Supreme Gecko Blog

Leopard Gecko Breeding - A Little Nip Now and Then

2011-01-29T05:23:00.001-08:00

Help! My leopard geckos are fighting. I hear that often this time of year. Keepers understand that geckos may fight if kept together, especially 2 males. and become concerned when they see their pets battling it out. However, there is a difference between aggressive fighting and the instinctual breeding behavior of nipping and nudging.
During this display the animals will grasp the other around the neck or tail area and also head push the second one. This is very common and natural. What you don't want to see is biting accompanied by violent shaking and thrashing by the over aggressive animal. With this demonstration, it is time to separate the animals!

New Blog

2010-07-16T20:26:00.000-07:00

We are moving our blog to Supreme Gecko Blog to provide more functionality... See ya there.

Caring for Your Geckos Over The Holiday/Vacation

2010-07-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo! Forth of July weekend. Most of us have 3 day to celebrate, enjoy the fireworks, and did I say celebrate?!!?

If you are like me, you have family over and doing some cook outs and entertaining (or if you are lucky heading to a friends home that will be throwing a July 4th bash). How much time will we have for our geckos. Not much! But, there are a few measures to take to make sure they have a pleasurable 3 days as we will have.

1. Plenty of water. Make sure bowls are clean and filled. I make sure I do a little extra misting before the holiday as well.

2. Feeding. While I will feed before taking the break from the reptiles, I really don't worry too much about missing a feeding- related to #1, I will take 5 minutes sometime during the holiday to do a quick mist of the babies.

3. Insects- one word, CLEAN. Do that cleaning and you will not have an issue when you are ready to feed again in 3 days.

Take a few extra minutes before your holiday starts and your geckos will great you will big smiles when they see you again. Now, go out and enjoy the holiday- light a few bottle rockets, and have an extra brat for me.

Supreme Gecko Web Site

To Substrate or Not to Substrate, That is the Question.

2010-06-03T18:40:00.001-07:00

If I were a betting man, ok I am so who is up for a friendly wager, I would bet that one of the top 3 questions I am asked at shows is “What do you use for substrate for your animals?” This is such a great question and usually shows that the reptile keeper has been reading up on their animals. I love to talk about substrate because A) it holds so much controversy in the hobby, B) I am such a contrarian on substrate, and finally, C) there is usually such an easy solution available to hobbyists.

NEW WEB SITE

2010-05-29T09:53:00.000-07:00

In the next day or so, Supreme Gecko will have a new web site. The site will include photos, articles, videos, Hot Tips, and even Blog posts. I will occasionally post info here but if you want up to date, current information, you will want to check out our new Supreme Gecko web site.

It's coming!

2010-04-09T21:08:00.001-07:00

And it won't be long before it is here.

What's Up?

2010-03-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

This past couple of weeks have been crazy to say the least. With over 60 hrs a week to my 'real' job, reptile shows, normal family events, I have still been able to work with the animals and kick in breeding season.
No complaints about the schedule, as this occasionally happens to all of us and we all have to bend a bit in times like this.

The geckos are all kicking into the breeding season as we are getting our first eggs of the season- the Het for Raptors, just like last year. Newly introduced crested groups and laying as well. I think I even see eggs developing in the female aussies.

With everything else, I still have spent some time on a project that started back in November. That doesn't sound like a long time ago but for me, it seems like an eternity. I will share more about this probably by the end of the week. It's an exciting change for Supreme Gecko and we are excited to move this project forward.

Well, time for some more coffee and.... right back at it.

Wheaton Show Saturday 3/6

2010-03-05T04:32:00.000-08:00

We are getting everything ready today for tomorrows show.
Here are a couple of animals that will be coming down with us.

Substrate- An Article About Nothin'

2010-02-20T07:40:00.000-08:00

Should we use SAND on the bottom of our gecko enclosure? Should we use PAPER TOWELS? How about WOOD CHIPS? Or PEAT MOSS? We get this question about once a reptile show. Read on to find out what we do.

One of the biggest controversies you will find on the Internet is whether one should use sand as a substrate in their gecko enclosure (specifically leopard geckos). Want to start a "flame war" on any of the leopard gecko forums? Mention that your leopard gecko is sick and that you have been keeping her over sand for the past 6 months. If you post this.... DUCK! as the post will start coming your way!

So, you are asking, is sand bad? Well, my response is 'it depends'. For baby leopard geckos, never start your young animals on sand. Youngsters have smaller digestive tracks and are more susceptible to the sand causing impaction.TIP ALERT--- For adult leopard geckos, keep a small bowl of a quality calcium in the enclosure. Leopard geckos lick their substrate for trace elements (including calcium). A calcium dish will DRASTICALLY reduce the leopard's need to find other sources- including the sand.

Now a word about wood chips - orchid bark.... DON'T! Do not pass GO, Do Not Collect $200! Any type of wood chip is BAD. They will somehow make it into your geckos' mouth and they will get caught in their digestive track! Some customers insist that their wood pieces are too big for the geckos mouth. Over time, big pieces become smaller pieces and one day you will see your crested gecko lunge for a cricket only to come up with a mouth full of small pieces of wood (otherwise known as splinters). Just DON'T :)

Now for the better options- Peat Moss and Paper Towels. Both are good options for your geckos- paper towels for babies and adult leos, peat moss for adult crested geckos. The purpose of both is to hold humidity and they will do this. The reason we do not use either is simple- they can be hard to manage- they either dry out too quickly (especially in the winter) or become too wet and for peat moss, this means mold.
Again, not bad options, they just need a bit more management.

Since we have quite a number of enclosure, we try to balance making things as easy for us but also as comfortable for the animals as we can. So your question now is what do we use in the crested and leopard gecko enclosures at Supreme Gecko?

We use Nothin'! Well, that is partially true. For adult leopard geckos, we prefer a bare bottom tank. For baby cresteds and leopards we keep the bottom bare but will crumble up a full paper towel and throw that in the corner of their enclosure. When we mist, we hit a couple extra pumps on the paper towel to soak them pretty well.

For adult crested geckos, we prefer a different approach. As we have humid hides in our adult enclosures (crested and leopards) we will leave the crested enclosure bottom bare but will take cheap plastic plant strings with big leaves that you can purchase in any $1 store and cut them up into 4-6" sections, then scatter them over the bottom of the tank. As you will be misting the enclosure every day/every other day, you should never have an issue with humidity anyways. The advantage to this approach is many- it's very inexpensive, makes for a decorative enclosure, cresteds like to hid under the leaves, and this is super easy to clean- just throw the plants in a bucket and let them soak overnight.

I hope this shed some light on how we have adult and baby geckos setup in our facility. Leave us a comment if you have any questions or would like to start a Flame War :)

NARBC- Tinley Winter 2010

2010-02-18T19:55:00.000-08:00

Do you know what is involved in doing a show like this? I bet not (unless you are already selling at one of the NARBC shows). While there is nothing so exhilarating as setting up to sell animals and supplies at one of the largest reptile shows in the world, it does come with a cost.

First, let me say that I look forward to these shows- meeting up with other vendors like Matt and Garrick, meeting new vendors like Charles and Brian, and talking to long-term and with new customers. I enjoy seeing the new animals that others are working with.

However, we start preparing for a show this large weeks in advance. Supplies need to be checked, Emails written, orders organized, and animals checked and marked for the show.

This weekend, we left Friday afternoon at 1, drove to Tinley Park Illinois, and arrived at 3 pm. Settup took about an hour and we were off meeting other vendors. Shortly afterward Christopher my son left for dinner and then up to the room to do some gaming. Me, I was back to the show for the USARK/PJACK discussion.

Saturday was all show. Saturday night with a bunch of fun talking to other vendors again (like Charles and Brian) till... well Sunday morning.
Sunday more show. I love these shows as we get such great customers with such great questions!
Show finished up at 4pm. We were packed back up and on the road by 5. Home by a little after 7. Animals were put away by 8:30.

One thing that really hits is that when we get back from a show like this, all our attention goes to the animals. Monday and Tuesday was pretty much feeding, cleaning, and checking the geckos. Lots of fun but no time for Emailing other hobbyist and no facebook time!

So much to do with these shows but I wouldn't trade it for anything! I cannot wait for Tinley in the Fall!

All photos by Cindy Bensaid

Sunflower- One of our largest females

2010-02-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

Sunflower

Blog Talk Radio- Aussies!

2010-02-04T17:56:00.000-08:00

This is a must listen to if you keep Australian Geckos, or are a fan of Marcia McGuiness- This Friday night!!

