Well, bummer. Came home with crickets this evening to find my male crested gecko had died.
He was my oldest pet, at least as far as I know*, and was born in Dec. 2004, received from his breeder in January 2005, and survived many traumas, including nightly harassment from cats (pre-spider-room), more power/heat failures during the worst of my impoverished and inaccessibly remote rural college years than I care to remember, and the indignity of being a "classroom pet" during the years I taught high school (although, to be fair, he slept through most of that, and it spared him the harassment from cats). He was a terrible but enthusiastic hunter of crickets, licker of eyeballs and mango-flavored goo, and a confirmed bachelor throughout his life, mostly because I was constantly too poor to justify spending money on adult female cresteds. In the end, he was the only named inhabitant of the spider room, and died entirely too soon, as I fully expected he would live another five or eight years, for perhaps no other reason than I was used to him. He was never afraid to leap before looking, which meant he spent the last half-decade reverting to his untamed state for fear that he would be caught and eaten by cats. There was no slowing down at the end of his life, because he was not altogether fast to start with, apart from the jumping, although he was not as meticulous as his younger self in consuming his final few shed skins.
RIP, Mingus. You weren't the most engaging pet but you were pretty darn cute.
He will be buried in the yard in a small box with holes drilled into it, because I want his bones. His tank will go to an unspecified future creature, perhaps another herp to take his place.
Suggestions? Pretty sure it's a 20gallon high (24x12x16).
*The dog might be about the same age or older, but he's only been my dog for the last 5 years
He was my oldest pet, at least as far as I know*, and was born in Dec. 2004, received from his breeder in January 2005, and survived many traumas, including nightly harassment from cats (pre-spider-room), more power/heat failures during the worst of my impoverished and inaccessibly remote rural college years than I care to remember, and the indignity of being a "classroom pet" during the years I taught high school (although, to be fair, he slept through most of that, and it spared him the harassment from cats). He was a terrible but enthusiastic hunter of crickets, licker of eyeballs and mango-flavored goo, and a confirmed bachelor throughout his life, mostly because I was constantly too poor to justify spending money on adult female cresteds. In the end, he was the only named inhabitant of the spider room, and died entirely too soon, as I fully expected he would live another five or eight years, for perhaps no other reason than I was used to him. He was never afraid to leap before looking, which meant he spent the last half-decade reverting to his untamed state for fear that he would be caught and eaten by cats. There was no slowing down at the end of his life, because he was not altogether fast to start with, apart from the jumping, although he was not as meticulous as his younger self in consuming his final few shed skins.
RIP, Mingus. You weren't the most engaging pet but you were pretty darn cute.
He will be buried in the yard in a small box with holes drilled into it, because I want his bones. His tank will go to an unspecified future creature, perhaps another herp to take his place.
Suggestions? Pretty sure it's a 20gallon high (24x12x16).
*The dog might be about the same age or older, but he's only been my dog for the last 5 years
I love geckos and have 4 currently (2 leos and 2 giant day geckos). Perhaps you could get another crested gecko to fill his tank? They are pretty much one of the easiest geckos to keep, requirement wise. Leos are super easy, but are terrestrial, so would require a 20g long, not tall. I'm sure you will find a suitable occupant, whatever you decide. :biggrin: