Dear AFT forum participants,

About a week ago, some of you helped me figure out that the supposed fat-tails I adopted were, in fact, leopard geckos with regenerated tails. Your input caused me to seek out other sources which have definitively confirmed that they were not AFTs, but were leopard geckos. Of course I feel a little foolish about having been duped, but I don't hesitate to admit that I'm new to herpephilia.

That said, I was able to work it out with the wildlife rehabilitator from whom I adopted them. She claims to have honestly mistaken the regen. leopard geckos for AFTs. While I find this hard to believe, her contriteness was admirable. We agreed that she would refund me half the adoption fee, and I would keep the geckos. Since they've been in my care for over two weeks now, and have become comfortable here, and since we've started developing a bond, it didn't seem right to 'reject' them by returning them to her. So the $30 refund was an equitable resolution.

And now the good part: I used the $30 towards buying two AFTs today. I got a really good price on them because they've sat at Petco for 9 months, and they've been together the whole time, so they gave me a 25% discount on the pair. They are so sweet! They have a totally different feel than the leopard geckos, which I also like, but the AFT breed is truly my favorite. They are named Mocha and Leo (my daughter named one Leo even though it's not a leo. She's 7, and, for the most part, I give her free reign in creative matters.)

So, now I can be in this forum as well as the leo forum, and look forward to chatting with/learning from y'all. I've already read many of the old postings from both forums, and have learned a lot. Now I can obsess on monitoring all the proper specifications for both species. It's great fun! Of course it's an obsession born of love and respect for the creatures. In fact, the various species we own have also enriched my Christian faith, but that subject is tangential to this posting.

Finally, I never got around to posting pics last time, but now I will (of the leopard geckos and the AFTs).

I hope to get to know some of you soon. Thanks for indulging me by reading these gecko chronicles. Frankly, there's no one else in my circle of acquaintances who finds these things interesting. Except, of course, my 7 year-old, the future zoologist.

I would be happy to read your chronicles too!

Kindly,

Jennifer Gal
Indianapolis, IN

I'm glad you got the AFT's too! Amazing how quickly your collection can double, isn't it?

Why don;t you tell us about your set up for the new additions?

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"If you're not falling, you're not trying." - Sonni Trotter

~*~Lacey~*~

My Photos

Lacey,

You seem to be on-line quite a bit, esp. middle of the night (like me). Anyway, I have a 10 gallon tank for them. They are smaller than most AFTs I've seen, and the guy at Petco said they've been in a 10g for 9 months, so he thought it would be just fine. I might get a 20g as things progress. My Leopard Geckos (who are much bigger than these fat-tails) were happier when I moved them from a 10 to 20 - their appetites and activity level improved, etc. (they were only in a 10 for one week).

Anyway, I have a multi-level slate substrate, with a Under Tank Heater at one end, and a moist hide at the unheated end. The hide is one of those arch-shaped wooden bark things, with moist zoo-med moss in it. Also at that end are some pieces of driftwood they can climb on or hide in. In the middle range there is a 'shelf' of slate they can get under, as if it were a roof for them. They seem to like it in there, bec. they are directly over the heating pads, but in a dark protected place. On the warm end is the water bowl (to help humidity) and their little feeding dish (to help wake up the cold worms). They haven't eaten yet, but haven't even been here 12 hours, so I'm not alarmed. Petco had been feeding them large crickets and occasional mealworms. I'll do the same, plus every-other-day, gecko specific vitamin powder on the feed. I have a little cricket farm, so they are well gut-loaded. I'm not too sure on lighting yet. They're by a window where they can get natural light (w/ 'hide' options to avoid light as well). So, maybe natural light will do it. Don't know. Finally, I have a thermometer and a humidity monitor mounted inside the tank, closer to the bottom. I believe the correct ranges are humidity at 50% bare minimum, temp in the mid-high 80s daytime, mid-high 70s night.

I would greatly appreciate your input/advice on any aspect of this! I don't want to lose another gecko. I cried like a baby when my first AFT died. Her name was Allison.

Thanks, Lacey.

Jennifer

Wow you sound like you are on top of things!

Be looking for a good deal on a 20g the geckos will appreciate it!

It sounds like you have a good idea of what you are doing here and they should live long happy lives. Make surethat they don;t get direct sunlight from the window or it might heat the cage up too much and cook them. Getting a good thermometer that tells you the highs and lows for a day might be helpful too.

It's not that late, here i'm in washington so it's still before midnight. I'm kind oflike the HC mod teams night crew (so that poor marsha can get a few hours of sleep) Some nighs ken is aroundbut alot of the time i'm the only one wandering the forums.

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"If you're not falling, you're not trying." - Sonni Trotter

~*~Lacey~*~

My Photos

Thanks for the feedback; I'll monitor the temp thing closely. Those probe thermos are expensive! I'll invest as soon as I find a little extra $ under a rock.

It might amuse you to know that there is a museum in Jacsonville called MOSH. Museum of Science and History. I wonder if there's an an ancienet Mosh Pit in there. Or perhaps a high tech one with all the ultimate specifications. Do you really Mosh? This is off topic, so feel free to respond to my personal e-mail.

Jen Gal

You can get a digital therometer with a probe for about 10 dollars at most garden and hardware stores. I have seen them at Lowes as well as Home Depot and even Wal Mart.
As for the crickets I wouldn't feed anything larger than the width of the geckos eyes.
And Lacey is right about the sunlight. Never put a tank where the sun can shine directly on it. It functions like a greenhouse and the temperatures can soar to dangerous levels very quickly.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Congrats on the newbies, sounds like you are well under your way to a good collection, lol.

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MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

Thanks for the kind feedback. I asked about a probe thermometer at Petco, and they said it cost like $40. Perhaps we're talking about two different things. Exactly what kind is best?

I'm at my daughter's school today, and can't wait to get home and check on Noah and Gravy, and get to know them a little better. I checked on them many times over night. I try not to disturb them, just look at them, make sure habitat specs are OK, etc.

Jennifer

Congrats on your new ones. On all 4 that is. I picked up a digi thermo with a probe, one of zoomeds newer ones(look like coral life older digis but yellow)for 5 bucks from zoomed at the show. Since your in Indy, the show is the 16th of this month from 10-4 at the fairgrounds. 3 to park and 5 to get in and I think the kid is free but dont hold me to it. I will suggest you go and look and see if they will be there this time.

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Hello,

If you buy the setups that petco carries, they are close to $40.00 and not worth more than $10.00. Like mentioned above, you can get them MUCH cheaper. I have several in my house and never paid more than $15.00 for any of them.

If you haven't already found them, here are some caresheets on both species:

Leopard Gecko Caresheet

African Fat-tailed Gecko Caresheet

Congrats on the new additions and glad to hear that the issue with the "cross breed" was resolved.

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