Blog Talk Radio Link

How big is Tank, our largest leopard gecko?

2010-02-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

Last year Tank weighed in at 84 grams. That is a tank!!! He has certainly grown this past year but let's see how much. We are hoping that he pushes over the 90 gram mark. Cross your fingers and check out the video.
Tank over 90 grams?

P. pictus egg setup for incubation

2010-01-31T16:44:00.000-08:00

Featured video of the week- how we setup our pictus eggs for incubation.

P. pictus egg incubation

Musical Chairs

2010-01-26T05:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was musical chairs for the leopard breeders. The heat is on in the room, the animals are eating like nobody's business, and I am moving them into their breeding groups for the year. This is the exciting time of the year as I envision some of the neat combinations that may be produced.

Back from the dead

2010-01-18T16:22:00.000-08:00

Wheaton All Animal show this weekend. I purchased a box of small crickets at the reptile show yesterday. Due to other commitments, my middle son and I met my wife and youngest at the soccer complex to watch him play.
Middle son drove the car home and unloaded our animals but did not get the crickets. I remembered this morning and pulled them from the car where they had been in the 35 degree temps for over 12 hours. They were all motionless at the bottom of the box, as expected. We put them in the house and around noon my wife checked them. She said that about 90% lived! It took them several hours to even start moving again but once they did, they were bouncing all over the box like popcorn

Day Gecko One, Day Gecko Two

2010-01-13T10:38:00.000-08:00

Last night’s routine- feed Crested Gecko Diet, and mist the adults and babys…. Oh, and find a place to put a newly hatched day gecko. We fed and misted without issue and Wally headed up stairs to finish some Emails- actually I think he was more into watching a hockey game.

I stayed behind to throw out the used paper cups…. Oh and to put away that day gecko. I finally decided on a XX-large deli cup, moistened a paper towel, and started to work on the tiny, lightening fast green gecko. If you know day geckos, you know what I mean when I say that I did not enjoy him leaving me down there with this task. The small incubation cup’s top was opened with hands cupped around the top, it was placed over the deli cup, and a gentle nudge coaxed the baby right onto the paper towel. Quickly putting on the XX large deli cup lid on, I proudly joined Wally upstairs for the rest of the evening.

This morning, we went down together to check on a few animals. As he noticed the new baby in its new deli cup home, and before I could share my victory from the night before he asked, “Where is the other egg”? “What egg”, I said. Well, he pointed out that 2 eggs were hatching, the new day gecko hatched from one, and so there must be another one.

I never knew day gecko eggs stuck together and thought I was throwing out a hatched egg! Ugh! I could have cried. Wally retrieved the other egg calmly and mentioned that it would be fine. Well, it might but I will not be… until I see the little head poking through the now-incubating day gecko egg.

Posted by- Nanette

Sunday's Lake County Reptile Show and Lovely Young Ladies

2010-01-12T11:02:00.000-08:00

Just a very quick update on the LCRS this past Sunday.

Jordan and I setup and greeted customers by the 10:00 open Sunday and quickly realized that the cold would keep a few folks bundled up at home. We met a number of new customers, including 3 inquisitive, young ladies (more on this in a moment) but also spent a lot of time talking to families/individuals that had purchased from me before. One family even brought in their two new baby crested geckos from a pair that I had sold them about a year ago. This just made my day!

Another note- if you are planning on purchasing animals from me at this show in the next few months, please let me know in advance. I will not be vending at the February show (will be at the NARBC show in Tinley Park instead- Sorry Ron and Nick).

Oh, the young ladies.... they are around the same age as my son Jordan (high schooler) and I found him spending MUCH more time answering their questions (many but very good questions) than I was. Slowely exiting the table I stood there and watched him interact with the ladies as I snickered with one of the show organizers. Well, last night I received a phone call (Ashly I believe was her name). If you know me, I don't give out our home phone number simply because I am in and out so much, it is easier to catch me by Email or Facebook or one of the many forums I'm on than by phone. The young lady had a great question but it was not until I hung up that I connected the dots and determined that Jordan had given this very lovely young lady our home phone # the day before at the show. She must have been disappointed when she had the 'grumpy old man' instead of the hansome Jordan answer her question.

I Have A Big But!

2010-01-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

I just realized I have a big but. Sometimes it is because of work. Sometimes it is because of time constraints. Sometimes it is because of the weather. Sometimes it is because of some factor out of my control. I have a big but! I would like to do so many more things with my family, with the geckos, or with my web page BUT I have some other commitment that in my mind sometimes keeps me from these other things. It's just a matter of getting off my big BUT and doing it!

I do have a solution for this and I will be writing a future article on this called "Procrastination- how to avoid the common pitfalls". I think I will start on this tomorrow :)

Wally

Paroedura pictus Hatched With Parents!

2010-01-07T18:06:00.000-08:00

We answer the question- “Can Paroedura pictus babies hatch and live with their parents?”

A little over a couple of months ago, I was asked if one could leave the eggs of P. pictus with their parents and expect the newborns to be ignored after their hatching. What a great question and one that needed to be answered as I could find nothing on the internet about this.

So, for 3 lays I left the eggs in with the female (15 qt tub, ½ inch sand and a couple of hides- and no male). Checking every other day when I fed, I could see the eggs just peeking over the sand, under their private hide that the female seemed to ignore. I never saw any sign that the female even cared about her earlier laid eggs.

Finally about 65 days post lay of the first eggs, I lifted the ‘egg’ hide and there it was. One solo hatchling. Well, I reasoned, I’m sure the female has been in contact with this miniature pictus so they must be able to co-exist. Right?

Moving the ‘egg’ hide caused a disturbance that initiated activity under the ‘female hide’ and it wasn’t long before she poked her head out and bolted out of the darkness of her hide. She raced to her feeding dish, which I had already added 4 or 5 small mealworms, and hungrily wolfed one down. I love watching animal behavior and this was starting to become fascinating to me. The female spotted the youngster and bolted over.

All that I can do from this point on is report the facts- The female nudged up to the smaller animal, licked it one time as geckos do when meeting up with another conspecific, then proceeded to treat it just like she would any other food item.

I neither wish to debate that this is what happens in nature nor whether this is inhumanity. I will note that baby pictus cannot be allowed to hatch in their parent’s enclosure and that I am not the one that will be performing these type of tests in the future.

Crested Gecko - Baby Setup

2010-01-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

We keep our baby crested geckos in small Kritter Keepers so we can manage them better- watch what they eat and whether or not they are pooping.

Crested Gecko - Baby Setup

Wanna See What We Have Planned for 2010?

2010-01-01T10:38:00.000-08:00

So is it Twenty-Ten or is it Two Thousand Ten? Guess I have a year to figure this out.

Thank you for hanging in there this past week. You’ve read through many posts summarizing the happenings at the Kern home in 2009. This post will give you some insight to my plans in 2010 with the animals, facility, and internet presence. While this could go on and on, I will try to keep this under 50.000 words…. Or so.

Animals
To reiterate from the prior post, we are very proud of the colors of the crested and gargoyle geckos born in ’09 but really struggled producing enough to grow out to adults or to fulfill our wish lists. Our main issue related to selling our bearded dragons. How could this be linked you might ask? Well, we kept our dragons next to our cresteds and their extra heat warmed the entire room by at least 6-7 degrees! By selling the bearded dragons and taking out the 8 heat lights, our cresteds basically ‘cooled’ the entire year! The electric bill went down considerably but the number of crested/gargoyle babies went down by 2/3!!! Plans for 2010? As we are in the middle of winter (yes, still cooling) in Wisc. our Rhacodactylus are still cooling down. Once we start warming up naturally, our plan is to warm up the room with a small space heater.
We held back some high harley, Reds, Mocha’s babies, Pinstriptes, and some amazing red Harleys. As well, we held back our better gargoyles and the 4 R. chahouas from last spring.
We are planning to breeding 4 types of day geckos this upcoming year- P. standingi, P grandis, P. laticauda, and P. klemmeri.. We really enjoy working with these beautiful animals and will be holding back several, and offering some on the Store and at Reptile Shows.
Leopard Geckos- with many beautiful, different morphs bred here last year, we are most excited about mixing and matching in 2010. One aspect we will focus on will be the Raptor morph. This will be introduced to many other morphs and hopefully will produce a number of new variations (at least new to us), including Radars, Diablo Blancos, dreamsicles, and others. As usual, we will concentrate on our carrot tails as these are still one of our favorite leopard colors to work with.
Pictus- In 2009, we bred a number of P. pictus and held several back. We also purchased a line from a close friend that is an outstanding red variant! Photos will be coming in early 2010 so stay tuned!
Australians- We are working with a handful of these cute, small animals. They include knobtails, velvets, Diplos, and Strophurus. As everything was cooled this winter, our fingers are crossed that we can bred enough to offer some to our friends. However, we will probably hold several back to add to our collection.

