New Pickup!! Introducing... Humphrey!

Let it never be said that I do anything half-way.......

We went to the Taylor MI show yesterday, not expecting to pick up anything. I'd just started doing some research on these guys because I've been wanting a lizard as a pet, but didn't really want a bearded dragon because I just don't want to get into the crickets and other live insects that are a necessary part of their diet. So I was looking into something a little different.

I was floored to find one at this show - geckos are big there, but these guys are a lot more obscure than leopards or cresteds. This fellow was the only one there and what a specimen he was!! Introducing Humphrey - my new Pine Isle New Caledonian Giant Gecko (R.Leachianus Henkeli)....

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/...umphrey001.jpg

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/...umphrey002.jpg

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/...umphrey005.jpg

As soon as I had this guy in my hands, there was no way I could leave him behind. I would normally research for several months before just jumping in to any new species, but I'd only begun my research on giants last week! :O

It took a bit of wheedling (Honey, puh-lease?!? Our anniversary is in two days........) :D

And even though I still nearly fainted as my credit card was run.... :crazy:

But this fellow is just the most amazing animal and he's a really puppy - he's super docile and completely non-aggressive in or out of his enclosure. He's also about 1.5 years old and weighs in at about 150gm - about half his adult size.

I am thrilled to have the opportunity of owning such an amazing critter! I am so glad I went this route over a beardie - nothing against beardies! - But you really haven't lived until you've felt those fantastic gecko-feet running all over you.... :P

He looks awesome!

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

about half his adult size.

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:O Holy Big Gecko Batgirl!!!

Seriously, that is a cool animal! Congrats!

He is TOO cool! :D Awesome pickup

I LOVE how wrinkly these guy are haha. So cool lookin!

Nice pick up! That's a cool looking critter!

What do these eat?

Very cool!!! I think I saw him when I was there. :gj:

Thanks everyone!!

Like most Rhacodactylus geckos (cresteds and gargoyles are both Rhacodactylus species), these guys are fruit eaters. They will subsist almost exclusively on overripe and rotting fruit in the wild along with a few choice soft-bodied insects and grubs.

In our homes, these guys can eat Rapashy's Crested Gecko Diet exclusively which is one BIG reason I was looking into these guys (Yeah! No bugs!). And I can give him the occasional piece of banana or peach or whatever as a treat.

He is already eating out of my hand..... :D

That is an awesome leachie, major congratulations! I was doing some research on these guys a while back and this website ( http://www.leapinleachies.com/ ) was extremely helpful. Keep us updated on yours please, wouldn't mind living vicariously through you until the day I can get my own! :D

He is very cool! Congrats! I have seen them, but never held one of those big guys. But you are right about the feel of gecko feet on you :D


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Never seen one of these before but it's really wicked looking. Congrats!!

Hands down my favorite species of gecko! If I ever run into one at a local show I'll probably have the same instincts ;-) Congrats! Very exciting!

I'm so fascinated by these guys. SUPER neat. Congrats on the new addition!

So COOL! I'm waiting on our iguana situation to settle down before we get any more critters, but those guys are high on my list. Easy, awesome size, and very tame from what I've seen/read. Huge congrats! Be sure to post lots of update pics :D

wow:O that thing is amazing, leachies have been on my want list for a long time, one day i will have some of them. congrats on the pick up
tom

Thanks everyone!!

So far, Humphrey has been perfect in every way. He's not too shy, eats well, and I can just reach in and pick him up whenever. He especially enjoys eating off my fingers. :D

I am in love with this guy and completely fascinated. If you are interested in geckos, I highly recommend looking at leachies - I am finding that they are well worth the price even as just a pet. Very personable and super easy! :gj:

JUST WOW!!!!!, never seen or heard of these before. but what an animal you got there. CONGRATZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:banana:

I've been following leachies for a while and would love to have one - I have to be careful because our (very small) local reptile show has two vendors selling them and they are definitely even cuter, if that is possible, in person than in pictures. I have no doubts someday when we have the room, I will end up with an "Arm Gecko" - LOL. Thanks for the pics!

He's so wrinkly and cute. :date:

Gorgeous Leachie. Absolutely gorgeous! You definitely have me envying you, haha. My other half would probably let me get one, because it's a gecko and he actually likes the geckos, but if he saw how big they get, I'm sure I'd get the: "No. No more reptiles!"

Stunning male. And his gentleness is very impressive too! Sometimes they can go a little cage defensive, but if yours is being such a sweetie, you've got a major catch there.

I love the way they feel. Like a sausage covered in loose velvet, haha. Great animals. One day, I'll get a leachie. With any luck, a Mt. Koghis locale.

Loving your boy! Just handsome as can be.

Congrats on the new addition. :gj:

Love those guys I think if I ever get back into geckos that will be the one, seriously considering it.

Congrats!! Ive always wanted one of these guys! Maybe someday :p very nicez!

-Amber

Wow! Congratulations. That is one B.A.G. They must be the elephants of the gecko world...

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Originally Posted by sleepygeckos

I've been following leachies for a while and would love to have one - I have to be careful because our (very small) local reptile show has two vendors selling them and they are definitely even cuter, if that is possible, in person than in pictures. I have no doubts someday when we have the room, I will end up with an "Arm Gecko" - LOL. Thanks for the pics!

