market in terms of trends.

 

[PassPort]

Of course. The mainstream gecko market is like the fashion market in terms of trends.

Exactly! Ashton, you really hit the nail on the head with this one, though the economy doesn't help either. Aussies were really hot for a long time, then New Caledonian geckos, now South African geckos seem to be in vogue.

I think part of the problem with some, like monilis, is that they breed readily and the price on them was driven down.

I personally am breeding 4 species right now and am looking for the rest.

 

[oli]

I got coggeri but would love some filipicoda and gemmata lol

 

[Ken Bartenfeld]

Yea, O. gemmata and FILICIPODA are quite rare. Though I have once kept and bred tryoni, coggeri, robusta, castelnaui and lesueurii. They are still here in the US. I doubt they all died off. People just aren't buying them now and most of us got out the hobby. Me, for personal reasons. Wish I had the collection I used to. I miss them. Gotta do me first though. Hope everyone is doing good.