Facility
Where in the world will I go with all the new animal that are expected to be hatched in the new year? I don’t know! I usually plan this out so well but, here I sit.... :)
If all the kids don’t move out of the house, I’m going to have to start looking around for some rental property!

Supplies
No real plans here. We like to consider ourselves the one stop shop for your gecko needs so, if you need something, let us know!

Reptile Shows
About once a month, I’m asked if we do the Texas, or California, or New York, or some other show. I wish we could get around more to these great shows but we just have no time. I’m hoping that through the year we will be able to expand out a bit and do other shows in the Midwest. Of course, if someone would like to sponsor a business to fly out to one of the coasts to do a show, I know just hte person that would be excited to come out.

Blog / Web Site / YouTube / Email / Forums
In reverse- one area I feel I neglected this past year was in participating in forum conversations. I will change this in 2010 as this is such a pleasure in my gecko keeping experience and I enjoy sharing what I can to hopefully help others in the hobby.
Our Emails will be more frequent as the goal will always be to share information- such as upcoming shows or a short note on something like hatching out a chahouas (like our November Email). If the Emails come too frequently or you do not want to see them, please click the link at the bottom… or better yet, let me know what I can change!
YouTube One thing we will continue to do is educate. Whether it is learn from our success or even sometimes learn from our struggles (like the crested gecko issue in '09), we enjoy sharing with other hobbyists as others have shared so much with us. SEND US YOUR SUGGESTIONS!
Finally Web Site- I will not go into this too much on this as I don’t want this to sound like I'm promoting our store but we have BIG plans for the site in 2010. This seems like a never ending quest for me but my goal is to provide more, and easier access to the information.
Blog- See above comment about our Store page. We will be looking at a completely new format to make this easier for us to maintain and most importantly for you to access.
Stay tuned!
Facebook / Twitter /YouTube
As there is some much potential to meet new people, we will continue to support the Supreme Gecko and the Australian Geckos pages on Facebook as well as keeping up with our Wally Kern page.
Twitter is growing so very slowly for us as we have a difficult time keeping in touch 24/7 with the tool. We might spent some time getting more Tweet Knowledgeable this next year. If you have suggestions for us, we are all ears

In summary- we have many plans for 2010- When I say many plans, I want to emphasize that we will be breeding for color, breeding for new morphs, changing our web site, offering more videos to provide more to you, the hobbyist. Again, I can only do this through your suggestions and comments so please let me know what you want to see.

Wanna See What We Did In '09? - Facebook/Twitter/YouTube

2009-12-30T05:15:00.000-08:00

MyBookTube.... What?!?

FaceBook
Years ago, when Nanette and I were monitoring the kid’s computer use and warning them about this MySpace thing, I never expected that we would have a social networking page. About 7 months ago I added a FB page. What a blast. I really enjoyed seeing updates from reptile friends and from family. The ability to jump on and chat with folks is so helpful, although some night I have to go off-line otherwise I just get nothing done!

The bad news is that FB is getting a bit overrun with apps- although I am sure farming on line is a bunch of fun, I find it hard to keep up with my own yard work much less take care of a virtual farm, or duke them out with mafia dudes, or take the "Which 60’s Muscle Care are You Most Like"?

We also added a couple fan page to share additional reptile information and would enjoy your input- Supreme Gecko (1,250 fans) and Australian Geckos

Twitter
While I have not really ventured much into ‘twitting’ it is a nice vehicle to get instant updates on the Chicago Blackhawks games or when someone is cleaning their enclosures. I do hope to use this tool more in the future.

YouTube
What a great way to share information among the hobbyists! We’ve posted some videos on topics such as setting up P. pictus geckos, preparing the Repashy MRP diet, and snippets (I love the word snippets... I think this is my new favorite word) of some of the reptile shows we’ve attended. As this is a new venture for us, we are very excited about sharing more in 2010 (another glimpse into our upcoming post on Friday)

Finally, if you have not already done so, we would really appreciate a friend request or subscription to Wally Kern in Facebook (or Supreme Gecko or Australian Geckos), Twitter, or YouTube if you find the information helpful.
If you are on one of these sites, post an occasional comment.

Let's be friends on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WallyKern

Let's follow each other on Twitter: http://twitter.com/wallykern

Check out our Videos on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/SupremeGecko

January 1st- 2010 Plans DON'T MISS THIS ONE!

Wanna See What We Did In '09? - Our Blog

2009-12-27T15:27:00.001-08:00

Born in February, 2009 the Supreme Gecko Blog quickly became the #1 Google ranked gecko blog on the internet! I was really surprised to find this out but it is a fact we are now very proud of. Our intent early this year was to create an on-line vehicle to share information (like these 2009 Update entries) about our wonderful hobby with very little influence from the business side. This has been a labor of love and we appreciate everyone that is sharing in this experience.

As you know, I stepped out of the majority of updates in the middle of the year and Nanette took the reigns and ran with the Blog. Her most read posts involve keeping geckos from a non-reptile keeping person’s perspective. They are both fun to read and very informative as she covers areas most of us normally gloss over. Her most engaging Topic was of course the egg contest. With over 100 participants, I am happy to say that this became a fun and hopefully educational couple of months for all of us.

Let me ask a question, what would you like to see from these articles. We've had a lot of requests for a series focusing on what we will be doing in the future and as a result, I've put this thread together. However, I need your input on where we are going with the Supreme Gecko Blog. Let me know.

Finally, watch for a BIG change in 2010 (I have to stop giving clues to the upcoming threads!!!)

Tomorrow- Facebook - Twitter

Wanna See What We Did In '09? - On Line, Web SIte, Emails and Forums

2009-12-27T06:47:00.000-08:00

I’m not even sure where to start with what we’ve done on-line this year with Supreme Gecko From updates to the Store, changes to our Email program, delving into the YouTube arena, to our involvement in Facebook and Twitter we contributed to as many different Web 2.0 networking activities as we have time for.

Supreme Gecko Store
A year and a half ago, we spent a lot of time get the Supreme Gecko Store on-line. In 2009, we sat back a little and made far fewer adjustments than we would have liked.
Few know this but you can find all kinds of articles in the Gecko Newsletter and Library section of the Store. You can also see some amazing photos of some of the geckos we’ve sold under Owner’s Gallery. Unfortunately, these are rather difficult to add, maintain, and especially find by our customers. This will change in 2010 (oops, sssshhhhh!).
We did add P. pictus geckos to the store and have had a great response in sales.

Crested Gecko Food Site
As well, to help those that are purchasing the Repashy Superfood now on a regular basis from us we created the Crested Gecko Food site as a one stop shop for your crested gecko food needs (including the link to the YouTube video on how to prepare the food).

Email
I hope you like our new Email format. We switched over in November to help with Emails- improve their content, manage addresses, and analyze our statistics. I have to say that you have way higher than industry standards for opens and clicks. Thank you and Way To Go! If you have suggestions for improvements to our Emails, please let us know.

Forums
There are some great forums out there, however our participation has slipped a bit this past year as we focus on other areas that just seem easier to use to communicate with other hobbyist. As our time shifts to other more interactive tools (more on this later in the series), quite simply we are just running out of time. I cannot tell you how many nights a week I end the evening on FB chat with “Well, it’s after midnight and I need to get some sleep… gotta go” :)
Saying this however, if you ever want to get a question asked immediately, catch me on FB Chat.

Tomorrow- Blog

Wanna See What We Did In '09? - Shows

2009-12-26T05:16:00.000-08:00

This past year, we vended at 34 shows! 34 Shows! That works out to be about 2/3 of every weekend!

We would not be so involved if we did not enjoy discussing animals with you the customer so much. I wish we had more time at these shows to chat with every single person that attends and stops by our table. My sons and wife have done a wonderful job helping out, but I still feel I miss out when someone stops by buys animals and supplies and I do not get a chance to ask about their animals.

One important point I wanted to make about our shows. I try very hard to remember everyone I meet in person and on-line but it is simply impossible. If we do not greet you by name or ask about specific animals you keep, do not be offended and please feel free to let us know who you are and what you keep (or whether you have purchased animals form us in the past). This is a great reference point for us.

