Journal Entry- 2 months till EOY

We are two months away from the end of the year. While we try to share as much information the blog as we can, I realized we have not done a true JOURNAL entry in a while, and isn't that what a Blog really is?

So here we are almost to Nov 1 and I am starting to both reflect on '09 and anticipate the exciting times ahead for Supreme Gecko in 2010. A couple of later posts will not only document our prior year but outline some of our vision for next (not everything but some of the exciting news and challenges).

We will be making the most of the next couple of months by adding videos and articles to our Blog/Facebook/Store, preparing for Winter, attending a number of reptile shows, and planning our breeding for next year.

We are working on videos all the time. From care tips to new animals to some crazy things that are going on in our facility. One thing we will be doing soon is revamping our on-line library. We want to make this more comprehensive, easier to navigate, and more attractive. Watch for this as work has already begun. This is a labor of love as we always want to share our experience in this hobby to help other keepers.

Winter is here in Wisconsin. Time to start cooling the animals and getting everything ready for 2010. Lots of work!!!

SEWERFest is... oh my goodness, it is this Sunday! Great time to touch base with long time friends and meet some new people. Stop by and say hi. We will be at the Lake Country Reptile Show and the All Animal Shows the next two months as well.

Breeding next year. Whew! If you have talked to us in '09 about our animals, you probably picked up on the fact that this past year was 'different' for Supreme Gecko. You could call it 'HoldBack Year' Stay tuned :)

For those that know me, my occupation is in computers- as a Business Analyst/Project Manager which means my forte is planning. Nanette will tell you that sometimes I over plan. Well, I have a loooooooong list for next year!

Things I learned in the lizard room

Leopard Gecko Babies

Babycare -

Housing for the baby leopard gecko

* plastic shoe box (we use a nine qt for the newborns)

* a large styro cup cut in half to provide a hide for the baby. When misting we have found that the water droplets stay on the styro cup allowing for water to stay in the container longer. The leopard babies will lick the water off the styro cup as well. It is washable as well for easy clean up. Also, it is very economical.

* a wet paper towel for moisture in the container is very important for the first month. It keeps the moisture in the container and helps the babies shed.

* a small dish of calcium (needed for developing healthy bones)

* a label (masking tape) giving the baby's father and mother’s name, egg lay date and hatch date.

Care of the baby leopard -

* baby is put in the shoe box after hatching

* add a wet paper towel and mist the container

* daily mist the paper towel and container are misted ( paper towel is changed weekly)

Feeding care –

* when the babies are 3-4 days old we start feeding them small mealworms

* the containers are misted and fed daily

Crested Gecko Babies

Housing for the baby crested gecko-

* small plastic breeder boxes (kritter cages)

* piece of paper towel

* part of a cardboard egg carton

* small piece of a fake plant

* label (piece of masking tape) with the name of mom and dad, egg lay date and hatch date

* Note- when the babies are about a month old we move them into a plastic container (19qt) to grow them up

Care of the baby crested gecko-

* after the baby has hatched it is put into a plastic breeder box

* place a wet paper towel and mist the container

* daily mist the paper towel are misted (paper towel is changed weekly)

Feeding care -

* when the babies are 3-4 days old we start to feed the MRP (this is a complete diet- offering all vitamins and minerals the crested geckos need. Click here for more information- Created Gecko Diet

* the babies are misted daily to give them the moisture needed for drinking and shedding

* the babies are fed MRP daily

This past year I have become a little more brave when it came to helping in the lizard room. I see the importance of daily care for these animals and how they thrive from it. It was fun to see the hatchlings and how fast they grew as the time went on. The biggest step for me this year was to actually start holding the baby crested geckos. However, the leopard geckos I am just not comfortable holding yet.

Posted By Nanette

Customer's Prize

What do you think of this one! From our good friend Stephen. We sold this recently and it has colored up real nice.

New Leopard Gecko Care Blog

I found this great blog from our friend Stephen Ayer today. Lots of great information and very interesting journal. Check it out at Leopard Gecko Care Blog

Post by Wally

I'm thirsty!

When you enter our leopard gecko room there is a tank with chahouas just inside the door. I have noticed that they come up to the top of the tank to check out what I am doing when I am in there. One day I misted to see what they would do. Of course, they were up there to drink it up. Now it is routine for me to mist when I am in the room and they just come right up to lap up the water. If I don't do it they just sit and wait. It has been fun to watch them respond. Check out the pictures. Remember you are looking down into the tank through their screen top.