| A few years ago, my husband Wally had an | | | | but I moved forward with my surprise. |
| interest in keeping geckos and I agreed to allow | | | | I went into the room where the animals are kept |
| them to come into our home- as long as they | | | | and yes the room has a door that has to stay |
| were in their own room and I did not have to | | | | closed for temperature control. I set up my |
| touch them at all. This hobby started out with | | | | supplies for cleaning. The cart has dishes, extra |
| just a "few" animals. I knew from previous | | | | container and top, garbage can, water and food |
| experience that it would grow into many animals | | | | for the animals. These animals are kept on a |
| over time (you see he had kept fish about 20 | | | | shelved rack. Some of the shelves are higher |
| years ago as a "hobby"- the hobby grew into | | | | than me and I use a small stool to work on the |
| about 130 tanks of fish). He had raised and bred | | | | containers. |
| fish for years and made a great business out of it | | | | I had the process of cleaning the containers very |
| as just a "hobby". | | | | well planned in order to make me feel |
| The process started with building a small room | | | | comfortable. In other words, I do this MY way. |
| within a room in our basement. It had to be lined | | | | Now just so you know I repeat these steps over |
| and insulated to keep the humidity and heat in for | | | | and over as I work through the room. |
| the animals. He built a rack to house the | | | | 1. Take the container off the shelf while covering |
| containers that would be home for the geckos. | | | | as I move it. |
| The big day came and he made the first | | | | 2. Take out the food dishes and humid hide very |
| purchase of geckos. He was very excited with | | | | slowly |
| the animals he had brought home. They were | | | | 3. Then I slowly tip the container over into |
| pretty animals with yellow, white, and orange | | | | another container and the animal is covered. |
| colors throughout their bodies. He pointed out to | | | | 4. Next I wash out the container and put all clean |
| me how important it is for the tails to have lots | | | | and new dishes and hides in the container |
| of orange. This is a carrot tail leopard gecko. | | | | 5. I slowly tip the container with the animal back |
| When it breeds, the more orange in the tail the | | | | over to the clean one and let the animal climb |
| more valuable the animal. WAIT a minute,,, | | | | back into its home |
| reproduce!... I knew exactly where this hobby was | | | | 6. The last step is- with a cover held over the |
| quickly heading. Now the real plans are coming to | | | | container I slide it back on the shelf. |
| the surface. He started breeding the animals and | | | | I was confident that this system would work, if I |
| had success the first time around. The eggs are | | | | had only followed it. However, for some reason I |
| collected and put into an incubator for hatching. | | | | did not put the top back over the cleaned |
| After about 2 months the geckos started to | | | | container with animal in it. I reached up and |
| breed, the eggs started hatching, and out came | | | | started to slide the container on the shelf. To my |
| cute little babies to add to the "hobby". Well, that | | | | surprise the animal decided to JUMP over the lip |
| is where I came into the plan. When the babies | | | | of the container. Remember the shelf is a little |
| hatched they needed to be moved to another | | | | higher than me and the animal landed on me. I |
| container. I would pull the small deli cup from the | | | | jumped, screamed, and the animal landed on the |
| incubator and make it a science lesson for my | | | | floor. (The animal is fine) I threw a container over |
| daycare. I never held the leopard geckos because | | | | the top of the animal on the floor. Next thing I |
| I'm just not comfortable with them. As long as I | | | | know my oldest son walked in to find out what all |
| could move the baby from the deli cup by tipping | | | | the commotion was about. He found me with |
| the cup or tapping the gecko with the top I was | | | | tears and shaking- and yes, he tried his best not |
| fine. | | | | to laugh at me. He moved the animal into the |
| Over time, I am sure Wally was hoping I would | | | | container it belonged in and I was done cleaning |
| get over my fear of geckos. I would go into the | | | | containers for the day. |
| room and watch him work with the animals and | | | | Since then I have gone back to cleaning the |
| chat with him. I had it in my head that there was | | | | containers and do it slowly watching that I follow |
| NO way that I would hold or help with the | | | | each step carefully. I still will not hold the animals |
| animals- it was his hobby and they are lizards! | | | | and if they seem active I will feed and skip that |