If you have never been to a reptile show, you are really missing out! There are so many wonderful animals that you would never see anywhere else. Also, if you are looking for advice on keeping or breeding your animals, a reptile show is the place to be. Come see me at one of the local Wisc/Ill shows ... Reptile Show Schedule

Tomorrow- Internet

Wanna See What We Did In '09? - Supplies

2009-12-25T06:04:00.000-08:00

Just a couple of quick notes on our Supplies. Taken from suggestions by you, we continue to expand the supplies we carry. This past year, we included calcium and vitamins, Exo Terra breeding cages, and finally started carrying the Repashy Superfood CGD 1 Part. We delayed this decision until a couple of months ago as we felt offering both 1 part and 2 part diets on the web and at shows would be a bit confusing. We were very wrong as CGD has clearly out sold MRP in the past couple of months.

The demand for the Repashy food moved us to create a completely new page for the food. You can find it at

Repashy Crested Gecko Diet

If you are in need of any other supplies, let us know and we will gladly take a look at stocking it on our Store and at shows.

Tomorrow- Reptile Shows

Wanna See What We Did In '09? - Our Animals

2009-12-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

You know I love talking to each of you about your animals, and always will.
However, now it’s time for a Toby Keith song- "I wanna talk about me, wanna talk about I, … wanna talk about number 1 oh my me my".

Our Animals-

Crested Geckos- What a Year!

The year started strong as we continued to keep up with demand for our Reds, Pinstripes, and other color morphs. Late in March we began to realize that things were slowing down. Eggs were taking longer to hatch. Females that had begun to lay in February had not laid any eggs in March! Well, we were unable to reverse this the entire year. As our stock of young animals decreased our wish list grew and grew. As frustrating as this was for us, all we can say is that 2010 will be different and we WILL BE providing animals for our loyal customers from the wish list.

Leopard Geckos- What a Year!
I believe we had such a decrease in the number of crested gecko babies this last year due to the number of leopard gecko babies delivered in our facility in ’09. Funny how things like this work out.
Our focus for years has been SHTCTS and this year we produced some of our finest. However, we also bred the following- Mack Super Snows, Enigmas (het Raptor), Blazing Blizzards, Reverse Stripes, and Raptors. All these special animals were held back and will be part of our breeding program in ’10.
It was a great year for our leos. Just glad we built those extra racks!

Pictus Geckos- Almost every one that purchased a Paroedura pictus from us this year Emailed/talked to us at a show and told us they were so happy they purchased these fun and entertaining animals. We will continue to offer P. pictus next year and might have some exciting news about our group in a few months. (that was just a quick peek into our Jan. 1 ’10 post)

All other geckos are doing well and continue to provide enough babies to offer to our customers.
We developed an interest in Australian geckos in a big way last year by adding about 10 species. It is a long process with these animals and we will not have any available for sale in 2010.

Finally, one of our hardest decisions this past year was to move away from breeding bearded dragons and chameleons. Our facility is not large and cannot expand without doing something drastic so to make room for other animals, the dragons and the last of the veiled chameleons were sold. I’m already missing the chameleons, the first reptile type I started keeping back a number of years ago.

We are very proud of the road we took with our animals in ’09 but realize we did not exactly end up at the destination we had planned back on Jan 1. This just enhances our excitement for the upcoming year (see our thread in a few days on 2010 Plans!)

Tomorrow- Supplies

.... '09 - Facility Part 2

2009-12-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

One quick update to the post today- I would be remiss (or to put it bluntly, in a heap o’ trouble) if I neglected to mention the most significant development in the facility this year.
Since keeping reptiles, my wife Nanette has been of the opinion that they are beautiful animals… and nice to look at from a distance. Not until this summer did she actually start handling the geckos (at least the small crested geckos for now). This is a HUGE step for her and it has not only helped out in the reptile room but also opened up sharing more about the hobby and about the animals between the two of us.
She still uses a long black plastic spoon to ‘control’ the geckos when she is feeding and watering. As long as she uses that big spoon on the geckos only!

Wanna See What We Did In '09? - Our Facility

2009-12-23T04:14:00.000-08:00

Our facility has stayed a constant 30 x 20 feet over the last 5 years. Half our finished basement is Nanette’s daycare facility and about half, the facility- divided into the cool side (cresteds) and the warm side (leopards).

The cool side, where we keep crested geckos, gargoyles, days, and insects (including our 2 chests of mealworms, did not change dramatically in 2009. In the Spring, we ended our venture into keeping roaches. Not that they were not doing well, they were doing too well and unfortunately, it became too much work to try to keep control of the little buggers.

So their containers went bye bye and 8 60 qt tubs were added to the baker’s shelf. It seems like they immediately filled with half a dozen female crested gecko hold backs from ’08. This also gave us some ‘extra’ space we desperately needed… which immediately filled up with a couple of purchases and animals we are taking care of for close friends that moved this past fall.

In addition, the area where the bearded dragons were kept (more on this tomorrow), changed over to another adult crested gecko village of 6 more groups! These were the major holdbacks from ’08 and are the animals we are most excited about in 2010. Pictures will be coming as soon as ’10 babies are available!
Finally, as we held back a number of high color gargoyles from last year, we added 5 more aquariums for these females. Hope I can find a male somewhere to help out the other two boys, whew!

The warm side, where we keep our leopard gecko collection, R. chahouas, P. pictus, and Australian geckos, saw a significant change. Out with 2 plastic shelving units and 1 wood stand holding 29 gal. & 20L aquariums. In with two racks that hold 72 15 qt tubs. In addition, we put up another stand to hold 8 arboreal plastic containers. Thank goodness for teen age boys and air hammers (just don’t ask the boys how dad did with the gun)!
This put us up to 7 racks in a very small space. Oh, in addition, I have a wooden stand holding a 30L and two 40 breeder tanks!

We are officially out of room in our famility. Where to expand now?

Christmas at Scott Smith All Animal Show 12/20/09

2009-12-22T20:50:00.000-08:00

Thank you Scott for the nice gifts, Santa walking around , and the fun Christmas spirit at the show Sunday. This always makes for a festive mood for everyone.

With our truck in the shop (ok, my wife’s SUV) we crammed everything into my midsized car. This was cool for me as it made the 2 ½ hour trip down a bit more comfy. Jordan did his usual 'load and doze' for the trip. We got a late start and I thought we would have to hustle big time when we pulled in but the car must have another couple of gears the put-put truck doesn’t have… as we pulled in about 10 minutes earlier than we usually do.

Bringing down some cresteds (this is a heavy crested gecko show), a handful of gargoyle and P. pictus geckos, and some very nice leopard geckos we filled up the car with the rest of the supplies, including the tubs of Repashy crested gecko diet.

Interesting show as we met customers looking for a special Christmas present for their family or customers looking for some high end animals. I personally enjoy working with both new hobbyist looking for their first pet and with the advanced breeding searching for that one of a kind gecko. While we sold many leopard geckos in the lower dollar range, we sold our three best looking leopards as well.

Funny thing about our supplies sales. As you may know, we bring most of our reptile supplies to the shows. Vermiculite and SHM (Supreme Hatch Material) sold very well. A couple of products we sometimes sell out of- calcium and vitamins saw no sales at all!

Then there are the paper cups. We use these for crested gecko diet and sell them in counts of 50 – 100 – and 250 boxes. Well we sold OUT of the 250 boxes where we usually sell one or two. Sorry we were out of the plastic cups again Steve!

The big seller at this show was of course the leopard geckos. Their colors really sold themselves!

It is so great to see long time customers and new customer (like Samantha… wish I knew everyone’s name)

Wishing everyone a merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.

May your 2010 see healthy animals that bring a smile to your face everyday.

Wally

Wanna See What We Did In '09?

2009-12-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

So a whole year has passed and what have we done at Supreme Gecko? It seems like it has been a long year but it also seems like we blinked and it disappeared. Our family has grown in a sense with girlfriends (for our 3 sons! I’m no Tiger!) More cars in the driveway, more contention for the TV on Sunday nights, oh how I hate Desperate Housewives! Ok, so I do want to know who survives the plane crash.

In the facility, things are hopping! Nothing stands still- new racks go up, tanks move, and decorations are constantly being rearranged. Animals move from one enclosure to the next. Babies are raised and find new homes on a daily basis!

On the Internet, well, the internet is changing at light speed and we are right behind it. Our Store page was about the only constant this past year!

