Hi, I didn't really know where to post this thread, so I'm just doing it here. I am looking to buy a leopard gecko, but I don't know where the best place to get one is. I don't want to get one from a huge chain like PetCo or PetsMArt. There also arent any local breeders near by (closest is like 3 hrs away). I was thinking LLLReptile (online). Is it bad to purchase online? Is LLL good? P.S. I don't want to buy from those designer online breeders because they are like $300 a peice haha
Best Place to Buy From?
- Thread starter MaxGuy
- Start date
JIMI
New member
I'll answer this one too! lol
This thread will help you: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/leopard-geckos-general-info-intros-pics/75216-pet-store-vs-breeders.html
This thread will help you: http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/leopard-geckos-general-info-intros-pics/75216-pet-store-vs-breeders.html
Personally I don't think LLL is any better than a WELL RUN chain store. I've read horror stories about them as much as any individual chain store. They do not breed their own animals so they are essentially selling the same animals in that they are bought from others. In fact I would choose a WELL RUN chain store over LLL because I could see the animal in question before purchasing it.
Note the emphasis on WELL RUN. Not all chain stores are equal even if they are the same chain. While they all have corporate guidelines and are sometimes limited in the things they can do some have better staff with more knowledge or who simply care more.
The thing is if you are not willing to support the chain stores by buying live animals from them you shouldn't be supporting them by buying ANYTHING from them.
Where are you located, maybe you just are not aware of any local breeders. Maybe someone here could point you in the right direction if they knew where you lived.
Note the emphasis on WELL RUN. Not all chain stores are equal even if they are the same chain. While they all have corporate guidelines and are sometimes limited in the things they can do some have better staff with more knowledge or who simply care more.
The thing is if you are not willing to support the chain stores by buying live animals from them you shouldn't be supporting them by buying ANYTHING from them.
Where are you located, maybe you just are not aware of any local breeders. Maybe someone here could point you in the right direction if they knew where you lived.
Conched
New member
I purchased one from this breeder last year. She is an excellent breeder.
Gecko Babies - Available Leopard Geckos For Sale
Gecko Babies - Available Leopard Geckos For Sale
Yuk
New member
Ask whether they do a fecal exam and acid fast bacteria stain test before selling a leopard gecko. That is my new standard for a "good" breeder or seller. If I were buying an additional gecko, I would want a health certificate with fecal exam results and a crypto test run. Even then, I'd still quarantine, but I would hate to buy a "healthy" expensive gecko plus shipping only to find out two years down the road that it has crypto and either needs to be put down or medicated the rest of its life.
It's a lovely idea, but in all honesty, as a breeder, it's not something I'm going to do. If any of my geckos, adult or hatchling, showed any sign of illness, I'd test/treat them all and provide that information to prospective buyers, but I'm not going to test them if there's no sign of illness. I do strongly recommend the quarantine.
Aliza
Yuk
New member
I can definitely understand that. I don't blame anyone who doesn't routinely do fecals/crypto check, but when I'm investing hundreds and expecting 20 years of life expectancy, having my gecko die of crypto after two years would make me, as the buyer, feel a bit cheated. As the buyer, if I brought home a crypto positive gecko, it would require a different level of care compared to a healthy gecko. I could bring my own fecal samples to a vet, but by then everything I have bought for it has been contaminated. If a breeder was willing to let me put a juvenile gecko on hold (like put a deposit down) for three months of fecal testing, and I paid for the testing, I wonder if in general breeders would be open to it...
cricket4u
New member
I feel the same way. Whether breeding or keeping it is there responsibility to have geckos vet checked and healthy.
http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...643-unfortunate-looking-tummy.html#post423383
I'm having a similar problem as in this post but O don't want to buy online because I want to see the gecko first plus online people are selling geckos for $700 no joke so I really want to know of a good cheap place in Virginia Beach, VA or somewhere very close to that my price limit is $35
P.S. I really want to get a snow mack or lavender stripe am ok with other breeds but would preffer one of those
P.S. I really want to get a snow mack or lavender stripe am ok with other breeds but would preffer one of those
"Good" and "cheap" don't usually go hand-in-hand. You get what you pay for, just like any other purchase. A cheap gecko could end up costing you a fortune in vet bills.
I would suggest you wait until you have enough money saved up to buy from a reputable source.