Geckoes....

[katelyle]

.... or however you spell them. Is there any reason why my 11 year old should or shouldn't have one as a pet?

I've never had one, but I used to know someone who did and he said that they make excellent pets - clean and fairly easy to train (within reason, I think - perhaps "fetch" might be a bit out of their reach) They also have a bit of the YUCK factor that young kids like.

Do you have a local pet shop where you could go and ask what is involved?

LOVE the idea of geckoes "fetching"!

Yes.

Because I don't like to see such a wonderful creature stuck in a glass cage by itself.

If they are social animals - then get more than one!

Rhubarb - if they are social animals then of course we would get more than one! Could you tell me more?

That was not quite my point.

I just don't like to see animals put in cages. It's not natural or respectful for them.

Oh, sorry. Of course I respect your position - and hypocritically, I feel the same about birds. But I don't think that properly looked after and adequately housed (and I stress the properly and adequately) small mammals and reptiles have a bad life as pets. And certainly my children are trained tolook after their pets more than carefully.

Well good luck with your gecko!

Actually I was secretly hoping someone would say 'No, no don't do it, they are incredibly difficult to look after, an endangered species, poisonous, bite and eat your telephone bill"!

i assumed this was a stroller thread. I think I was thinking of Bugaboo Chameleons ...

I'd love a gecko as a pet. I would probably worry about if a gecko would sustain a childs interest longer than a month or two. However, your child is 11, and only you know what their interest levels are. As long as you are prepared to take over 'gecko care' if they lose interest I cn't see any reason why not.

I believe the different species have quite different characteristics so take that into consideration. Are you prepared to feed them live food because I suspect you may have to. If it isn't live do you think you can cope with a freezer of frozen bugs?

wiggles, i saw your thread in sleep! thanks

go have a look

hijack over

leopard gecko

Just to add my experience, My nephew has had 2 geckoes since his 11th birthday and they are great pets, we look after them when they go away. The only bit I'm never to sure about is that they have to have live food which normally means keeping a stock of live crickets in the house. Fine until your 2yo ds finds them and decides to release a box full of crickets in the kitchen