Shows- every weekend seems to bring another show… and one weekend this fall two shows the same day! This is where we have the most fun, talking about the animals and sharing experiences with you.

Through the next few days of December, starting tomorrow morning, we’ll add posts on all the activities here at Supreme Gecko and will finish off on the January 1st with our big plans in 2010 (well, we have a few that will be kept in the Secret Envelope but most will be put right out there)

Tomorrow- Facility Changes in ‘09

Thinking about '10

2009-12-15T10:53:00.000-08:00

As I sit my rocker near the fireplace, my mind wanders off to the much anticipated breeding season of 2010.

Most '09 babies have either been designated as holdbacks or have found new homes with other first time keepers or fellow breeders. Empty baby containers abound and glisten as though they were brand new, awaiting the pitter patter of tiny little toes.

New New Year will hopefully bring many exciting young animals to our facility. We plan to try some very interesting combinations of leopard geckos, some tried and true color forms of crested geckos as well as a little first time dabbling with our australian geckos.

What are you planning on working with next year? Will you try to develop a new morph/color strain? Will you refine the beautiful colors of your line bred Carrot Tails? Will you redesign your crested gecko enclosure?

With temperatures cooling down this time of year, now is the time to think about and make plans for next year.

Christmas Gift for your Reptile Keeper- 6 Great Ideas

2009-12-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

I'ts beginning to look a lot like Christmas
You may be in panic mode already. Been there! Christmas is just around the corner and you don't have any idea what to purchase for your reptile keeping loved one. Not to worry. I have 6 great ideas on what you can find to keep them or their reptiles happy over the holiday season-

# 6- A reptile setup. You can never have too many reptiles :) or reptile setups. If they have one already, get them another one. For under $40 you can pick up an nice tank, top, light and a few decorations at your local Reptile Show.

#5- A thermometer. What a great stocking stuffer. Imagine their surprise when they get past the mentos, socks, and oranges. Also, their animals will benefit from them knowing the exact temps in their enclosure. You should be able to find a nice thermometer for around $12.

#4- Magnetic Feeding Ledge. For any arboreal (climbing) animal. This will give them a high resting area as well as a little shelf to put food/water dishes so your reptile enthusiast does not have to reach all the way down to the bottom of the enclosure. Priced around $18 - $20.

#3- Does your reptile friend enjoy talking about their animals? I bet they cannot wait to show off their prized boa or crested gecko to friends and family. Well make sure Santa brings them a YouTube camera and they will be able to share their enthusiasm with the world! Spend a little more and really make their day (and your day when you borrow it for the family). Look around and you can find one under $99.

#2- If they are a reader, you cannot go wrong with finding them a great reptile book. Here is a trick to find books at sometimes 1/4 the cost! Go to http://amazon.com and look under used books. I found two Australian Gecko books last year about this time. Yes, I bought myself a couple of presents :) Julie Bergman (click on book to the left) has a great day gecko book.

And the #1 gift you can purchase for your reptile loved one.....

A Supreme Gecko of course! We have some wonderful animals and would enjoy helping you find one that would make the perfect present. In fact, someone is getting a pair (male and female) of P. pictus for a loved one. Of course they will not be in this person’s stocking- we will be shipping out after Christmas but I am sure they will be pleasantly surprised.

Lost Gecko- 2 Are Secure

2009-11-25T04:37:00.000-08:00

After posting the last message concerning our male and female jailbreak crested geckos, I wanted to update everyone on the situuation. As you know, SOMEONE left one of our screen cages unlatched Saturday night while feeding Crested Gecko Diet and this was not noticed until our next feeding this past Monday night and realized the male and female were long gone (poop on cart clued us in).
We found the male within minutes but could not find the female and left the room without a care that she would show up sooner rather than later.

One concern someone had was feeding. Well, I can assure you that there is plenty of food available for any escapees in our facility. We have pan after pan of mealworms sitting on the floor cooling. Pick a worm little gecko, any one out of 60,000!

A larger concern is water. This is the one thing I personally worry about geckos that have made it out of owner's enclosures. We've only (knock on wood) had a small handful of escapees and always found them within a few short days but I think a gecko will become dehydrated without a water source far sooner than they will starve.

So, a conclusion to the store is requested. Monday night, after getting the room all back to normal after tearing it down to find the geckos, I went back down to after lights went off. I flipped the lights on, walked over to the spot the male was found at (in between baby tanks on one of our racks) and would you believe found the female within ONE INCHES of where the male was found. She was sitting not two feet away from her enclosure!

Moral of the story, the best way to find a gecko is to wait until lights go out. Wait about a half hour, turn on the lights, and look high (for crested geckos) or in the middle of the floor (for leopards). Look around objects without moving many things and you should find your gecko. If this doesn't work, check in the morning before lights on, then again the next evening after lights go out again.
Wally

What Does it Mean When You Find Gecko Poop on Your Work Cart

2009-11-23T20:42:00.000-08:00

Do you notice little things that seem out of place in your geckos' enclosure or your gecko room. I do. It seems that I am in tune on where EVERYTHING should be. We have a big black rolling cart in the middle of our crested gecko area that we do our shipping, egg checking, feeder cup filling; well everything on. Walking past the cart to get the feeder cups to put Crested Gecko Diet into, I stopped. Taking two steps backward, there it was!

Sitting right in the middle of the cart was a little piece of dried gecko poop. Ewwww you might be saying. To me it said something else... Escapee!

Well the search began (after cleaning up the poop of course). It didn't take long to see that one of our screen cages was left unlatched. Yes, that was me. Two nights ago during another feed, I must have left it unlatched. Now the realization sunk in that were were not missing a crested gecko, we were probably missing two. Checking the cage and sure enough, the search was back on for TWO geckos.

About a minute passed and there was the big male- looking at us, looking at him, looking at us.
A little chasing, a little cursing, a lot of moving stuff from from under stands, more cursing, one quick scoop and he was back in the cage.

That is the good news. The bad news is that the female is still on the loose. I am not so worried as the room is contained and either later tonight or tomorrow she should be found sitting atop one of the racks, looking back at us, and just laughing her head off at us silly humans.

How to Add a Box on Your Facebook Fan Page

2009-11-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

Why- All sorts of reasons, let people know something special about you. For us, we have our Blog and our Reptile Show Schedule in a box under our Profile Box. This way friends can simply click on the links in the box and come right here or see where we will be at for the next Show (see ours at Supreme Gecko Fan Page

This is a little tricky but take it slow and you should be fairly easy

1. Get an application from FB called FBML
A) go to FB's search (upper right hand corner of page)
B) Type in FBML and click search hourglass
C) Click on Static FBML
D) On left side of FBML page, click on Add To My Page (right under logo)
2. Go Back to your Fan Page
3. Click Edit Page (again, on your Fan page)
4. Find FBML application
5. Click on FBML application's Edit button (little pencil)
6. Give the new Box a title- such as Supreme Gecko Show Schedule
7. Add your HTML code you would like to show up in the box (need a little HTML development knowledge)
8. Hit Save Changes
9. Click on the New Tab, up by Wall, Info, Photos, might need to click the >> (double right arrows)
10. Click and Hold on the New Box (Supreme Gecko Show Schedule on my page) and move it over to the left of the page.

And now you have a new box to tell all your friends about. If this is helpful, leave a comment or become a fan of the Supreme Gecko Fan page (more cool tips will be coming soon)

Oh, no you didn't ...

2009-11-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

Feeding the leopard baby wall is normally an easy task for me. However, they are starting to get bigger and I "the non-reptile person" AM NOT liking this. When I feed and water these animals I always have my black plastic spoon available to stop any 'unwanted' behavior from the leopards. Here I am half way done with the feeding and a little leopard decides it is going to get friendly and crawl up the side of the container. I gently guide it down with the spoon and put its food in the dish. It decides as I am filling the water dish to climb again. I take the spoon and put it in front of the leopard to move it down and it decides to RUN up the handle of the spoon onto my arm!!!! I of course scream, scaring it so it just goes higher up my arm! Now tears are forming in my eyes and I have goosebumps all over. I grabbed the container and spoon pushing the animal back into its home. After I put the container back on the shelf I sat down on the stool to recover. Stupid gecko! :)

Just a little something to think about ...