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Thanks! They are definitely cuter in person!! Pics just don't do them justice and every time I look at Humphrey I just want to hug him!! :P

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Originally Posted by Vasiliki

Gorgeous Leachie. Absolutely gorgeous! You definitely have me envying you, haha. My other half would probably let me get one, because it's a gecko and he actually likes the geckos, but if he saw how big they get, I'm sure I'd get the: "No. No more reptiles!"

Stunning male. And his gentleness is very impressive too! Sometimes they can go a little cage defensive, but if yours is being such a sweetie, you've got a major catch there.

I love the way they feel. Like a sausage covered in loose velvet, haha. Great animals. One day, I'll get a leachie. With any luck, a Mt. Koghis locale.

Loving your boy! Just handsome as can be.

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Thanks very much! I'd heard they could be somewhat aggressive, but that's one reason I begged so hard to get this guy - he was just as sweet and calm as could be. He spent 2 hours perched on my shoulder last night while I was working online and he just loves to take treats from me and lick my fingers! ;)

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

Wow! Congratulations. That is one B.A.G. They must be the elephants of the gecko world...

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Thank you and they sure are! And they have the dumpy appearance and baggy skin to boot! :D

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

he just loves to take treats from me and lick my fingers! ;)

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Awesome gecko, but I'd be careful about that. It's not generally a good idea to create situations where they associate your hands with food - that's inviting bites IMO.

Very cool!! Congrats on him!

AHHHHH I'm so jealous!! I want a leachie...BAD. I fell in love at the last show I went to. I was vending with my buddy and Leapin' Leachies was right behind us. When I get back from basic training, I'm getting one! Congrats :love:

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Originally Posted by olstyn

Awesome gecko, but I'd be careful about that. It's not generally a good idea to create situations where they associate your hands with food - that's inviting bites IMO.

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Rhacs don't usually get 'nippy' in the same sense that other insect-eating or predatory geckos would. Oh they'll still hunt and whatnot, but they generally don't associate fingers with biting unless you overdo it. The more immediate concern would be that they start to only eat if they're handfed, rather than independantly eating. Hand-feeding for a short time shouldn't have any adverse effects, especially if you're trying to keep them on food during a transitional period. But I'd wean them off that sooner rather than later :-) But, it's a fun experience, and isn't harmful just a few times. Heck, my Garg went off food for a month due to stress. The only way I could get him to eat was hand-feeding for a time. Once he settled, he started to pig out on his own. Now he's the same size as my Crestie, when just 4 months ago he was almost half his size.

But, I wouldn't want a nip from a Leachie, haha. Have you ever seen their teeth? They're impressive!

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Originally Posted by olstyn

Awesome gecko, but I'd be careful about that. It's not generally a good idea to create situations where they associate your hands with food - that's inviting bites IMO.

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Thank you, but Rhac geckos aren't like monitors and many other types of lizards. Being primarily fruit eaters, they don't generally react to hand feeding. It's kind of the same argument as whether or not to feed your BP in it's enclosure or out because it'll associate the hand reaching in with food. We generally say that's a myth and so is this. But I appreciate the advice anyhow!

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Originally Posted by Vasiliki

Rhacs don't usually get 'nippy' in the same sense that other insect-eating or predatory geckos would. Oh they'll still hunt and whatnot, but they generally don't associate fingers with biting unless you overdo it. The more immediate concern would be that they start to only eat if they're handfed, rather than independantly eating. Hand-feeding for a short time shouldn't have any adverse effects, especially if you're trying to keep them on food during a transitional period. But I'd wean them off that sooner rather than later :-) But, it's a fun experience, and isn't harmful just a few times. Heck, my Garg went off food for a month due to stress. The only way I could get him to eat was hand-feeding for a time. Once he settled, he started to pig out on his own. Now he's the same size as my Crestie, when just 4 months ago he was almost half his size.

But, I wouldn't want a nip from a Leachie, haha. Have you ever seen their teeth? They're impressive!

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I appreciate the advice. Vasiliki, I agree with you. And I knew that they could "imprint" on feeding by hand so I was a bit concerned about that, but he eats in his cage too. And to be clear, I am not feeding him by hand. When I take him out, I dip my finger in his Repashy and let him lick that drop as a treat for letting me pick him up. I've also allowed him to sample a few bits of fruit when I take out something new to see if he likes it. In the few days I've had him, he's only been offered maybe 3-4 "treats" from my fingers.

He appears to be eating well on his own - at least he tends to make a mess each night, lol... :P

Also, he did nip me inadvertantly the first night when he grabbed my finger when I offered him a piece of banana. It did not hurt at all and he was certainly not being aggressive - he just wanted his banana. He happily ate the rest from his bowl. I can rub his jaw with my finger and he'll just stick out his tongue and lick. He's incredibly mellow. :D

Again, I appreciate the advice. So long as he's eating well on his own, I imagine he'll always get the occassional treat from me. That's part of the joy of having a pet. :gj:

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Originally Posted by LGray23

AHHHHH I'm so jealous!! I want a leachie...BAD. I fell in love at the last show I went to. I was vending with my buddy and Leapin' Leachies was right behind us. When I get back from basic training, I'm getting one! Congrats :love:

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Leah, I saw that post on iHerp I think!! In fact, because of you, I looked at Leapin Leachies first! So my husband would say it's your fault...... :P

I'd started researching these guys and I was thinking that I'd order one from Leapin later this summer. I was at the Taylor show to pick up rats for the boas and did NOT expect to find my little gem!!