| EWWWW- They eat live crickets and | | | | container going back after the animal has calmed |
| mealworms, the gecko containers had to be | | | | down. |
| cleaned on a regular basis, and eggs had to be | | | | I knew at some point Wally would want to |
| collected. In order to do these things the animal | | | | expand the variety of animals he was keeping. I |
| have to be moved around to get the job done. | | | | had no problem with it as long as snakes are not |
| Sometimes, one of us would stop at a pet store | | | | in the plan. He has added crested geckos and day |
| to purchase supplies for the animals. That I could | | | | geckos. The room now has multiple racks housing |
| handle because all I would have to do is bring it | | | | these animals. Day geckos are a very bright |
| home and leave it in the room for Wally. | | | | green animal and fast! He told me to always be |
| Eventually, the "hobby" grew to a point that we | | | | careful when going in their tanks so that they |
| had to start to ordering crickets (1000's at a | | | | don't scoot out. The crested geckos are quick |
| time) to feed the animals. You can imagine what I | | | | also. I was down in the lizard room one night |
| thought (and the UPS guy as well) when the first | | | | talking with my husband when all of a sudden an |
| order of 5,000 LIVE CRICKETS arrived on my | | | | adult (about 5 inches long) crested gecko jumped |
| front door step! I could not imagine where they | | | | out of his hand, onto the cart, from the cart onto |
| were all going to be stored. Wally came home and | | | | the cricket container, and then to the floor. It |
| had to put them in large plastic containers with | | | | scooted right for my feet and if you know me I |
| food and water to keep them alive for the | | | | never have shoes on! The room is a very tight |
| animals to eat. I was worried that crickets would | | | | area and I had no where to go, so I just lifted |
| be everywhere and was very nervous whenever | | | | one foot then the next in this little hopping motion |
| he asked one of our boys to help with them. The | | | | trying to get away from the animal without |
| containers of crickets had to be cleaned during | | | | stepping on it at the same time. One of the boys |
| the week and he really doesn't like that job. I | | | | was in the room as well and they got a great |
| eventually decided that was something I could do. | | | | laugh out of my "Gecko Dance". By the time the |
| Well, needless to say now when the cricket | | | | animal was caught I had goose bumps all over |
| orders come in I take care of them. I have had | | | | and could not wait to leave the room..I was sure |
| crickets climb up my shirt or jump down my shirt. | | | | it was going to go right up my pant leg! Needless |
| I still get jumpy when they start to jump or | | | | to say, I wasn't very impressed with this lizard |
| crawl when I am working with them. | | | | either. |
| Along the way I decided that maybe I could even | | | | Over the past few months I have tolerated the |
| feed the animals to save a little time for my | | | | small crested geckos enough to try to hold them. |
| husband. All was good, until the day I knocked | | | | They are not too bad.. Wally was quite shocked |
| over a large deli cup with about 50 crickets onto | | | | when he saw me pick up the first crested gecko. |
| the floor while I was feeding. There I was | | | | The smaller they are the faster and jumpier they |
| crawling around the floor of the leopard gecko | | | | are. They will calm down in my hand and I do talk |
| enclosed room trying to catch crickets. | | | | to them a lot (no, they don't talk back to me). I |
| Wally was successfully keeping and breeding the | | | | have now learned to clean their containers, feed, |
| leopard geckos. He would move the males around | | | | and move the babies when they hatch. I have |
| to the different female containers during breeding | | | | held one adult for a few seconds, but I prefer the |
| season. I watched as he worked with them never | | | | small ones. |
| helping, just talking to him. | | | | This "hobby" has now grown into a small business |
| Then one day when I must have experienced a | | | | and we breed quality geckos, spend a lot of time |
| lack of oxygen to my brain I thought I would | | | | educating customers, and sell them at shows and |
| surprise him and clean a few of the leopard gecko | | | | online (see below). It has become an interesting |
| containers. Now before we get into this any | | | | and fun way for us to spend time together. I |
| further, I need to remind you that I do not like to | | | | have even gone to a few shows to help out. I |
| hold these animals at all..... and would not! Not sure | | | | am learning a lot about the animals and, will hold |
| why I thought this was going to be a good idea | | | | them on MY terms. |