2009-11-14T05:41:00.000-08:00

I was working in the facilty and found myself doing something Wally does. Talking to the geckos! Now when Wally does it you might hear - " Hi, there"; " you look great"; or even "boy, you are getting big!" I only hear Wally get stern with them when he is trying to get them to sit still for pictures. "STOP IT!" My conversations are more like - "Please, stay in the container" ; " it's just the cleaning spoon move" ; or just "stop it". I used to laugh when I heard Wally talking to them. I think he genuinely talks to them and cares. Me on the other hand tend to talk when they are moving too quick and I get scared that they will end up in my hands. Do you think these little creatures hear us and care at all that we are there? Is it the same thing as people who talk to their plants because they believe it helps them to grow? Just something to think about.

Post from Nanette

R. chahoua babies - Not For The Squeamish

2009-11-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

Two R. chahoua eggs hatched in the last couple days. A third is still waiting... waiting... waiting. It is swollen but will not hatch. What to do!

Two years ago, our first breeding year with our Pine Island Rhacodactylus chahouas, we had 2 eggs. Neither hatched (even though they swelled up nicely). Last year, 6 eggs and 5 babies. Again, one egg swelled up normally before breaking open but never did. Unfortunately with these three eggs, the babies never made it out. This was certainly frustrating, but par for the course as R. chahouas are know for being a bit difficult in this regard.

This year- two hatched and one was waiting... now 3 days. I knew I did not have much time so I decided to open the egg myself!

This is something I strongly suggest you do not do with your gecko eggs unless you are knowledgeable on the procedure. As well, if all goes well with the egg opening, you may be extremely upset if you find a neonate that is not alive (I say this through experience).

I carefully made an incision around the egg, being careful not to go too deep and not to tip the egg. Ten minutes into the operation, my fears were being realized as the white started spilling from the opening mixed with RED! Did I cut to far? Did I do something wrong? Am I hurting the baby!!!

I slowly peeled back the shell from the now large incision. The first glimpse at the young chahoua lifted my spirit some as it was fully developed. It wasn't until I slowly rolled the shell back and gently touched the youngster that it sprang to life! I had moist paper towel down under the egg. It jumped down onto the towel and lay there for a few seconds. ALIVE! I could not believe it.

The new chewie went right into a deli cup for about an hour as it proceeded to drop the remaining yoke sac.

What a thrill. Again, I strongly suggest that this was a last resort measure as I was sure, from experience, this egg would not have hatched on its own. However, by doing so one new, cute little R. chahoua is now in our care.

Journal Entry- 2 months till EOY

2009-10-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-06T16:40:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-10-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

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.

Cricket retrieval

2009-09-24T19:43:00.001-07:00

Today while feeding the leopard geckos(adults)I got to see first hand what a really hungry ( should not have been so hungry since it was fed on Tues.) gecko is like. I was holding my "get back in your container spoon" while also tipping the cricket cup over the geckos container when all of a sudden the gecko bit the spoon and I of course jumped and dropped the crickets all over the place. After 10 minutes of crawling around in the extremely tight space I was able to capture 98% of the crickets. Lesson here: Drop 1 cricket in the gecko container before filling water dish and giving more crickets. That way you can feed and water without the unwanted surprise attacks!

By- Nanette

SUMMER SALE- Last Day

2009-09-22T03:33:00.001-07:00

We have sold a number of our nice SHTCT groups and today is the LAST DAY for the sale.
There are 2 or 3 groups still available so jump over to the store and get yours today!

Are we NUTS! 2 Shows in one day!

2009-09-20T18:57:00.000-07:00

We realized a couple months ago that 2 reptile shows were on our schedule for the same day- Madison Wisc (WIRE) and the All Animal show in Wheaton, IL. Our solution- Send Nanette and Tim (youngest son) to Madison and Jordan (middle son) and I to Chicago. Two teams?!? Is this Big Time! I don't think so, I think it's NUTS.

We spent about an hour separating our supplies into two piles (well, Nanette did all the work and I said Madison or Wheaton) then got up at 5am to catch 2 groups of animals. Off to the Madison show Team 1 went and to Wheaton team 2 went.

Once quick note- Team 1 (Nanette and Tim) had a friendly bet with Team 2 (Wally and Jordan)- the team that sold the most MRP (crested gecko diet) had the buy the other team Ice Cream later that night. See Below for the results.

Madison Show Review- By Nanette
Team 2 arrived at the show around 9:10 this morning with plenty of time to setup. Madison's show had a new location and it was very easy to find. Tim and I unloaded my truck (after I woke him up again). The hall we were in was very nice and had good space for the vendors. Thanks Jim for all the work you did to have the show here. We were set up early and going through the lists to make sure we hadn't missed something. A quick call to the "Boss" (only in the gecko world) to verify a few prices and we were ready to go.
Tim hasn't been to a show in awhile so I brought him up to speed with some little tips. 1. Smile and at least pretend you are excited about spending the day at a reptile show with Mom 2. Talk to the customers 3. Tell your girlfriend you are working and no more texting! 4. Reminder, if we sell more MRP than Dad and Jordan they have to buy us ice cream tonight! See below for the results.
The show started out pretty good. There was a constant flow of people coming in until just before the Packer game started. We had interest in several geckos and Tim was selling his baby hedgehogs. Tim had to fill our candy bowl multiple times due to a vendor (Aaron) who ate all the pull apart licorice(we now know what kind of candy to not bring to the show - just kidding!) Several customers came to see Wally today - sorry he was at the Wheaton show. It was great to talk to Molly and Adam this morning. I also ran into Eric, who I had worked with at a pet store many years ago. He was quite surprised to see me working with the geckos, since years earlier I wouldn't even step foot in the reptile department at the store. I did remind him that I still avoid snakes as much as possible.
Tim had several customers interested in the cute little hedgehogs. He did sell one of them and was very excited. Later there was some interest at our table with a certain gargoyle as to what sex it was. Aaron " the expert" came over to check for the customer. However, he was quickly reminded how to hold the animal for the sexing process. After a quick nip from the animal and no sympathy from me (have another piece of candy and get over it) he was able to tell the customer what he wanted to hear. Yes, it's a male.
The rest of the afternoon moved a little slower due to a slow down in customers, most likely because of the game and weather. It was time to start to pack up and Tim disappeared. Low and behold he appeared at Mike's table and was talking to him ( avoiding helping me). He did come back when it was time to go to the car. We left for home and within 10 minutes my co-pilot (who had worked soooo hard - NOT!) was asleep.
Wally and I pulled into our driveway within 2 minutes of each other this afternoon with much excitement to see how each team had done.

Wheaton Review- By Wally
We arrived at 9:00, perfect time to setup before the 10 AM open doors. The boxes came out of the car- yes I took the car and Nanette got her truck as she was taking the sign (more on the sign in just a sec). I pulled a few boxes from the car, found our table, and started setting up. Jordan brought in all the other boxes. Yes, I know Jordan did all the hard work, so call child labor agency!
Supplies and animals were all in place around 10 to Doors Open and we had a little time to walk around. Even had a chance to talk to Scott which, due to his schedule before the show, is a rarity. We could have taken more than 10 minutes as once the show opened, the crowd was a bit light to start with. This was such a nice day, and football Sunday so everyone was probably just taking it a bit slow this day.
The crowds picked up a bit as the day moved forward. We had many, many questions about the geckos. The hit of our table was certainly the A.P.T.O.R. (NFS unfortunately).
Jordan and I had a debate as he wanted to hold one crested gecko back that was firing up- I think he wanted to name the new morph Choco Mocha Latte Grande or something like that. The gecko stayed on the table but if it fires up like that again before the next show, I might reconsider. We met some great people, saw some long term customers. Thank you Jenny for introducing me to Christie, I hope her new beardie brings her much pleasure. Nice to see Chris and his family again (new chameleon owner). Steve, it was nice to see you at the show with your better half :) I am forgetting so many! Had some time inbetween to talk to some vendors and before we knew it, it was time to go. We did well at the show with some sales of everything but not a lot of any one thing.

Well, the results are in and thanks to Mike P's big order at Madison, Team Nanette is enjoying there Culver's ice cream. Well, we are all enjoying a treat but Team Wally had to pay :)

Quick Tip

2009-09-19T03:35:00.000-07:00

No running water near your geckos? Quick solution, try unscented wet-wipes.

Gecko Genetics

2009-09-19T03:19:00.000-07:00

Question about leopard gecko genetics? Wonder what breeding your male and female will produce? Check this out- Gecko genetics calculator

Baby cresteds

2009-09-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight I found 2 hatches from Kermit and they are beautiful! It is always fun to get them into their new home because they tend to open their mouths (like they could really do any damage) at me as I move them. We also collected 2 batches of eggs from other pairs.

