Albino Leopard Gecko

[Dakingpin714]

So i went to Petco today and i saw a baby albino leo. they have it for 24.99. i was wondering if you guys think its worth it to get it. its about 2-2.5 inches long.

[LGL]

I'd just get one from a breeder or at a reptile show. In general, Petco doesn't take very good care of their Leopard Geckos (or most of their reptiles, for that matter). I think that it would be better to pay a little for from a breeder, but to not risk having to pay for tons of vet bills if the one from Petco ends up being impacted, has MBD, Crypto, Parasites, etc.

Are they housing it on sand, or a solid substrate?
What size cage was it in? Was it housed with other animals?
Did it look healthy? Was it alert?
Was their a bowl full of water in the cage?
Does this Petco have a history of improper care or sick reptiles?

In the end it's up to you, but I'd definiely be cautious if I was buying an herp from Petco... If you do get it, have an experienced herp vet check it out before you bring it home.

[spix14]

I used to work at a Petco...and fact of the matter is, even if you luck out and get one of the stores where they have a reptile specialist that actually knows what they are doing, the babies will still be kept on sand, because that's what Petco insists upon. I tried for three years to try and get them to change it, with no luck. Made calls to coporate, talked personally to some of the bigwigs that would come into the store...no one listened. So right there you have to worry about the baby being impacted.

Also, the breeder that we got our baby leos from came in with crypto a LOT. I would imagine your store uses the same breeder, as all the Petcos generally do. So that's one more thing to worry about.

Now don't get me wrong, I have owned a couple of Petco leos (you'd be amazed how many unwanted animals you end up adopting working at a pet store)...but take a gander at my siggy. See any leos? No. That's because none of them made it past two years even with the best I could do for them.

Spend your money on a decent breeder. They actually deserve the money.