I'm creating this thread for anyone who wants to discuss keeping reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates etc.... I'm going to start out by talking about reptiles, specifically geckos. I first got interested in the reptile hobby as a whole when I was in middle school. I visited my local Petco and got a book on Geckos titled "The Gecko" from the An Owners Guide To A Happy Healthy Pet series. I read it from cover to cover several times. The various species fascinated me. I've always wanted a gecko when I was younger but could never decide on which species to get. I first wanted a Leopard Gecko, then a Crested Gecko and then a Skunk Gecko. Although a bit pricey another species I've wanted is a Giant Leaf-Tailed Gecko. I never really wanted a Tokay because of their supposedly nasty and bitey disposition. However, with the rise of YouTube several years later and videos of people taming their Tokays I'm a bit tempted to get one myself. Actually I'm interested in its close cousin the Large Forest Gecko, aka Green Eye Gecko (Gekko smithii). I'm thinking of acquiring a pair for an Exo Terra 36x18x36. Other non-gecko species I've thought of keeping are Eastern Collared Lizards, Jeweled Lacertas, and Long-Tailed Lizards. Over the years I have kept Green Anoles, Brown Anoles, Fence Lizards, Five-Lined Skinks, Cuban & Green Tree Frogs and a Slider turtle temporarily in a tank I used to have on ourt back porch for a few days and would then release them back where I would catch them. This way I could see which species I was most interested in. If I got an amphibian, #1 on my list is a huge female Brazilian Horned Frog. I've been a Horned Frog fan ever since I saw them back at my old Petco. In 2003 when I first saw them only Cranwell's and Ornates were offered for sale in places like Petco & Petsmart. I remember in 2011/2012 when the Frog Ranch got their first Brazilians and now they're available at a much cheaper price and easier to acquire. Amazon Milk Frogs are awesome as well and would look great in an Amazonian paludarium setup. I used to want Dart Frogs but I don't want to deal with fruit flies getting loose. How many of you keep reptiles, amphibians or inverts? What are your favorite brands for terrariums and products? Personally I'm team Exo Terra but also like Zoo Med especially their new paludariums. Which online shops are the best places to buy herps? I have seen mixed reviews on places such as Backwater Reptiles. I have heard the best and most reputable are LLL Reptiles and Big Apple Herp.
At the moment I do not have any after the passing of my ball python. I also like Exo Terra. @Sarus Crane what do you think is the best species of gecko for beginners?
From books and what other people say I think Leopards, African Fat Tails and Cresteds are the best for beginners.
For amphibians I would say American Green Tree Frog, White's Tree Frog, Red-Eye Tree Frog, Milky Frog, Tomato Frog, Tiger Salamander.
I've kept three herp species so far, the only one currently alive is a White's Tree Frog. Other than that, I had an African Dwarf Frog that lived for almost 10 years and a Common Wall Lizard that I caught in Kentucky. It died from unknown reasons a few months afterwards.
Had a blue tongued skink which I kept for maybe 5-10 years? But as I was a horrible/irresponsible pet keeper, the lizard was donated to Auckland Zoo. But I did see him on one of their YouTube videos so that was nice. Also kept frogs(dead), red eared sliders, and snake necked turtles(both somehow escaped) in NZ and kept a pair of some kind of green agama, red eared sliders (possibly still alive)?, frogs(dead) and possibly newts?(dead) whilst I was in China on separate visits. And as I haven't kept herps anymore since when I was like 11 (probably for the best) don't have any opinions on best brands or anything.
I have a pair of American toads, a pair of gray tree frogs, an eastern spadefoot, a white's tree frog, a Sonoran desert toad, two tiger salamanders (A. mavortium and A. tigrinum), and a giant madagascar day gecko atm. I would rate the giant day gecko as a much more interactive and engaging pet than other species I have worked with. They are at times almost bird-like in their mannerism, and they are very food-motivated and will associate the caretaker with a meal and hand feed very eagerly.
I’ve kept several species of herps, and still own many for my educational outreach programs. I currently own a Leopard Gecko, Northern Blue Tongue Skink, Gargoyle Gecko, Sarasin’s Giant Gecko, Axolotl, and a Mali Uromastyx. I’ve kept an American Toad, White’s Tree Frog, Crested Gecko, Kei Island Blue Tongue Skink, Mourning Geckos, and an African Fat-Tailed Gecko in the past. (Some passed away and some were rehomes.) I’ve got rough knowledge on how to care for most herps kept in captivity by typical pet-owners, so if you’ve got any questions I’d love to answer them.
That is genuinely very impressive! As for myself, I've been involved in the herp hobby for a very long time. My collection has simmered down somewhat compared to what it used to be, just due to animals passing and changing interests over time. At the moment, I have the following: 0.1 21.5 year old leopard gecko (and yes, I've had her that entire time) 0.1 Yate Leachianus Gecko 1.0 Bearded Dragon 1.0 Spotted Turtle 0.0.1 Fly River Turtle 1.2 Ball Python 1.3 Boa Constrictor ssp 0.0.1 Green Tree Python x Carpet Python Hybrid I think the two species I've owned that I enjoyed the most (besides my leopard gecko who is #1 in every category, lol) were prehensile tailed skinks (for their personality) and Paradise flying snakes (beautiful and good display animals, but delicate and challenging to keep long term). Edit: Forgot, I have one amphibian, too. An Asian floating frog