1 /2 hours v.s. 3 or more hours

2009-09-16T20:15:00.000-07:00

Worked in the facility this afternoon. Fed the leopard baby racks and the austrialan rack. It amazes Wally that I can go through the room in about 1 1/2 hours and get it all done. It takes him 3-4 hours sometimes. I don't hold them - just get the tank cleaned up, fed and watered. Get rrrr done is what I say!

New Australian gecko rack

2009-09-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

We completed our Australian arboreal rack. It holds 9 enclosures and is perfect for our small group of 'climbing' aussie geckos.
For more pictures and descriptions- please see our Facebook page at Australian Gecko Page

2009-09-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

Here are some really neat drawings from another blog I wanted to share today.

Wally

He found more space !!????!!!

2009-09-05T15:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I just returned from Walmart purchasing 4 large plastic containers (that's all they had in that size) for the NEW shelf in the lizard room. These will house breeding groups of crested geckos. I really am scared because now there is NO more room in the facility to add anything. If he doesn't be careful there isn't going to be room for me to work in there anymore.

Summer Sale! 2 Beautiful SHTCTs for only $95

2009-09-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

We're constantly asked if we could offer a discount if two leopard geckos are purchased rather than one. These are the same outstanding, High End Super Hypo Tangerine Carrot Tails you've seen at the local reptile shows we've attended!!
Well, for a very limited time, we are selling 2 female leopard geckos for only $95 (rather than our normal $75 each price). Save on the geckos AND save on shipping! Select any one of the sets for only $95!

Wonderful animals to start your own breeding group, or upgrade a project.
Hurry as this sale will only last a few days.

Visit our Store to purchase your group today or see additional groups (including pairs and Tremper albinos)- Supreme Gecko Store

Beans Sunday!!!

2009-08-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

We have spilled the beans to a couple of people but stay tuned for a special promotion coming this Sunday night!

Is that a saw I hear???????

2009-08-23T11:12:00.001-07:00

Do I hear a saw running? No way - they are building another stand for the lizard room. They are being quiet with hopes that I didn't find out . I came around the corner and they are all trying to look so innocent. Of course, the boys just point to dad (Wally) . Busted!!!

clean -feed - water leopard babies

2009-08-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was cleaning day for all our babies leopard tanks (this year that is 3 1/2 racks) . We have had over 250 eggs hatch this season so far .. still some in the incubators. It now takes me about 1 1/2 hours to clean, feed, and water them. I have slowed down some due to the number of them but mainly because they are getting big and I don't like the size now. I could move the little around easily but the bigger ones I still get goose bumps moving. I have a black plastic spoon that I use to guide them into another container so I can clean theirs. Wally just laughs at me. I'll have to video the next cleaning day and let you have a chuckle as well.

Last of contest eggs have hatched

2009-08-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

Hi to all - sorry I haven't update in the last week - been a busy week.....

Well, all the babies from the contest have hatched and are growing very quickly. We had great success with SHM medium for the hatch cups. I can't believe how fast the animals are growing already and they are a little fiesty too :)

New Australian Geckos

2009-08-17T19:18:00.001-07:00

As you know, I have been bitten by the Aussie bug! No, it's nothing like swine flu :)
The aussie bug cancan only be cured by getting MORE. MORE what you might ask? Well, more aussies.
This past weekend, i made a trade for three very cute aussies (Australian geckos).
The first is a Diplodactylus vitattus. This is a small ground gecko with a common name of Eastern Stone Gecko. I have a male and this new one is a female.... and a very gravid female at that.
The next two 'aussies' are of the velvet type. These two are are Oedura marmorata (or the Marbled Velvet Gecko). They are aboreal- living in trees- and are currently about 5 inches in length. (male displayed first, then female).
Wally

Update on the contest eggs...

2009-08-11T18:14:00.000-07:00

All the eggs have hatched except 2 as of today. Still waiting - I think they are getting closer. I have been very happy with the SHM material this season. It seems to hold just enough water to keep the egg healthy.

Collecting Leopard Gecko Eggs

2009-08-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

Putting the cart before the horse- I could have filmed this before the Egg Contest but here it is now.
We've been asked to put together a video on how we handle leopard eggs here at Supreme Gecko.
I hope this generates some questions or comments.

4 more contest babies to see...

2009-08-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

4 more babies hatched today from the contest eggs. They hatched all hatched in about an hour!

More contest eggs have hatched

2009-08-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

I decided that I will keep you up to date on any other numbers that hatched. So far # 7, # 1 and # 2 have hatched since the contest ended. There are still 10 more eggs left in the incubator. I really thought that once they started hatching I would have a popcorn popping effect with the hatching eggs. Now I just have to wait and see how long before the last one hatches. My sons, prediction of #12 still hasn't hatched and he was sure that would be the first to hatch.

Egg Number ........

2009-08-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

It's Monday and time to announce the WINNER of the Which Egg Will Crack First Contest. First, of all I want to thank all of you who entered. I hope you had as much fun as I did with the contest.

There were 19 people who picked the winning egg number. I took a picture of the whole incubator showing the winning egg. The egg that "cracked" first was Egg # 8! The winner of the contest is Rick!

1st Egg to Crack (Hatch)

2009-08-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

Hi - to all the contestants in the Which Egg will crack first? Yesterday I was so excited when I checked the eggs in the early morning to find a "crack" (known as a hatch). Wally had left for the Wheaton show and didn't know and still doesn't know which egg cracked. I wouldn't let him anywhere near it last night either. He doesn't get to know any sooner that you do. (by the way he just left again for a show in Racine and still doesn't know) You can pass the word onto him later :)
Below is the egg that cracked on Aug. 1st AM - This is the 1st crack of the contest!

I changed the top so you
can't see the number
yet!

( isn't this fun - I will announce the winner
Monday!)

Anticipation.....

2009-08-01T04:58:00.001-07:00

Its been a busy morning getting Wally and Jordan on their way to the show in Wheaton. I thought now I can relax a little, but wait let me check the contest eggs first. You know the feeling that you want it to crack but at the same time you don't cause then the aniticaption is over? Well, thats how I felt each time I have gone to check the eggs this last week. However, when I opened the incubator and saw the baby I was very excited this morning! Bummer! there is no one here to share my excitement with so I decided to post to you right away. Now what fun would it be if I told you and didn't show you the baby? So watch for another post later this morning .....

PS. If you are going to the Wheaton Show could you tell Wally that a contest egg cracked! Thanks!

Contest egg participants

2009-07-31T20:04:00.001-07:00

Hi, well I checked the eggs all day long today and I really believe the more I look at them the longer it is going to take them to hatch. :) I will keep checking them because I am as excited as you are to see which egg cracks first! As of 10:00 p.m. tonight (Friday) no hatching going on! Talk to you tomorrow:)

Egg report

2009-07-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Checked the eggs all morning and again this afternoon and no hatches today as of yet. I can really see the changes in the eggs today. It's not gonna be long

Close up pictures of the contest eggs

2009-07-29T16:05:00.000-07:00

All the eggs have really increased in size in the last couple of days. These pictures were taken at 5:30 p.m. tonight. Its a good thing that we cannot induce the hatching process or my son may have already done it for us.

Starting to feel the pressure....

2009-07-28T18:45:00.001-07:00

I have checked the eggs multiple times today. Thank goodness for the window on the incubator, so I am not bothering the temperature. I feel a little pitter patter of my heart everytime I check... I can't wait to see who "cracks" first. I will check again later tonight and let you know in the morning whats new.

Checking the eggs for the contest hourly.....

2009-07-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

What goes into adding products to our store....

2009-07-28T05:24:00.000-07:00

When Wally picks a product to add to his store or to sell at the Lizard shows he is passionate about it or he won't sell it. He uses the product and tests it before he considers selling it to others. He did this with the SHM (Supreme Hatching Material) and it has proven to be very successful for us. He used the SHM for a season of eggs hatches and saw that the material held just enough water to keep the eggs moist but not too much to water log them. I used it in all the containers for the contest eggs and the material has proven itself by keeping all the eggs stable and healthy.

Monday July 27th PM check....

2009-07-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

PM check - no hatches tonight - even though my son keeps trying to convince me that one has hatched.

Egg check for 7/27 a.m. ---

2009-07-27T05:27:00.000-07:00

I checked the eggs this am at 6:30 and no hatches yet. I am checking frequently throughout the day now since I expect a hatch at anytime. This is getting more and more exciting. Our son, Tim, keeps coming in and telling me that they hatched and laughs as I run to check on them.
Update later today.