In a year or so, I might be after a girlfriend for him so I'll be looking at Leapin Leachies again, lol!

That is one awesome dude! Our Repticon is coming up next weekend so we'll look into them a bit before we go. If you don't mind my asking how bad did it hurt when you gave them your card? (i can work an extra shift or i may have to pawn one of the kids?) LOL Just wondering.

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Originally Posted by Vasiliki

Rhacs don't usually get 'nippy' in the same sense that other insect-eating or predatory geckos would. Oh they'll still hunt and whatnot, but they generally don't associate fingers with biting unless you overdo it.

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

Thank you, but Rhac geckos aren't like monitors and many other types of lizards. Being primarily fruit eaters, they don't generally react to hand feeding.

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I have a crestie who is downright chompy sometimes, to the point where we've gone to using gloves to handle her because she's so unpredictable and we're tired of getting bitten. Sure, she can't do any real damage (it's basically like getting pinched), but she knows the difference between skin and leather - she never tries to bite the gloves, so it's just more expedient to wear them. We've never been able to determine what caused the change in her behavior (she's never been hand fed, and never bit for the first 4+ years of her life, and then went aggro on us seemingly at random about 2 years ago), but the situation has left me thinking that anything that could encourage biting should be avoided.

Admittedly, it's a sample size of one, and therefore not statistically relevant, but it has colored my opinion.

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Originally Posted by olstyn

I have a crestie who is downright chompy sometimes, to the point where we've gone to using gloves to handle her because she's so unpredictable and we're tired of getting bitten. Sure, she can't do any real damage (it's basically like getting pinched), but she knows the difference between skin and leather - she never tries to bite the gloves, so it's just more expedient to wear them. We've never been able to determine what caused the change in her behavior (she's never been hand fed, and never bit for the first 4+ years of her life, and then went aggro on us seemingly at random about 2 years ago), but the situation has left me thinking that anything that could encourage biting should be avoided.

Admittedly, it's a sample size of one, and therefore not statistically relevant, but it has colored my opinion.

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I can certainly understand that!! There is always the exception to the rule. :gj: If I may, to my way of thinking anyhow, it sounds like your girl may be hormonal. Just like some people, some animals can have an excess of hormones which may cause erradic behavior at any/all times of the year. Not sure if this would be the case with her, but its possible. If that were to be true, then you would not have ever done anything to encourage the biting - it's her own raging hormones that cause her to be like that. Again, these are just my thoughts.... ;)

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Originally Posted by sirchaosofgb

That is one awesome dude! Our Repticon is coming up next weekend so we'll look into them a bit before we go. If you don't mind my asking how bad did it hurt when you gave them your card? (i can work an extra shift or i may have to pawn one of the kids?) LOL Just wondering.

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Haha!! Well, I don't think you'd have to pawn one of your kids, but you may have to pick up several extra shifts depending on how much you get paid, lol...! Check out Leapin' Leachies. The prices for their babies are pretty reasonable and accurate. :gj:

Leachies are pretty difficult to breed. They don't just get together and mate. They find soulmates. And if they don't get along, bad things happen unless you seperate them immediately. And females can sometimes reject their mate even after several years of being with him. The female will lay only 2 eggs about once a year. And because many of the subspecies are threatened or downright endangered in the wild, wild-caught specimens are very few and far between.

So all that affects price. I got my guy as an older juvenile/sub-adult which also adds to the price. Pure Nuu Ami or Nuu Ana specimens are harder to come by and can be more. It was a lot to pay for an animal that's going to be just a pet. I don't think I'd've sweated it if I were buying a boa that would be part of my eventual breeding program - then it would've been more of an investment. But sometimes you can't really put a price on an animal.... ;)

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Originally Posted by Evenstar

I can certainly understand that!! There is always the exception to the rule. :gj: If I may, to my way of thinking anyhow, it sounds like your girl may be hormonal. Just like some people, some animals can have an excess of hormones which may cause erradic behavior at any/all times of the year. Not sure if this would be the case with her, but its possible. If that were to be true, then you would not have ever done anything to encourage the biting - it's her own raging hormones that cause her to be like that. Again, these are just my thoughts.... ;)

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You're not the first person to suggest that this might be the case, and it's certainly a plausible theory. The weird part is that, like I said earlier, it started after several years of completely aggression-free life. She had always been a little bit flighty, but never bitten, and then one day, bam. That said, the hormone theory is lent some credence by the fact that she lays infertile eggs so regularly that you'd think she was a chicken. (Hasn't been exposed to a male since she was a juvenile, and she drops 6+ single-egg infertile clutches every year, starting in the spring and going until late summer.)