THE PERFECT CHILD'S PET AND MY SUMMER SCIENCE PROJECT
My husband found a little snake outside of his office and brought it home for my youngest son. While playing with it outside it slithered away (he was devastated). A few days later my husband caught a skink racing around IN his office. It was mean and spent two days biting my son's little fingers. We talked him into taking it outside, where it hid in a hole never to be seen again. Seeing that he really wanted a reptile we did a LITTLE research and decided to purchase a
Baby Leopard Gecko.
These geckos eat crickets and several different kinds of worms, but the most common of these are meal worms. Meal worms are suppose to be kept cold.
Call me crazy, but I don't like the idea of having worms in my refrigerator. So, crickets it is! This is where more research could have been beneficial. We thought a couple crickets a week; how hard can that be? Catch them in your backyard or buy them at a bait shop.
First mistake: Geckos eat 7 1/2 inch crickets every other day.
Second mistake: Only one bait shop in town and they don't sell crickets. We started buying 5 dozen crickets at a time at a Pet Store some 45 miles away.
Third mistake: Can't just keep them in a bug jar. Now, why is it when you have a cricket in the house it chirps and seems to live forever? When you want the crickets to live in a bug jar . . . . they die?
My summer science project has been keeping a
cricket habitat. After piecing together research and trial and error here is the proper way to build and maintain a cricket habitat. Must have a large insect keeper with moist potting soil - not too wet - not too dry. For water to drink you can either place wet cotton balls or wet natural sponge in the keeper. They have to have pieces of cardboard egg cartons on which to sleep (it is essential these stay dry). Crickets eat apples, potatoes, and shredded carrots . . . . but their favorite is fish flakes! If you want them to hatch babies research suggests placing a bowl of moist peat moss in the keeper for the females to lay their eggs. Finally, keep the clear container wrapped in a dark cloth or dark towel.
I have managed to get a few babies out of the crickets. Unfortunately, it has not been enough to keep the Gecko fed. We are buying crickets about every nine days.
If you are considering a Gecko consider my experience: it has been more difficult to keep crickets than the Gecko. If you have experience, I would love to hear your wisdom.
Incidentally, the Baby Leopard Gecko has been the perfect pet for my son. Extremely gentle. Does not need attention, but will tolerate a child's affection. This makes it all worth while!