Why do you need an air gun?

2009-07-27T05:15:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, while working on supplies for the next show I heard the sound of the air compressor kick in. What on earth is Wally up too now? Well, here I find him and our 3 sons with an air gun in hand ready to put together yet another rack for the facility. It will 27 containers for geckos I was informed with great enthusiasm. I will admit I wasn't sure this was going to work out and actually fit when it was completed. And another question in my mind was " how on earth were they going to get it into the room when it was done?" They slowly and I mean "slowly" because of the over head vents and the fact that it could not be turned in any way due to NO space slid the new rack into its space.

I still am in awe at how Wally can find the space in the facility to add more racks. He does not waste any space at all. He says he can still fit one more rack in the room ~

Daily Check Report

2009-07-26T20:26:00.000-07:00

Today we have checked out the eggs on consistent basis and nothing different to report. They are all still looking very good and it could be just any day!

For the actual contest....

2009-07-25T12:39:00.000-07:00

We are doing frequent checks on the contest eggs. Here is today's afternoon picture.

Exciting news.....

2009-07-25T12:33:00.001-07:00

For Tim, our son, who discovered Hedgehog babies with one of his female hedgehogs! They look like little pincushions and they are nursing now.

AM check of eggs on 7/24 ... What do I see?

2009-07-24T05:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the 6:30 a.m. check of the eggs for today. I see that #12's shell is really thinning out - several others have as well.. you never know.

It's not gonna be long before......

2009-07-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we are about 7 1/2 weeks into the contest and no one has hatched yet. They all look good and it's getting interesting to see the changes in the eggs. I have been checking them early morning, noon, and later evening daily now. Here is the picture from about 10 minutes ago. Good Luck!! It's not gonna be long now!

COMMENT / FOLLOW

2009-07-22T05:08:00.000-07:00

If you enjoy our blog. Please leave a comment or Follow up (to the left). Thank you, Wally

Contest Update - Wed 7/22 AM

2009-07-22T05:04:00.000-07:00

I know Nanette has a couple of other responsibilities today so I wanted to get this out there-
No hatches yet for this morning.

Also- I believe an ealier post mentioned that there were some guesses that passed the date and therefore could not win the contest. HOWEVER- everyone is still in the contest!!! This was just a misunderstanding of the rules.

Keep those fingers crossed- it will be any day now I am sure.

Wally

9 people picked today!

2009-07-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

This is the most popular day that was picked... Here is a picture from my morning check of the eggs today. They look about the same as they did in the video. I will check throughout the day.

You're not gonna believe this!

2009-07-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

Which egg will crack first???

2009-07-18T20:43:00.001-07:00

Well, tonight I checked the eggs and they all look about the same. We are coming up to the most popular date that was picked this week. Watch for a video in the next couple days again.

Q&A- Silkworms

2009-07-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is from Meg Gavinski-

Q: Are silk worms worth buying to help picky crested eaters? Or would it be a waste of time? Will they stay in a glass dish like a roach will, or will they crawl out? How many should be fed at a time/how often?
I really want to help put some weight on one of my geckos, but he refuses crickets, and roaches super creep me out.
I found a place to get silks for a decent price...I just don't know if its worth it! help!

A: This is a great question. I've worked with silkworms a couple of times (both times purchasing about 5000-10,000)!
Some animals really tore into them, most ate the worms but didn't seem to prefer them over other foods, some animals actually ignored the silkworms.
They are very inexpensive if you order them as eggs, along with the mulberry food to prepare, and have some time to manage.
My feeling with silkworms is that they are a great project to play with once or twice but there are other foods you can feed your animals to get a little weight on them. I like to use waxworms a couple times prior to breeding my females- only offering a about 4-6 a feeding. ALL animals seem to love waxworms. Note that they are a bit fatty and the animals, if fed a constant diet of them will become addicted to waxworms : Hope this helps. Wally

Cleaning day for baby leopards

2009-07-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

Just cleaned, watered, and fed the leopard baby wall in our facility. I like to do this job because I get to see how they are growing. It amazes me how fast they grow. Also, can be pretty funny to see them eat and try to attack a mealworm .... miss.... try again.... miss... got it! You know those worms are pretty fast moving sometimes :)

Friday night update...

2009-07-17T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hi to all - Eggs look like about the same tonight. Hope you enjoyed the video of them. We did however, have 4 other leopards hatch tonight (not contest eggs). One of them was a blizzard and it has a neat pattern on it.

2009-07-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is the first video I have done and would like your comments. These are the eggs in the contest. All the eggs look great. Watch for more videos throughout this contest. (Note I did post this on 7-16 and there was a technical problem sorry for the delay)

I Have A Big BUT!

2009-07-17T10:24:00.000-07:00

I have a big BUT. I know this because it shows up everywhere and constantly gets in the way. It gets bigger and bigger as I sit around and watch the game on TV or play the latest on-line game on the computer. I would have more time with the family or get more done in the lizard room, however this big BUT stops me. It’s embarrassing because I know how to get rid of it… Just Get Up and Do Something. Sometimes though, as I sit there taking the “What 1960’s muscle car am I most like” quiz, it gets too easy to just keep sitting there… and my BUT grows and grows.

I know it’s all about setting priorities and focusing on the things that are most important. I know if I get busy and start chiseling away at these tasks, that big BUT will just disappear. It’s an EXERSISE and once started, will quickly become a habit. I know my big BUT will not go away tomorrow but I can certainly start working on this TODAY!

I think I will write an article on this “How to stop Procrastinating, Today!”.

I think I will start that article first thing tomorrow morning.

Wally

Special report tomorrow...

2009-07-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

Running a little late tonight. Checked eggs and they all look good. No big changes tonight. Tomorrow watch for a special report.

So whats new with the eggs today....

2009-07-14T19:31:00.000-07:00

"A watched pot never boils" was the thought that crossed my mind while checking the eggs tonight. The eggs are swelling more and more each day. Stay tuned for tomorrows picture and update!

2009-07-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

Most leopard gecko eggs at Supreme Gecko hatch in 8 weeks at 82 degrees. However some hatch earlier and some later. The contest is now at about 5 weeks and we are coming down to the finish line. Here is a new update on the eggs-

Coming tomorrow....

2009-07-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

watch for individual egg pictures tomorrow!

Changes in a couple of the eggs...

2009-07-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

I checked the eggs this am, noon, and tonight. No one has hatched yet. However, if you look closely at egg #10 on the right side it seems to thinning out a little. #12 is doing the same thing. Does it mean anything - who knows - just noting the differences I see. All the eggs look great and I truly think any one of them could be the "lucky" egg!

Contest- Quick Update

2009-07-11T10:57:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update on the contest-
Since Nanette got in pretty late last night and is off and running today, I wanted to step in and let everyone know that there were NO NEW DEVELOPMENTS in the egg hatching contest this morning when I checked. All the eggs look great (thank you SHM) and we expect 100% hatch rate from this group.

Hatching Material- Which is best

2009-07-10T06:29:00.000-07:00

As you've probably noticed in the photos from the How Will Crack First? Contest, we are using an interesting hatching material. It is called SHM (Supreme Hatch Material). We've used perlite, vermiculite, peat moss, sphagnum moss, and even HatchRite in the past. We've switched from one product to the next to give us the experience to discuss these materials at reptile shows and answer questions on-line.

Our feeling is that while vermiculite, perlite, peat moss and sphagnum moss (we had undesirable results from HatchRite) work well enough IF you have the experience to know how much water to include to maintain the correct humidity levels. However, this also means that you need to constantly check moisture levels in the material.

Supreme Hatch Material is a clay fired, pourous product. It soaks up water.... pour water into the mix and it sounds like Rice Krispies (you know- snap, crackle, pop!)

SHM is the easiest material to setup, usually does not need water added during the incubation period, and is least expensive as it is reusable!

In the past year, we have switched over to SHM for all of our hatching needs. From leopard geckos to crested geckos to day geckos to australian geckos. It works GREAT!

As we fully believe in this product, we sell it at reptile shows and online on the Supreme Gecko Store.

For a quick slide show on how SHM is prepared, check this out How to Prepare SHM

Wally

Waiting.... is so so hard!

2009-07-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Checked the eggs this am and again at noon. No change in them today. Isn't is hard to wait to see what happens? I feel like an expecting mom again waiting for the special day!